A NEW REPORT has revealed the best and worst places in the UK to take your driving tests.

Research from the temporary learner driver car insurance experts at Dayinsure has uncovered the answers - including data for Wrexham.

The research used the latest DVSA data to explore which areas have the highest and lowest test centre pass rates.

Between April 2023 to March 2024, there were over 1.3 million practical tests conducted, with an average pass rate of 48%.

This is the same as in the previous year, but down 1% from 2022 (49%), and down 2% from 2021 (50%).

According to the latest data, the practical test centres with the highest pass rates are mostly located in rural Scotland and the north of England.

The test centres with the highest practical driving test pass rates (at least 250 tests done here in the last year) are: Arbroath (Scotland) – 73.1% Forfar (Scotland) – 72.3% Montrose (Scotland) – 69.7% Kelso (Scotland) – 67.5% Hawick (Scotland) – 67.4% Peebles (Scotland) – 67.1% Newtown (Wales) – 66.7% Barrow in Furness (England - Cumbria) – 66.5% Lerwick (Scotland) – 66.5% Oxenholme Road Kendal (England - Cumbria) – 65.8%.

At the other end of the table, Wolverhampton, Liverpool and Wakefield learners appear to be the least likely to pick up their pink licence, with the lowest pass rates coming from test centres here.

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In Wrexham, when it came to the Theory side of the driving test (between the period of April 2023 to December 2023), there were 5,809 tests conducted.

2,562 people passed that test, giving Wrexham a pass rate of 44.1% - making it the fifth best in Wales on those rankings behind Builth Wells, Aberystwyth, Dolgellau and Cardiff.

However, when it came to the Practical test, Wrexham was sadly ranked second-bottom of the pile.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, 3,360 tests were conducted in that respect, with 1,719 people passing.

That 47.4% pass rate was only slightly better than Wales' worst place for a pass rate - Newport - which had a ranking of 47.1%.

Dayinsure also found out the most common faults that lead to driving test fails in the last 12 months.

Learners will pass their driving test if they make no more than 15 driving faults (sometimes called ‘minors’) and no serious or dangerous faults (sometimes called ‘majors’).

The most common dangerous faults that led to an instant driving test fail were (last 12 months):

  • Loss of control while forward parking – (25%)
  • Insufficient observation while at a junction (17%)
  • Failing to use mirrors when changing direction (10%) Loss of steering control specifically (7.2%)
  • Insufficient observation while forward parking – (6.6%)
  • Failure to leave sufficient clearance when passing obstructions (4.5%)
  • Failure to judge risks at a crossing (4.5%)
  • Failure to judge risks when meeting another car (3.8%)
  • Failure to move off safely (2.5%)
  • Failure to maintain control of the car when moving off (2.1%)

If drivers fail their first test, it can take a while for them to get another chance to pass too. Wait times vary from at least 10 weeks in the north of England, up to almost half a year (21 weeks) in Greater London.

Overall, the average wait time for a practical driving test in Great Britain is now 15 weeks.

Nicholas Shaw, Director of Operations at Dayinsure said: “It is clear to see that driving test pass rates fluctuate up and down the country, and learners in some areas may also struggle to find an instructor in time to start their driving lessons on time.

“We would like to remind learners that they don’t need to wait for their instructor to start practising for their practical driving test.

“With Dayinsure, you can practise in a borrowed car (or your own), as long as you’re supervised by someone who’s over 25 years old who’s held a British driving licence for at least three years. However, you must take care to ensure that everyone is fully insured to drive the vehicle.

“If you want to improve your chances of passing the first time, temporary learner driver insurance is a cheap and flexible option to get covered for your private practice sessions with your friends or family.”