Direct Line survey found almost all drivers would fail a theory test resit.
According to research by Direct Line Around 95% of drivers would fail a resit of their Theory
Test.
A total of 1,900 out of 2,000 drivers managed to fail a
stripped-down test prepared by the car insurer,
consisting of 15 randomly selected questions from the actual Theory Test.
These
findings are a stark reminder that many people are not keeping up to date with
the latest rules and should serve as a wake-up call to encourage all drivers to
regularly refresh their knowledge.
To pass
the 57-minute, 50-question theory test, motorists must score a mark of 86 per
cent – equating to 13 right answers out of 15 on Direct Line’s mock exam.
Just
two in five (41 per cent) of those who sat it correctly identified the “cycle
route” road sign. It consists of a black bicycle on a red-fringed, white
triangular background and means a designated route for cyclists is joining the
road or crossing it ahead.
Similarly,
less than half accurately recalled when it is acceptable to use the right-hand
lane on a three-lane carriageway. The correct answer is that the it may be used
for overtaking slower traffic in the left-hand lanes, or when turning right
onto another road.
Younger
candidates were most likely to pass Direct Line’s mock exam, albeit at a rate
of just 10 per cent.
Of the
older generations, millennials – those born between 1981 and 1996 – suffered a
91 per cent failure rate on the mock test.
The real-world Theory
Test currently enjoys a 46 per cent pass rate, a significant decline
from the 65 per cent average in the year 2007-08.
As well
as answering 50 multiple choice questions in just under an hour, candidates
must also sit a video-based hazard perception test, which involves 14 video
clips of driving situations.
Would-be
motorists must score at least 44 marks out of 75 by accurately judging when
driving hazards present themselves during the videos.
Over
the last year more women than men passed the theory test, at 48 per cent
compared with 44 per cent.
Matt Pernet, head of motor insurance at Direct Line, said
: “The Highway Code covers safe and responsible
driving behaviour on UK roads, and it is not just new drivers that need to know
what is included.
“Staying
up to date with the rules is vital, especially when changes are made which
relate to right of way and road signs.”
‘Toughening up’ the test
The theory test was last updated in August to include questions
about using defibrillators and life-saving CPR 1st aid techniques.
The
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which oversees driving
tests, said at the time that motorists were often “first on the scene” when
someone suffers a heart attack.
DVSA
officials recorded a tripling in the number of fraudulent attempts to pass the
test in early 2024, with experts warning that lockdown backlogs had led
desperate learners to resort to unlawful means of securing the vital tick in
the box.
