A driving test is considered to be one of the most stressful moments in our life, but did you know that there are days of the week and times of the day which are statistically proven to have a better chance of passing?

As driving test slots become harder to find due to the Covid-induced DVLA backlog, the importance of nailing your driving test when you get the opportunity has added more pressure to situation.

But DVLA data published by the car insurance group Collingwood could give learner drivers an edge, as it reveals that Mondays and Sundays have a better pass rate than any other, with a 52 per cent pass rate, compared to Friday which is the worst at 49 per cent.

It would make sense that driving on a quieter road would make things easier for those taking a test, a fact backed up by the higher pass rates at some of the more remote test centres around the British Isles. The data however kind of dispels this theory, with the 5pm hour during rush hour providing a significantly higher pass rate than any other time of the day. Drivers taking their test form 5pm to 6pm have a 63 per cent pass rate, compared to the quiet times of 6am (38%) and after 7pm (30%).

“Learners should choose the time and date of their driving test with caution, as our study has revealed that different times and days of the week have completely different pass rates on average.

“The data appears to show that there are very different driving test success rates depending on the time slot the learner opts for,” the Collingwood report said.

“The early evening slot of 5pm-6pm is the most likely to lead to a pass, with almost two out of every three drivers taking their test at this time going on to receive their pink licence (63%).

“Early birds are out of luck though, with 6am-7am (38%) recorded as the second-lowest pass percentage, only losing out to tests taken after 7pm (30%).

“It appears that squeezing a driving test in before the weekend may not be the best plan, as Friday (49%) has the lowest success rate – the only day of the week where drivers are more likely to fail than pass on average.”

Pass Rate by Hour Slot (UK-wide)

06:00-06:59	38%
07:00-07:59	48%
08:00-08:59	51%
09:00-09:59	52%
10:00-10:59	51%
11:00-11:59	50%
12:00-12:59	49%
13:00-13:59	49%
14:00-14:59	49%
15:00-15:59	50%
16:00-16:59	48%
17:00-17:59	63%
18:00-18:59	47%
after 19:00	30%

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