Secrets behind why more people pass at certain driving test centres

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Transcript

00:00It's a nerve-wracking 40 minutes putting months of practice to the test

00:04and trying to avoid those trembles translating into mistakes.

00:08The pressure to pass these days compounded by long waiting times just to get an exam.

00:14And we found an almost 20% difference between the easiest and hardest test centres in Kent

00:20with Tunbridge Wells having the highest pass rate and Folkestone trailing at the bottom.

00:25When you're talking about common faults I think quite a big one is observations.

00:29Ian's been teaching learners for almost 20 years.

00:32He says the reason for the big difference is more than just the geography of a town.

00:37It could be a case that there might be a shortage of instructors in Folkestone

00:40so people are having to take fewer lessons when they go to test.

00:43It could be that people are having fewer lessons anyway.

00:46It might be a money thing, it might be a timing thing

00:49so people maybe are more ready in Tunbridge Wells or in Folkestone.

00:53Instructors say learners going to a DVSA centre in a different area isn't uncommon

00:58particularly when it comes to those long waiting lists.

01:01Taking a test in an unfamiliar town might also come with some benefits.

01:06I've taken a lot of driving tests and I find I work better in areas I don't know

01:09because I'm not expecting things around the corner

01:11so if there's suddenly some new roadworks or a diversion I'm not surprised by it

01:15and I think if really we want our drivers to be confident driving anywhere

01:21not just on test routes.

01:23And at the moment learners say it takes six months or even more

01:26just to get a test in the first place

01:29and they can't book their practical until they've passed their theory.

01:33With the long waiting list for the practical tests

01:37instructors are saying that it can really get in the way

01:41so if people don't get on and do their theory but they've started their practical lessons

01:44you can end up with a big gap which is not cost effective.

01:49It doesn't support road safety particularly well because people end up having ad hoc lessons.

01:55So it seems with the current backlogs taking a test at a centre further away

02:00won't harm your odds in passing.

02:03Gabriel Morris in Tunbridge, Wales.