If you’re making a theory test booking in Ireland, or even your practical exam, then book it in the western part of the country, you stand more chance of passing…
Want to pass the theory test in Ireland? Want to land your driving licence? Then you’re best avoiding Dublin and heading west if you want a better chance of passing. According to an analysis carried out by the Irish Times, results of theory and practical driving tests across the country’s 48 test centres fluctuate significantly.
Candidates making a theory test booking or taking their practical exam at numerous test centres west of Shannon are two-thirds more likely to pass compared to candidates in Dublin.
Practical driving test pass rates in Ireland
Based on an average number of driving test pass rates from 2010, up to 2013, Ennis topped the practical test pass rate with a 68.1 per cent success rate. Ennis was closely followed by Sligo with a 67.8 per cent pass rate, Tuam (64.5 per cent pass rate) Clifden (63.7 per cent pass rate) and Roscommon (63.3 per cent pass rate).
In the greater Dublin area pass rates were consistently poor over the same three-year period. Candidates in Rathgar recorded the lowest pass rate at 41.3 per cent, followed by Raheny (41.9 per cent) and Tallaght (42.6 per cent) and Naas (44.1 per cent).
The national average pass percentage rate for the practical driving test in Ireland is 54 per cent and more young drivers are likely to pass the test, with male motorists boasting a superior success rate to their female counterparts.
Why the big difference?
The Irish School of Motoring (ISM), a driving lesson service provider in numerous locations throughout Ireland, says the higher pass rates in the west can be attributed to the test courses.
David Fay, the ISM’s training manager, said: “If you look at places like Ennis or Sligo they don’t have the same volume of traffic or technical issues like roundabouts or traffic lights. In some routes, the test lasts 45 minutes. But we’ve come across test routes where it can be just 15 minutes.â€
The Road Safety Authority (RSA), the organisation responsible for the driving test, says that ‘uniform standards across all centres are a high priority, irrespective of the test centre or the person conducting the test.’
The RSA said that a variety of factors, such as age, gender and the quality of tuition a candidate has received, must all be taken into consideration when assessing pass rate figures for the practical driving exam.
The authority also said that these same variations are also a factor in the outcome of theory test results, which differ by up to 30 per cent. In Wicklow, the theory test pass percentage is 79 per cent, while Kilkenny records the lowest pass percentage at 49 per cent.
A spokesperson for the RSA said: “With the theory test, it’s a case of human versus machine with few of the different aspects that will apply to any individual driving test like weather, road conditions, pedestrian activity or subjectivity, etc, and there are significant variations.â€
Need to make a theory test booking with an Irish test centre? Contact us
Book Theory Test Today offers an intermediary service assisting clients with booking a UK theory test, or practical test, at test centres across the nation. The service also supplies resources to help you prepare for your theory test – Ready to take your theory test? Book your theory test online today…
Tags: Book your theory test, Book your theory test online, Book your theory test online today, driving licence, Driving Test, driving test pass rates in Ireland, Ireland, Practical Driving Test, Theory Test, theory test in Ireland, UK theory test
