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128 Tries Later: Driving Test Nightmare Revealed
19 Nov, 2025
Summary
- One learner failed the theory test 128 times, costing nearly £3,000.
- Over 2,000 incidents of learners paying impersonators to cheat were recorded.
- Theory test pass rates have fallen significantly from 55.7% to 44.9%.
Obtaining a driving licence, a key rite of passage, is proving increasingly difficult for some. Astonishingly, one learner took the driving theory test a staggering 128 times, spending almost £3,000 without passing. Another learner passed on their 75th attempt after spending £1,725.
The challenging nature of the £23 theory test, introduced in 1996, has unfortunately led to dishonest practices. In 2023-24 alone, over 2,000 attempts at cheating, often involving impersonators, were recorded by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
Furthermore, the pass rate for the theory test has seen a considerable drop. It peaked at 55.7 per cent in 2020-2021 but had fallen to 44.9 per cent by 2024-2025, underscoring the growing struggle many learners face.
