Driving test pass rates vary by 35%

THE ROAD SAFETY Authority (RSA) has said it is unable to provide an explanation for a drop of up to 35 per cent in pass rates at a number of its driving test centres between 2008 and 2009.

Pass rates at Dublin’s Raheny driving test centre dropped from 57.7 to 37.7 per cent in 12 months.

Significant falls were also recorded at Churchtown in Dublin, where pass rates declined from 59 to 42 per cent, at Naas in Co Kildare, where the number of successful applicants dropped from 60 to 40 per cent, and Nenagh in Co Tipperary, which saw a fall from 69 to 49 per cent.

While the overall average pass rate declined to 51.7 per cent in 2009 from 57 per cent in 2008, there were significant variations at different centres, including some where the pass rate increased.

A spokesman for the RSA said a number of factors were involved, including differences in driver experience and competence as test waiting times declined. The recession also impacted on access to a vehicle and the ability to pay for lessons, he added.

However, he was unable to explain why some centres have seen significant falls, while others have seen increased pass rates.

“These things fluctuate. The changes [in pass rates] coincide with the fall in applications and in the number of tests we do.”

The most difficult place to pass a driving test in 2009 was Rathgar in Dublin, where just 30.6 per cent of applicants were successful. This compares to Sligo, with a 67.1 per cent success rate.

The Comptroller and Auditor General noted the “considerable” variation in pass rates in a recent report and said it raised concerns about testing consistency.

The report also noted that 33 of 50 RSA test centres had testers who had a pass rate that diverged by 10 per cent or more with the average at the centre.

Test centre Pass rates

(2009)

Highest

Sligo 67.1%

Tuam 65.6%

Ennis 63.4%

Lowest

Rathgar 30.6%

Carlow 37%

Kilkenny 37.6%

Source: RSA