With lower prices for the theory test arriving in October, we asked ADIs what difference they believe the savings will make to their learners – and the national pass rate.
The cost of the theory test is dropping by 25% in October – from £31 to £25 with a further reduction of £2 planned for October 2015. According to the DVSA, this will mean savings of almost £100 million to learner drivers over the next decade. Not that the DVSA is making the reduction out of simple goodwill – but to also pass on the savings made by the department who will be paying less to its theory test contractor from autumn 2014.
This decrease was broadly welcomed during the DVSA’s official consultation that concluded in May, which showed over 60% agreed with the proposal. However questions remain about whether the reduced cost will have a negative effect on learners, incentivising them to book their theory test too early – and even impact on overall pass rates.
It’s an issue though that the ADIs we spoke to are not overly concerned about: “I think there is already a proportion of pupils who take the test without proper preparation due to the perception that it’s just common sense,” says Martin Crane of Weelz Driving School in Blackpool. “As much as we advise differently, peer pressure and apathy will always be an issue.”
He continues: “And while the lower prices may tempt a few into taking the test earlier, the reductions can only be a positive – I don’t expect to see a major difference in pass rates, certainly in the long term.”
Weelz Driving School’s Martin Crane believes that the impact on the national pass rate will be negligible in the long term.
Grahame Wells of Quay Quality Driving School in Hull believes the drop in price isn’t large enough to have a damaging effect and more importantly, the re-test fee of £31 will act as a deterrent for those considering ‘rushing’ into undertaking the test – especially as the first-time pass rate for the theory test is less than 50%.
“I do not think the test is cheap or affordable for everyone and most take cost into consideration before applying,” says Grahame. “It would have to drop to less than £22 before people may take the view of ‘If I fail, it’s only £20 so I’ll do it again’. But at £31 for the re-test, I do not agree the majority will rush in too early.”
Grahame Wells of Quay Quality Driving School thinks that the re-test fee is the key deterrent for stopping students from rushing to take the theory test at the new, lower cost.
The idea of the re-test costing significantly more than the first attempt is one that appeals to Andrew Adams of West Yorkshire-based Drive To Thrive: “The higher re-test fee is a good idea – I can say to students that they’ve got to get the theory test right first time to save themselves money; that if they dive in too soon, they could be wasting their money”. He also wonders if it might be worthwhile applying the same pricing principle to the practical driving test, “by making it £62 for the first attempt – and £80 thereafter”.
As well as the potential financial penalties for failing the theory test first time round, it’s also important that ADIs continue to encourage over-eager students to hold back from taking the test too early – by making students understand that there’s more to driving than simply passing a test: “Learning to drive is like a sandwich,” says Andrew. “You need to ‘savour the flavour’. Don’t just ‘do it’ to pass your theory test – do it to acquire the knowledge of the road for the long term, and not for the short term gain.”
DriveToThrive’s Andrew Adams reckons it is essential that students understand the theory test is not about a quick pass, but learning the rules of the road for their future driving careers.
Main Image © Paul Inkles.