Facts: Smart People Are More Likely To Fail Their Driving Test

The brighter you are, the less likely you are to pass your driving test first time, a new report concludes today.

By contrast, motorists with fewer academic qualifications are much more likely to tear-up their L-plates and qualify for a full licence at the first attempt.

And creative minds in the arts perform better than rational minds in maths and science, it reveals.

The new research by Privilege DriveXpert is based on analysis of 1,564 people with a full British driving licence.

It appears to show a link between a driver’s qualifications, IQ and professional standing and their chances of passing their driving test first time.

And the better you are at passing school and college exams, the worse you are likely to be at passing your driving test.

Experts suspect drivers with more academic minds may over-think the challenge they are facing, compared to people who have a more practical and hands-on approach to the problem.

The study found six out of ten (59 per cent) drivers with no qualifications pass their L-Test first time – taking on average 1.7 attempts to gain their full driving licence.

But only half (50 per cent) of those with GCSEs or equivalent pass first time, with 1.8 attempts on average.

That rises slightly at A-level to 51 per cent pass rate, but quickly slumps back to 48 per cent for those with an undergraduate degree, and 47 per cent for someone with a post-graduate qualification or working as a company manager.

Fewer than four out of ten (39 per cent) company owners and proprietors, who have climbed the greasy corporate pole to the top job, pass first time.

Those who own businesses are three times more likely to have taken their test four or more times (22 per cent) than those at lower levels on the professional ladder (7 per cent).

The Privilege DriveXpert report notes: ‘Failing a driving test first time can feel like a major set-back for a new driver.