Unique Theory Test candidates

The request was successful.

Dear Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency,

Can you please supply the number of unique candidates for each of the vehicle categories below for the calendar year (1 Jan – 31 Dec) for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

- Car (multiple Choice Theory Test)
- Bike (multiple Choice Theory Test)
- PDI (Multiple Choice Theory Test)
- LGV (Part 1a: Multiple Choice Theory Test)
- LGV (Part 2; Driver CPC Case Study Test)
- PCV (Part 1a: Multiple Choice Theory Test)
- PCV (Part 2: Driver CPC Case Study Test)

Yours faithfully,

Emma Bagnall

foi@dvsa.gov.uk, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

Thank you for emailing the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).  
If you are requesting information under: the Freedom of Information Act or
the Environmental Information Regulations – we will normally respond
within 20 working days.

foi@dvsa.gov.uk, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

2 Attachments

                                        
                                    
                                               

 
 
  Driver and
[1]Text<br><br>Description Vehicle Standards  
automatically generated  Agency  
  1 Unity Square  
  Queensbridge Road   [2]www.gov.uk/dvsa 
NOTTINGHAM
NG2 1AY
 

 
 
Emma Bagnall
by email: [FOI #932519 email]
 
our ref: 2301-010275 
04 January 2023
 
Dear Ms Bagnall 
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FoIA) REQUEST
 
Thank you for your request for information received on 03/01/2023 about
unique driving test candidate statistics, which is being handled under the
Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) OR Environmental Information
Regulations. 
 
We want to be as open as possible in answering requests, and to help
people obtain the information they are looking for. In order to respond to
your request, we need some clarification about the specific information
you are requesting as the scope of the request is currently too broad. 
 
The best way that we can help you is therefore to ask you to consider
whether you could refine your request to focus on the precise information
that you are seeking. For example: 
 

• explain what you mean by unique candidates

 
If you are unable or unwilling to narrow down your request we will, of
course, consider it in accordance with our obligations under the Freedom
of Information Act (FoIA). However, we wanted to give you an opportunity
to reconsider your request and describe more precisely the information you
wish to have. 
 
If you wish to discuss any of the above, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
 
If we do not receive clarification of your request within one month from
the date of this letter, then we will consider your request closed. If you
have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us on the above
details.  Please remember to quote the reference number above in any
future communications 
 
 
Yours sincerely,
 
 
 
Public Liaison Team
Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency, 1 Unity Square, Queensbridge
Road, Nottingham NG2 1AY 

The best place to find government services and information is
[3]www.gov.uk

Follow us: [4]facebook.com/dvsagovuk  |  [5]youtube.com/dvsagovuk  | 
[6]twitter.com/dvsagovuk

References

Visible links
2. http://www.gov.uk/dvsa
3. http://www.gov.uk/
4. https://www.facebook.com/dvsagovuk
5. http://www.youtube.com/dvsagovuk
6. https://twitter.com/DVSAgovuk

Dear [email address],

Many thanks for your reply. We are looking for a total number of unique learners for the particular calendar year, rather than the total number of tests conducted. So for example if a candidate took a theory test in Jan 22 and failed, then sat their next test in February 22 and went on to pass, they would only be counted as one unique candidate rather than two tests.

I hope this helps but if you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Emma Bagnall

foi@dvsa.gov.uk, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

2 Attachments

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│ │ Public Liaison │ │
│    │ Team                │    │
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│ [1]Text<br><br>Description │ Driver and Vehicle │    │
│ automatically generated   │ Standards Agency  │ │
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│    │ 1 Unity Square  │ │
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│    │ Queensbridge Road  │ www.gov.uk/dvsa  
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│ │  Nottingham NG2 1AY  │ │
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└─────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────┴───────────────────┘

  

Emma Bagnall 

by email:  [FOI #932519 email] 

  

Our ref: 2301-010275 

  

31 January 2023 

  

Dear Emma,   

  

Information requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA)  

  

Further to your emails of 3 January, I can confirm that we hold the
information you have requested and have handled your request within the
terms of the FoIA.   

  

Your request and our response is as follows:   

 

Can you please supply the number of unique candidates for each of the
vehicle categories below for the calendar year (1 Jan – 31 Dec) for 2019,
2020, 2021 and 2022. 

- Car (multiple Choice Theory Test) 

- Bike (multiple Choice Theory Test) 

- PDI (Multiple Choice Theory Test) 

- LGV (Part 1a: Multiple Choice Theory Test) 

- LGV (Part 2; Driver CPC Case Study Test) 

- PCV (Part 1a: Multiple Choice Theory Test) 

- PCV (Part 2: Driver CPC Case Study Test) 

 

Then after clarification: 

 

We are looking for a total number of unique learners for the particular
calendar year, rather than the total number of tests conducted. So for
example if a candidate took a theory test in Jan 22 and failed, then sat
their next test in February 22 and went on to pass, they would only be
counted as one unique candidate rather than two tests. 

 

Our response:  

  

 

┌──────────┬────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  │ │ │ │ │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │ │ │ │ │
│ │ 2019  │ 2020  │ 2021  │ 2022 (January to September)  │
│Test Name │ │ │ │ │
├──────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  │ │ │ │ │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │ │ │ │ │
│ │                                │                                │                                │                                          5,347   │
│PDI / ADI │4,880   │3,449   │6,207   │ │
│part 1  │ │ │ │ │
├──────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  │  │  │  │ │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │ │ │ │  │
│  │                            │                            │                            │ │
│ │929,210   │706,939   │974,717   │                                      872,378   │
│Car Test  │ │ │ │ │
├──────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  │ │ │ │ │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │ │ │ │ │
│ │                              │                              │                              │                                        48,721   │
│Motorcycle│49,066   │41,555   │54,738   │ │
│test  │ │ │ │ │
├──────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  │ │ │ │ │
│  │ │ │ │ │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│LGV - │                              │                              │                              │                                        55,891   │
│multiple │41,578   │30,002   │47,384   │ │
│choice │ │ │ │ │
│questions │ │ │ │ │
├──────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  │  │  │  │ │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │ │ │ │  │
│  │                              │                              │                              │ │
│ │26,520   │16,133   │28,416   │                                        40,265   │
│LGV - CPC │ │ │ │ │
├──────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  │ │ │ │ │
│  │ │ │ │ │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│PCV - │                              │                                │                                │                                        11,741   │
│multiple │15,887   │7,946   │9,797   │ │
│choice │ │ │ │ │
│questions │ │ │ │ │
├──────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  │  │  │  │ │
│  │  │  │  │  │
│  │ │ │ │  │
│  │                              │                                │                                │ │
│ │11,535   │5,575   │7,156   │                                          8,973  │
│PCV - CPC │ │ │ │ │
└──────────┴────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

  

The data captures unique candidates per test type; we identify a unique
candidate by their driving licence number. 

If a candidate took a car test and later took a motorcycle test, the
report will count 1 unique value for car test and again for the motorcycle
test. 

For 2022 we can only provide data up to the point where official
statistics have been published –this will be up to September 2022. 

 

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request, you can ask
for an internal review to be conducted by our Information Management and
Security Team by emailing: [2][email address] . 

 

If you are not happy with the outcome of your internal review, you have
the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a
decision. You can find further information about the complaints process on
their website [3]here. 

   

Yours sincerely,  

 

 

Public Liaison Team
Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency, 1 Unity Square, Queensbridge
Road, Nottingham NG2 1AY 

The best place to find government services and information is
[4]www.gov.uk

Follow us: [5]facebook.com/dvsagovuk  |  [6]youtube.com/dvsagovuk  | 
[7]twitter.com/dvsagovuk

References

Visible links
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
4. http://www.gov.uk/
5. https://www.facebook.com/dvsagovuk
6. http://www.youtube.com/dvsagovuk
7. https://twitter.com/DVSAgovuk

Dear [email address],

Can you please confirm the data either via an XLS or other format, as the provided information is unreadable in the current format added to the thread.

Many thanks in advance for your help.

Yours sincerely,

Emma Bagnall

foi@dvsa.gov.uk, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

2 Attachments

Hi Emma,
 
Apologies tht you were unable to read the format of the information in the
response we sent.
 
I have attached this as an appendix (Appendix 1).
 
Please let me know if there are any further issues with the information.
 
Thanks
 
 
Public Liaison Team
Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency, 1 Unity Square, Queensbridge
Road, Nottingham NG2 1AY 

The best place to find government services and information is
[1]www.gov.uk

Follow us: [2]facebook.com/dvsagovuk  |  [3]youtube.com/dvsagovuk  | 
[4]twitter.com/dvsagovuk

show quoted sections

Dear [email address],

Thank you for clarifying the data.

Kindest regards,

Emma Bagnall