Reports of cheating in driving theory tests have tripled amid low pass rates and long waits for a practical test booking.
According to new Freedom of Information data accessed by AA Driving School, 1,652 incidents of cheating were reported from theory test centres in 2022/23 compared to 568 in 2020/21.
Across the whole of 2022 and 2023, 625 people were investigated resulting in 46 prosecutions for theory test fraud.
“The jump in reports of theory test fraud is alarming, but indicates the lengths people will go to secure that all important pass.”
The driving theory test consists of two elements. Candidates must pass both the multiple choice (43 out of 50) and hazard perception test (44 out of 75) to be successful.
Questions cover everything from road signs and vehicle maintenance to spotting developing hazards and ensure candidates have a thorough understanding of the Highway Code. The current pass rate for the theory test is just 45.4%.
Candidates are unable to book their practical driving test until they have a theory test pass. Recent analysis by the AA Driving School showed waiting times to book a practical test were still higher than the pre-pandemic average of 6 weeks at 75% of test centres. Many test centres still show average waiting times in excess of five months.
Camilla Benitz, AA Driving School managing director, said: “The jump in reports of theory test fraud is alarming, but indicates the lengths people will go to secure that all important pass.
“The increase in cheating coincides with the waiting times for booking a driving test shooting up massively as well as the pass rate for the theory test remaining stubbornly low at just 45.5%.
“While passing the theory test does require some revision and time spent practicing, it shouldn’t have learners turning to illegal fraudsters to pass. There is lots of help out there, including our theory test app, which can help you prepare and take the next step in your driving journey.”
AA Driving School Theory Test App
The AA Driving School Theory Test app contains more than 700 theory questions and extensive hazard perception clips. Learners can use the flashcard feature for quick-fire revision sessions, access content when offline, take timed mock tests and track their progress.
The AA Driving School Theory Test app is free to download on Apple and Google Play stores (full access £4.99)
FOI data from FOI Request 2401-037851
| Year | Reports of impersonations received from test centre (nationally) |
| 2015/16 | 467 |
| 2016/17 | 414 |
| 2017/18 | 537 |
| 2018/19 | 653 |
| 2019/20 | 848 |
| 2020/21 | 568 |
| 2021/22 | 1151 |
| 2022/23 | 1652 |