The toughest and most lenient driving test centres in Perth have been revealed, with a majority of tests resulting in failure at all 10 centres.
L-Platers looking to get their Ps will have the best chance of success at the Success Driver and Vehicle Services Centre, where instructors pass learners at a rate of 48.9 per cent.
At the other end of the scale is Mirrabooka, where learners are only passed at a rate of 34.2 per cent.
The centre with the second highest pass rate is the Butler DVS (47.4), followed by Cannington (47.1), Joondalup (43.8), Kelmscott (43.5), Rockingham (39.5), City West (39), Mandurah (38.2) and Midland (36.9).
The figures — tabled in parliament after questions from Opposition leader Shane Love — reveal that pass rates at centres across Perth have become more consistent in recent years.
In 2021, the pass rates ranged from 21.9 per cent at Mirrabooka to 50.4 per cent at Kelmscott, with the gap cut nearly in half from 28.5 per cent to 14.7 per cent last year.
A Department of Transport spokesman said this had been achieved by improving driving training — doubling the course from two to four weeks and using the iAssess tablet tool across all sites.
“DoT is focused on improving pass rates, but this can only occur through candidates being better prepared for their assessment, and DoT’s message to PDA candidates is to only do a PDA once they’re completely ready and confident that they can safely drive without supervision if they pass,” he said.
Since 2021, pass rates have dropped at Kelmscott, Mandurah, Midland and Rockingham but have been on the way up at Cannington, City West, Joondalup, Mirrabooka and Success.
In 2021, the pass rate at Success, now the highest in Perth, stood at just 29 per cent.
According to the RAC, tips for increasing your chances of passing your test include mastering three-point turns, reversing and parallel parking, adhering to all road signs and the speed limit, and double-checking that your seatbelt is on before you start the car.
The first driver’s test is included with a $138.70 learner’s permit application fee, and every resit costs $113.70.
High demand for driving tests saw desperate Perth parents travel all the way to Geraldton last year and another mulling a flight to Esperance to get their teens a test.
From July 2023, the State Government overhauled the booking system to introduce a two-step verification process designed to stop bots from booking up slots.
The bots were being used to horde the bookings, which were then resold by people offering a confirmed test in exchange for a fee.
The latest figures show the number of driving instructors is up almost across the board from 2021, but some centres, including Cannington, City West, Mandurah, Midland, and Success, saw a drop from 2022.