Motorcycle Theory Test examiners have enjoyed their busiest Q4 in 20 years, with the number of people taking the test between January and March 2026 totalling 18,195, narrowly beating the 2008 Q4 total of 18,067. Men still heavily outnumber women taking the test, but women are slightly more likely to pass.
The desk-based test was introduced 30 years ago in July 1996, and checks that students have a basic knowledge of the Highway Code and can identify common driving risk factors before they can advance to the Mod 1 and Mod 2 practical tests.
Unfortunately, the DVSA figures also show a declining average pass rate for the test, with just 67.6% now going through compared to around 80% in the late noughties. A blip of success in 2020/21 was the result of very few being able to take the test due to test centre closures during the pandemic.