Would you back yourself to pass your theory test if you had to retake it now?
The answer to this question, for more than half of Britons, is no.
Just 44 per cent of UK licence holders recently surveyed by AA Driving School believe they would pass the theory exam if they had to resit it in 2026.
In contrast, 78 per cent of the 12,475 qualified motorists polled felt confident they would pass the practical portion of the driving test if they had to retake it.
Drivers' lack of confidence in their knowledge of the rules of the road, as outlined in the Highway Code, has been highlighted exactly 30 years to the day that the theory test was introduced in the UK.
On 1 July 1996, the theory test was formally launched by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) - which became the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in 2014 - radically changing the way learners prepared for life on the road.
To mark the 30th anniversary, we're putting your Highway Code knowledge to the test to see how many of the hardest theory test questions you can answer correctly...
These are the 10 questions most commonly answered incorrectly - how many can you get right?
SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE ANSWERS
1. Which sign means that there may be people walking along the road?
58.9% answered incorrectly
2. You’re on a motorway. What must you do if there’s a red cross showing above every lane?
57.5% answered incorrectly
3. What will happen if your car’s wheels are unbalanced?
56.2% answered incorrectly
4. What does this sign mean?
53.8% answered incorrectly
5. You’re driving on an icy road. What distance from the car in front should you drive?
53.6% answered incorrectly
6. Where can you find reflective amber studs on a motorway?
53.5% answered incorrectly
7. You have stopped in an emergency area. What must you do before you rejoin the carriageway?
53.3% answered incorrectly
8. What can result when you travel for long distances in neutral, known as coasting?
52.8% answered incorrectly
9. You’ve broken down on a two-way road. You have a warning triangle. At least how far from your vehicle should it be placed?
52.4% answered incorrectly
10. When may you overtake another vehicle on their left?
52.2% answered incorrectly
The theory test was introduced on 1 July 1996. It replaced an all-encompassing test where the learner answered road knowledge questions in a stationary vehicle before the practical test started
A brief history of 30 years of the theory test
The theory test is considered a relatively new statutory requirement within UK driving law.
Before it was introduced in 1996, learners were required to verbally answer questions about road safety while the vehicle was stationary during the practical assessment, rather than sitting an examination in a room in an approved test centre.
The rules were changed 30 years ago because the Highway Code was deemed too extensive and there wasn't enough time to include the verbal test within the practical exam, so a separate test was agreed upon.
Before computers, the test took the form of a paper-based exam, with 35 multiple-choice questions - 15 fewer than today's test. And there was no hazard perception test.
To pass, candidates had to answer 26 out of 35 questions correctly. However, within four months this was judged too easy, and candidates had to answer 30 questions correctly instead.
In 2000, the theory test underwent a digital transformation with touchscreen computers replacing the paper exam paper.
In 2002, the hazard perception test was introduced to assess a candidate’s responsiveness to ‘developing hazards’ on the road.
Today, learners need to understand a wide range of road-safety topics for the theory test, including the Highway Code, road signs and markings, rules of the road, vulnerable road users, motorway driving, hazard awareness, vehicle safety and how to respond to incidents or emergencies.
Candidates must answer 50 multiple-choice questions in 57 minutes, then take the hazard perception section - 14 video clips requiring quick responses to spot developing hazards.
Today, candidates must answer 50 multiple-choice questions in 57 minutes, then take the hazard perception section
Why drivers believe they wouldn't pass today
Of the drivers who said they were unsure they'd pass a theory test today, 90 per cent cited out-of-date Highway Code knowledge as the reason, according to the AA Driving School's research.
This was followed by rules of the road (59 per cent), knowledge of road signs (50 per cent), safety and vehicle knowledge (35 per cent), and hazard perception (33 per cent).
There's a gender gap too: women were less confident than men about taking the theory test today.
Thirty-seven per cent of female drivers said they would be confident of passing, compared with 46 per cent of male drivers.
The same pattern appears for the practical test with 73 per cent of female drivers feeling confident compared with 80 per cent of male drivers.
