NEW figures have revealed the hardest and easiest places to pass your driving test in West Yorkshire.

The data, released by the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency, shows that in the year to March 2020, pass rates for the practical driving test varied massively across the region.

In fact, Bradford, with its three test centres, features in both the worst and best places when it comes to choosing a test centre.

Across West Yorkshire, the centres with the highest pass rates are Halifax Maltings - a pop-up centre used at busy times, Huddersfield and Bradford Thornbury.

But in contrast the centres with the lowest pass rates were Leeds, Bradford Manningham - another temporary centre, and Halifax.

The average pass rate for test centres nationally was 46 per cent.

The figures show that just 35.2 per cent of all learners passed their practical test at the Manningham centre between April 2019 and March 2020.

The pop-up centre was only in operation for February and March, and just 358 tests were taken there.

In contrast, Bradford's best performing centre was Thornbury, where 45.9 per cent of learners passed their test their - matching the national average.

A total of 4,880 tests were taken there, compared to Bradford's busiest centre at Heaton, where 7,552 tests were carried out and a pass rate being calculated as 41.8 per cent.

Bradford driving instructor Ayub Khan, of iDrive, said that he regularly encounters learners who want to book their test at the centres with the best pass rates, but that these figures tend to fluctuate.

"There was one test centre that was really popular when it had a pass rate of around 60 per cent, so lots of people booked in there, then what happened was the pass rate fell.

"I always say it doesn't matter about whether its easier to pass at one centre or another, you should be good enough to pass anywhere."

He said people are encouraged to book tests elsewhere, particularly at busy times, when demand is high. But he said that the test is the same wherever you take it, but that it could be down to whether you have learnt on busy city roads, such as Bradford city centre.

Nationally Birmingham's The Pavilion centre had the worst rate as on 28.9 per cent of learners passed there, followed by Rochdale at 30.8 per cent and Erith in London at 31.6 per cent.

The best results were found at the Isle of Mull test centre where 88.2 per cent of learners passed, followed by 85.7 per cent at the Isle of Tiree and 83.3 per cent at both Inveraray and the Isles of Scilly - but only a small number of tests were carried out at these centres.

A spokesman for the DVSA, which is responsible for driving tests, said: “DVSA’s priority is to help you through a lifetime of safe driving.

“All candidates are assessed to the same level and the result of their test is entirely dependent on their performance on the day. It’s essential that all drivers demonstrate they have the right skills, knowledge and attitude to drive safely.

“The driver testing and training regime tests candidates’ ability to drive safely and responsibly as well as making sure they know the theory behind safe driving.”