Hi All,
I am just curious.
What is the national pass rate for Class 1 drivers?
I am soon to take lessons privately paid and do 28 hours primarily cos I reckon my reversing will need doing up.
Not used to towing anything.
Aiming for long distance driving in future.
Ninefifty:
I am just curious.What is the national pass rate for Class 1 drivers?
How will knowing that help ?
Better to ask what the first time pass rate is for C+E in regards to the company you are intending to train with 
28 hours, if it’s 1:1 is nearly twice as long as we normally do (16hrs) and we turn out a consistent first time pass at around 85%.
There is no way of establishing the national pass rate and, as ROG said, how would it help?
The major factors that will determine whether you pass or not are:
Your own aptitude
The condition of the kit used
The availability of a correctly marked, properly surfaced reversing area
A very good, competent instructor who actually knows what he’s talking about.
Get all these together and you’ve wasted half your time and money.
All the best with it, Pete 
Pre auto so pass rates may have changed. Obviously no way of knowing how many are artics compared to w & d.
MONTH-----------NO OF C TESTS------PASS--------NO OF C+E TESTS--------PASS
2006/7--------------53,474----------------45.9%-------- 22,501-----------------46.1%
2007/8--------------48,591----------------45.1%---------19,792-----------------47.5%
2008/9--------------44,408----------------47.3%---------18,161------------------50.4%
April 2009-----------2,843-----------------50.8%---------1,194-------------------49.5%
May 2009------------2,793------------- —49.5%----------1,147-------------------51.4%
June 2009-----------2,672------------ ----48.6%----------1,178-------------------50.7%
July 2009------------3,043----------- -----50.2%----------1,385-------------------52.0%
August 2009----------2,939---------------49.0%----------1,194--------------------51.9%
September 2009-----2,930--------- -----49.9%----------1,205-------------------49.0%
October 2009---------2,667-------- ------49.3%----------1,269-------------------53.7%
November 2009------2,410--------- ----48.8%-----------1,128-------------------49.9%
December 2009------1,689-------- -----52.0%-----------735--------------------52.7%
January 2010---------1,493-------- -----52.0%-------- —579-------------------52.7%
February 2010--------2,192--------------51.2%-------- --937-------------------52.1%
March 2010-----------2,442---------- ----51.2%-----------1,084-----------------54.0%
April 2010-------------2,411-------- -----49.9%-----------933-------------------51.1%
May 2010--------------2,392--------- ----49.6%-------------926------------------51.3%
June 2010-------------2,517--------- ----48.5%------------936------------------54.4%
July 2010--------------2,559--------------49.7%------------1,066----------------53.0%
August 2010-----------2,435-------- -----48.9%------------906------------------53.6%
September 2010-------2,437------------50.1%------------957-------------------52.4%
October 2010----------2,690-------- ----48.7%------------1,148---------------53.3%
November 2010--------2,740------------48.4%------------1,034----------------53.4%
December 2010--------1,335------- ----52.0%-------------472------------------55.9%
January 2011-----------2,632------ -----51.4%-------------991-----------------52.9%
February 2011----------2,651------ -----51.4%-------------1,052---------------56.6%
March 2011-------------2,972------ ------50.2%------------1,249----------------53.4%
April 2011---------------2,536------------49.6%------------1,014----------------53.7%
SEPTEMBER 1 2009 TO DECEMBER 31 2009
AGE----------C TESTS----------PASS---------C+E TESTS-----------PASS
18 to 20-------339--------------190------------89-------------------61
21 to 30-------3,860------------2,030---------1,373---------------788
31 to 40-------2,658------------1,304---------1,408---------------712
41 to 50-------2,111------------1,006----------1,144---------------527
51±------------725--------------297------------317------------------132
2010
18 to 20--------1658----------907--------------429--------------275
21 to 30--------11,221-------5,871------------3,612-----------2,151
31 to 40---------7,194--------3,603-----------3,377-----------1,795
41 to 50---------5,728--------2,647-----------2,662---------- 1,229
51±-------------1,837---------743-------------889-------------364
If the failure rate is high, I’d better pull out now is why I wanted to know.
Peace of mind thing.
I am doing it in an automatic.
JCoates is the company - what is their first time pass rate for C+E?
Got assessed recently (this is for the rest of you all).
Failed on everything. 
.
I’d picked up lots of bad habits such as being to relaxed and failing to predict the road ahead as well as positioning and mounting pavements.
ROG:
How will knowing that help ?Better to ask what the first time pass rate is for C+E in regards to the company you are intending to train with
Hmmm,
What is your school Pete?
I don’t drive lorries full time primarily cos I hate multi drops over short distances hence my own belief I need twice the average lessons.
Peter Smythe:
28 hours, if it’s 1:1 is nearly twice as long as we normally do (16hrs) and we turn out a consistent first time pass at around 85%.There is no way of establishing the national pass rate and, as ROG said, how would it help?
The major factors that will determine whether you pass or not are:
Your own aptitude
The condition of the kit used
The availability of a correctly marked, properly surfaced reversing area
A very good, competent instructor who actually knows what he’s talking about.Get all these together and you’ve wasted half your time and money.
All the best with it, Pete
Ninefifty:
JCoates is the company - what is their first time pass rate for C+E?
Ask them
Good luck to you if you can afford more than the bare minimum to just scrape a pass. This is why so many drivers leave the test centre and run into problems when they get their first job. Should be about learning to drive a truck not about passing a test. The only way to do that is increase the hours of training. Even more so if you are doing the training in an artic.
If I could afford week (full day) in a C then another week in a C+E (w&g) then another one in an artic then I would do it for peace of mind. Get all my 35 hours as well. Would need to win the People’s Postcode Lottery for that to happen 
. Can’t see that happening any time soon.
I know people would rather pass than fail a test but I don’t think it helps when trainers go to such lengths (and boast about it) how easy they have made it for the trainee. So easy in fact they can reduce the hours down to a bare minimum. For example the route is so easy nothing to catch you out. Maybe the route needs to be hard in order to learn properly rather than having to do it on your own when you have had such an easy pass.
I’m inclined to do mine with Wallace in the middle of London just to put myself through a tougher route and if I pass then it would give me the confidence to drive on my own. Doesn’t mean diddly squat to me if the test centre is the same as the trainers yard. If you need the practice of entering and leaving an entrance for test day all well and good but most trainers are going to take you on the test route irregardless of where you train. Some instructors are ■■■■ no doubt but I think the majority have been around long enough to offer a good service. At the end of the day you get what you put in (and pay out). If you want it quick and cheap with a few “special offers” thrown in then that suits some but not others.
As long as you steer clear of the brokers then I doubt it matters who you train with. There should be a requirement that success rates from all driving schools are available online to check before you make your decision. But even then you have to ask why is the one you were thinking about going to so much higher especially if the cost is at the low end. None of these schools are charities they are in the business of making money. Never forget that. There is a reason why so many shops offer you buy 1 get 1 free. It’s all clever marketing.
I don’t want to knock the sponsor as I’m sure he puts in a lot of work on this site advising people but that should not be done to the point of “steering” people either subtly, deliberately or any other way towards his own school. If you have spent your 28 hours of lessons with him I doubt he would have turned you away or offered to do it for half the cost.
Do it the way you want to do it and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
ContainerBoy:
Good luck to you if you can afford more than the bare minimum to just scrape a pass. This is why so many drivers leave the test centre and run into problems when they get their first job. Should be about learning to drive a truck not about passing a test. The only way to do that is increase the hours of training. Even more so if you are doing the training in an artic.If I could afford week (full day) in a C then another week in a C+E (w&g) then another one in an artic then I would do it for peace of mind. Get all my 35 hours as well. Would need to win the People’s Postcode Lottery for that to happen
I know people would rather pass than fail a test but I don’t think it helps when trainers go to such lengths (and boast about it) how easy they have made it for the trainee. So easy in fact they can reduce the hours down to a bare minimum. For example the route is so easy nothing to catch you out. Maybe the route needs to be hard in order to learn properly rather than having to do it on your own when you have had such an easy pass.
I’m inclined to do mine with Wallace in the middle of London just to put myself through a tougher route and if I pass then it would give me the confidence to drive on my own. Doesn’t mean diddly squat to me if the test centre is the same as the trainers yard. If you need the practice of entering and leaving an entrance for test day all well and good but most trainers are going to take you on the test route irregardless of where you train. Some instructors are [zb] no doubt but I think the majority have been around long enough to offer a good service. At the end of the day you get what you put in (and pay out). If you want it quick and cheap with a few “special offers” thrown in then that suits some but not others.
As long as you steer clear of the brokers then I doubt it matters who you train with. There should be a requirement that success rates from all driving schools are available online to check before you make your decision. But even then you have to ask why is the one you were thinking about going to so much higher especially if the cost is at the low end. None of these schools are charities they are in the business of making money. Never forget that. There is a reason why so many shops offer you buy 1 get 1 free. It’s all clever marketing.
I don’t want to knock the sponsor as I’m sure he puts in a lot of work on this site advising people but that should not be done to the point of “steering” people either subtly, deliberately or any other way towards his own school. If you have spent your 28 hours of lessons with him I doubt he would have turned you away or offered to do it for half the cost.
Do it the way you want to do it and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
I’ll be clear that I passed with PSTT so may be biased in what I write.
A driver I know did his test in central Cambridge and said was a piece of cake. This was due to lots of traffic keeping the speed down and plenty of stops to plan ahead so that may make a hard route easier.
Someone I used to work with paid out for C1 training (and took 2 attempts to pass) because the trainer he went to said he needed to do it first! I admit he wasnt the smartest guy but that to me borders on fraud!
OP says he has booked so much as he is worried about the reverse. Was this discussed with the trainer? Or did he just say I think I need extra lessons and the trainer took the micky? PSTT offers a specific reverse course if I remember correctly? Either way a couple of hours should be enough.
Part of making the test easy is it is 1 mistake and can fail, such as miss a gear in manual and cause someone to slow = fail. Do it in the real world not such a big deal. 1 truck I had an assessment in even the instructor had an issue getting it into reverse, no thanks! That was only £60ish cheaper than PSTT and they gave free B&B. Pete has been asked previously on another tread about a profit and said economies of scale. It the Aldi model of sell a lot for a little gain as apposed to the M&S model of sell a little for a lot of profit. I’m not complaining either way. It down to him to make a profit not me.
Leaving the gates at PSTT did not do much to help directly, but compared to the local compainies I could have used it was driving in the area I would take my test. 1 I would have lost 30 minutes at the start and end of lessons getting on test routes using companies where I live.
Your final point, the point of a sponsor is to generate business at his own school so I expect he will recommend it. I have also seen him recommend other schools for people who don’t wish to travel to him. Also whilst I was waiting for 1 of my sessions an instructor came back from an assessment and said person would only need 8 hours and test as had some previous experience. Doesn’t sound like trying to rip people off to me. I am grateful that he sponsors and helps keep this site free for us to use.
Finally just remembered, retest lessons half price. Why do that unless trying to be fair?
I put myself into debt getting my class 1 container boy and I passed first time. If it was even more expensive I wouldn’t of bothered. I’ve spoken to quite a few forklift and shunter drivers who would love to be a lorry driver but can’t afford it.
I work with quite a few European drivers and their attitude is you are your best teacher. I think I agree with this mentality.
adam277:
I put myself into debt getting my class 1 container boy and I passed first time. If it was even more expensive I wouldn’t of bothered. I’ve spoken to quite a few forklift and shunter drivers who would love to be a lorry driver but can’t afford it.I work with quite a few European drivers and their attitude is you are your best teacher. I think I agree with this mentality.
Cost is a big issue towards getting your license. I was fortunate enough to have the money to do it (roughly 3.5k) from start to class 1.
It really needs something like the student loan system which would let you borrow the money and pay back 10 quid a week or something like that. 7 years for what should be a lifelong career sounds good to me. Even adding interest would be better for some people to get the better earning potential. Doubt it will ever happen though
What is your school Pete?
Peter Smythe Transport Training Ltd - the forum sponsor. Click on the banner and it will take you to our website. We carry out a great deal of residential training as well as catering for those more local. Our reputation speaks volumes and recommendations on the forum are not hard to find.
Currently there is an offer of a complete Starter Pack for just £200. Well worth a look.
All the best, Pete
ROG:
Ninefifty:
JCoates is the company - what is their first time pass rate for C+E?Ask them
Thanks for all the comments everybody.
I have noted all.