Majority fail tougher driving test

Malta's driving test is no longer an easy ride, with more than half of the applicants failing the test which became tougher last year in conformity with EU directives.

A spokesman for the Malta Transport Authority said yesterday the pass rate now stood at a mere 42.5 per cent, as against 98 per cent in the past.

The present pass rate will be good news for all those who hold that driving standards in Malta leave a lot to be desired.

The first part of the test now consists of a computer-based theory examination in which candidates have to prove knowledgeable of a wide range of driving topics. A pass mark is obtained by correctly answering at least 30 out of 35 random multiple-choice questions.

The second part involves a practical test of driving skills and behaviour, designed to assess whether candidates can drive safely and whether they demonstrate full knowledge of the highway code.

The practical test, which typically lasts 35 minutes, is conducted on uniform test routes that include a range of typical road and traffic conditions in which the candidate is required to carry out a number of set exercises.

The new test, the spokesman said, compared well to that of other EU countries. Maltese driving licences were recognised in all 25 EU member states.

The pass rate in the United Kingdom is 42.8 per cent, in Ireland 54 per cent and in The Netherlands 46.4 per cent.

Asked whether there had been complaints about the lower pass rate, the spokesman said that since the introduction of the new test last year the authority had received 24 written complaints out of about 5,000 tests.

All letters received a response from the Licensing and Testing Director.

The spokesman said that between 700 and 800 tests were held every month.