LGV driving test pass rate falls below 30% in 2025, wait times stretch to 158 days

Only 28.6 percent of candidates passed the combined light goods vehicle driving test in 2025, below the private car pass rate of 33.2 percent, according to Transport Department figures released in a written reply to a lawmaker.

Of 31,145 people who took the light goods vehicle combined test, just 8,914 passed. For private cars, 11,280 of 33,989 candidates passed.

Those who fail face long waits for retests. Average wait times in December 2025 stood at 161 days for private cars, down from 205 days in January, and 158 days for light goods vehicle, down from 194 days.

A retest slot lottery system introduced in March 2023 has improved access to last-minute openings. The proportion of successful lottery applicants securing test slots rose from 28 percent in April 2023 to 73 percent in December 2025.

The Transport Department's driving examination team has an establishment of 19 senior driving examiners and 65 driving examiners. The headcount is unchanged for 2026/27.