Passing first time: what the data says 🎯

“I passed first time” is the sentence everyone wants to say. The DGT's microdata tells us exactly how many people get to say it — and what they do differently.

How many people pass first time

61.9%

of those who pass the theory do it at their first attempt (permiso B, last 12 months).

48.7%

of those who pass the practical do it first time. More than half need a retake.

And remember these figures are among those who pass: before that, each sitting knocks out roughly half the candidates (50.5% fail the theory, 53.0% the practical).

Geography matters (more than it should)

Your odds in the practical are not the same across Spain: Albacete (59.1%), Badajoz (58.6%), Ávila (57.3%) lead the ranking, while the bottom provinces sit below 40%. Check your province in the full ranking — and your school's exact rate in the search, because within one city schools can differ by 30 points.

What first-time passers do differently

  • Theory: they train on the real format (30 questions / 30 minutes / max 3 mistakes) with questions updated to current law — not three-year-old tests. They book when their mocks sit stably above 90%, not when "it's time". And they practise in the exam's language — the theory can be sat in English.
  • Practical: they pick the school by its pass rate (a free, public number), practise on the real exam routes, and don't book until they string together fault-free lessons.
  • Both: they treat each attempt as a scarce resource — the €94.05 fee only includes two.

TraficoTest's pass-probability score exists exactly for this: it tells you, from your own data, whether you're already a first-time passer — before you gamble the attempt.

🎯 Compute your probability of passing

Frequently asked questions ❓

What percentage pass the DGT exam first time?

Of those who end up passing permiso B, 61.9% clear the theory at the first attempt and 48.7% the practical, according to the last 12 months of DGT microdata.

Is it easier to pass in some provinces?

The data shows differences of over 25 points in the practical between provinces: from above 59% in Albacete to below 34% at the bottom of the ranking.

When should I book the theory test?

When your official-format mocks (30 questions, 30 minutes, max 3 mistakes) sit stably above 90%. Booking earlier is the main cause of wasted attempts.

Does the driving school affect passing first time?

For the practical, a lot: within one province schools differ by up to 30 points in pass rate. For the theory the school matters much less than how you practise.