Driving Exam Score: What You Need to Know About Passing Your HGV Test

When you sit for your driving exam score, the official measure of your performance during the UK HGV practical test. Also known as practical driving test result, it’s not just a number—it’s your ticket to becoming a professional HGV driver. Unlike theory tests, where you need 85% to pass, the HGV practical exam doesn’t give you a percentage. Instead, examiners mark you on faults: minor, major, or dangerous. You can fail with just one major or dangerous fault—even if you drove perfectly everywhere else.

The UK driving test, the official assessment for Class 1 HGV licenses under DVSA rules is designed to spot real-world risks. Examiners aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for control, awareness, and safety. A single major fault—like failing to check mirrors before changing lanes or misjudging a turn and forcing another vehicle to brake hard—is enough to fail you. That’s why so many drivers who passed their car test with ease struggle with HGV. The vehicle’s size, blind spots, and braking distance change everything.

What’s the average HGV test pass rate, the percentage of first-time candidates who successfully complete the practical test in the UK? Around 40-50%, depending on the test center and time of year. That’s lower than most people expect. Why? Because many treat it like a car test. They don’t practice reversing with trailers enough. They don’t learn how to read road signs from the driver’s seat of a 17-meter vehicle. They skip learning the exact wording of the show me/tell me questions. And when they get nervous on test day, they forget the basics: check mirrors, signal early, leave enough space.

There’s no magic score to aim for. But there are clear patterns among those who pass on their first try. They do at least 40 hours of training with a DVSA-approved instructor. They practice in real traffic, not just empty car parks. They record their lessons and watch them back to spot mistakes. And they don’t book the test until their instructor says they’re ready—not because they feel confident, but because they’ve proven consistency.

Some think a bad driving exam score means they’re not cut out for this job. That’s not true. Many top HGV drivers failed once—or twice. What sets them apart isn’t talent. It’s how they learned from the feedback. Did you miss a blind spot check? Practice it 20 times before your next lesson. Did you stall on a hill? Learn the clutch control technique your instructor showed you. Every fault is a roadmap to improvement.

Below, you’ll find real stories and advice from people who’ve been through it. Some passed on the first try. Others took three attempts. All of them learned the same thing: the driving exam score doesn’t define you. How you respond to it does.