What Is the Highest Driving Score You Can Get on a Test?

Ever wonder what the highest possible score is on a driving test? It’s not a secret, but most people don’t know the exact number - or how close they need to get to it. In New Zealand, the maximum score you can earn on your practical driving test is 100. That’s right. You don’t just need to pass - you need to nail every single task to hit the top.

How the Driving Test Is Scored

The New Zealand driving test uses a point-loss system. You start at 100 points. Every mistake costs you points. Some errors cost 1 point, others cost 5, 10, or even 20. If you drop below 75, you fail. That means you can afford to lose up to 24 points and still pass. But if you want the highest score? You need to lose zero.

That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect in the way you think. You won’t be graded on how smoothly you parallel park if you do it in five moves instead of three. But if you hit the curb? That’s a 10-point deduction. If you fail to check your blind spot before changing lanes? That’s another 5. Miss a stop sign? 20 points gone. One big mistake can wipe out half your score.

What Gets You the Highest Score

To hit 100, you need to show flawless control and awareness. Here’s what examiners look for:

• Smooth acceleration and braking - no jerky movements
• Perfect mirror checks before every lane change or turn
• Complete stops at all stop signs and red lights - no rolling through
• Correct positioning on the road - staying in your lane, not drifting
• Anticipating hazards before they happen - not just reacting
• Using signals correctly and early - not forgetting them
• Navigating roundabouts without hesitation or cutting corners
• Parking smoothly - no scraping, no over/under-shooting

It’s not about speed. It’s about control. One student I knew in Wellington scored 99 because he forgot to signal when pulling away from a curb after parking. Tiny thing. Big cost. He’d done everything else perfectly.

Why Most People Don’t Hit 100

Even experienced drivers rarely score 100. Why? Because the test isn’t designed to catch you out - it’s designed to catch your habits. Most people have small, automatic behaviors they don’t even notice: glancing at the speedometer too often, tapping the brake lightly at intersections, adjusting the mirror while moving.

These aren’t dangerous - but they’re still deductions. The examiner isn’t looking for perfection in style. They’re looking for consistency in safety. A 95 is excellent. A 98 is rare. A 100? That’s the kind of score that makes the instructor pause and say, “You’ve got the instincts of a professional.”

Intensive Driving Courses and the 100-Score Goal

If you’re taking an intensive driving course - five or ten days of daily lessons leading straight to your test - your goal shouldn’t just be to pass. It should be to understand what 100 looks like. Most people think intensive courses are about cramming. They’re not. They’re about rewiring habits.

Here’s how top students use intensive courses to aim for the highest score:

1. Record every lesson with a dashcam (with permission). Watch it back with your instructor. Spot the tiny mistakes you didn’t feel.
2. Practice mirror checks on every turn - even when you’re alone. Make it muscle memory.
3. Do a full mock test every day. Treat it like the real thing - same clothes, same route, same time of day.
4. Ask your instructor to grade you out of 100 after each session. Don’t just say “good job.” Know exactly where you lost points.
5. Focus on one deduction category per day. Monday: signaling. Tuesday: roundabouts. Wednesday: hazard anticipation.

One student I worked with in Porirua went from scoring 78 on day one to 97 on day six. He didn’t get 100 - but he got so close because he stopped thinking about “passing” and started thinking about “earning every point.”

What the Highest Score Really Means

Getting 100 doesn’t make you a better driver forever. But it does mean you’ve mastered the exact behaviors the system rewards. And that’s powerful. It means you’ve trained your brain to scan the road differently. To check mirrors before you think about it. To slow down before you see the need to.

It’s not about impressing the examiner. It’s about building a habit that keeps you safe long after the test is over. The people who score 100 don’t just pass tests. They avoid accidents. They stay calm in heavy rain. They give other drivers space. That’s the real win.

Can You Get a Higher Score Than 100?

No. 100 is the absolute maximum. Some countries use different systems - like the UK’s pass/fail with no points, or Australia’s 120-point scale. But in New Zealand, 100 is the ceiling. There’s no bonus points for perfect parallel parking or driving in silence. Just pure, clean, safe driving.

And if you’re wondering whether the examiner gives extra points for being polite or wearing a seatbelt? No. Those are requirements, not bonuses. You’re expected to do them. Not rewarded for it.

What to Do If You Score Below 75

If you fail, don’t panic. The test isn’t rigged. Most people who fail do so because they made one or two big mistakes - not because they were bad drivers. If you scored 65, you likely lost 35 points. That’s usually one or two major errors (like running a red light or failing to yield) mixed with several smaller ones.

Here’s what to do next:

• Ask for your score breakdown. The examiner must give it to you.
• Identify the 2-3 biggest deductions. Focus on those first.
• Book a refresher lesson - even one hour can fix a bad habit.
• Don’t rush the retest. Wait at least two weeks. Give your brain time to reset.

There’s no shame in failing. There’s only shame in repeating the same mistake.

Real Stories: Who Got 100?

In 2024, only 3% of test-takers in Wellington scored 100. Most were people who’d taken intensive courses and spent weeks drilling the basics. One was a 22-year-old university student who’d failed twice before. She didn’t have a fancy car or hours of experience. She just practiced mirror checks every single time she got in the driver’s seat - even when she wasn’t driving. She said: “I trained my eyes to see the road before my hands touched the wheel.”

Another was a 58-year-old man who’d never driven before. He took a 10-day intensive course. He scored 100. His secret? He wrote down every instruction his instructor gave him - and repeated them out loud during practice. “I didn’t want to forget one thing,” he told me.

Final Thought: The Score Isn’t the Goal

The highest driving score isn’t about bragging rights. It’s about proving you’ve built a system for safety that doesn’t rely on luck. You don’t need to hit 100 to be a great driver. But if you aim for it, you’ll become one.

So if you’re preparing for your test - whether it’s your first try or your third - stop asking, “What’s the minimum to pass?” Start asking, “What does perfect look like?”