Leeds was found to be the city with the joint lowest pass rate for driving tests.
There's nothing quite like sitting your driving test. The shaky hands clutching on to 10 and 2 for dear life as you attempt three point turns whilst an instructor looks out for every mistake you could possibly make.
And whilst there's nothing like that euphoric feeling when you reach the end with a certificate in hand, it's certainly not an easy process.
For those sitting their test this month, car insurance searcher Compare The Market has revealed that this is actually the most promising month for hopeful future drivers, as it has the highest pass rate month of the year.
February has the highest pass rate of the year. / Image: Unsplash
Coming in with a 51.4% pass rate, February is officially the month learners are most likely to pass their test, followed by the spring months of April, March and May, which come with a pass rate between 49.3% and 50.9%.
Rank
Month
Pass rate (%)
1
February
51.4%
2
April
50.9%
3
March
50.4%
4
May
49.3%
5
July
49.1%
6
June
48.3%
7
August
48.1%
8
January
47.9%
9
September
47.1%
10
October
47%
11
November
46.8%
11
December
46.8%
Table: Comparethemarket
When considering the road conditions in the winter months, the study seems to make sense.
To come up with this list, the study used government driving test statistics from January 2017 - April 2022, before analysing the most popular cities for high pass rates.
However, the overall pass rate did vary between cities.
Leeds pass rate sits at 39%, according to the study. / Image: Unsplash
The city most likely to find a pass at the end of their driving test was found to be Cardiff with a 55% pass rate, closely followed by Bristol, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Manchester.
Leeds sits in joint last place of the studied cities, with a pass rate of 39%.
Rank
City
Pass rate
1
Cardiff
57%
2
Bristol
55%
3
Edinburgh
51%
4
Nottingham
49%
5
Manchester
46%
6
Sunderland
45%
6
London
45%
7
Sheffield
44%
8
Glasgow
43%
9
Coventry
42%
9
Liverpool
42%
9
Stoke-on-Trent
42%
10
Leicester
41%
11
Birmingham
39%
11
Leeds
39%
Table: Compare The Market
In some parts of the country, driving test wait times are as long as six months (still), and so the study notes there's more pressure for learner drivers to pass first time.
So what can be done to ensure that you can swap that red learner plate for a green one?
Gary Warrington, a Grade A driving instructor, revealed his expert tips on passing in winter:
Practice when the weather conditions aren’t perfect
Always allow plenty of space from the vehicles ahead of you
Make sure you know how to switch on the headlights and wipers of the vehicle you’re driving while remaining in full control
Never start driving with a misted-up front or rear windscreen – learn how to operate the controls to clear them and wait until you have full visibility before setting off (this is also important when sitting your test)
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Leeds Tattoo Expo to return to the First Direct Arena for 10th anniversary
Clementine Hall
The tenth annual Leeds Tattoo Expo will showcase some of the best in tattooing both local and internationally.
If you fancy getting yourself a fancy new bit of ink, then look no further than the iconic Leeds Tattoo Expo that will be returning to the First Direct Arena this June.
Taking place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June 2025, over 200 tattooists and 70 traders will be flocking to the city to show off their skills.
And not only that, but there’ll also be a whole host of market traders for you to browse as well as live music to have a boogie to.
The artists will be tattooing with options for both pre-booked appointments and walk ups available throughout the weekend.
Image: Leeds Tattoo Expo
There will also be a piercer, tooth gems and a henna artist ready to adorn your body.
Alongside getting tattooed, there’s plenty to do and to see over the whole weekend; there'll be an alternative drawing class, an illustrators market with kids’ workshops provided by Art Gecko, an art fusion event on the main stage, burlesque performances and competitions, a small vintage clothing pop-up, fire breathing and break dancing demonstrations in the square outside the arena.
The annual tattoo competitions will also be taking place each evening, where tattooists showcase their work to a panel of judges, sponsored by Killer Ink!
To celebrate Leeds Tattoo Expo's tenth anniversary, they'll be hosting a Pre-Party at Belgrave Music Hall on Thursday 5 June which is a completely free entry event complete with live music and free pizza.
You can find out more about the event and book your tickets here via the First Direct Arena's website.
The Hoot -
16th February 2023 
