The best and worst driving test centres in Cornwall for first time pass rates have been revealed - and one has among the worst records of anywhere in the country.

Learner drivers at the Bodmin Test Centre had one of the lowest first attempt pass rates in Britain last year.

Hopeful students made 1,792 first attempts at passing their car driving test at the centre in 2019-20, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency figures show.

Of those, 629 were successful - which at a pass rate of 35 per cent, was one of the lowest of any test centre in Britain included in the data.

The average pass rate for first attempts across Britain was 46 per cent last year.

Meanwhile, Camborne Test Centre was among the lowest in the south west for first-time passes.

There were 1,948 first attempts and 831 were successful, which at a pass rate of 43 per cent was one of the lowest of any test centre in the region included in the data.

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By contrast nearly half of learner drivers who took their first test at the Penzance Test Centre last year gained their licence.

Students made 747 first attempts at passing their car driving test at Penzance Test Centre during the same time period, and of those 355 were successful - which at a pass rate of 48 per cent was slightly higher than the national average of 46 per cent.

Of the 747 first attempts made at Penzance Test Centre, four drivers passed with no faults.

Launceston Test Centre also saw an above-average pass rate.

A total of 1,004 first attempts were made and 474 were successful, at a pass rate of 47 per cent.

They were among 10,375 learners across Britain who passed on their first attempt without putting a foot wrong - and the likelihood of success varied widely from area to area.

Learners at the Arbroath Test Centre in Scotland held the best record, at 72 per cent, while only just over a quarter of those making a first attempt at the Pavilion Test Centre in Birmingham gained their licence at the first time of asking.

The figures exclude centres that recorded fewer than 100 first-attempt tests as the DVSA cautions against drawing conclusions from such low numbers.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said test centres in quieter locations may prove less challenging on the day than those in congested urban areas.

“Every driver knows that passing the test is only the first hurdle – the real challenge comes when a newly qualified driver has to take full responsibility themselves,” he added.

“Safely negotiate the first 1,000 miles after gaining your licence and the risk of having a crash drops sharply.”

Mr Gooding said data suggested that a decline in the number of young people holding a driving licence in recent years had begun to reverse.

He added: “With the challenges of Covid-related restrictions we could witness higher numbers of young people learning to drive because they see it as important to their employment prospects."

The DVSA said the figures are based on driver licence numbers, so someone who has changed their licence number could be reported more than once in the data.