Choose a test centre to explore recorded fault categories. These counts can help structure a conversation about observation, control and planning alongside your own lesson feedback.
A single test can record several faults, including more than one type. Counts are not numbers of failed tests or your chance of committing a fault. The attachment does not supply matching test denominators for a fault-rate calculation.
We use explicitly labelled January and February 2026 rows in DVSA’s July 2026 response. Later and unlabelled repeated blocks are excluded. A centre may have only one of these months; missing observations are not zero.
Use the figures alongside feedback from a qualified instructor. A recorded category does not identify a test route, exact junction or guaranteed manoeuvre. Historical category names are retained, including legacy labels.
313 unambiguously matched statistical centres. The source contains 314 named centre records; unmatched names remain in the downloadable data.
Sorted by serious-fault count, then dangerous-fault count. The driving-fault column is a separate severity category.
| Published fault category | Serious | Dangerous | Driving faults |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearance / obstructions | 257 | 22 | 1,034 |
| Junctions - observation | 223 | 34 | 389 |
| Response to signs - traffic lights | 193 | 3 | 139 |
| Move off - safely | 183 | 9 | 1,502 |
| Mirrors - change direction | 144 | 13 | 448 |
| Judgement - meeting | 132 | 9 | 482 |
| Use of speed | 126 | 3 | 588 |
| Control - steering | 122 | 19 | 1,223 |
| Reverse park - Control | 104 | 4 | 479 |
| Reverse park - Observatons | 101 | 2 | 285 |
| Response to signs - road markings | 96 | 3 | 176 |
| Maintain progess - speed | 94 | 1 | 1,410 |
| Move off - control | 87 | 10 | 926 |
| Response to signs - traffic signs | 85 | 1 | 104 |
| Positioning - normal driving | 66 | 1 | 526 |
| Judgement - crossing | 65 | 15 | 47 |
| Pedestrian crossing | 63 | 3 | 48 |
| Junctions - turning right | 50 | 2 | 174 |
| Reverse right - Observation | 42 | 0 | 159 |
| Maintain progress - undue hesitation | 40 | 0 | 1,014 |
| Mirrors - change speed | 32 | 1 | 422 |
| Control - gears | 29 | 2 | 309 |
| Vehicle checks | 28 | 1 | 403 |
| Taxi/Forward Park obs | 28 | 0 | 62 |
| Mirrors - signalling | 27 | 0 | 992 |
| Reverse right - Control | 27 | 0 | 88 |
| Signals - correctly | 26 | 0 | 382 |
| Positioning - lane discipline | 23 | 3 | 93 |
| Following distance | 23 | 0 | 275 |
| Awareness/planning | 20 | 0 | 155 |
| Taxi/Forward Park cont | 16 | 3 | 196 |
| Signals - necessary | 14 | 0 | 302 |
| Junctions - cutting corners | 13 | 0 | 71 |
| Signals - timed | 13 | 0 | 341 |
| Junctions - approach speed | 10 | 0 | 112 |
| Position - normal stops | 9 | 0 | 392 |
| Response to signs - other road users | 8 | 2 | 61 |
| Judgement - overtaking | 8 | 0 | 26 |
| Control - Footbrake | 6 | 0 | 144 |
| Junctions - turning left | 6 | 0 | 46 |
| Control - parking brake | 5 | 1 | 46 |
| Ancillary controls | 5 | 0 | 58 |
| Control Stop - Promptness | 5 | 0 | 27 |
| Eyesight | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Control - accelerator | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Control - balance | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Control - clutch | 0 | 0 | 71 |
| Controlled stop - Control | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ECO Driving | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Highway Code | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Precautions | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Response to signs - traffic controllers | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reverse left - Control | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reverse left - Observation | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turn in road - Control | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turn in road - Observations | 0 | 0 | 0 |
DVSA FOI response 2606-112694 and Annex H, published 1 July 2026. Our download preserves the source categories, per-month counts, original-file checksum and exclusions. Crown copyright information is reused under the default Open Government Licence; no individual test or candidate records are included.