Having a mardy person sitting next to you in the car can be a distraction at the best of times, but it is all the worse when the grump is your driving examiner.
In an effort to avoid additional “potential anxiety” during tests and bolster pass rates among female candidates, a report commissioned by a government agency has suggested asking people taking a test whether they would like their examiner to be “chatty” or “formal”.
The report by the transport research group TRL said men were found to be less affected by their examiner’s demeanour, while women were more likely to notice and interpret it, and that this might prompt self-judgment and worry about how they were doing.
Men are more likely than women to pass a driving test, according to records dating back to 2007, with the annual pass rate for male candidates ranging from 47% to 55%, compared with 41% to 48% for female candidates.
The TRL study on the gender imbalance was commissioned by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which oversees driving tests in Great Britain. It found that people were intimidated when their examiner did not make any pleasantries.
The research was based on interviews with learner drivers, people who had recently passed their test, instructors and examiners.
Among the interviewees, one successful candidate said their examiner had been “very down to business” with “no pleasantries”, which made them “feel just a little bit more intimidated”.
But an instructor said a “really chatty examiner” could end up “distracting the student”. Another instructor said having a conversation with a candidate could “slightly distract” the learner when they wanted to be “100% concentrating”.
In the report’s recommendations about how to reduce “potential inequalities around gender”, it noted that examiners’ communication approaches could be interpreted in various ways by different candidates.
It said: “Examiners could ask candidates at the beginning of the test what kind of communication (‘formal’, ‘chatty’) would put them in the best frame of mind for driving to the best of their ability.
“Such a change would enable examiners to remain focused on ability and outcomes but do so in such a way that does not introduce potential anxiety that is unrelated to driving competence in candidates.”
Emma Bush, the managing director of AA Driving School, told the PA Media agency: “It is probably asking a lot of examiners to act ‘formal’ or ‘chatty’ on demand. Candidates probably don’t want a sergeant major nor a comedian examining them.
“What all candidates want is a reassuring voice and presence, combined with a fair and professional approach to the test.”
The study found no evidence that the gender of examiners had a direct impact on the candidates’ test experience.
It noted that female candidates were more likely than their male counterparts to pass the driving theory test, which it attributed to women generally doing more preparation.
A spokesperson for the DVSA said it was “committed to equality, diversity and inclusion” and wanted all candidates to “receive the highest level of customer experience”.
They added: “This is an important piece of research by TRL and we’re now reviewing the considerations put forward to reduce inequality in driver testing in Great Britain, and help us further develop the guidance available to learner drivers as they prepare for their tests.”
The average waiting time for a driving test in Great Britain as of the end of June was 22.3 weeks.