Vietnamese Driving Test Failures Remain High, Multiple Attempts Common

A significant number of candidates are repeatedly failing Vietnam's automotive driving license tests, particularly the practical driving segments, with some facing dozens of attempts before passing. Statistics from the Traffic Police Department reveal that several individuals have failed the tests numerous times. In Tuyen Quang province, a man failed the manual transmission (B2) driving test 18 times. Other cases include 15 failures in Quang Ninh, 14 in Ninh Binh, and 12 in Son La. Many of these unsuccessful candidates struggle with the "sa hình" (closed-course circuit) portion of the exam. Older applicants are also common, with a 61-year-old in Lao Cai failing 8 times, a 60-year-old in Lam Dong failing 7 times, and a 52-year-old in Lai Chau failing 5 times. Regarding the theoretical driving test, one candidate in Vinh Long failed the C1 license test 10 times, and another in Hai Phong failed the B class test 9 times. Even young individuals, such as two 19-year-olds in Quang Tri, have failed the theoretical test 5-6 times. Despite repeated failures, these candidates remain determined to obtain their driving licenses, continuing to study, revise, and re-take both theoretical and practical examinations. According to the Traffic Police Department's statistics, over 4.4 million candidates took driving license tests of various classes nationwide in the first nine months of the year, with more than 2.8 million passing. This indicates a pass rate of approximately 60% for all tests conducted. The Traffic Police Department continues to innovate its examination, management, and issuance of driving licenses, focusing on transparency and increased technological application to facilitate citizens. From July 2026, the computer-based simulation test for traffic situations will be removed. The time for issuing and renewing licenses has been shortened; electronic licenses integrated with VNeTraffic (level 2) take about 2 hours, while direct renewal takes 2.5 days. Furthermore, from March 2027, the Traffic Police Department announced that the number of questions in the driving license examination will be increased. The minimum practical test route will be extended to 5 km, including 12 mandatory exercises (covering intersection handling, yielding, and more). Source: VnExpress