The overview of driving test results between 2021 and the first months of this year does not include instructors' names, with each examiner instead represented by a unique code.

A closer look at the data reveals that getting to take the test with certain examiners is like winning the lottery as most applicants pass.

The "best-performing" examiner has given the green light in the case of 85 percent of the 2,474 exams they've supervised during the time period. Another examiner has passed 80 percent of 3,828 test takers, while a total of eight examiners have greened 70 percent of the tests of which they were in charge.

But the lower end of the list paints a far less encouraging picture. One examiner, who has overseen 938 exams, has only passed a little under 35 percent of applicants. Several others who have evaluated several thousand test takers have similarly allowed relatively few of them to pass.

Several dozen examiners have passed less than half of applicants in the last three years.

Ave Smirnov, head of the right to drive department of the Transport Administration's traffic service, told ERR that the agency has not laid down a norm or standard based on which applicants need to be evaluated as drawing such a line would cause examiners to distort the results.

"However, the results of examiners' work are monitored regularly. Deviating from the regional average result may lead to an extraordinary qualification check during which individual exams are analyzed," she said.

A lot depends on where one takes their driving test. It is no secret that some Tallinn residents take the exam in smaller cities and towns, while this might not always prove beneficial. Statistics suggest that those who doubt their driving skills prior to taking the test should give Paide a wide berth as only 47 percent of applicants pass their test in the central Estonian city.

Things aren't much better in Jõhvi, Tallinn and Narva where on average 49 percent pass. This grows to 54 percent in Rapla, Pärnu and Viljandi.

Going by statistics alone, Estonia's most capable aspiring drivers can be found in Kärdla, the capital of the island of Hiiumaa, where 86 percent of test takers have passed since 2021. This drops to 73 percent in Võru and Jõgeva.

Smirnov said that regional differences are to be expected as traffic is dynamic and largely depends on other motorists – for example, some areas have more diverse groups of drivers and vehicles – as well as the environment – traffic lights, number of lanes, railway crossings etc.

While it is impossible to identify individual examiners, the data on driving schools is public. The average passing percentage for all driving schools is 55.

They include companies and schools that have only tested a few students during the time period in question either all or none of whom passed.

Looking at slightly larger schools, the best performing among them is Tartu-based Autra Koolitus. Of 40 students who took their test between 2021 and the start of 2024, 93 percent passed. Tartu driving school Revilo Motokool, Tallinn-based bus and truck drivers' school OÜ Positiivne and Hiiumaa's Kalle Autokool also came close to 90 percent.

Coming to major driving schools that have sent thousands of people in for their national driving test 2021-2024, Võru County's Tugev Partner saw 78 percent of its 2,770 students pass, which result was matched by Sõiduõppe OÜ in Tartu.

But there are also schools hundreds or even over a thousand students of which have taken their test only for fewer than 30 percent to pass.

Ave Smirnov from the Transport Administration said that all examiners working today passed a qualification check last year. Regular checks are carried out at least once a year by reviewing one or more exams. "This means that the examiner does not know which of their exams will be used as the basis for the qualification check," the official said.

She added that examiners who fail to pass regular checks will have to find a new vocation.

"The Transport Administration takes these checks very seriously and they're more than just a formality," Smirnov noted.

But she said that evaluating test results will always include a measure of subjectivity. For example, whether a given situation on the road is dangerous is less objective than compliance with traffic control devices or whether the examinee is driving smoothly.

The nationwide percentage of passing has hovered around the 50 percent mark in the case of B-category licenses throughout the years.

Smirnov added that the Transport Administration collects feedback from examinees based on which a recommendation index is put together. The data is shared with examiners and serves as one metric of their performance. Last year, 74 percent of feedback was positive.

The agency considers customer feedback and court decisions when test results have been challenged when training examiners and adjusting driving test norms.

"It is the goal of the Transport Administration to make sure no driver whose training may include gaps that might cause people to be hurt or killed is allowed to participate in traffic. We have worked hard to achieve that filter and we'll continue our efforts," Smirnov said.

She added that people challenge test results less often these days, as the number of challenges dropped from 292 in 2021 to 153 last year, which is a sign of quality and the fact that constantly monitoring results and planning relevant training has had a positive effect.

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