Indiana Driver’s Test Attracts Interest Due to High Fail Rates

The Indiana state driver’s license exam has the highest fail rate of all of the United States. From 2020 to 2023, almost 1.5 million residents of the state failed the exam. This has become a huge problem that many are beginning to recognize due to the fact that the state is one of the most car-dependent states, meaning that residents are having to rely on traveling by car but many struggle to pass the exam that will allow them to do so.

Like most states, Indiana has two exams drivers must pass.

Indiana has both a written exam and a behind the wheel actual driving exam. The issue lies for most drivers in the written exam. Only 43% of test takers passed this exam in Indiana from 2020 to 2023. Comparatively, the actual driver exam had around 80% of test takers pass. However, that still leaves a very small margin of people actually obtaining their licenses in the state.

According to Indiana Representative Becky Cash, she has heard from her constituents that they often take up to six times to pass the written exam. Many have even expressed that it is very difficult for them to pass the exam, even if they are already licensed in another state. The low pass rate also reflects frequent fails amongst those who need to renew an expired license (which requires you to complete the exam again) and people who have six or more driving infraction points on their record.

In order to pass, test takers must get an 80% or higher.

A large issue that many face with the exam is the way it is administered. The test is now computerized, which can negatively affect some people’s chances of passing. For example, Representative Cash has shared that her daughter, who deals with a learning disability, failed the computerized exam twice before she was finally given a paper test to complete, at which point she passed with ease. This is an issue that many deal with, as computerized exams are often more difficult for people with disabilities.

Additionally, the state is experiencing a shortage of instructors, which has added a lot of extra stress to family with children at the age of driving. They are unable to find instructors and therefore have to be self-taught/entirely taught at home, which makes the situation more difficult and complicated.

Representative Cash and other Indiana leaders are working on improvements to the exam and the way in which it is administered.