The best driving schools in France in 2024: ranking of driving licence approval rates

The precious sesame is not the easiest to obtain: 6 out of 10 driving license candidates obtained it on the first attempt in the first quarter of 2024, according to official Road Safety data. But these statistics hide large disparities.

Which driving schools have the best success rates? Enter your zip code into the search engine below to discover how establishments near you are performing.

We have taken into account all driving schools that submitted at least 20 candidates for a first driving test in the first quarter of 2024.

The 10 best driving schools

1. Micheli Driving School, Prunelli-di-Fiumorbo: 100% success on the first pass
2. ECM Driving School, Machecoul (Loire Atlantique): 100%
3. Vic 63 Driving School, Vic-le-Comte (Puy-de-Dôme): 100%
4. Energy, Voujeaucourt (Doblas): 97%
5. AMJ Training, Beaucouze (Maine et Loire): 96.4%
6. Turpeau Formation, Les Herbiers (Vendée): 96.1%
7. Driving school, Montcornet (Aisne): 96%
8. Rouretane, Le Rouret (Alpes-Maritimes): 96%
9. Leturnier, Ploërmel (Morbihan): 95.6%
10. Marie-Jo Driving School, Eauze (Gers): 95.2%

To classify driving schools, we have taken into account several criteria: the success rate in the first pass, the number of candidates in the first pass, the overall success rate and the total number of candidates presented.

But this performance in the exam is only one criterion among others when choosing your driving school: We were unable to take into account other elements, such as the quality and friendliness of the teachers, the number of hours paid by candidates before obtaining permission or even the price.

The secrets of the best driving schools

What are the secrets of the driving schools that top our ranking? To explain their good results, the establishments contacted by BFMTV.com highlight the diversity of instructors but also the importance of accompanied driving in their teaching. And for some, its style, like Angélique Bégue, instructor at the Vic 63 driving school in Vic-le-Comte (Puy-de-Dôme), third in our ranking.

“I am a very strict person, some would even say strict,” she confesses to BFMTV. “I like that we apply the advice and instructions that I recommend applying to be able to move forward.”

The question of geographical location also plays a role: like other departments in rural areas, Hautes-Alpes occupies first place in the classification, with almost 76% success from the first step. Angélique Bégue also highlights here the interesting location of her establishment: “We are in the countryside and 20 minutes from Clermont-Ferrand, which allows us to tackle all terrains. The student adapts to all types of situations.”

The donkey cap in mainland France returns to Val-de-Marne, where this rate drops to less than 47%. Professionals in the sector list several difficulties in the Paris region: the density of traffic, necessarily greater than in rural areas, traffic disruptions, less use of accompanied driving or even the older age of the candidates.

The 10 departments with the best performance in the driving license exam

1. Hautes-Alpes: 75.9% success rate from the first pass
2. Deux-Sèvres: 75.3%
3. Upper Corsica: 73.3%
4. Lozere: 72.3%
5. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: 72.2%
6. Upper Loire: 72%
7. Armor Coasts: 71.8%
8. Sold: 71.5%
9. Maine and Loire: 70.9%
10. Gers: 70.9%

The 10 departments with the worst results in the driving license exam

1. Guadeloupe: 32.2% success on the first pass
2. Guyana: 44%
3. Marne Valley: 46.4%
4. Essona: 47.1%
5. Paris: 47.7%
6. Yvelines: 48.7%
7. Ariège: 49.3%
8. Upper Seine: 49.9%
9. Correze: 52.3%
10. Saône-et-Loire: 53%