It's an argument that brews between older drivers and those who have just got their licence: the theory test has become harder over time, meaning those who have been on the road for years might struggle to pass if they had to retake it today.

This is something that's recently been put to the test using a quiz to discover if long-established motorists would need to brush up on their Highway Code before sitting the theory exam in 2024.

Carwow put five multiple choice questions taken from the official DVSA driving theory test to a panel of 2,000 drivers - and fewer than 1 per cent answered them all correctly.

So, how many of these could you get right?

The results of the study showed that only 18 out of 2,000 drivers provided the correct answer to all five questions - a lousy success rate of just 0.9 per cent.

Incredibly, the 'pass rate' for each of the five questions was less than half, with one in particular proving very tricky with only 10 per cent of the panel getting it right.

Take the quiz below to see how many of the questions you can answer correctly:

Is the driving theory test getting harder? What the stats say

While drivers old and new will forever debate the suggestion of the theory test getting increasingly harder over time, official figures published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency hints that it is becoming more difficult.

The official pass rate for theory tests has gradually fallen over the past 15 years; in 2009, it was 65 per cent whereas this year it sits at just 45 per cent – a record low.

To successfully pass the test today, learners need to score a minimum of 43 out of 50 in the multiple-choice questions section - and 44 out of 75 in the hazard perception section portion of the exam, which was first introduced back in 2002.

To further investigate the supposition, Carwow asked the survey respondents about their own experiences when sitting the driving theory test.

It found that three quarters who have been driving for between 12 and 20 years passed first time, compared to only half (56 per cent) who have been on the road for between one and three years.

Of the panel who have been driving for less than 12 months, only 17 per cent passed at the first time of asking.

The question the 2,000 licence holders commonly answered wrong is question three regarding overtaking on a one-way street.

Just 10 per cent of the panel said 'on either the right or left', with the majority (41 per cent) believing overtaking isn't allowed whatsoever. 

Most people say they're 'good drivers' despite struggles with theory test questions

Those polled were also asked to rate themselves as drivers, with some interesting results.

On average, 73 per cent of motorists believed they were either 'very good' or 'good' drivers, while just 1 per cent had themselves down as 'very bad' or 'bad'. The rest gave themselves a middling 'average' performance rating.

Motorists aged between 25 and 35 were most likely to rate themselves as 'very good' or 'good', at 84 per cent, the study found.

In contrast, the youngest age group - those 18 to 25 - provided the highest instances of describing themselves as 'bad' or 'very bad' at 11 per cent (all 11 per cent said bad). 

Men were more likely than women to rate their driving ability highly – at 80 per cent versus 65 per cent respectively.

Mat Watson, chief content officer at Carwow and the face of its YouTube channel, has been a motoring journalist for over 20 years but admits that he answered one of the five driving theory test quiz questions incorrectly.

He said: 'Those looking to get their license need to do as much as they can to prepare – reading the highway code, and doing practice tests to familiarise themselves with the rules of the road.

'And the practice and learning doesn't stop when you get your license – it was interesting that respondents to our survey aged between 18 and 24 were most likely to consider themselves 'bad' drivers. 

'Some of it is likely just to be experience on the roads rather than competency but if that is you, there's no shame in taking further lessons and avoiding any situations where you don't feel confident or safe on the roads.'