Predictors of long-term knowledge retention in the driver theory test
Abstract To obtain a driver’s licence, one must successfully complete a practical driving test and a theory test. Although the theory test is widely regarded as an important element of driving competence, little is known about the predictors of theory test performance, and in particular the extent t...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04796-6 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849334780820193280 |
|---|---|
| author | David A. Stefan Daniël D. Heikoop Joost C. F. de Winter Sjoerd Houwing |
| author_facet | David A. Stefan Daniël D. Heikoop Joost C. F. de Winter Sjoerd Houwing |
| author_sort | David A. Stefan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract To obtain a driver’s licence, one must successfully complete a practical driving test and a theory test. Although the theory test is widely regarded as an important element of driving competence, little is known about the predictors of theory test performance, and in particular the extent to which the acquired knowledge is retained over the years. All individuals who passed a car theory test in the Netherlands between November 2019 and October 2023 were invited to complete a questionnaire, which included a retention test (i.e., a representative retake test) consisting of 20 items not used before. The results based on 50,857 respondents revealed that those with a lower level of education exhibited lower performance on the retention test. Moreover, respondents who took a course with an instructor, an approach mostly used by those with a lower level of education, had a relatively high likelihood of passing the official car theory test on the first attempt. It was also found that the extent to which knowledge increased or decreased over the years was item-dependent, a pattern possibly explained by whether the test item measures functionally relevant driving experiences or if it primarily assesses isolated rules. The results of this study are relevant for training institutes and policymakers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8af90daa577d45c9b34a27a5b1af7d91 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-8af90daa577d45c9b34a27a5b1af7d912025-08-20T03:45:28ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115112010.1038/s41598-025-04796-6Predictors of long-term knowledge retention in the driver theory testDavid A. Stefan0Daniël D. Heikoop1Joost C. F. de Winter2Sjoerd Houwing3Research & Development, Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen (CBR)Research & Development, Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen (CBR)Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Delft University of TechnologyResearch & Development, Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen (CBR)Abstract To obtain a driver’s licence, one must successfully complete a practical driving test and a theory test. Although the theory test is widely regarded as an important element of driving competence, little is known about the predictors of theory test performance, and in particular the extent to which the acquired knowledge is retained over the years. All individuals who passed a car theory test in the Netherlands between November 2019 and October 2023 were invited to complete a questionnaire, which included a retention test (i.e., a representative retake test) consisting of 20 items not used before. The results based on 50,857 respondents revealed that those with a lower level of education exhibited lower performance on the retention test. Moreover, respondents who took a course with an instructor, an approach mostly used by those with a lower level of education, had a relatively high likelihood of passing the official car theory test on the first attempt. It was also found that the extent to which knowledge increased or decreased over the years was item-dependent, a pattern possibly explained by whether the test item measures functionally relevant driving experiences or if it primarily assesses isolated rules. The results of this study are relevant for training institutes and policymakers.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04796-6 |
| spellingShingle | David A. Stefan Daniël D. Heikoop Joost C. F. de Winter Sjoerd Houwing Predictors of long-term knowledge retention in the driver theory test Scientific Reports |
| title | Predictors of long-term knowledge retention in the driver theory test |
| title_full | Predictors of long-term knowledge retention in the driver theory test |
| title_fullStr | Predictors of long-term knowledge retention in the driver theory test |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predictors of long-term knowledge retention in the driver theory test |
| title_short | Predictors of long-term knowledge retention in the driver theory test |
| title_sort | predictors of long term knowledge retention in the driver theory test |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04796-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidastefan predictorsoflongtermknowledgeretentioninthedrivertheorytest AT danieldheikoop predictorsoflongtermknowledgeretentioninthedrivertheorytest AT joostcfdewinter predictorsoflongtermknowledgeretentioninthedrivertheorytest AT sjoerdhouwing predictorsoflongtermknowledgeretentioninthedrivertheorytest |