New figures have revealed the driving test pass rate in Greenock and Irvine - with women acheiving a higher pass rate in Greenock, while the roles were reversed in Irvine.

Latest statistics from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) show that, at the Greenock centre, there were 771 passes out of a total of 1,785 tests undertaken - a pass rate of 43.2 per cent.

However, women drivers had a greater chance than men of passing, according to the figures.

For women, a total of 813 tests were undertaken with 355 passes, representing a pass rate of 43.7 per cent, while male drivers were involved in 970 tests with 416 passing, resulting in 42.9 per cent receiving their full licence.

For 2021-22, the overall pass rate was a total of 43.6 per cent, with a total of 2,492 tests taken.

When the pandemic hit, in 2020-21, there was a 50 per cent pass rate but only 620 tests were taken during a period from September to December.

The stats for Irvine show a pass rate of 51 per cent for 2022.

A total of 5,117 people sat tests at the centre last year, with 2,640 passing the exam.

The figures also show that in 2022, more women than men sat their driving tests in North Ayrshire.

But female drivers had a pass rate of 48.5 per cent, compared with pass rate of 54.7 per cent for males.

A total of 2,511 men sat their tests, with 1,374 passing, while 2,606 women sat a driving test at the Irvine centre, with 1,266 successfully passing.

Last year's pass rate was slightly up on the previous year which saw 50.3 per cent successfully complete the exam.

In 2020, the pass rate was as high as 55.1 per cent at the Irvine centre - though the number of people who sat the exam was roughly halved due to the pandemic.