The Drive Dutch Score
Our proprietary scoring system that arguably provides a more accurate measure of driving school quality than simple success rates.
Why We Created This Score
Raw success rates can be misleading when comparing driving schools. A school with only a few exams might have a very high or very low success rate by chance. Additionally, schools operating in more difficult testing locations might appear worse than those in easier locations.
The Drive Dutch score addresses these issues by considering multiple factors that affect a school's performance, creating a more balanced and fair comparison.
How It Works
The Drive Dutch score is calculated using a formula that takes into account several key factors:
- First-time pass rate - How many students pass on their first attempt
- Retake pass rate - How many students pass on subsequent attempts
- Location difficulty - How the school performs compared to the average at their testing location
- Exam volume - How many total exams the school has conducted
- Retake patterns - Whether there's a significant drop in success between first and second attempts
The Formula Explained
Our score calculation has several components and is calculated for each driving location where the driving school has done exams:
1. Premium Adjustment
We compare a school's success rate to the average success rate at their testing location. Schools that perform better than average receive a bonus, while those performing worse receive a smaller penalty.
diff = driving_school_success_pct - location_success_pct
if diff ≥ 0: premium_adjustment = diff
if diff < 0: premium_adjustment = 0.5 * diff
This rewards schools that outperform others at the same location, while being less harsh on those that underperform.
2. Soft Retake Penalty
If there's a large drop between first-attempt success and second-attempt success, it might indicate that the school is not preparing students thoroughly. We apply a small penalty in these cases.
difference = successful_first_attempts_pct - successful_second_attempts_pct
if difference > 10: soft_retake_penalty = 0.1 * (difference - 10)
if difference ≤ 10: soft_retake_penalty = 0
This discourages schools from focusing only on first attempts while neglecting students who need retakes.
3. Base Score Calculation
We weight first-attempt success higher (60%) than retake success (40%), then add the premium adjustment and subtract any retake penalty.
base_score = (0.6 * successful_first_attempts_pct +
0.4 * successful_second_attempts_pct +
premium_adjustment -
soft_retake_penalty)
4. Volume Multiplier
Schools with more exam attempts get a higher multiplier, as their success rates are more statistically significant. We use a logarithmic scale so the effect is balanced.
multiplier = 1 + log10(1 + first_attempts + retake_attempts)
final_score = base_score * multiplier
This ensures that schools with more exams get appropriate recognition, while still allowing newer schools with good results to score well.
Interpreting the Score
The average Drive Dutch score across all their driving exam locations is then used as their final Drive Dutch Score. From there on a percentile is created based on where the driving school is in the distribution.
Here's how to understand the Drive Dutch score:
- 250+: Exceptional performance - Among the best driving schools in the Netherlands
- 200-250: Excellent - Very high success rates and consistent performance
- 127-200: Very Good - Above average performance and reliable results
- 51-127: Good - Solid performance with room for improvement
- Below 50: Far Below Average, but this does not mean it is a bad school.
Average Drive Dutch scores across based on 6000 driving schools
Remember that the score is just one factor to consider when choosing a driving school. Personal recommendations, teaching style, language options, and location convenience are also important factors in your decision.