Overview

• DVSA figures show roughly 470,000 of 1.8 million practical tests in 2024/25 were taken in automatics, up from 23.4% the year before to about 26%.
• The AA now predicts about 29% of tests will be in automatics in 2025/26, rising to up to 32% in 2026/27, citing growing confidence in EVs and the reinstated 2030 petrol and diesel sales ban.
• Passing in an automatic issues a Category B Auto licence that restricts driving to automatics, while Northern Ireland manages licences separately.
• Manual choice in the new‑car market has narrowed sharply, with only 82 models offering manual gearboxes today versus 192 in 2015, according to CarGurus.
• DVSA data indicates a rising share of male candidates taking automatic tests (39.1% last year) and a slightly lower automatic pass rate than manual, with the gap smaller than a decade ago.