And more than 440 of the failures were OAP drivers aged 61 or above.
The Department for Transport said 731,925 people took the test for the first time in 2015-2016, with only 47.5 per cent successful in getting their full licence.
Some 377,535 took a test for the second time, 192,277 for the third, 100,648 for the fourth, 54,828 for the fifth.
Of the 80,522 going to the driving test centre for the sixth time or more, just 30,919 passed.
Luke Bosdet, public affairs spokesman, said: “It’s good that the driving test is failing people six or more times because if they haven’t mastered the basics, they shouldn’t be let loose on the roads on their own.”
The DfT revealed that the highest pass rate across all tests in the UK last year was among 17 year-olds, with 58 per cent getting a licence.
The lowest pass rate was among 59 year-olds, with just 32.8 per cent passing.
Men remain better motorists than women – with a total success rate of 50.6 per cent against 43.8 per cent.