Pass Plus was introduced by the DVSA in 1995 with a clear value proposition: complete six additional driving modules after passing your test, and major insurers would give you a discount on your premium. For years, that made the course a straightforward recommendation for new drivers.
In 2026, the picture is different. Most major insurers have quietly dropped their Pass Plus discount schemes. The course still exists, still has value in some specific circumstances, but the insurance angle that used to make it an easy sell no longer works for most people.
What Pass Plus actually involves
The course has six modules, all completed with an approved driving instructor (ADI) after you have passed your practical test:
- Town driving — urban environments, busy junctions, traffic lights, pedestrians
- All-weather driving — rain, fog, ice, reduced visibility
- Rural driving — country roads, narrow lanes, bends, farm vehicles
- Dual carriageways — joining, lane discipline, overtaking, leaving
- Night driving — reduced visibility, headlight use, road awareness at night
- Motorway driving — joining at speed, lane discipline, high-speed hazard awareness
There is no test. You are assessed by your instructor on each module and they sign off the course certificate. The whole thing typically takes six hours, though some instructors spread it across two or three sessions.
The course costs between £150 and £200 in most parts of the UK. London and other high-cost areas tend to be at the upper end.
The insurance reality in 2026
When Pass Plus launched, insurers offered discounts because there was a reasonable hypothesis that trained new drivers would have fewer claims. The scheme worked when most major insurers were participating, because it gave Pass Plus-holders a genuine competitive advantage when comparing quotes.
Over the past decade, most major insurers have moved away from it. Direct Line, Admiral, and Aviva — three of the largest insurers for young drivers — no longer offer Pass Plus discounts as a standard product. Some have stopped entirely. Others have reduced discounts to the point where they are not worth factoring in.
A handful of specialist and regional insurers still offer meaningful discounts. Before booking Pass Plus, the correct process is: get comparison quotes first, then specifically ask each insurer on your shortlist whether they offer a Pass Plus discount and what it is worth. If the discount offsets the course cost, it makes sense. If it does not, the decision changes.
The alternative that works better for most new drivers
If your primary goal is reducing insurance premiums, a black box (telematics) policy will almost certainly deliver a larger saving than Pass Plus ever did.
Telematics policies fit a small device to your car (or use a smartphone app) that monitors your speed, braking, cornering, and hours driven. Safe, measured driving over the first months generates lower renewal premiums. Most new drivers on black box policies see 20–35% lower premiums in the first year compared to standard policies.
The tradeoff is that you are monitored. Night driving and harsh braking hurt your score. For drivers who are genuinely cautious and do not drive frequently late at night, black box policies are the most financially efficient route to lower insurance. For drivers who need to commute at 11pm, they are less attractive.
Pass Plus and a black box policy are not mutually exclusive. But if you are choosing where to spend £150–£200, the black box approach typically produces more premium saving.
When Pass Plus is worth it regardless of insurance
There is one module in Pass Plus that has value completely independently of insurance discounts: motorway driving.
Learner drivers cannot legally drive on motorways in the UK. They can go on them with an approved instructor in a dual-controlled car, but most don't — the option was only introduced relatively recently and uptake has been low. The result is that large numbers of newly qualified drivers face their first motorway trip alone, with no prior supervised experience of joining at 70mph, managing lane discipline at speed, or handling contraflow systems.
This is a genuine safety gap. The motorway module in Pass Plus directly addresses it. Six hours of supervised motorway practice represents a meaningfully safer first experience than going alone with no context.
If you live somewhere where you will regularly use motorways — and in the UK most people do — the motorway module alone may justify the course cost on safety grounds even if the insurance saving is zero.
If your insurer does offer a discount — how much to expect
Insurers who still offer Pass Plus discounts typically offer 5–15%. On a £2,000 premium, that is £100–£300. On a £1,200 premium, it is £60–£180.
Whether that offsets the £150–£200 course cost depends on your premium level. Higher premiums (common for 17–21 year olds, or those in high-risk postcodes) make the discount more valuable in absolute terms. Lower premiums make it harder to break even.
Get the actual discount figure from your insurer in writing before booking the course. Vague assurances from an instructor about "up to 30% off" are not accurate for 2026.
The honest recommendation
Check your insurer first. If they offer a meaningful Pass Plus discount (£100+), book the course.
If they do not, consider Pass Plus only for the motorway module — particularly if you will be a regular motorway user and have never driven on one. The safety value of that module is real.
If neither of those applies, skip it and put the £150–£200 toward a black box policy first year or a handful of extra lessons focused on a specific skill you want to improve.
Once you are ready to start looking at cars, our first car guide for new drivers covers the models that are genuinely good for new drivers versus the ones that look good but rack up bills. Or browse used cars under £5,000 on AllCarsUK directly.