Messina and Catania: driving test pass rates compared
In 2025 the patente B theory test was passed in 69.5% of tests sat in Messina and 66.2% in Catania. The gap is 3.30 points in favour of Messina. Messina sat 6,507 tests, Catania sat 14,525. Source: Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti (MIT).
Two neighbouring Sicilian provinces on the Ionian coast.
Which passes more often, Messina or Catania?
| Measure | Messina | Catania | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theory pass rate | 69.5% | 66.2% | 60.3% |
| Theory tests sat | 6,507 | 14,525 | 919,868 |
| National theory ranking | 1 | 9 | of 102 |
| Change on 2024, theory | +0.71 pt | +0.88 pt | n/a |
| Practical pass rate | 97.6% | 96.6% | 83.8% |
| Practical tests sat | 5,856 | 11,757 | n/a |
The unit is the test sat, not the person: a candidate who resits is counted again. The percentage answers "how many sittings end in a pass", not "how many candidates pass first time".
Is the difference between Messina and Catania meaningful?
A gap of 3.30 points is wide for two provinces, and is worth more than three tests in every hundred.
The number of tests matters as much as the percentage. In 2025 the smaller of the two samples held 6,507 tests, and the smaller the sample the more the percentage moves from year to year without anything real having changed. The year on year change is in the table above.
Both provinces sit in the same region, Sicilia, so they share the structure of the driving school network and much of the same pool of candidates. The causes are discussed in the guide on why pass rates differ.
Where is the full figure for each province?
Other comparisons with these provinces
Frequently asked questions
Where is the theory test passed more often, Messina or Catania?
In 2025 the patente B theory test was passed in 69.5% of tests sat in Messina and 66.2% in Catania. The gap is 3.30 points in favour of Messina. Messina sat 6,507 tests, Catania sat 14,525. Source: Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti (MIT).
How much is the gap between Messina and Catania worth?
A gap of 3.30 points is wide for two provinces, and is worth more than three tests in every hundred. The percentages are calculated on tests sat, 6,507 in Messina and 14,525 in Catania in 2025, and a resit counts again.
Is the test easier in one of the two provinces?
No. The test is identical across Italy: 30 true or false statements in 20 minutes, at most 3 errors, drawn from the same ministerial bank. What changes is who sits it.
Is it worth sitting the test in the other province?
No, and for the theory test there is no choice: it is sat at the Motorizzazione office of the candidate's province of residence, an adjoining province is allowed without formality, and anywhere else needs a reasoned request. Convenience is not valid grounds. The practical test carries no such constraint.
Show the rest of the answer
Either way, a difference between two provinces reflects who sits the test, not an advantage that travels.
Data as of . Source: Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti (MIT).