Does insurance go up when you have passed your test?

Well, you can't, simple as that, sorry!

[Migrated from previous post 1456 dated 30 Dec 2010]

You will need to get quotes from car insurance comparison website like Confused, GoCompare, MoneySupermarket etc for that. Different insurers have different ways of underwriting an insurance quote as they based it on risk factors calculated from previous claims they've had to handle. Also, insurance depends on a lot of other factors as well like where you're going to park the car at night, who else will be driving the car, how many miles you intend on doing a year etc.

Therefore I'd recommend you check with the car comparison websites named above to get an idea of much you're likely to pay for insurance premiums.

[Migrated from previous post 316 dated 30 May 2009]

I am female, 20, 21 in July. I passed my test at the beginning of the year. I am looking for cheap insurance, I have been a named driver on my mum's car for since I was 17, but insurance sites say that's impossible as my licence has changed from provisional to full.

[Migrated from previous post 1843 dated 07 Jul 2012]

I just passed my driving test this month with FULL UK LICENSE. I want a reliable car, reasonable specs and that's it, but don't want very old cars like 3 wheel drive etc... I'm a mature student as well.

[Migrated from previous post 1845 dated 07 Jul 2012]

It is not uncommon for car insurance to go up when you have passed your driving test. When you're a learner, there is always someone with you when you're driving and you will tend to obey the speed limits and motoring signs. However when learners have passed their tests, they tend to be less careful and are more involved in accidents. Hence the risk is greater and the premiums reflect that.

However, I did not fully understand what you meant when you said you will be getting your 1st year no claims discount. Have you had insurance in your own name whilst having your provisional licence and was not on somebody else's policy? If that's the case, then you can change insurance companies and you will be able to use your no claims bonus to get really good deals.

It really depends on the insurance company that you are insured with. When a learner driver passes his driving test, he needs to inform his insurance company which then re-calculates the premium for the remaining term of the contract and they normally adjust the fees for the insurance cover. In many cases, the premium goes up and in some cases it stays the same. The reason why the premium goes up is that a learner driver is always supervised when driving and thus carries a lesser risk. For someone who has just passed his driving test, he will drive unsupervised and because of his lack of experience, he will present a greater risk to the insurance company.

You can check what you're most likely to pay by either calling your insurance company or changing your licence type from provisional to full online (if you can do it online).

Let me know the outcome.