Driving examiners in Great Britain urged to offer ‘formal’ or ‘chatty’ tests

The report said women were more likely to interpret their examiner’s demeanour and this might prompt self-judgment and worry about how they were doing. Photograph: Kzenon/Alamy

Having a mardy person sitting next to you in the car can be a distraction at the best of times, but it is all the worse when the grump is your driving examiner.

In an effort to avoid additional “potential anxiety” during tests and bolster pass rates among female candidates, a report commissioned by a government agency has suggested asking people taking a test whether they would like their examiner to be “chatty” or “formal”.