A man in Tarnów, Poland, has become a local curiosity after finally passing his theoretical driving exam on the 139th attempt, a quest that stretched across nine years. According to the Małopolska Road Traffic Centre, the aspiring driver had been sitting the computer‑based exam since 2017, spending around €1,800 in fees before achieving a passing score.
In Poland, learner drivers must clear the theory component before attempting the practical exam, and most people manage the first stage within one to three tries. Staff at the centre said the man’s situation became so unusual that they sat down with him to figure out what was going wrong. During that conversation, they discovered he had been preparing using a demo version of the practice software, meaning he hadn’t been exposed to the full set of potential exam questions.
Once he switched to the complete version of the program, examiners noticed steady improvement. The centre’s director, Paweł Gurgul, said the man “did not give up taking the exam,” adding that it was clear how much obtaining a licence meant to him. With the theory test now behind him, he’ll move on to the practical component, though another hiccup would mean sitting the theory test again before another attempt.
Despite the staggering number of attempts, his result isn’t a national record. Polish media have previously reported even more extreme cases, including a learner in Piotrków Trybunalski who required 17 years and 163 attempts to pass the same exam, proving that perseverance behind the scenes is more common than many might expect.
