Darts sensation Luke Littler may have nerves of steel when it comes to nailing 180s on the oche, but the UK’s Highway Code has tested his limits like no nine-darter ever could. The 18-year-old world champion from Warrington finally triumphed over his nemesis—the driving theory test—on his seventh attempt, sharing the sweet victory with his 1.9 million Instagram followers on Friday. After a saga of near-misses and outright flops that spanned months, Littler’s pass marks a major milestone, clearing the path to his dream Mercedes A-Class… once he tackles the practical exam.
A Rocky Road: From First Flop to Seventh Success
Littler’s driving journey has been anything but a straight line. Since turning 17 and earning his provisional license last year, the teen prodigy—whose meteoric rise saw him become the youngest PDC World Darts Championship winner in January—has been hilariously candid about his struggles on social media. What started as a lighthearted side quest amid his globe-trotting tour schedule turned into a full-blown fan-favorite storyline, with each failed attempt met by groans, memes, and encouragement from the darts community.
His scorecard reads like a dartboard of disappointment:
– Attempt 1: 41/50 on multiple choice (just shy of the 43 needed), hazard perception undisclosed but clearly not enough.
– Attempt 2: 44/75 overall—better, but still no cigar.
– Attempts 3-4: Details sparse, but failures nonetheless, with Littler joking about his “nauseated” reaction to the results.
– Attempt 5 (July 2025): A gut-wrenching 41/50 on multiple choice (two marks off), shared post-World Matchplay with the caption “5th time and counting…”
– Attempt 6 (Late August/Early September): The unposted “bad one” he confessed to during a presser last week, admitting it was his worst yet and leaving fans holding their breath.
Then, on September 19, victory. Littler posted a screenshot of his pass certificate—multiple choice aced at 47/50, hazard perception nailed at 68/75—captioned simply with a fist-bump emoji and “Finally.” The post exploded, racking up over 500,000 likes in hours, with darts legends like Michael van Gerwen chiming in: “About time, kid! Now don’t crash into the board.” Fellow pros, including Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries, flooded the comments with celebratory fire emojis, turning the moment into a mini darts party.
Littler’s openness endeared him further to fans already captivated by his prodigious talent. “I’ve been practicing more than my checkouts lately,” he quipped in a post-exam interview, crediting late-night study sessions squeezed between tournaments. The theory test, a 50-question multiple-choice quiz followed by 14 video-based hazard clips, demands focus akin to spotting a double 16 under pressure—but apparently, road signs proved trickier than treble 20s.
The Prize: A Mercedes Awaits, Practical Test Looms
This pass isn’t just symbolic; it’s the green light for Littler to hit the roads legally. He’s long eyed a sleek Mercedes A-Class, starting at around £28,000 ($37,000), as his first set of wheels—a far cry from the Uber rides and dad-taxis that shuttled him through his breakout 2024 season. “Can’t wait to drive myself to the airport… or the chippy,” he joked in July, after yet another fail kept his keys out of reach.
But hold the horsepower: The practical driving test awaits, where instructors will scrutinize his actual wheel skills. With his packed schedule—including this weekend’s Hungarian Darts Trophy in Budapest, followed by the World Grand Prix—booking lessons might be his next big checkout. “Theory’s done, now for the fun part,” Littler posted, hinting at provisional drives with a supervisor soon.
Littler’s Bigger Journey: Darts Dominance Amid Everyday Wins
At 18, Littler’s already a PDC powerhouse: World Champion, World Matchplay winner, and Premier League champ, with earnings topping £1 million this year alone. His theory test odyssey humanizes the “Nuke”—a nickname born from his explosive scoring—reminding fans that even darts’ golden boy fumbles the mundane. It’s a relatable arc in a sport of precision, and one that’s boosted his off-ocher brand, from McDonald’s ambassadorships to viral TikToks.
As he boards a flight to Hungary today, pass certificate in (digital) hand, Littler embodies the grit that defines champions—whether hitting wires or wrong turns. Seventh time lucky? Absolutely. Now, if only the M25 were as straightforward as a 501 start.
