Young drivers are better off shopping around for cheap car insurance rather than taking an advanced driving test, claim experts. The Pass Plus test, designed by the Government's Driving Standards Agency, costs about £180 for the six-hour course and is marketed as a way for new drivers to cut the cost of cover.

According to experts, fifteen insurers, including Churchill, Norwich Union, Swinton and Zurich, offer discounts of between five and 35% to drivers who pass the certificate.

Their arguement is that even though the course, which must be taken within 12 months of passing the driving test, should make youngsters more responsible, research shows that it will not necessarily result in cheaper premiums.

For example, an 18-year-old male student from Bramhope, Leeds, driving a Ford Fiesta valued at £1,500 and parked off the road at night would pay £3,448 for third-party cover with Swinton. This type of car insurance covers a driver only for damage to another vehicle.

If the driver held a Pass Plus certificate, Swinton would cut this premium to £2,948. Yet the same driver could forget about Pass Plus and pay £2,890 with rival Admiral for comprehensive cover for ten months.

Ian Crowder of AA Insurance says: “The most important thing a young driver can do to cut the cost of cover is shop around and get as many quotes as possible using the internet or a broker. The difference in the cost of cover can be as much as 35%.”

Insurance costs for young drivers are astronomical and many insurers won't even quote for under-21s. A 20-year-old male with a year's driving experience, living in Gloucestershire and driving an eight-year-old Ford Ka 1200cc would be refused cover by one in three insurers.

The cheapest premium is £1,234 (fully comprehensive), though premiums range up to £3,000. Statistics reveal why insurers penalise young drivers: in 2006, of 9,305 drivers killed or seriously injured, 29% were under 25.

By using websites such as thisis money.co.uk, insuresupermarket.com and insurancewide.com, young and new drivers can slash costs. Insurance experts say that choosing an older, less powerful car and taking out third-party rather than comprehensive cover will also help. In addition to that, off-road parking at night, ideally in a garage, will also reduce premiums.

Melanie Rendall, 20, a nutrition student from Lenton, Nottingham, has just taken out cover for her five-year-old Volkswagen Polo. Melanie wasn't interested in Pass Plus and instead shopped online, taking out comprehensive insurance from Churchill costing £630.

“I was shocked by some of the quotes,” she adds. “Some were over £1,000. I'm glad I didn't go with the first premium I was offered.”