Driving Test Routes: Practise the Real DVSA Practical Test Routes
Driving test routes — also called practical test routes — are the roads a DVSA examiner can take you on during the UK practical driving test. The DVSA stopped publishing the official routes in 2010 — so the smart way to prepare is to practise the real road network around your test centre. SteerClear builds scored practice routes for 267 UK test centres, free to download.
Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play Find your test centre routesAre driving test routes still published?
No. Until 2010 the DVSA (then the DSA) published the official test routes for each centre as downloadable documents, and learners would memorise them. They were withdrawn to stop people rote-learning a single route instead of learning to drive safely. Today examiners pick from several routes around each centre on the day and there is no official list to download — so anything advertised as "the official driving test routes" is a best-effort reconstruction, not an official DVSA document.
So how do you practise practical test routes now?
You practise the real road network around your test centre — the same junctions, roundabouts, lane merges and speed-limit changes the examiner's practical test routes are built from. Driving those roads before the day removes the surprise factor, which is exactly where most faults come from.
SteerClear does this for you:
- Pick your test centre from 267 UK DVSA centres.
- The app builds practice routes on the real roads around that centre.
- Every drive is scored live from your phone's sensors — speed, braking, lane discipline and observation — so you can see where you would lose marks.
- Repeat the tricky sections until the roundabouts and priorities feel automatic.
Find driving test routes near you
SteerClear covers 267 DVSA test centres across the UK. Open the test-centre directory to find yours, see its pass rate and test-day tips, and start practising its routes.
Browse all UK test centres → Full practical test guide →
Popular UK driving test centres
Jump straight to your centre's pass rate, routes and test-day tips:
- Birmingham (Shirley)
- Chertsey
- Uxbridge
- Mitcham
- Croydon
- Wood Green
- Hendon
- Isleworth
- Leeds
- Reading
- Coventry
- Cardiff (Llanishen)
- Glasgow (Shieldhall)
- Sheffield (Handsworth)
- Liverpool (Norris Green)
- Edinburgh (Currie)
Practical test routes outside the UK
SteerClear builds practice routes in 31 countries, and the route pages work the same way in each market — pick your centre, drive the scored practice routes, repeat the weak spots:
- Ireland driving test routes
- Australia driving test routes
- New Zealand driving test routes
- USA road test routes
- Canada road test routes
- South Africa K53 test routes
Frequently asked questions
Are driving test routes published by the DVSA?
No — the DVSA stopped publishing official routes in 2010, so there is no current official list to download. Examiners now choose from several routes around each centre on the day, so the best prep is practising the real road network around your centre.
Can I get driving test routes for free?
Yes — download SteerClear free and practise routes around your chosen test centre on the free tier. Anything advertised as "the official routes" is a best-effort reconstruction, not a DVSA document.
How do I find the practical test routes for my test centre?
Search your centre in SteerClear (267 UK DVSA centres covered) and the app builds scored practice routes on the real roads around it — scored live for speed, braking, observation and lane discipline.
Does practising the routes help on test day?
Yes — most faults happen at specific junctions, roundabouts and speed-limit transitions near the test centre. Driving those exact roads beforehand removes the surprise factor that causes most faults.