Mock Test RoutesBeta

Northampton Mock Test Routes

Northampton's DVSA test centre is on Gladstone Road in St James, just off Weedon Road and close to Sixfields. Routes from here mix fast roads (the A45 and Weedon Road) with tight residential estates around St James, Duston and Far Cotton, plus the multi-lane Sixfields and Riverside roundabouts. Our instructors drive these roads every week.

Northampton (Gladstone Road) · NN5 7QA
All test centres

Find your route

Pick what you want to practise and we'll point you at the best route.

Weedon Road & St James loop

St James · Weedon Road

Moderate

Multi-lane roundabouts on Weedon Road, then the tight St James one-way streets.

6 mi ~35 min Moderate

Watch out for

  • •Weedon Road multi-lane roundabouts (Sixfields & Riverside) — get in the right lane early
  • •Traffic lights and merging traffic from Spencer Bridge Road
  • •St James one-way system — busy, tight, lots of parked cars
  • •Pedestrian crossings around Sixfields Shopping Park

Likely manoeuvres

Bay park (Sixfields retail car parks)Parallel park (St James residential streets)Pull up on the right & reverse

Route outline

  1. 1Leave Gladstone Road and join Weedon Road towards Sixfields
  2. 2Negotiate the Sixfields / Weedon Road multi-lane roundabouts
  3. 3Into the St James one-way system and residential streets
  4. 4Back along Weedon Road / Spencer Bridge Road to the centre

Instructor tips

  • 💡Lane discipline on the big roundabouts is where most faults happen — plan and signal early.
  • 💡Watch your speed dropping into the 20mph residential zones around St James.

Duston & Sixfields circuit

Duston · Sixfields

Moderate

Roundabout-heavy run around Sixfields with quiet Duston residential side roads.

7 mi ~38 min Moderate

Watch out for

  • •Sixfields multi-lane roundabout and retail-park traffic
  • •Heathfield Way and Duston mini-roundabouts
  • •20mph residential zones with parked cars — plenty of meeting traffic
  • •School-run and commuter traffic at peak times

Likely manoeuvres

Bay park (Sixfields)Forward parkPull up on the right & reverse

Route outline

  1. 1Out towards Sixfields and around the retail-park roundabouts
  2. 2Into the Duston estate — narrow residential roads and mini-roundabouts
  3. 3Loop back via Heathfield Way towards the centre

Instructor tips

  • 💡Meeting traffic on the narrow Duston roads tests your judgement — hold back and make eye contact.
  • 💡Don't rush the mini-roundabouts; treat each as a give-way.

Far Cotton & London Road

Far Cotton · London Road

Moderate

Busier A-road sections and the Far Cotton estate.

6 mi ~35 min Moderate

Watch out for

  • •London Road / Towcester Road A-road traffic and bus stops
  • •Far Cotton residential estate — parked cars and side-road junctions
  • •Pedestrian crossings and cyclists
  • •Queuing traffic towards the town centre at peak times

Likely manoeuvres

Parallel park (Far Cotton streets)Pull up on the right & reverseBay park

Route outline

  1. 1South from the centre across the river towards Far Cotton
  2. 2Through the Far Cotton residential estate
  3. 3Onto London Road / Towcester Road A-road sections and back

Instructor tips

  • 💡Anticipate buses pulling in and out on the A-roads — keep a safe following distance.
  • 💡Good observation at the busy Far Cotton side-road junctions scores well.

A45 & Kislingbury stretch

A45 · Kislingbury

Challenging

Higher-speed dual carriageway, slip roads and a rural village section.

9 mi ~40 min Challenging

Watch out for

  • •A45 dual carriageway — joining and leaving via slip roads at speed
  • •Lane changes and following distance at 70mph
  • •Kislingbury village — 30mph, narrow, parked cars and blind bends
  • •Rural roads toward Harlestone/Weedon: no markings, oncoming traffic

Likely manoeuvres

Pull up on the right & reverse (quiet village road)Forward parkParallel park

Route outline

  1. 1Join the A45 dual carriageway via the slip road and build to 70mph
  2. 2Leave at the Kislingbury/Upton junction
  3. 3Through Kislingbury village and rural lanes
  4. 4Rejoin the A45 back towards the centre

Instructor tips

  • 💡Mirrors–signal–manoeuvre well before the slip road — don't leave the lane change late.
  • 💡Adjust speed for the blind bends on the rural sections; better early than braking mid-bend.

These are practice routes, not official DVSA routes. The DVSA randomises and updates test routes, so use these to build familiarity and confidence — never to memorise a fixed run. Your instructor will tell you when you're genuinely test-ready.

Drive the Northampton routes for real

Book lessons with a DriveCraft instructor who knows these roads inside out. From £40/hr.

Find Your Instructor