driving test location

pinpin

I live near London.

Am I right in thinking that I can take a driving test (assuming I ever bother to try again) in any location I wanted too, even if I don't live there?

So even though I live near London, I could book my driving test for somewhere like Ballater in Scotland which has a pass rate of about 80% if I wanted too?

DUTR

Yes, but if you can pass you can pass anywhere.

wongataa

You could but it would be a bit on an inconvenience having a test no where near where you live as you would have to get there and arrange a suitable vehicle and you would have no experience of the local area.

pinpin

Yes, the arranging of a suitable vehicle is the bit which i'm not sure about.
Could I maybe speak to a driving instructor in the area and pay him in advance to allow me to use his car for a test and maybe a lesson beforehand or something?
Getting there wouldn't be much of an issue, though

Ebe_Scrooge

There's nothing to stop you taking the test anywhere, but why would you want to go to the hassle and expense of driving hundreds of miles ?


The criteria for passing are the same wherever you sit the test - if your driving is up to standard, you'll pass - irrespective of where you take the test.


If one area has a higher success rate than another, that may be down to drivers being more attentive and learning more diligently, or it may be down to better instructors, or something else, but it's nothing to do with the test itself.

devilivus

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

There's nothing to stop you taking the test anywhere, but why would you want to go to the hassle and expense of driving hundreds of miles ?


The criteria for passing are the same wherever you sit the test - if your driving is up to standard, you'll pass - irrespective of where you take the test.


If one area has a higher success rate than another, that may be down to drivers being more attentive and learning more diligently, or it may be down to better instructors, or something else, but it's nothing to do with the test itself.

Statistics show that the areas with very high pass rates are the remote, rurual areas of Wales and Scotland.
Nothing to do with drivers being more attentive or better instuctors....There's just no other cars on the road!!

I've known lots of people over the years who took their tests in 'easier' areas after multuple fails in order to eventually pass.

colino

OP, the driving test is remarkably lax, so how good, and safe, do you think you would be if you fluked a test somewhere else and then went unaccompanied into your real, driving environment?
Ballater too is a poor choice. Newcomers to the area can easily be distracted by the sight of the roaming, one-eyed Haggii.

cajef

pinpin wrote: »

Could I maybe speak to a driving instructor in the area and pay him in advance to allow me to use his car for a test and maybe a lesson beforehand or something?

As an ex instructor, I would never have agreed to allowing someone to use my car for a pre booked test before finding out whether they were up to test standard.

Instructors pass rates are monitored by the DSA and as an instructor I would want know if the candidate stood a good chance of passing as failures go on record and can be a reason for being recalled for checks on instructors ability by the DSA.

Norman_Castle

Instead of trying to find an easier test spend your time and money improving your driving.

How many tests have you taken?

robbies_gal

id say stick to somewhere more local where you are used to the roads

my old test centre had one of the worst pass rates in the country due to the towns funny road systems

i passed second time

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

The other thing to be aware of is that you can practise around the streets that the tests are held on. There are a limited number of route options and any instructor worth their salt will take a learner through the main pitfalls.

The Shirley test centre pitfall is on returning to the centre you have to park up in a horrid little parking area in front of shops. To get parked you follow a snaking road. Most fails seem to be clipping the kerb while coming into park after an otherwise adequate test.