Sidcup

Somewhere real to practise

6 circuits from the test centre on 2 Crayside, Five Arches Business Estate, Maidstone Road, each one 44 minutes or more, taking in the junctions a Sidcup test actually uses. Turn by turn, with the roundabout exits numbered, and a manoeuvre to try on each one.

Straight to the routes Swap your Sidcup test

Is your test on the right date? If it is too soon or too far off, a learner at Sidcup who wants the opposite could swap with you. Get an email when one joins

Before you drive any of these

Practising in your own car is legal and it is the cheapest way to get better. The rules are short:

Whoever sits beside you must be over 21, qualified to drive that type of car, and have held their full licence for three years.
The car needs L plates front and rear, and insurance that covers you as a learner. Some insurers also want the supervisor to be over 25.
No motorways. A learner can only go on one with an approved instructor in a dual-control car, so none of these routes touch one.

The rules on GOV.UK

These are not the examiner's routes, and nobody else's are either.

DVSA stopped publishing test routes in 2010 and refuses freedom-of-information requests for them. Since December 2017 four tests in five are led by a sat nav the examiner sets up, so even the examiner's route is not a fixed thing you could learn.

What these are: loops on the real roads around the centre, put together so you meet the junctions and road types the test actually assesses. Drive the roads, not a sequence.

You drive. Somebody else reads.

Nobody can read a numbered list while driving, and a sat nav will not tell you which exit to take early enough to get in the right lane. So these routes are written for the person in the passenger seat: the supervising driver who has to be there anyway.

Two ways to do that: print the route and put it on their lap, or send it to them on WhatsApp. Either way they call the turns and you drive.

If the phone and the written steps disagree, the written steps are the route. Google plots its own line between the places we hand it, and it will sometimes take a turn this page would not print.

About the Google Maps links

Google does not follow our route. It draws its own between the places we give it, and it is bound by none of the rules these pages are built on, two of which matter here: no turn in the road and no motorway.

So a route goes to Google in legs, and each leg ends at a real place to stop: a car park, a quiet side street, a loop road, with a manoeuvre to do there. The next leg starts from a parked car, so there is nothing behind you for Google to turn round for. Every leg is opened in Google Maps and checked by hand before its button goes on the page.

A route whose legs have not been checked yet has no Google Maps button. Drive it with the written directions read out, which is how the test itself works anyway.

Two other things Google will not tell you: its travel time assumes a confident driver in clear traffic, so expect ours to be closer; and it will happily route you down something a learner should not be on. Look at it before you set off.

The small map on each route is ours, drawn from the same data. It needs no permission, loads instantly and prints, which is why it is the one you see first.

Route 1 · Ruxley Corner → Orpington War Memorial

Ruxley Corner and the War Memorial

South through St Paul's Cray to Orpington and back. The gentlest of the six and the one to drive first.

9.5 milesabout 48 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 1.9 milesTo Brantwood Way Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Main Road, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Main Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 15 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 0.2 miles
2. 2
  Turn left into Maidstone Road 0.2 miles
3. 3
  At Ruxley Corner, take the 3rd exit onto Sandy Lane 0.9 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn left into Main Road 0.4 miles
5. 5
  Turn left into Brantwood Way 100 yards
6. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 2 · 1.9 milesTo High Street Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then move off again

On the route, the stretch of High Street between White Hart Road and Orpington War Memorial
Stop close to the kerb and parallel to it. Before moving off, check the mirrors and the blind spot, and signal only if it helps someone.
Directions for the passenger, leg 210 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Brantwood Way to the end 100 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Main Road 230 yards
3. 3
  Turn right into Station Road 60 yards
4. 4
  Turn left into Mill Brook Road 0.2 miles
5. 5
  Carry on into High Street 0.5 miles
6. 6
  Turn right into Kent Road 140 yards
7. 7
  Turn left into Lower Road 0.3 miles
8. 8
  Turn left into High Street 60 yards
9. 9
  Turn right into A208 0.5 miles
10. 10
  Carry on into High Street 150 yards
11. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then move off again.
Leg 3 · 1.9 milesTo Bedford Road Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off Court Road, a quiet residential road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Court Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 37 steps
1. 1
  Check your mirrors and blind spot, then move off along High Street 370 yards
2. 2
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 2nd exit onto Sevenoaks Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
3. 3
  Turn right into Tower Road 0.3 miles
4. 4
  Turn right into Station Road 0.3 miles
5. 5
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 2nd exit onto Spur Road 0.5 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
6. 6
  Turn left into Court Road 0.2 miles
  
  Turn left through the short link road first.
7. 7
  Turn left into Bedford Road 40 yards
8. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 4 · 1.8 milesTo Springvale Way Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Right off Sevenoaks Way, a side road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Sevenoaks Way.
Directions for the passenger, leg 44 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Bedford Road to the end 40 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Court Road 0.6 miles
3. 3
  Carry on into Cray Avenue 1.1 miles
  
  Signed Sevenoaks Way along the way, and it is the same road.
4. 4
  Turn right into Springvale Way 100 yards
5. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 5 · 2 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 56 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Springvale Way to the end 100 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Sevenoaks Way 1.0 miles
3. 3
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 2nd exit onto Cray Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn right into Foots Cray High Street 200 yards
5. 5
  Carry on into Maidstone Road 150 yards
6. 6
  Turn left into the test centre.
7. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Route 2 · Crittall's Corner → Orpington War Memorial

Crittall's Corner and the War Memorial

The same run south by the other big junction, so the A224 rather than the A223. A sensible second drive.

9.5 milesabout 48 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 2 milesTo Springvale Way Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Sevenoaks Way, a side road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 16 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 0.2 miles
2. 2
  Turn right into Maidstone Road 170 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into Foots Cray High Street 200 yards
4. 4
  Turn left into Cray Road 0.4 miles
5. 5
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 2nd exit onto Sevenoaks Way 1.0 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
6. 6
  Turn left into Springvale Way 100 yards
7. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 2 · 1.7 milesTo High Street Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then move off again

On the route, the stretch of High Street
Choose a safe, legal place and stop smoothly. Move off only when the road behind is clear.
Directions for the passenger, leg 26 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Springvale Way to the end 100 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Sevenoaks Way 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Carry on into Cray Avenue 0.9 miles
4. 4
  Turn right into High Street 50 yards
5. 5
  Turn right into A208 0.4 miles
6. 6
  Carry on into High Street 150 yards
7. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then move off again.
Leg 3 · 2 milesTo Bedford Road Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Court Road, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Court Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 37 steps
1. 1
  Check your mirrors and blind spot, then move off along High Street 0.3 miles
2. 2
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 2nd exit onto Sevenoaks Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
3. 3
  Turn right into Tower Road 0.3 miles
4. 4
  Turn right into Station Road 0.3 miles
5. 5
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 2nd exit onto Spur Road 0.5 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
6. 6
  Turn left into Court Road 0.2 miles
  
  Turn left through the short link road first.
7. 7
  Turn left into Bedford Road 40 yards
8. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 4 · 1.7 milesTo Meadow View Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Right off Sevenoaks Way, a quiet residential road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 44 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Bedford Road to the end 40 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Court Road 0.6 miles
3. 3
  Carry on into Cray Avenue 1.0 miles
  
  Signed Sevenoaks Way along the way, and it is the same road.
4. 4
  Turn right into Meadow View 160 yards
5. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 5 · 2.1 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 56 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Meadow View to the end 160 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Sevenoaks Way 1.1 miles
3. 3
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 2nd exit onto Cray Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn right into Foots Cray High Street 200 yards
5. 5
  Carry on into Maidstone Road 150 yards
6. 6
  Turn left into the test centre.
7. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Practising for the wrong date? A learner at Sidcup who wants the opposite date could swap with you, and DVSA does the swap on the phone. Tell me when one joins

Route 3 · Ruxley Corner → Crittall's Corner → Orpington War Memorial

Ruxley, Crittall's and the War Memorial

Both of the big Sidcup junctions and then the run to Orpington. Drive this one twice if exits and lane discipline are where the faults come from.

9.8 milesabout 49 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 2.2 milesTo Springvale Way Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off Sevenoaks Way, a side road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Sevenoaks Way.
Directions for the passenger, leg 17 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 0.2 miles
2. 2
  Turn left into Maidstone Road 0.2 miles
3. 3
  At Ruxley Corner, take the 4th exit onto Edgington Way 230 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn left to stay on Edgington Way 100 yards
5. 5
  Turn left to stay on Edgington Way 0.4 miles
6. 6
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 1st exit onto Sevenoaks Way 1.0 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
7. 7
  Turn left into Springvale Way 100 yards
8. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 2 · 1.6 milesTo Church Hill Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off High Street, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards High Street.
Directions for the passenger, leg 26 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Springvale Way to the end 100 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Sevenoaks Way 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Carry on into Cray Avenue 0.9 miles
4. 4
  Turn right into High Street 50 yards
5. 5
  Turn right into A208 0.3 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Church Hill 40 yards
7. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 3 · 2.2 milesTo Bedford Road Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Court Road, a quiet residential road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 38 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Church Hill to the end 40 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into High Street 0.5 miles
3. 3
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 2nd exit onto Sevenoaks Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn right into Tower Road 0.3 miles
5. 5
  Turn right into Station Road 0.3 miles
6. 6
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 2nd exit onto Spur Road 0.5 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
7. 7
  Turn left into Court Road 0.2 miles
  
  Turn left through the short link road first.
8. 8
  Turn left into Bedford Road 40 yards
9. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 4 · 1.7 milesTo Meadow View Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Right off Sevenoaks Way, a quiet residential road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Sevenoaks Way.
Directions for the passenger, leg 44 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Bedford Road to the end 40 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Court Road 0.6 miles
3. 3
  Carry on into Cray Avenue 1.0 miles
  
  Signed Sevenoaks Way along the way, and it is the same road.
4. 4
  Turn right into Meadow View 160 yards
5. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 5 · 2.1 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 56 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Meadow View to the end 160 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Sevenoaks Way 1.1 miles
3. 3
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 2nd exit onto Cray Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn right into Foots Cray High Street 200 yards
5. 5
  Carry on into Maidstone Road 150 yards
6. 6
  Turn left into the test centre.
7. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Route 4 · Frognal Corner → Orpington War Memorial → Crittall's Corner

Frognal, the War Memorial and Crittall's

Frognal first, the long run south, and home by Crittall's. The first of these to meet the faster stretch of the A20.

11.1 milesabout 51 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 2.2 milesTo Old Perry Street Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Perry Street, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Perry Street.
Directions for the passenger, leg 19 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 0.2 miles
2. 2
  Turn right into Maidstone Road 170 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into Foots Cray High Street 200 yards
4. 4
  Turn left into Cray Road 0.4 miles
5. 5
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 3rd exit onto A20 0.3 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
6. 6
  Turn right into Sidcup By-pass 160 yards
7. 7
  Turn left into A20 0.3 miles
8. 8
  At Frognal Corner, take the 1st exit onto Perry Street 0.4 miles
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
9. 9
  Turn left into Old Perry Street 100 yards
10. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 2 · 2.2 milesTo Marlings Park Avenue Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Orpington Road, a quiet residential road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 26 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Old Perry Street to the end 100 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Perry Street 0.4 miles
3. 3
  Carry on into Bromley Lane 0.3 miles
4. 4
  Turn left into Royal Parade 280 yards
5. 5
  Carry on into St Pauls Cray Road 1.2 miles
  
  Signed Orpington Road along the way, and it is the same road.
6. 6
  Turn left into Marlings Park Avenue 90 yards
7. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 3 · 2.2 milesTo Gravel Pit Way Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off Felstead Road, a quiet residential road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Felstead Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 311 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Marlings Park Avenue to the end 90 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Orpington Road 140 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into Chislehurst Road 0.3 miles
4. 4
  At Chislehurst Road, take the 2nd exit onto Mayfield Avenue
  Approach in the right lane, signal right, then signal left once you pass the exit before yours.
5. 5
  Turn right to stay on Mayfield Avenue 0.5 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Lynwood Grove 80 yards
7. 7
  Turn right into Knoll Rise 330 yards
8. 8
  Turn right into Orchard Grove 330 yards
9. 9
  Turn left into Station Road 140 yards
10. 10
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 2nd exit onto Spur Road 110 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
11. 11
  Turn left into Gravel Pit Way 80 yards
12. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 4 · 2.4 milesTo Meadow View Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Right off Sevenoaks Way, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Sevenoaks Way.
Directions for the passenger, leg 45 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Gravel Pit Way to the end 80 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Spur Road 0.4 miles
3. 3
  Turn left into Court Road 0.8 miles
  
  Turn left through the short link road first.
4. 4
  Carry on into Cray Avenue 1.0 miles
  
  Signed Sevenoaks Way along the way, and it is the same road.
5. 5
  Turn right into Meadow View 160 yards
6. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 5 · 2.1 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 56 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Meadow View to the end 160 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Sevenoaks Way 1.1 miles
3. 3
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 2nd exit onto Cray Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn right into Foots Cray High Street 200 yards
5. 5
  Carry on into Maidstone Road 150 yards
6. 6
  Turn left into the test centre.
7. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Route 5 · Frognal Corner → Orpington War Memorial

Frognal Corner and the War Memorial

The widest loop of the area, out by Chislehurst and back through Orpington. Holding concentration is most of what it asks.

11.6 milesabout 54 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 2.5 milesTo Old Perry Street Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Perry Street, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Perry Street.
Directions for the passenger, leg 19 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 0.2 miles
2. 2
  Turn right into Maidstone Road 170 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into Foots Cray High Street 200 yards
4. 4
  Turn left into Cray Road 0.4 miles
5. 5
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 3rd exit onto A20 0.3 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
6. 6
  Turn right into Sidcup By-pass 160 yards
7. 7
  Turn left into A20 0.3 miles
8. 8
  At Frognal Corner, take the 1st exit onto Perry Street 0.7 miles
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
9. 9
  Turn left into Old Perry Street 80 yards
10. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 2 · 2.2 milesTo Kingsway Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Right off Chislehurst Road, a quiet residential road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 26 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Old Perry Street to the end 80 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Perry Street 240 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into Bromley Lane 0.3 miles
4. 4
  Turn left into Royal Parade 280 yards
5. 5
  Carry on into St Pauls Cray Road 1.5 miles
  
  Signed Orpington Road and Chislehurst Road along the way, and it is the same road.
6. 6
  Turn right into Kingsway 140 yards
7. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 3 · 2.2 milesTo Goddington Lane Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Right off Sevenoaks Road, a quiet residential road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Sevenoaks Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 310 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Kingsway to the end 140 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Chislehurst Road 160 yards
3. 3
  At Chislehurst Road, take the 2nd exit onto Mayfield Avenue
  Approach in the right lane, signal right, then signal left once you pass the exit before yours.
4. 4
  Turn right to stay on Mayfield Avenue 0.5 miles
5. 5
  Turn left into Lynwood Grove 80 yards
6. 6
  Turn right into Knoll Rise 330 yards
7. 7
  Turn right into Orchard Grove 330 yards
8. 8
  Turn left into Station Road 140 yards
9. 9
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 3rd exit onto Sevenoaks Road 0.2 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
10. 10
  Turn left into Goddington Lane 80 yards
11. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 4 · 2.4 milesTo Cray Valley Road Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Cray Avenue, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Cray Avenue.
Directions for the passenger, leg 46 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Goddington Lane to the end 80 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Sevenoaks Road 0.2 miles
3. 3
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 3rd exit onto Spur Road 0.5 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn left into Court Road 0.8 miles
  
  Turn left through the short link road first.
5. 5
  Carry on into Cray Avenue 0.7 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Cray Valley Road 100 yards
7. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 5 · 2.4 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 57 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Cray Valley Road to the end 100 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Cray Avenue 270 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into Sevenoaks Way 1.3 miles
4. 4
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 2nd exit onto Cray Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
5. 5
  Turn right into Foots Cray High Street 200 yards
6. 6
  Carry on into Maidstone Road 150 yards
7. 7
  Turn left into the test centre.
8. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Route 6 · Frognal Corner → Ruxley Corner → Orpington War Memorial

The long way round by Orpington

Three named corners and the longest drive here, which makes it longer than a real test. Worth driving once in the fortnight before the date, because tiredness is what turns a good drive into a careless fault.

12.5 milesabout 59 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 6 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 1 milesTo Church Avenue Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Sidcup Hill, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Sidcup Hill.
Directions for the passenger, leg 14 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 0.2 miles
2. 2
  Turn right into Maidstone Road 170 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into Sidcup Hill 0.7 miles
  
  Signed Foots Cray High Street along the way, and it is the same road.
4. 4
  Turn left into Church Avenue 70 yards
5. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 2 · 2.1 milesTo Evry Road Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Right off Cray Road, a quiet residential road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 213 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Church Avenue to the end 70 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Sidcup Hill 130 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into High Street 130 yards
4. 4
  Turn left into Church Road 130 yards
5. 5
  Carry on into The Green 290 yards
6. 6
  Turn left into Chislehurst Road 0.4 miles
7. 7
  At Frognal Corner, take the 1st exit onto A20 0.3 miles
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
8. 8
  Turn right into Sidcup By-pass 120 yards
9. 9
  Turn left into A20 0.3 miles
10. 10
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 1st exit onto Cray Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
11. 11
  Turn right into Foots Cray High Street 160 yards
12. 12
  Turn right into Evry Road 50 yards
13. 13
  Turn right to stay on Evry Road 70 yards
14. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 3 · 2 milesTo Hearns Road Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off Main Road, a quiet residential road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Main Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 36 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Evry Road to the end 70 yards
2. 2
  Turn left to stay on Evry Road 50 yards
3. 3
  Turn right into Maidstone Road 0.4 miles
4. 4
  At Ruxley Corner, take the 3rd exit onto Sandy Lane 0.9 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
5. 5
  Turn left into Main Road 0.5 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Hearns Road 110 yards
7. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 4 · 2.6 milesTo Tower Road Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then move off again

On the route, the residential stretch of Tower Road between Sevenoaks Road and Station Road
Pick a gap clear of driveways and well back from any junction. Mirrors, signal and a look over your shoulder before you move off.
Directions for the passenger, leg 412 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Hearns Road to the end 110 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Main Road 80 yards
3. 3
  Turn right into Station Road 60 yards
4. 4
  Turn left into Mill Brook Road 0.2 miles
5. 5
  Carry on into High Street 0.5 miles
6. 6
  Turn right into Kent Road 140 yards
7. 7
  Turn left into Lower Road 0.3 miles
8. 8
  Turn left into High Street 60 yards
9. 9
  Turn right into A208 0.4 miles
10. 10
  Carry on into High Street 0.4 miles
11. 11
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 2nd exit onto Sevenoaks Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
12. 12
  Turn right into Tower Road 270 yards
13. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then move off again.
Leg 5 · 2.4 milesTo Stanley Way Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Cray Avenue, a quiet residential road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 56 steps
1. 1
  Check your mirrors and blind spot, then move off along Tower Road 290 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Station Road 0.3 miles
3. 3
  At Orpington War Memorial, take the 2nd exit onto Spur Road 0.5 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn left into Court Road 0.8 miles
  
  Turn left through the short link road first.
5. 5
  Carry on into Cray Avenue 0.6 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Stanley Way 50 yards
7. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 6 · 2.5 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 67 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Stanley Way to the end 50 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Cray Avenue 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Carry on into Sevenoaks Way 1.3 miles
4. 4
  At Crittall's Corner, take the 2nd exit onto Cray Road 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
5. 5
  Turn right into Foots Cray High Street 200 yards
6. 6
  Carry on into Maidstone Road 150 yards
7. 7
  Turn left into the test centre.
8. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Before you drive it

Watch somebody else drive Sidcup first

Instructors film these roads constantly. Watch for the roads: which roundabout, which multi-lane approach, where the lanes split. Not for a sequence to memorise, because the sequence is the one thing that changes.

Find more Sidcup route videos

Opens a YouTube search for this centre. A video only goes on this page once somebody here has watched the whole thing.

Sidcup · free

Is your Sidcup test on the right date?

Practising for a date that is too far off, or one that comes before you are ready? A swap with a learner at Sidcup who wants the opposite moves both of you, and DVSA does it over the phone. DVSA's median wait from booking to test at Sidcup was 23 weeks in September 2026. Tell us which way you want to move and we email you when a learner who could swap with you joins. Your email is never shown to anyone.

One email to confirm, no password, and one click takes you off the list. How we handle your details.

No test booked yet? There is nothing to swap until you have one. Book on GOV.UK, then come back.

Where the roads come from

Every road, roundabout and car park named on this page comes from OpenStreetMap, used under the Open Database Licence. Trust the signs, not us.

Distances and times are calculated, not driven. The turns between the junctions are worked out by OSRM, an open source router running on that same map data. The times assume town-centre averages, so treat them as a rough guide.

Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it, or fix it in OpenStreetMap and it corrects itself everywhere.

Somewhere real to practise

Before you drive any of these

You drive. Somebody else reads.

Ruxley Corner and the War Memorial

Drive it in 5 legs

Crittall's Corner and the War Memorial

Drive it in 5 legs

Ruxley, Crittall's and the War Memorial

Drive it in 5 legs

Frognal, the War Memorial and Crittall's

Drive it in 5 legs

Frognal Corner and the War Memorial

Drive it in 5 legs

The long way round by Orpington

Drive it in 6 legs

Watch somebody else drive Sidcup first

You are already on Driving Test Hero

Is your Sidcup test on the right date?

Where the roads come from