Bala Driving Test Routes

The only app offering real, current test routes for Cars, Motorcycles, ADIs & LGVs.

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Drive the same Bala test routes examiners use.

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Example Routes

Route 1 Instructions:

Leave the Driving Test Centre and turn left onto Plassey Street / Aran Street.
Follow Plassey Street / Aran Street to the end of the road and turn left onto Pensarn Road.
Continue along Pensarn Road and turn left into the lay-by on the right as directed by your examiner, then rejoin Pensarn Road and continue.
Stay on A494 / Pensarn Road and turn left at the next junction.
Continue along Stryd y Fron and then turn left.
Follow Cae Croes to the end of the road and turn right.
At the end of Stryd y Fron, turn left.
Continue along Pensarn Road and turn left into Arenig Street.
At the end of Arenig Street, turn right into Castle Street.
Follow Castle Street to the end of the road and turn right onto Link Road.
At the end of Link Road, turn left onto the A4212.
At the end of the next stretch, turn left into College Road.
At the end of College Road, turn left to rejoin the A4212.
Continue along the A4212 and then turn left into Arenig Street.
At the end of Arenig Street, turn right into Church Street.
At the end of Church Street, turn right, then take the next left onto High Street.
At the end of High Street, turn left into Tegid Street.
At the end of Tegid Street, turn left onto the By-Pass.
Take the next right into School Lane.
At the end of School Lane, turn right back onto Tegid Street.
At the end of Tegid Street, turn right onto High Street.
From High Street, turn left into Ffrydan Road.
At the end of Ffrydan Road, turn left onto the A4212.
Continue to the junction with the A494 and turn left.
On the A494, turn right at the junction for Llanfor.
At the end of the Llanfor spur, turn left to rejoin the A494.
Continue along the A494 and then turn right onto the By-Pass.
Turn right into School Lane.
At the junction, turn left onto Tegid Street.
At the end of Tegid Street, turn left onto High Street.
Turn right into Aran Street / Plassey Street and return to the Driving Test Centre.

Note: This route is an older example and has been updated.
All current routes are on the app.

1. Leave the Driving Test Centre and turn left onto Plassey Street / Aran Street.
2. Follow Plassey Street / Aran Street to the end of the road and turn right.
3. Continue along High Street and then turn right onto the By-Pass.
4. From the By-Pass, turn right into Tegid Street.
5. At the end of Tegid Street, turn left onto High Street / Pensarn Road / A494.
6. Continue along A494 / Pensarn Road and turn left into Stryd y Fron.
7. From Stryd y Fron, turn left into Cae Croes.
8. At the end of Cae Croes, turn right.
9. At the end of Stryd y Fron, turn left.
10. Continue along Pensarn Road and turn left into Arenig Street.
* Updated, complete route available on the app.
1. Leave the Driving Test Centre and turn left onto Plassey Street / Aran Street.
2. Continue along Plassey Street / Aran Street and turn left onto Pensarn Road.
3. On Pensarn Road, turn right into Stryd y Fron.
4. On Stryd y Fron, turn left into Cae Croes.
5. At the end of Cae Croes, turn right.
6. At the end of Stryd y Fron, turn left.
7. Continue along Pensarn Road / High Street / Station Road and then turn right onto the By-Pass.
8. From the By-Pass, turn left into Factory Road.
9. At the end of Factory Road, turn left to rejoin the By-Pass.
10. Continue on the By-Pass and turn left into Pale Road.
* Updated, complete route available on the app.
1. Leave the Driving Test Centre and turn left onto Plassey Street / Aran Street.
2. Continue along Plassey Street / Aran Street and turn right at the junction.
3. Continue along High Street and then turn left into Ffrydan Road.
4. At the end of Ffrydan Road, turn right onto the A4212.
5. On the A4212, turn left into College Road.
6. At the end of College Road, turn left to rejoin the A4212.
7. Continue along the A4212 and then turn right onto the A492.
8. From the A492, turn right into Llandderfel Road.
9. At the end of Llandderfel Road, turn right into Pale Road.
10. From Pale Road, turn left onto the B5391.
11. Continue along the B5391 and turn right into Tegid Street.
* Updated, complete route available on the app.

Average Length: 9.2 miles

Based on the 11+ route variations offered in the app

Average Duration: 40 minutes

Key Focus Areas

Bala’s test routes mix busy A-roads with tighter residential loops and rural stretches. Once you’ve driven the key roads and roundabouts a few times, they’ll start to feel very familiar. During your Bala test, you’ll probably come across:

High Street & A494

Forming the heart of the town and linking directly into the A494, you’ll often pass through here more than once on a route. You will need to deal with changing speeds, parked cars, and people crossing.

A4212 towards the hills

The A4212 appears on most routes, usually as a slightly faster, more open road where you can demonstrate smoothly building up speed, keeping a steady position, and reading the bends ahead.

Pensarn Road, Stryd y Fron & Cae Croes estate

This little loop of residential streets is great for testing low-speed control and observation. Expect junctions close together and the odd parked car where you may need to be patient.

By-Pass and School Lane area

The bypass and the School Lane junctions are used regularly to change direction around town. Show that you can handle them confidently, slowing right down for tighter turns into narrower streets.

Llanfor & Llandderfel spurs

Some routes head out towards Llanfor or Llandderfel on rural roads which will test your anticipation around bends, your use of speed on national-speed sections, and how early you spot oncoming traffic and hazards.

Further Tips

If you’ve downloaded the app and are learning the routes, you’ve already given yourself a huge advantage for test day. Use the following tips to make your practise sessions even more effective:

Route Choice

To begin, choose a simpler route using the map preview. Then you can progress onto more difficult maps as confidence grows.

Time Per Session

As an average practical test is 40 mins, keep your test drives around the same length, and choose a new map each time.

Weather Forecast

Get valuable driving experience in the rain and inclement weather. You never know what the weather might be on your test day.

Bala Driving Test Centre

Situated in the Penllyn Workshops, Bala DVSA Centre is easily accessible, and provides a good range of services toilets and diabled access. Parking is not available at the test centre itself, however there is a car park round the corner on Plasey Street making parking a breeze. The pass rate of 55% is encouraging, and average wait times make this a popular location. For directions, visit: Google Maps or Streetview.

Address & Contact

Bala Driving Test Centre
Unit 4
Penllyn Workshops
Bala
LL23 7SP
United Kingdom

Tel: 0300 200 1122

Pass Rate

The average pass rate for Bala Test Centre is 55% which is higher than the national average pass rate of 48.4% according to the DVSA.

Waiting Times

The average waiting time to book a driving test at Bala Test Centre is 8 weeks based on the latest April 2022 to March 2023 figures.

Booking Your Test

Online (faster): www.gov.uk/book-driving-test
By phone: 0300 200 1122

Nearby Test Centres

If you’re looking for an alternative DVSA - Oswestry, Wrexham and Rhyl are the closest alternatives to Bala. Sometimes it’s worth trying an alternative if the test availability is better, or if you prefer the routes elsewhere. You can change your test centre from within the app.

Facilities

Toilet facilities
Disabled access

Bala Driving Test Routes