DriveSidekick News

Free driving test routes for nearly every UK test centre

Every route in the DriveSidekick app is now free on the web. Pick your test centre, see the routes on a map, and download them as GPX or open them straight in Apple Maps or Google Maps. You don't need an account, you don't pay, and you don't need the app.

By DriveSidekick  |  8 October 2026  |  3 min read

What's new

Until now, the only way to drive a DriveSidekick route was through the Android app, and a handful of London centres sold separate GPX route packs. Today all of that changes. Every approved route is free at drivesidekick.uk/driving-test-routes, for nearly every DVSA test centre in England, Scotland and Wales.

• A page for every route. It shows a map, the distance, the drive time, and how many roundabouts, traffic lights, crossings and dual carriageway sections are on it.
• A page for every test centre. It shows all of its routes on one map, with a single GPX download covering every route.
• Open in Apple Maps or Google Maps. One tap on your phone, with stops along the way that keep you on our roads.
• Every useful format: GPX, KML, GeoJSON, TCX and CSV.

Why we made them free

Booking a driving test is already expensive and stressful. Practice routes shouldn't be another bill. The routes were always free in the app. Putting them on the web means iPhone users, instructors and anyone with a sat-nav can use them too, while the iPhone app is still in development.

How to use a route

1. Find your centre on the free driving test routes page. If you don't know which centre to book, try the nearest test centre finder.
2. Open a route and check the map and road features.
3. Tap Open in Apple Maps or Open in Google Maps, or download the GPX for your sat-nav.
4. Drive it with your instructor or a supervising driver, then try another route from the same centre.

Are these the real test routes?

No one can honestly promise that. The DVSA stopped publishing test routes in 2010, and examiners vary them. Our routes are built from the roads around each centre and approved in the app. They cover the junctions, roundabouts and road types you're likely to meet on test day, so you go in knowing the area rather than guessing.

Frequently asked questions

Are driving test routes free on DriveSidekick?

Yes. Every route in the DriveSidekick app is free on drivesidekick.uk/driving-test-routes/ for nearly every UK test centre. You can view, download and drive them with no sign-up and no payment.

Are these the official DVSA test routes?

No. The DVSA stopped publishing test routes in 2010. DriveSidekick routes are practice routes built from the roads around each test centre, covering the junctions, roundabouts and road types examiners use locally.

Can I use the routes on an iPhone?

Yes. Every route page has an Open in Apple Maps button that loads the route as a multi-stop journey, and a Google Maps link. Apple Maps can't import GPX files, so there's also a drive-it-in-legs option.

What file formats are available?

GPX for TomTom, Garmin, OsmAnd, Komoot and most sat-navs; KML for Google Earth and Google My Maps; GeoJSON and CSV for developers; and TCX for older Garmin devices. Each centre also has one GPX file containing all of its routes.