Near Goodmayes test centre
Mostly steady roads with few demanding junctions, a gentle loop to build confidence.
This is an independent 11.8 km practice loop near Goodmayes test centre, taking roughly - to drive. It is NOT an official DVSA examiner route, the DVSA does not publish those, but it uses the same local roads and junction types an examiner is likely to choose.
On this route you’ll practise roundabout approach & exit, dual-carriageway joins, 20 mph zones, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads and independent driving. Driving it a few times before your test builds the muscle memory that frees up attention for observation and decision-making on the day.
The loop is anchored by 20 catalogued landmarks, including churches, stations, shops and pubs, so you can navigate it from recognisable features rather than a memorised turn list. Rehearsing it in this way means that on test day the area already feels familiar, and your attention is free for the traffic rather than the map.
Whatever the route, your practical test follows the same national shape: an eyesight check, a couple of vehicle-safety questions, around forty minutes of general driving, one reversing manoeuvre chosen by the examiner, and roughly twenty minutes of independent driving following signs or a sat-nav. Practising on roads like these is how you make each of those elements feel routine rather than new.
Treat this route as practice, not a script. The value is not in repeating one fixed sequence but in getting comfortable with the road types, speed changes and junction patterns of the area around Goodmayes test centre, so that whatever order your examiner chooses on the day, none of it is unfamiliar. Drive it a few times, focus on smooth observation and planning, and it becomes one more stretch of road you already know, which is exactly the kind of preparation that turns nerves into confidence.
If you are practising with a supervising driver rather than an instructor, take it steadily: agree the manoeuvre spots in advance, keep to a comfortable pace, and stop to talk through anything that felt rushed. And remember the basics that apply on every road, mirrors before any change of speed or direction, signals in good time, and a following distance that gives you room to react. Those habits travel with you long after the test is passed.
What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.
This route helps you practise:
Road mix
The full 20-step drive on real, named roads (about 11.8 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive west on Kildowan Road.
Kildowan Road123 m
Turn left onto Granton Road.
Granton Road129 m
Turn right onto Green Lane/A1083.
Green Lane50 m
Turn left onto Arundel Gardens.
Arundel Gardens243 m
Turn right onto Breamore Road.
Breamore Road736 m
Turn left onto Water Lane.
Water Lane618 m
Turn left onto South Park Drive.
South Park Drive2.4 km
Turn left onto Ripple Road/A123.
Ripple Road536 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A13/Ripple Road.
85 m
Exit the roundabout onto A13/Ripple Road.
A131.2 km
Turn left onto Gale Street.
Gale Street1.6 km
Turn left onto Porters Avenue/A1153.
Porters Avenue905 m
Turn right onto Lodge Avenue.
Lodge Avenue1.1 km
Turn left onto Longbridge Road/A124.
Longbridge Road443 m
Turn right onto Goodmayes Lane/B177.
Goodmayes Lane1.2 km
Keep left to stay on Goodmayes Lane/B177.
Goodmayes Lane50 m
Turn left onto Green Lane/A1083.
Green Lane70 m
Turn right onto Granton Road.
Granton Road129 m
Turn right onto Kildowan Road.
Kildowan Road93 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Goodmayes · Route 11 loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.
These are the real named features along the loop, straight from our route catalogue. Use them to recognise where you are and to anticipate the hazard each one brings, not to memorise a fixed order.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.
Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.
Multiple roundabouts
Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.
Dual-carriageway join
About 1.1 km of this loop is dual carriageway. Build your speed on the slip road, take an effective rearward observation, and merge without forcing other traffic to brake.
Changing speed limits
Limits change across this route (20, 30, 40, 50 mph). Watch for repeater signs and adjust early, examiners mark you down for carrying the wrong speed into a new limit.
Residential streets
Narrow residential roads mean parked cars, pedestrians and reduced visibility. Cover the brake, keep your speed down and be ready to give way.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
All Saints
Start near All Saints.
Becontree
Continue to Becontree.
Co-op Food
Continue to Co-op Food.
Coral
Continue to Coral.
Essentials Mini Market
Continue to Essentials Mini Market.
Faircross Fish Bar
Continue to Faircross Fish Bar.
Favorite Chicken & Ribs
Continue to Favorite Chicken & Ribs.
Istanbul Kebab & Cafe
Continue to Istanbul Kebab & Cafe.
Kwik Fit
Continue to Kwik Fit.
Manor Barbers
Continue to Manor Barbers.
Maz Barber
Continue to Maz Barber.
Renwick Road
Continue to Renwick Road.
Rey
Continue to Rey.
Roundhouse
Continue to Roundhouse.
Royal Oak
Continue to Royal Oak.
Ship and Shovel
Continue to Ship and Shovel.
South Park Primary School
Continue to South Park Primary School.
St Cedd's Church
Continue to St Cedd's Church.
Thatched House
Continue to Thatched House.
W Ward
Finish back near W Ward, completing the loop.
This route is 11.8 km and takes about - to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Goodmayes test centre, not an official DVSA route.