Loughton Driving Test Centre
- Tests conducted
- 7,376
- Male / female
- 48.1% / 45.2%
- Rank in GB
- 237 of 308
- GB average
- 50.0%
Insider Tips for Loughton
Most routes leave along the High Road or up Church Hill. The High Road is busy with shops, crossings and buses, so keep your speed down and your observation up.
Golding's Hill (A121) is on most routes and runs at up to 40mph through the forest. Make progress where it is safe and slow down early for the junctions at each end.
Many routes use the A104 Epping New Road through the forest, which is 40mph in places. Build up to the limit where the road allows and come off it smoothly.
Routes into Debden use Rectory Lane, Pyrles Lane, Willingale Road and The Broadway, with parked cars and give-and-take pinch points. A manoeuvre is often asked for here.
Some routes head out towards Abridge and Theydon Bois, where the country road runs at up to 60mph. Keep to the limit and look well ahead for bends and junctions.
What Loughton Test Routes Look Like
Loughton routes start on the High Road and most use Church Hill and Golding's Hill at some point. From there they go one of three ways: east into Debden through Rectory Lane, Pyrles Lane and The Broadway; into the forest on the A104 Epping New Road and back along Earl's Path; or out towards Abridge and Theydon Bois on faster country roads. The streets around Alderton Hill, Brook Road and Station Road come up often on the way back. Examiners choose the route on the day, so learn the areas rather than one fixed route.
Common Loughton Test Routes
The most frequently used route patterns at Loughton Driving Test Centre, drawn from instructor experience and student debriefs.
1. Debden and The Broadway
The most common direction. Up Church Hill and along Rectory Lane into Debden, through the streets around Pyrles Lane and Willingale Road to The Broadway, and back along Chigwell Lane or Alderton Hill.
- Church Hill
- Rectory Lane
- Pyrles Lane
- Willingale Road
- The Broadway
- Chigwell Lane
- Parked cars on both sides and giving way
- A manoeuvre in a residential street
- Busy shops and pedestrians around The Broadway
2. Epping New Road and the forest
South along the High Road, out on Manor Road to the A104 Epping New Road through the forest, and back in on Earl's Path.
- High Road
- Manor Road
- Epping New Road
- Earl's Path
- Joining and driving a 40mph forest road
- Bends and limit changes through the forest
- Busy High Road on the way back
3. Abridge and Theydon Bois
Out through Debden to Chigwell Lane, on the country road to Abridge, back through Theydon Bois on Coppice Row, and over Golding's Hill to the High Road.
- Chigwell Lane
- Abridge Road
- Coppice Row
- Golding's Hill
- Church Hill
- Faster country roads, up to 60mph
- Speed changes through Abridge and Theydon Bois
- Junctions at the ends of Golding's Hill
Common Faults at Loughton
The mistakes we see most often on Loughton routes, with the fix.
What to Expect at Loughton
Test Centre Facilities
- On the High Road in Loughton, near the junction with Church Hill
- Epping Forest roads close by
- Mix of a busy high road, residential streets and faster roads out of town
Areas Served by Loughton
Students from these areas typically use Loughton for their driving test:
Driving lessons in Walthamstow
Driving lessons in South Woodford
Postcodes Covered
Practice Near Loughton
Our instructors know every route from this test centre. Get lessons focused on your actual test area.
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