Situated in a bustling business estate, Sidcup test centre is larger than most driving test centres—complete with its own large car park. Despite its intimidating presence, this test centre welcomes countless learners to its midst each year. If you’re going to be one of them, you should get to know Sidcp better. Read on for more information!
Address
2 Crayside, Five Arches Business Estate
Maidstone Road
Bexley
Sidcup
Greater London
DA14 5AG
Tests Offered at Sidcup (London)
– Car
– ADI part 3
How To Get There
Following the busy A211, Sidcup test centre is less than 10 minutes from the city centre. It’s also directly next to Foots Cray Meadows. Of course, if you’re still uncertain, we’d advise you to use a sat nav to find your way.
A Bit More About Sidcup (London)
There’s an even mix of road conditions in the Sidcup area, ensuring examiners can test a candidate’s ability fully. The quieter residential estates provide conditions to test skills with manoeuvres, whilst the A211 pushes candidates to carefully monitor their speed awareness and observations. In all, Sidcup comes with a variety of challenges to truly test whether a learner is ready to become a fully qualified driver.
What To Expect On The Day
After hours of driving lessons, your test date is finally upon you. Talk about nerve-wracking. If your confidence isn’t quite where you hoped it would be, we’d advise you to read up on our top six ways to relax before your driving test.
Before you jet out of the front door on your big day, there’s one important question you need to ask yourself: do you have your provisional licence? If the answer’s no, you can wave goodbye to taking your test. You need to have your provisional licence with you to take the driving test, otherwise you will be turned around, so double-check you’ve got it before you leave. Additionally, you’ll want to get to the test centre 10 minutes before your test is due to start.
Your driving test will consist of:
– An eyesight test, where you’ll need to read a number plate from a distance of 20 metres
– Two “show me, tell me” questions covering vehicle safety and maintenance
– Twenty minutes of general driving, where you’ll be guided by the examiner, and will also need to perform one of the following manoeuvres:
– Parallel parking
– Bay parking
– Pulling up on the right
– Twenty minutes of independent driving, during which you’ll either follow sat nav directions or sign posts to reach a set destination
Once you get back to the test centre and park your car, the test will officially end. The examiner will then walk you through the feedback sheet and list any driving test faults, whether they are minors or majors, that you may have accumulated. If you fail, keep hold of this sheet as it can be used to help you figure out which areas you need to improve on for your next test attempt. If you pass, you’ll also be handed a test pass certificate.
But What If I Fail?
Like any other test you take in life, if all doesn’t go according to plan with your driving test and you end up failing, it’s as simple as trying again. Of course, we don’t recommend just heading back in without any preparation. Instead, take some time to improve on the areas in which you picked up the most faults in. The best way to do this is by taking a refresher course with an instructor. They’ll be able to give you pointers to ensure you don’t trip up on them again.
