Kettering

If you’re heading to Kettering test centre for your practical, you can find it ten minutes away from the town centre, just off Orion Way. Like many other practical test centres in the UK, Kettering is smack bang in the middle of a bustling business park. Add in the nearby A14, and you’re guaranteed a fair amount of traffic no matter the time of day. Before you head in for your driving test here, we’d recommend getting to know Kettering test centre—it might just give you the edge you need to pass. Keep reading below to find directionspass ratestest routes and much more!


Address

Orion Way Kettering Business Park Kettering Northamptonshire NN15 6NL

Tests Offered at Kettering

  • Car
  • Motorcycle module 1
  • Motorcycle module 2
  • ADI part 3

Parking

Car parking spaces are available

Toilets

Male and female toilets are available

Disabled Access

Phone Number

0153 6412837

Check the book your driving test service for availability.

How To Get There

If you live in the centre of Kettering, you’ll be pleased to hear that it’s a simple journey to Kettering test centre. All you’ve got to do is get onto London Road, then the A509, before turning onto Orion Way. Piece of cake! Of course, plenty of learners heading here live further afield. If that’s the case for you, make use of the many A roads in the area, such as A43, A14 or A6. To make sure you don’t take a wrong turn, however, we’d advise you to follow these directions with your trusty sat nav. (If you’re taking lessons with an ADI, you won’t have to worry about this—they’ll take you straight there!)

A Bit More About Kettering

The format of the driving test will remain the same at any test centre. However, to prepare you to take your test in Kettering, your driving examiner will attempt to incorporate all types of challenging road features in the local area. They’ll likely take you around the town centre, which will test your ability to deal with heavy traffic. You’ll also need to keep your eyes peeled for pedestrians due to the large number of local schools in the area.

If you’re not a fan of roundabouts, we’d suggest you brush up on them beforehand—your examiner will probably take you on the A14, which has a series of them. It won’t all be fast-paced, though. The examiner will take you around residential roads outside of the town centre. These roads are ideal for reversing manoeuvres and testing your ability to navigate around parked vehicles whilst facing oncoming traffic. Don’t worry if you’re not feeling up to it just yet. If you’re learning with a local ADI, they’ll have you driving like a pro in no time!

Looking for more general information about Kettering? Check out these handy resources:

Kettering Test Route

It doesn’t matter how hard you look, you won’t be able to get your hands on an exact test route for Kettering test centre. The DVSA stopped publishing routes years ago in order to stop learners from simply memorising them, rather than concentrating on perfecting their driving skills. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go in blind, however. You can get an idea of which roads might feature on your test by watching videos of Kettering test routes on YouTube, or by downloading our sample Kettering driving test routes.

If you’re feeling slightly uneasy about not having an exact test route, relax! If you’re learning with a local ADI, they’ll make sure you know the local area like the back of your hand in no time. By the time you take your test, you’ll likely recognise most of the route!

Kettering Test Pass Rates

The team here at PassMeFast always keeps its eyes peeled for the DVSA’s latest driving test statistics. From how age can affect your chances of passing the test to how pass rates can vary depending on your area, we’ve compiled a range of fun stats-based articles on our blog.

The most important stat? Learners in the UK currently have a 45.9% chance of passing their test. As for those taking the test at Kettering test centre, feast your eyes on pass rates from the last five years in the table below...

2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
50.5% 49.6% 50.3% 50.9% 47.8%

Kettering’s pass rates certainly haven’t been too shabby in the last five years! They’ve been well over the national average, which is pretty impressive. Of course, you don’t want to get too carried away here. The result of your test rests entirely on your performance, after all, not the test centre’s pass rate. So, pay attention to your instructor and work hard in your lessons. Trust us, it’ll pay off!

What If I Can’t Go To Kettering?

If you’ve come to the conclusion that Kettering isn’t the right test centre for you, relax! You’ve got plenty of other options. It’s always best to take your test in your local area, though, so you’ll want to head to either Wellingborough test centre or Northampton test centre.

What To Expect On The Day

So you’ve finally made it to the end of your driving lessons. Congratulations! The student only has one final step to take before becoming the master! That’s right, we’re talking about the driving test. As nervous as you might feel, you’ve got to remember that your instructor would never let you take the test if they felt like you weren’t ready. So, take a deep breath and make sure you give yourself a good old fashioned pep talk!

On the day of your test, please make sure that you have your provisional licence with you. If you don’t have it, your test will be cancelled and you won’t receive a refund. You’ll also need to get to Kettering test centre 10 minutes before your appointment is due to start.

Your practical will then follow this basic format:

  • 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:
  • Twenty minutes of independent driving, during which you’ll either follow sat nav directions or sign posts to reach a set destination

Your driving test will officially be at an end once you’ve parked back up at Kettering test centre and stopped the car. Phew! The worst part’s over. Now, you’ve just got to wait a few minutes for the examiner to finish totting up any faults you might have accumulated. They’ll then tell you whether you’ve passed or failed. Regardless of the result, you’ll get a full breakdown of your performance on either a physical feedback sheet or in an email sent to you via the driving test app.

But What If I Fail?

No one ever really wants to think about the possibility of failing a test. Unfortunately, it does happen. There is a silver lining here, though. Failing your driving test doesn’t need to mark the end of your learning journey. In fact, it could actually prove to be beneficial. Once you know what the test is like, you’re not going to be half as nervous on your next attempt. Trust us, the mystery of the driving test is what makes it nerve-wracking!

Before you take the test again, we’d recommend taking a refresher course to work on the areas you picked up the most faults in. Then, get PassMeFast to book you a fast-track practical test so that you’re not waiting around. To get things started, give us a ring on 0333 123 4949, or contact us online.

Improve Your Chances With PassMeFast

If you’re looking to get your driving licence in Northamptonshire, you’re in luck! PassMeFast’s intensive and semi-intensive courses are available in your area! If you book in with us, we’ll match you up with a local ADI who will help you build up your driving experience on the roads around Northampton. They’ll work with you to fit your lessons in around your schedule. With PassMeFast, you get to choose how intensive your course is—with lessons lasting between 2 to 5 hours at a time! We’ll even find you a test date that matches your availability and preferences.

Want to learn more? Head on over to our course prices page where you can get a better look at our tailored crash course packages. If that’s not enough information for you, check out our driving courses rundown. If you’ve made up your mind, you can get booked in today by giving us a ring on 0333 123 4949, or by filling out our booking form online.

Already got some driving experience? Can’t tell which course package would suit you best? You can speak with one of our sales advisors directly for additional information. Or, you can answer a few simple questions and find out your ideal course with our handy course recommender!