Located in the Town Quay Wharf development, Barking Town Quay overlooks a scenic view of Barking Abbey Green and the river Roding. One of two test centres in Barking, the Town Quay test centre opened its doors in early 2017. In a busy area like Barking, it's safe to say that there's plenty to get to grips with! Read on for directions, pass rates, test routes and much more about Barking Town Quay.
Parking spaces are available
Male, female and disabled toilets are available
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Town Quay is situated just on the border between East Ham and Barking, meaning it's really easy to get to. To avoid any issues on the day of your test, follow these simple directions. Town Quay provides parking, but please be aware that the centre asks candidates not to arrive more than 10 minutes prior to the time of their test. This is to reduce congestion in and around the centre.
Town Quay test centre is just around the corner from the ever-crowded A406, with Barking town centre and London City Airport not far away. All of this combines to provide examiners with a broad selection of road conditions with which to put candidates through their paces on the practical test. For more comprehensive knowledge about the local area, take a look at these helpful resources.
If you’re local to the area, you might have worked out that this centre is very close to Barking’s other test centre, Tanner Street. For this reason, these two centres share many of the same test routes. While the DVSA doesn’t publish exact test routes, we know that the Barking Town Quay test routes encompass a wide variety of roads, from quiet streets right up to busy dual carriageways, including the iconic North Circular Road. You should expect to be taken on this road, as it is directly adjacent to the test centre. You can check out videos of Town Quay test routes on YouTube for a better idea of what to expect.
The test pass rates at different driving test centres across the country can vary quite dramatically. For instance, the national average pass rate is 45.8%. In London, however, the average is significantly lower, at 40.8%. Whilst Town Quay has now closed down, you can still get an idea of how learners used to far with the pass rates below.
2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 |
- | - | 35.2% | 37.1% | 35.2% |
The pass rates for Town Quay in the last five years certainly don't paint a pretty picture. That being said, low pass rates are quite common in the Greater London area. This disparity is largely because of the difficulties of driving in built-up, congested areas. This is supported by the fact that the areas with the highest average pass rates tend to be the most rural.
The nearest test centre to Barking Town Quay is Barking Tanner Street, which is less than a mile away. If the waiting times are too long at either of Barking’s test centres, you could always think about travelling a bit further afield to Goodmayes, which is just 2.6 miles away from this test centre.
The practical test procedure is really straightforward. You don’t need to worry about the driving examiner trying to trick you—their job is simply to test whether you’re capable of safely and confidently taking on the road. On the day, make sure you remember to bring your provisional licence and get there 10 minutes early. The practical will then start with:
The test route will end once you're back at Barking Town Quay test centre, at which point you'll receive your result. No matter whether you pass or fail, you'll be handed a feedback sheet that lists any faults you may have accumulated. You will also receive additional verbal feedback. If you are successful, you'll also get your hands on a test pass certificate!
If you do fail your test, it's important that you don't let it get you down. Plenty of great drivers fail their test once or more before passing. We’d advise getting straight back in the driving seat to try again, and a great way of doing this can be with one of our refresher courses. PassMeFast can speed things along with a fast-track practical test. All you've got to do is call us on 0333 123 4949 or contact us using our online form.
At PassMeFast we know that not every learner is the same. That's why we offer a range of courses that cater to drivers with all different levels of experience in the Barking area. Our instructors work around your schedule, so that you can get passed as quickly and as comprehensively as possible. Simply check out our course prices page, and book online or over the phone by calling 0333 123 4949. Don’t worry if you can’t get to to the phone right now—you can also book a course online.