Kelso

If you’re learning to drive in Kelso, you’ll be able to take your driving test on your own doorstep! Kelso test centre is usually located at Tait Hall, but due to the pandemic, the DVSA has closed it down and relocated it to Lloyd Bodyshop in Pinnaclehill Industrial Estate.

If you’d like to know more about Kelso test centre, its roads and the format of the driving test, our essential guide below will do the trick!

Temporary location: Lloyd Bodyshop, Pinnaclehill Industrial Estate, Lee Forbes Way, Kelso TD5 8DW

Address

Tait Hall Edenside Road Kelso Scottish Borders TD5 7BS

Tests Offered at Kelso

  • Car

Parking

Car parking spaces are available

Toilets

Male and female toilets are available

Disabled Access

This test centre has no wheelchair access

Check the book your driving test service for availability.

How To Get There

As mentioned earlier, you’ll be able to find Kelso test centre’s original location at Tait Hall, using these directions. Until further notice, however, you will need to head to Lloyd Bodyshop (which is only a five minute drive from the original location), using these directions instead.

A Bit More About Kelso

Your driving test will begin with your driving examiner guiding you out of Pinnaclehill Industrial Estate. Now, depending on what time of day it is, this could be a challenging ordeal. You could end up facing a lot of foot and road traffic as you progress through the estate, so keep making frequent observations and make sure your clutch control is on point.

There are a few local schools in the area, like Broomlands Primary School, so make sure you’re keeping an eye on your speedometer! You’ll also likely encounter a few of the local mini-roundabouts in the town centre, so make sure you’ve practised them beforehand!

Depending on the route, and the driving test manoeuvre (chosen at random), you could end up making your demonstration on one of the residential roads around Kelso Golf Club or Springwood Village, or in one of the local car parks.

At some point in your route, the examiner will guide you onto one of the local A and B roads so that you can flex your skills with a different speed system. You could end up on the A698 towards Coldstream or Jedburgh, or on the B6352 towards Town Yetholm.

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

Kelso Test Pass Rates

Did you know that the current national average stands at 45.9%? This figure will then fluctuate depending on how old you are, where you take the test and what transmission you’re driving in. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Your chosen test centre can also affect this number.

As you can see in the table below, those heading to Kelso test centre seem to perform better than the national average...

2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
59.4% 60.6% 56.0% 55.6% 56.6%

What If I Can't Go To Kelso? 

Still on the fence about heading to Kelso test centre for your practical? Or are you simply mulling over your options? If you’re sticking close to the Kelso area, your nearest alternatives include:

What To Expect On The Day

Though it probably only seems like yesterday when you were getting behind the wheel for the first time, your test date has finally arrived. It’s now time for you to flex your new driving skills and prove to the examiner that you’re truly ready to take to the roads unsupervised.

On the day, you’ll need to get to Kelso test centre ten minutes early with your provisional in hand. The examiner will check your licence, get you to sign a form and then take you out of the test centre so that you can officially start your test.

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

Improve Your Chances With PassMeFast

Don’t fancy waiting months to get your pink licence? Why not join the ranks of thousands of other newly qualified drivers and learn to drive with PassMeFast then? We’ve got a wide range of intensive and semi-intensive driving courses, so no matter how much (or how little) experience you have, we’ve got you covered.

We’ll start things off by fast-tracking your test at Kelso test centre so that you’re not dealing with long test waiting times, and so you have a date to work towards. We’ll then match you up with a local instructor who will teach you all of the driving fundamentals from A to Z. Not only will this give you all of the skills and knowledge necessary to pass the driving test, it will also help set you up as a safe and confident driver for life.

To get things moving today, figure out how many hours you need to get test-ready by heading over to our course prices page. If you’re struggling, our course recommender will make the process easier. Once you’re happy to get started, you can give us a call on 0333 123 4949, or book online!

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