Cowley Junction and Sandy Lane West, the circuit that tests lane choice twice
This circuit opens with a tight residential loop off Hollow Way, then puts you on the Cowley Junction roundabout twice, both times needing the fourth exit and the right lane. In between there are three mini roundabouts in quick succession and a narrow road with cars parked on the wrong side.
Your examiner chooses the circuit on the day. There are several, they all start on Hollow Way, and you will not know which is yours until you are driving it.
The route at a glance
- Starts and ends
- James Wolfe Road, OX4 2PY
- Areas covered
- Cowley, Blackbird Leys, Greater Leys
- Cowley Junction
- Twice, fourth exit each time
- Mini roundabouts
- Three in quick succession
- Fastest road
- Eastern Bypass, 50 mph
- Slowest road
- Sandy Lane West, 20 mph
The circuit, and the roundabout you drive twice
Read this before the turn by turn list further down. The Cowley Junction roundabout appears twice, which is why the diagram doubles back on itself rather than running in a neat circle.
Schematic. Distances, angles and junction shapes are not to scale.
Cowley test centre
Left onto Hollow Way, which carries more traffic than most learners expect and has a bus stop on the left.
The Cranmer Road loop
Cranmer Road, Rupert Road, Horspath Road, Wilkins Road and Marshall Road, then a tight left back onto Hollow Way.
Cowley Junction
Garsington Road, then the roundabout. Fourth exit, right lane, signed Ring Road South. The hardest section on the route.
Sandy Lane West
Off the bypass, down to 20 mph, then Blackbird Leys Road and three mini roundabouts in a row.
Watlington Road
Knights Road and Cuddesdon Way, then back to the junction a second time and home on Horspath Driftway.
Six things this route keeps asking you
Two of these are about lane choice and four are about restraint. The route is not fast, but it does not let you stop thinking.
Cowley Junction roundabout
The most technically demanding section of the route, and you meet it twice. On both approaches the fourth exit requires the right lane.
Lane choice is everything here. You need to be in the correct position before the roundabout, not while you are already on it.
What the examiner sees: position on the approach, not correction on the roundabout.Marshall Road onto Hollow Way
This is a tighter turn than it looks, and it is the most common mistake on the whole route.
Most learners clip the left kerb here because they carry too much speed into the corner or turn in too early.
What the examiner sees: the kerb, and how hard you had to work to avoid it.The three mini roundabouts
Three mini roundabouts sit very close together on Blackbird Leys Road. The first two take the second exit. The third, at Merlin Road, also takes the second exit.
The most common mistake is accelerating away after the first or second one before you are mentally ready for the next. Treat each one as a completely separate junction.
What the examiner sees: whether the routine was repeated or rushed.Cuddesdon Way
A narrow residential road with cars parked on the right hand side.
If a vehicle is coming from the opposite direction and there is not room for both of you, hold back and let them through.
What the examiner sees: who yielded, and whether it was decided early.Sandy Lane West, fifty down to twenty
Sandy Lane West drops to 20 mph as you come off the Eastern Bypass slip road, which is a 50 mph road.
That is the largest single speed change on the circuit, and it arrives while you are still concentrating on the slip road.
What the examiner sees: how quickly you settled into the new limit.The bus stop on Hollow Way
Hollow Way carries more traffic than many learners expect, and there is a bus stop on the left hand side.
Treat a stopped bus as you would any obstruction. Check ahead, look for a safe gap, and move around it when it is clear to do so.
What the examiner sees: progress as well as safety. Waiting far too long is also marked.The two things this circuit actually tests
One roundabout, driven twice, and one left turn that looks easier than it is. Get those two right and the rest of this route is ordinary driving done at a sensible speed.
Cowley Junction, fourth exit
right lane, both times
- Right lane on the approach, signed Ring Road South the first time.
- Be in position before the roundabout. Correcting on it is where the faults come from.
- Work outwards as you pass the earlier exits, checking the mirror each time.
- Left mirror and left signal before you leave on the fourth exit.
Marshall Road onto Hollow Way
the tight left
- Slow down before the turn rather than in it. Most kerb clips start with too much speed.
- Do not turn in early. Take the car past the corner before you commit the steering.
- Look where you want the car to go, which is down Hollow Way, not at the kerb.
- Straighten up promptly and settle into the 30 mph limit.
The full drive, in six legs
Six legs, in driving order. Two of them pass through the same roundabout, which is the thing worth remembering about this circuit.
Out of the test centre
- Turn left out of the test centre onto James Wolfe Road.
- Turn left onto Hollow Way. The limit is 30 mph.
The residential loop
- Left onto Cranmer Road.
- Right onto Rupert Road, left onto Horspath Road.
- Right onto Wilkins Road, then right onto Marshall Road, which is narrow.
- Left from Marshall Road back onto Hollow Way.
Garsington Road and Cowley Junction
- At the traffic lights on Garsington Road, turn left.
- Take the second exit at the roundabout.
- At the Cowley Junction roundabout, take the fourth exit following the signs for Ring Road South. You need the right lane.
Sandy Lane West and the mini roundabouts
- From the Eastern Bypass, take the slip road on the left towards Sandy Lane West.
- Turn left at Sandy Lane West. The limit drops to 20 mph.
- Blackbird Leys Road brings you to three mini roundabouts in quick succession. Take the second exit at the first two.
- The third is at Merlin Road and also takes the second exit.
Knights Road and Cuddesdon Way
- Right onto Knights Road.
- Right onto Cuddesdon Way, a narrow residential road with cars parked on the right hand side.
- Left onto Watlington Road.
Cowley Junction again and the return
- Return to the Cowley Junction roundabout on the Eastern Bypass for a second time. The fourth exit again, and the right lane again.
- The exit is Horspath Driftway. Back to 30 mph.
- At the first mini roundabout, take the first exit onto Hollow Way.
- At the second, take the exit for James Wolfe Road.
The fourth exit gets easy on about the third attempt
Cowley Junction is the section worth several passes rather than one. Once the fourth exit feels automatic, this route stops being technical and becomes a question of patience on narrow roads.
Or call 01865 763458. Monday to Friday 7am to 9pm, Saturday 9am to 6pm.- Hollow Way, the traffic and the bus stop
- The Cranmer Road residential loop
- The tight left from Marshall Road
- Garsington Road and the traffic lights
- Cowley Junction, fourth exit, right lane
- The 50 to 20 change at Sandy Lane West
- Three mini roundabouts, one after another
- Cuddesdon Way and meeting oncoming traffic
Lane choice on the bypass is the hard part of this circuit. The rest of the test is more predictable than most learners expect, and we have set it out in full in the Cowley test centre explained.
Cowley Junction questions, answered
What learners ask before driving this circuit, and what we tell them.
How many times does Cowley Junction roundabout appear on this route?
Twice. The first time, you take the fourth exit heading south on the Eastern Bypass towards Ring Road South and Sandy Lane West. The second time you take the fourth exit again, and the exit is Horspath Driftway.
What lane do I need at Cowley Junction roundabout?
On both approaches, the fourth exit requires the right lane. Choose it before the roundabout rather than once you are already on it.
Are there speed limit changes I need to watch for?
Yes. Hollow Way is 30 mph. Sandy Lane West drops to 20 mph as you come off the Eastern Bypass slip road. The Eastern Bypass itself is 50 mph both times you join it. Horspath Driftway returns to 30 mph.
What should I do if a bus is stopped on Hollow Way?
Treat it as you would any obstruction. Check ahead, look for a safe gap, and move around the bus when it is clear to do so. The examiner expects reasonable progress as well as safety.
What is the most common mistake on this route?
The return onto Hollow Way from Marshall Road catches many learners out. The left turn is tighter than it appears, and most people clip the kerb because they carry too much speed into the corner or turn in too early.
How do I handle the three Blackbird Leys mini roundabouts?
Treat each one as a completely separate junction. The first two take the second exit and the third, at Merlin Road, also takes the second exit. The mistake is accelerating away after one before you are mentally ready for the next.
How many driving faults am I allowed?
Up to fifteen driving faults. One serious or dangerous fault fails the test outright. Clipping a kerb is usually a driving fault, though that depends on what was around you at the time.
At a glance
The Cowley Junction and Sandy Lane West route is one of several driving test routes used from the Oxford (Cowley) driving test centre at James Wolfe Road, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 2PY. It leaves on Hollow Way, then covers a residential loop of Cranmer Road, Rupert Road, Horspath Road, Wilkins Road and Marshall Road before returning to Hollow Way. It turns left at the Garsington Road traffic lights, takes the second exit at the roundabout, then the fourth exit at the Cowley Junction roundabout following signs for Ring Road South. It leaves the Eastern Bypass by the slip road to Sandy Lane West, where the limit drops to 20 mph, then follows Blackbird Leys Road through three mini roundabouts, Knights Road, Cuddesdon Way and Watlington Road. It returns to the Cowley Junction roundabout a second time, again on the fourth exit, then Horspath Driftway and Hollow Way. Hollow Way, Garsington Road, Watlington Road and Horspath Driftway are 30 mph, Sandy Lane West is 20 mph and the Eastern Bypass is 50 mph. Examiners choose the route on the day and candidates are not told in advance. The DVSA practical test fee is 62 pounds on a weekday and 75 pounds in the evening, at the weekend or on a bank holiday, with tests from 4:30pm counting as evening. The theory test fee is 23 pounds. Up to 15 driving faults are allowed and one serious or dangerous fault is a fail. The earliest retest after a fail is 10 working days. Oxon Driving Tuitions teaches this route and the other circuits out of Cowley in manual and automatic cars, with lessons bookable online or on 01865 763458.
Ready for this circuit, and the seven others
Lane choice on the ring road is a skill rather than a talent, and it takes a few passes rather than a few minutes. Book a first lesson and we will spend it where you need it.
Other circuits from Cowley: Littlemore and Grenoble Florence Park Marsh Lane Horspath and Wheatley
