The Islip route, the circuit that goes from 20 to 70 and back
This is one of the longer circuits from Cowley and the one with the widest range of roads. A 50 mph dual carriageway, the narrow lanes of Headington Quarry, a stop sign with poor visibility, a residential loop at 20 mph, and a stretch of the A40 at 70 before the Islip slip road.
The circuit is the examiner's choice, made on the day. Every one of them begins on Hollow Way.
The route at a glance
- Starts and ends
- James Wolfe Road, OX4 2PY
- Areas covered
- Cowley, Headington Quarry, Sandhills, Barton
- Speed limits
- 20, 30, 50 and 70
- Dual carriageway
- Eastern By-pass Road, 50 mph
- Stop signs
- One, at Quarry High Street
- Hardest junction
- Quarry High Street
The longest circuit, in five stages
Five stages, covering four different speed limits. Knowing the shape of it is what stops the switching between them feeling relentless.
Schematic. Distances, angles and junction shapes are not to scale.
Cowley test centre
Right onto Hollow Way, second exit at the Horspath Driftway mini roundabout, then the Eastern By-pass at 50 mph.
Headington Quarry
Off at the slip road, down to 20 mph, through Quarry Hollow to the staggered crossroads and the STOP sign on Quarry High Street.
London Road
Margaret Road and Wharton Road, then emerging onto a congested London Road and the third exit for the A40 East.
Sandhills
The residential loop of Merewood Avenue, Burdell Avenue, Hill View and Delbush Avenue at 20 mph.
The Islip slip road
Back on the A40 at 70, off towards Islip, then Stanton Road, Bayswater Road and the A4142 roundabout home.
Where this route is won or lost
The range of speeds is what makes this route feel long. The faults, though, come from two junctions and one narrow lane.
Quarry High Street
The junction that catches the most learners on this route. A staggered crossroads with a STOP sign.
A STOP sign requires a complete, full stop. Not a slow roll. Not a pause. A complete stop, and then a proper look both ways before you move.
What the examiner sees: whether the wheels actually stopped turning.Quarry Hollow
Parked cars and oncoming vehicles can leave very little room.
If a vehicle is approaching and there is not enough space for both of you, find a safe place to stop and wait for them to pass. That is the correct answer, not a compromise.
What the examiner sees: judgement, which is marked as much as control.Twenty, thirty, fifty, seventy
Speed limit changes happen at several points, and this route has the widest range of any circuit from Cowley.
The A40 runs at 70 mph before the Islip slip road, where it drops to 50. Making proper progress matters as much as not exceeding the limit.
What the examiner sees: reading the signs without being prompted.The A4142 roundabout
Approaching from the Barton direction, this is the only entry to the Headington roundabout that is not controlled by traffic lights. You rely entirely on your own observation to judge when it is safe to go.
Once you are on the roundabout and pass the first exit, there are traffic lights, and you must obey them. Many learners miss this because they stop paying attention once they are moving.
What the examiner sees: whether you kept looking after you committed.Emerging onto London Road
London Road is heavily congested, particularly during the morning commute and late afternoon.
Wait for a genuinely safe gap before emerging. Traffic behind you may feel like pressure, but never pull out into a gap that is not safe.
What the examiner sees: the quality of the gap, not the speed of the decision.Stanton Road
Cars parked on the left hand side, on a road that is not wide to begin with.
Be prepared to stop for oncoming traffic if the road narrows. It comes straight after a faster stretch, which is when this is easiest to get wrong.
What the examiner sees: how early you slowed for it.The two junctions that decide this test
One is a stop sign with genuinely poor visibility. The other is the only unlit entry to the Headington roundabout. Both are ordinary once you have driven them, and both are unforgiving if you have not.
Quarry High Street
staggered crossroads, STOP sign
- Stop completely at the line. A STOP sign is not a give way, whatever the road looks like.
- The crossroads is staggered, so the road you join does not line up with the road you leave.
- Look right, look left, look right again. Visibility here is the reason for the sign.
- Move off only once you have actually seen it is clear.
The A4142 Headington roundabout
no lights on the way in
- Your entry is the only one on this roundabout without traffic lights.
- That means your own observation is the only thing deciding when you go.
- Take the second exit, keeping your position steady through the roundabout.
- Once you pass the first exit there are lights on the roundabout itself. They do apply to you.
Twenty to seventy, in order
Seven legs, in driving order. The speed limit is named at every point it changes, because on this route that is where the faults are.
Out of the test centre
- Turn right onto Hollow Way. The limit rises from 20 mph to 30 mph.
- At the mini roundabout at Horspath Driftway, take the second exit.
- Turn left onto Eastern By-pass Road. The limit rises to 50 mph and you are now on a dual carriageway.
Into Headington Quarry
- Leave the Eastern By-pass by taking the left slip road towards Headington Quarry.
- The limit drops to 20 mph.
- Through Quarry Hollow, which is narrow with parked cars.
The stop sign
- Quarry High Street, a staggered crossroads with a STOP sign.
- Stop completely. Look right, left and right again.
- This is the junction that catches the most learners on this route.
Margaret Road and London Road
- Turn right onto Margaret Road, which has speed bumps.
- Turn right onto Wharton Road, then right again onto London Road.
- At the London Road roundabout, take the third exit onto the A40 heading east. The limit rises to 50 mph.
The Sandhills loop
- Shortly after, take the left turn to Sandhills.
- Through Merewood Avenue, Burdell Avenue, Hill View and Delbush Avenue, then back along Merewood Avenue.
- This is a 20 mph residential zone.
The A40 and the Islip slip road
- From Merewood Avenue, turn left onto London Road A40 East at the traffic lights.
- Take the left slip road towards Islip. The A40 at this point is 70 mph and drops to 50 as you take the slip road.
- Continue on Stanton Road, where cars are parked on the left hand side.
- Turn left onto Bayswater Road. The limit changes to 30 mph.
The return to the test centre
- At the A4142 roundabout, take the second exit. Your entry has no traffic lights, so the decision is yours.
- Once you pass the first exit there are lights on the roundabout. Obey them.
- Take the right turn onto Horspath Driftway.
- At the Hollow Way roundabout, take the first exit, then turn right onto James Wolfe Road.
Switching between speeds is the skill here
This route covers more different kinds of road than any other from Cowley. That is exactly why it rewards practice: not because the roads are hard, but because the switching between them is.
Or call 01865 763458. Monday to Friday 7am to 9pm, Saturday 9am to 6pm.- Hollow Way and the Horspath Driftway mini roundabout
- The Eastern By-pass dual carriageway at 50 mph
- Quarry Hollow and meeting oncoming traffic
- The STOP sign on Quarry High Street
- Emerging onto a congested London Road
- The Sandhills residential loop at 20 mph
- The A40 at 70 and the Islip slip road
- The A4142 roundabout with no lights on entry
This is one of the longer circuits from Cowley, but the format is fixed wherever the examiner takes you. Here is how the driving test is conducted at Oxford (Cowley), from the eyesight check to the debrief.
The Islip route, answered
The questions we hear most about this route and about the test itself.
Is this a real Oxford driving test route?
Yes. This route is used from the Oxford DVSA test centre on James Wolfe Road, Cowley. Your examiner chooses which route to take on the day, but the Islip route covers roads that appear frequently.
What is the most common fault on this route?
The staggered crossroads on Quarry High Street. Many learners either fail to stop completely at the STOP sign or do not check both directions of the junction before moving off.
Does the Oxford driving test go on dual carriageways?
Yes. The Eastern By-pass Road is a 50 mph dual carriageway and this route uses it. You also travel on the A40 at 70 mph before taking the Islip slip road.
What should I do if a car comes towards me on Quarry Hollow?
Stop safely, wait, and let them through. Giving way to an oncoming vehicle on a narrow road is not a fault. Trying to pass when there is not enough room is.
How do I handle the A4142 roundabout from Barton?
You are approaching from the Barton direction, which is the only entry to the Headington roundabout without traffic lights. Once you are on the roundabout and pass the first exit, there are traffic lights. You must obey them.
How do I find the DVSA test centre?
Oxford DVSA test centre is on James Wolfe Road, Cowley, OX4 2PY. There is parking and there are toilets on site. Plan your journey in advance so you arrive calm and on time.
What is the fault limit, and what fails a test outright?
Fifteen driving faults are permitted. One serious or dangerous fault is an immediate fail, and rolling through the STOP sign on Quarry High Street is the classic example on this route.
At a glance
The Islip 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, takes the second exit at the Horspath Driftway mini roundabout, then joins Eastern By-pass Road, a 50 mph dual carriageway. It leaves by the left slip road towards Headington Quarry at 20 mph, passes through Quarry Hollow and reaches a staggered crossroads with a STOP sign on Quarry High Street. It continues along Margaret Road, Wharton Road and London Road, takes the third exit at the London Road roundabout onto the A40 heading east, then loops through the Sandhills streets of Merewood Avenue, Burdell Avenue, Hill View and Delbush Avenue. It rejoins the A40, which runs at 70 mph, takes the Islip slip road where the limit drops to 50, then Stanton Road and Bayswater Road before the A4142 roundabout, Horspath Driftway and Hollow Way. Speed limits on this route range from 20 mph to 70 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.
You do not choose the route. You do choose the preparation.
Twenty to seventy and back again is a lot of switching. We drive it in normal lessons, in a car you already know. Book a first lesson and tell us which speeds you like least.
Other circuits from Cowley: Sandhills to Risinghurst The Slade, Quarry and Barton Marsh Lane Horspath and Wheatley
