The Sandhills to Risinghurst route, the most varied circuit out of Cowley
This is the circuit that asks you to do everything. Quiet residential streets at 20 mph, a stretch of the A40 ring road at 50, a bus lane exit that has to be judged in a short distance, genuinely narrow lanes in Quarry Hollow, and a stop sign where rolling through is a serious fault.
Which circuit you drive is decided by the examiner on the day. All of them begin on Hollow Way.
The route at a glance
- Starts and ends
- James Wolfe Road, OX4 2PY
- Areas covered
- Cowley, Headington Quarry, Sandhills, Risinghurst
- Fastest road
- The A40, 50 mph
- Slowest road
- Quarry Hollow, single file in places
- Hardest moment
- The Collinwood Road exit
- Stop signs
- One, at Quarry Road
The circuit, from Cowley and back
Five stages, and they are genuinely different from one another. Knowing which kind of road is coming next is most of what makes this circuit manageable.
Schematic. Distances, angles and junction shapes are not to scale.
Cowley test centre
Right out onto Hollow Way, first exit at The Slade mini roundabout, then right onto Old Road.
Headington Quarry
York Road, Mark Road, Quarry Road and Margaret Road. Narrow, 20 mph, speed bumps and parked cars.
London Road
Right onto Windmill Road, right at the crossroads, then the third exit at the roundabout for the A40 East. Middle lane.
Sandhills
Off at the Merewood Avenue slip road into a 20 mph residential loop, then back out at the A40 traffic lights.
Risinghurst
Collinwood Road off the A40, then Downside Road, Kiln Lane and Beaumont Road into Quarry Hollow and the stop sign.
Six points that decide this route
Six points decide this route. The first two account for most of the failures on it, and both can be practised until they are dull.
The Collinwood Road exit
This is the most common mistake on the route. You come off the A40 at 50 mph and need to be at 30 and turning left within a short distance.
The left lane at this point is a bus lane. Before moving left, check the left mirror carefully for buses or taxis.
What the examiner sees: whether the mirror check came before the steering, or after it.The stop sign on Quarry Road
A staggered crossroads with a stop sign. You must stop completely, even if the road looks clear.
Right hand visibility is particularly poor here, so a full stop is what gives you the time to look properly. Rolling through is a serious fault.
What the examiner sees: whether the car actually stopped moving.Quarry Hollow
Genuinely narrow. If you meet an oncoming vehicle and the space is not enough for both of you to pass safely, you may need to stop and let the other vehicle through.
Giving way on a narrow road is never a fault. Attempting the gap when it is not there is.
What the examiner sees: judgement, which is marked as much as control.The limit changes
Twenty, thirty and fifty, over and over. The examiner will not tell you about any of them.
The first one arrives immediately: the limit rises from 20 to 30 as you turn onto Hollow Way, and that catches learners out more than you might expect.
What the examiner sees: reading signs without being prompted.The Merewood Avenue slip road
The slip road ends in a give way, which means you must stop or slow significantly and check right carefully.
Traffic can approach quickly from that direction, so a glance is not enough.
What the examiner sees: whether the observation was real or a formality.Margaret Road
Speed bumps all the way along, plus parked cars on the left that create meeting situations.
Do not wait until the last moment to read the gap. Smooth over the bumps beats braking hard then accelerating away.
What the examiner sees: smoothness, marked even when nothing goes wrong.The two moments that decide this test
Everything else on this circuit is ordinary driving done carefully. These two are specific, they arrive quickly, and they are the reason candidates who know the route pass it more often than candidates who do not.
Leaving the A40 at Collinwood Road
50 to 30, across a bus lane
- Start losing speed early. You need 30 mph before the turn, not at it.
- Check the left mirror carefully. The left lane here is a bus lane, so look for buses and taxis.
- Move across once, cleanly, when it is clear. No drifting.
- Then the left turn into Collinwood Road. All of that happens in a short distance.
The stop sign on Quarry Road
staggered crossroads, poor visibility
- Stop completely at the line. A stop sign is not a give way.
- The crossroads is staggered, so the road you are joining does not line up with the road you leave.
- Visibility to the right is difficult. Look right, look left, look right again.
- Move off only when you have actually seen that it is clear, not when it feels like enough time has passed.
The whole drive, leg by leg
Seven legs, in driving order. The roads are fixed. Only the traffic on them is different on the day.
Out of the test centre
- Leave James Wolfe Road and turn right onto Hollow Way.
- The limit rises from 20 mph to 30 mph as you make that turn.
- At The Slade mini roundabout, take the first exit.
Old Road and the residential loop
- Turn right onto Old Road at the crossroads. The limit drops to 20 mph.
- Turn right onto York Road, which is narrow and demands a genuinely reduced speed.
- Right onto Mark Road, left onto Quarry Road, left onto Margaret Road.
Windmill Road and London Road
- Turn right onto Windmill Road. It is busy, so check properly before committing.
- Turn right at the London Road crossroads. Back to 30 mph.
- At the roundabout, take the third exit towards the A40 East, from the middle lane.
- London Road then rises to 50 mph.
The Sandhills loop
- Take the left hand slip road at Merewood Avenue. It ends in a give way.
- Right onto Burdell Avenue, right onto Hill View, right onto Delbush Avenue.
- Left back onto Merewood Avenue. This is a 20 mph residential zone throughout.
Back onto the A40
- Turn right at the A40 traffic lights to rejoin the ring road. The limit is 50 mph.
- Use the middle lane. The left lane is a bus lane.
Collinwood Road and Risinghurst
- Leave the A40 by turning left into Collinwood Road. The limit drops to 30 mph before the turn.
- Check the left mirror carefully for buses or taxis before moving left.
- Right onto Downside Road, right onto Kiln Lane.
Quarry Hollow and the return
- Turn right at the Eastern By-pass Road traffic lights, then left onto Beaumont Road towards Headington Quarry.
- Through Quarry Hollow, which is genuinely narrow.
- At the Quarry Road junction, a staggered crossroads with a stop sign. Stop completely.
- Right onto Old Road, left at The Slade traffic lights, second exit at the Hollow Way mini roundabout, then left onto James Wolfe Road.
The A40 exit is worth a lesson on its own
This route covers more ground than most. The A40 bus lanes, the narrowness of Quarry Hollow, the staggered crossroads at Quarry Road and the constant speed changes are all things you can be shown once and then practise until they stop feeling like events.
Or call 01865 763458. Monday to Friday 7am to 9pm, Saturday 9am to 6pm.- Hollow Way and the first speed change of the test
- York Road and the narrow residential loop
- Margaret Road, bumps and parked cars together
- The London Road roundabout and the middle lane
- The Merewood Avenue slip road and its give way
- The A40 at 50 mph, and the bus lane beside you
- The Collinwood Road exit, the hardest moment on the route
- Quarry Hollow and the Quarry Road stop sign
Routes change from test to test. The test itself does not, although the DVSA did adjust it in November 2025. See what happens on the day at the Cowley test centre, including the emergency stop and what changed.
Sandhills and Risinghurst, answered
What comes up most often when we teach this route.
Is the Sandhills to Risinghurst route one of the harder Oxford test routes?
It is one of the more varied routes from Cowley. It includes a stretch of the A40 at 50 mph, a bus lane exit, the narrow lanes in Quarry Hollow, a stop sign junction and frequent speed limit changes. Learners who are comfortable with transitions usually find it manageable.
What is the most common mistake on this route?
The Collinwood Road exit from the A40 catches many learners out. You need to reduce your speed from 50 mph to 30 mph quickly, check the left mirror for the bus lane, move across safely, and turn left, all within a short distance.
What happens if I meet a vehicle in Quarry Hollow?
If there is not enough room for both vehicles to pass, you should stop and wait for the oncoming vehicle to come through. Giving way on a narrow road is not a fault. Trying to pass when the space is not there is.
Do I need to stop at the stop sign on Quarry Road?
Yes. A stop sign requires a complete stop, even if the road appears clear. Rolling slowly through it is a serious fault and ends the test.
How should I approach the London Road roundabout?
Check your road position early and move into the middle lane before you reach the roundabout for the third exit. Signal right on approach, check mirrors and blind spot, then signal left once you have passed the second exit.
Will the examiner tell me about the speed limit changes?
No. You are responsible for reading the road and the signs. The examiner gives directions, not warnings about limits.
What is the fault limit on the Oxford driving test?
Fifteen driving faults, and the sixteenth fails you. A single serious or dangerous fault fails you on its own, which is what makes the stop sign on Quarry Road worth taking seriously.
At a glance
The Sandhills to Risinghurst 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 first exit at The Slade mini roundabout, then covers Old Road, York Road, Mark Road, Quarry Road and Margaret Road in Headington Quarry at 20 mph. It joins Windmill Road and London Road, takes the third exit at the roundabout for the A40 East at 50 mph, then loops through the Sandhills streets of Merewood Avenue, Burdell Avenue, Hill View and Delbush Avenue at 20 mph. It rejoins the A40, leaves at Collinwood Road across a bus lane, then follows Downside Road, Kiln Lane and Beaumont Road into Quarry Hollow, where there is a stop sign at the staggered Quarry Road crossroads. It returns via Old Road, The Slade and Hollow Way. 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.
One circuit of eight. Be ready for whichever you get.
Bus lanes, stop signs and fast exits are part of the normal lesson programme rather than something you book on the side. Tell us which part worries you most and we will go there first.
Other circuits from Cowley: Marsh Lane Littlemore and Grenoble Florence Park The Islip route
