Driving test routes · Wales
Cardiff Driving Test Routes
Everything you need for your test at Cardiff (Llanishen) Driving Test Centre — the roads you'll drive, the current pass rate, and the hardest junctions to rehearse first.
Llanishen, Cardiff, CF14 5GH
Data verified July 2026
Driving tests in Cardiff run from Cardiff (Llanishen) Driving Test Centre (CF14 5GH). Its current DVSA car pass rate is 53.3% for 2024/25 — 3.1 points above the national average of 50.2%. Test routes cover suburban roads around the centre; the examiner picks the route on the day.
- Test centre
- Cardiff (Llanishen) Driving Test Centre
- Pass rate (2024/25)
- 53.3%
- National average
- 50.2%
- Rank
- 76 of 270
- Difficulty
- Around average
- Key roads covered
- 5
Where is Cardiff (Llanishen) Driving Test Centre?
The map shows the test centre (red), its approximate driving catchment, and the nearest alternative centres (blue) — tap a pin to compare pass rates.
Cardiff test centre pass rate: 53.3%
In 2024/25, Cardiff (Llanishen) recorded a 53.3% car pass rate — 3.1 points above the national average of 50.2%. That ranks it 76 of the 270 centres we track.
Driving test routes around Cardiff
Llanishen serves north Cardiff with a mix of suburban estates, the busy Ty Glas / Llanishen area and fast sections toward the A48(M). Pass rates sit slightly above the national average.
Roads examiners commonly use:
- Ty Glas Road
- Fidlas Road
- Station Road
- Caerphilly Road (A469)
- Eastern Avenue (A48)
A typical practice route, step by step
- Ty Glas Road startBusiness-park roads that quickly feed into residential Llanishen.
- Fidlas Road junctionsBusy signal-controlled crossroads with frequent pedestrian activity.
- Eastern Avenue (A48)High-speed dual carriageway section testing merging and lane discipline.
Hardest roads & common fault hotspots
Heavy traffic and filtering demand confident, well-timed decisions.
Merging at speed onto the A48 is a common source of faults.
Independent driving / sat-nav
Sat-nav routes often use the Eastern Avenue corridor and surrounding estates, mixing high-speed and residential driving.
Manoeuvres
Bay parking at the centre; pull-up-on-the-right and parallel parking in the quieter Llanishen and Lisvane streets.
Test day logistics
Address
Cardiff (Llanishen) Driving Test Centre
Llanishen, Cardiff, CF14 5GH
Region & nation
Wales, Wales
Road environment
suburban driving
Book your test
Cardiff driving test: frequently asked questions
What is the pass rate at Cardiff (Llanishen) Driving Test Centre?
The most recent DVSA car practical pass rate at Cardiff (Llanishen) is 53.3% (2024/25) — 3.1 points above the national average. That places it 76 of 270 among the centres we track.
Is Cardiff (Llanishen) a hard place to take your driving test?
Based on its 53.3% pass rate versus the 50.2% average across the centres we track, Cardiff (Llanishen) is rated "Around average". Difficulty depends far more on your preparation on the local roads than on the centre itself.
Which roads are used on the Cardiff (Llanishen) driving test?
Common roads around Cardiff (Llanishen) include Ty Glas Road, Fidlas Road, Station Road, Caerphilly Road (A469). Llanishen serves north Cardiff with a mix of suburban estates, the busy Ty Glas / Llanishen area and fast sections toward the A48(M). Pass rates sit slightly above the national average.
What is the hardest part of the Cardiff (Llanishen) driving test?
Local instructors flag Caerphilly Road junctions: Heavy traffic and filtering demand confident, well-timed decisions. Rehearsing it before your test makes a real difference.
What manoeuvres are used at Cardiff (Llanishen)?
Bay parking at the centre; pull-up-on-the-right and parallel parking in the quieter Llanishen and Lisvane streets.
What is the nearest test centre to Cardiff (Llanishen)?
The nearest alternative centre is Llantrisant (Llantrisant Driving Test Centre), about 7.5 miles away with a 50.6% pass rate. It is worth comparing if you are hunting for an earlier cancellation.
Are these the official DVSA test routes for Cardiff?
DVSA stopped publishing official test routes, and the examiner chooses the route on the day — it can change without notice. Our guides show the roads and hazards learners most commonly encounter around Cardiff (Llanishen) so you can practise the right environment, but they are not a guaranteed route.
Nearby test centres
Comparing centres? These are the closest alternatives to Cardiff (Llanishen) — handy when hunting for an earlier cancellation.
