The Driving Test Routes app sells a useful idea: rehearse the actual roads your examiner is likely to use before the practical day. The catch is that each test centre's route bundle is a separate purchase, and the sat-nav layer can feel basic next to a dedicated navigation app. If you only want one or two centres covered, the app is fine. If you live near several centres or want practice routes plus general lesson prep, the Driving Test Routes alternatives below cover the territory more flexibly.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Pricing | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driving Test Success | Theory + practical prep in one app | Sample content | One-off or sub | Show me, tell me, video lessons |
| MTT UK Learner Driver | Mock theory and ADI practice | Generous | Optional upgrade | Theory and ADI mocks |
| Practical Driving Lessons PRO | Manoeuvre walkthroughs | Most content | Optional upgrade | Step-by-step manoeuvres |
| Google Maps | Free turn-by-turn navigation | Yes | Free | Real-time traffic, lane guidance |
| Waze | Community-flagged hazards | Yes | Free | User-sourced incident alerts |
| Sygic Offline | Offline maps for spotty signal | Limited | One-off or sub | True offline navigation |
| UK Driving Theory Test Lite | Free theory revision | Yes | Free with ads | Question bank |
Why people look past the Driving Test Routes app
Each test centre is a separate purchase. If you live between two or three centres or want flexibility on which one you take the test at, the per-centre pricing adds up quickly.
The sat-nav layer is basic. Voice guidance and lane indicators are functional, but the routing logic is simpler than Google Maps or Waze. On unfamiliar one-way systems, learners sometimes prefer the major sat-nav apps as a backup.
DVSA examiners do not stick to a fixed route. Routes published in apps are based on observed historical patterns, not a guaranteed exam path. A learner who memorises a route can still encounter unexpected diversions on the day. The value is familiarity with the local roads, not exact memorisation.
Practice still depends on a supervising driver. The app does not replace lesson time. Learners still need a qualified driver in the passenger seat to make the route practice legal.
The free preview is short. The trial gives you a single route or a short clip, then the bundle paywall appears. Some learners want a longer hands-on test before committing.
The best Driving Test Routes alternatives
Driving Test Success — best combined theory and practical prep
Driving Test Success by Focus Multimedia is the all-in-one learner package most UK instructors recommend. It includes DVSA theory questions, hazard perception clips, the Highway Code, show-me-tell-me drills, and lesson video walkthroughs. It does not publish official test routes, but the practical content (parking, junctions, manoeuvres) overlaps with what the Routes app skips.
Where it falls short: No published test routes. You still rely on lesson time and Google Maps to learn local roads around your test centre.
Pricing:
- Free: sample questions and one hazard clip
- Paid: one-off bundle or subscription tiers that unlock video lessons
- vs Driving Test Routes: covers more of the test, no per-centre route bundles
Switching from Driving Test Routes: Use Driving Test Success for the test content (questions, manoeuvres, hazard clips) and a free sat-nav app for route familiarisation. The pair covers more than the Routes app alone.
Bottom line: The strongest all-rounder if you have not yet picked a theory app or a manoeuvre tutor.
MTT UK Learner Driver & ADI — best free question and mock test pairing
MTT UK covers learner driver and ADI theory in one app, with a generous free tier of mock tests and category drills. Most of what learners pay the Routes app for is local familiarisation; MTT UK fills the theory side at no cost, which leaves you a budget for a real lesson on the actual roads.
Where it falls short: No routes, no sat-nav, no manoeuvre tutorials. Ads appear between mocks.
Pricing:
- Free: generous question and mock test access
- Paid: optional upgrade removes ads and unlocks ADI content
- vs Driving Test Routes: free for the theory side, no route data
Switching from Driving Test Routes: Use MTT UK for theory revision and put the saved money toward an extra hour of supervised driving around your test centre with a qualified driver.
Bottom line: The right pick for learners on a tight budget who already have a supervising driver to practise local roads with.
Practical Driving Lessons PRO — best for the manoeuvres examiners assess
Practical Driving Lessons PRO focuses on the manoeuvres the Routes app does not teach: bay parking, parallel parking, the emergency stop, show-me-tell-me. Each manoeuvre is broken down in step-by-step diagrams with mirror checks and reference points. Use it the night before a lesson to refresh the steps before you sit in the car.
Where it falls short: No sat-nav, no test routes, no DVSA theory questions. The graphics are functional rather than polished.
Pricing:
- Free: most lesson content
- Paid: optional upgrade for ad removal
- vs Driving Test Routes: complementary, covers the manoeuvre side
Switching from Driving Test Routes: Use it for manoeuvre prep alongside a sat-nav app for general road familiarisation. The combination covers more of the actual test than route memorisation alone.
Bottom line: Strong pick for the practical part of the test that the Routes app does not cover.
Google Maps — best free turn-by-turn navigation for route practice
Google Maps is the universal default for a reason. The turn-by-turn voice guidance, lane indicators, and real-time traffic data outperform what the Driving Test Routes app's sat-nav layer offers. For driving learners, the lane guidance on UK roundabouts is especially valuable. You will not get a "DVSA route" overlay, but you can ask a supervising driver to design a circular route that touches the road types in your test centre catchment.
Where it falls short: No published practical test routes. No driving-learner-specific overlays or hazard markers.
Pricing:
- Free: full navigation, traffic, lane guidance
- Paid: no paid tier needed
- vs Driving Test Routes: free, with stronger navigation
Switching from Driving Test Routes: Ask your instructor or supervising driver for a list of the roads around your test centre. Build saved routes in Google Maps that loop through those roads and run them with a qualified driver in the passenger seat.
Bottom line: The default sat-nav choice. Combine with input from your instructor on what roads to cover.
Waze — best for community-flagged hazards on practice routes
Waze is the navigation app driving instructors quietly recommend because it surfaces what passive map data misses: school zones, sharp turns reported by drivers, speed cameras, and recent incidents. For a learner driving an unfamiliar area near a test centre, the community alerts are genuinely useful.
Where it falls short: The interface is busier than Google Maps and can distract a nervous learner. No route bundles, no manoeuvre tutorials.
Pricing:
- Free: full navigation, traffic, community alerts
- Paid: no paid tier
- vs Driving Test Routes: free, no routes, richer real-world data
Switching from Driving Test Routes: Use Waze as the navigation layer when practising routes a supervising driver has suggested. The community alerts surface hazards a fresh driver might miss.
Bottom line: A useful sat-nav layer for learners who want incident alerts and live hazard data.
Sygic Offline Maps & GPS — best for rural test centres with patchy signal
Sygic downloads maps to the device so the sat-nav works even when mobile data drops out. Rural test centres in Scotland, Wales, and parts of the Midlands cover roads where signal disappears, and Sygic keeps guiding through those stretches when Google Maps stutters.
Where it falls short: The free tier is limited; serious use needs a one-off purchase or subscription. The interface is dated next to Google Maps and Waze.
Pricing:
- Free: limited daily use with adverts
- Paid: one-off Premium purchase or subscription unlocks full offline navigation
- vs Driving Test Routes: similar pricing tier, offline maps instead of route bundles
Switching from Driving Test Routes: Download your local area maps in Sygic, then run practice routes built by your instructor through those areas without worrying about signal loss.
Bottom line: The right pick for rural test centres where mobile signal is unreliable.
UK Driving Theory Test Lite — best free theory companion
UK Driving Theory Test Lite is not a route or sat-nav app, which is why it fits here. The Routes app stops at practical route practice; passing the practical also requires the theory test, which most learners attempt first. Use Lite for free question drills and mock tests while you save the per-centre route purchase money for proper instructor lessons.
Where it falls short: No routes, no manoeuvres, no hazard perception clips. Ads appear between sessions.
Pricing:
- Free: full question bank with ads
- Paid: optional ad-removal
- vs Driving Test Routes: free, complementary, covers a different part of the test
Switching from Driving Test Routes: Use Lite to lock in the theory part first, then practise local roads with a supervising driver using a free sat-nav app. Order the pieces so you do not pay for routes you may not need.
Bottom line: Free way to handle the theory side so the practical budget can go on real lessons.
How to choose
Pick Driving Test Success for one app that covers most of the test prep that is not actually driving on the roads.
Pick MTT UK if cost matters most and you already have a supervising driver to practise routes with.
Pick Practical Driving Lessons PRO if the manoeuvres are where you keep failing mock attempts.
Pick Google Maps as the default sat-nav and ask your instructor to suggest the roads to cover.
Pick Waze when you want community hazard alerts on top of the navigation.
Pick Sygic if your test centre is rural and signal is unreliable.
Pick UK Driving Theory Test Lite as a free theory companion to whatever practical prep you settle on.
Stay on Driving Test Routes if you live near a single test centre, your instructor has confirmed the published routes match recent examiner behaviour, and the per-centre cost is acceptable to you.
Frequently asked questions
Are DVSA practical test routes still published? The DVSA stopped publishing official practical test routes in 2010 to discourage rote memorisation. Apps that sell "official" routes rely on routes observed and crowdsourced from instructors and learners. Treat them as familiarisation, not a guaranteed exam path.
Will memorising routes help me pass? Familiarity with local road layouts, junction patterns, and roundabouts helps. Memorising a specific turn-by-turn sequence does not, because examiners deliberately vary routes and respond to traffic conditions on the day.
Can I use Google Maps during the practical test? The examiner provides directions during the test. Some practical tests include a sat-nav section where you follow turn-by-turn instructions from a TomTom unit the examiner provides. Practising with any sat-nav app at home builds the habit of glancing without losing road focus.
Is there a free alternative to Driving Test Routes? The closest free combination is Google Maps for navigation, Waze for hazard alerts, and a free theory app for the question revision side. None of them publish official practice routes; you build routes manually based on instructor input.
What is the best Driving Test Routes alternative for rural areas? Sygic for offline navigation when signal drops, paired with manoeuvre prep in Practical Driving Lessons PRO. Theory revision happens in any of the free apps.
