Irish Driving Test Routes

The Test Routes App

RSA Ballina Driving Test Routes

Ballina Driving Test Centre is located in the RSA Building at Moy Valley Business Park on the outskirts of the town. It is a provincial town with a busy town centre and plenty of hazards to be watching out for. There is also the possibility for the tester to use more rural roads as well as the N6 so practise merging with fast traffic is advised.  The ideal time to book a test is before 12pm as the roads are quieter. The test routes can be varied including some country roads, national roads and through the centre of town which can contain quite a few hazards especially around school times.

Pass Rates for Ballina Driving Test Centre

The Pass rate for driving tests in Ballina in 2023 was 55.35% which compares to 53% nationally.

Ballina Driving Test Routes

The Driving Tester can bring you anywhere in a 5km radius of the Driving Test Centre. In Ballina there will be a mixture of industrial estates, residential areas, rural driving and town locations.

Ballina Driving Test Centre

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The Test Routes App has 5 separate driving test routes for Ballina. The App can be downloaded for free from the Playstore or iOS.

How to use the Testroutes app ? ​

STEP 1 :

Download the App onto your mobile phone

STEP 4 :

At the Test Centre select a Route

STEP 2 :

Register your details and Driving Test Centre

STEP 5 :

Follow all directions to complete the route

STEP 3 :

Unlock the Routes

STEP 6 :

Repeat for all remaining routes

If you have any questions about using the App please email [email protected] and we will try and help as soon as possible.

Driving Test waiting times for RSA Ballina Driving Test Centre

The current waiting time for the driving test at Ballina Driving Test Centre is 9 Weeks. The average waiting time nationally for the driving test is 15 weeks. The waiting times for both Ballina are 9 weeks. This means if you log into your MyRoadSafety Account and change your Test Centre to Ballina you will receive the invitation to book the driving test much sooner. If you have already been waiting for over 10 weeks you will get an email from the RSA within the next few days.

Mobile screen displaying a calendar view with test dates and times for Naas.

Once you receive the invitation to book your driving test you can change the location back to your preferred location. In the example above they were able to select Naas from the drop down menu and get a date within 12 weeks as opposed to 9 months which is the standard waiting time at Naas.

To Pass your Driving test in Ballina you need to complete 12 stages:

When is the best day or time to pass the driving test in Ballina?

  1. Apply for and pass your Theory Test
  2. Apply for your Learners permit with the NDLS
  3. Upon receipt of the Learners Permit book driving lessons with an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI)
  4. Complete 12 EDT Driving Lessons as a minimum
  5. After agreement from your ADI apply for the driving test
  6. Get familiar with the Driving Test Route by using The Test Routes App
  7. Take Pretest Driving Lessons
  8. Learn all the Road Signs, Questions and Technical Checks
  9. Watch Youtube videos for the driving in general and Ballina Test Centre in particular.
  10. After receiving an email from the RSA choose a suitable day/time for your test
  11. On the day, turn up at least 15 minutes early and await a phone call from the tester.
  12. Driving normally on the day and don’t drive differently just because its a driving test.

There are times of the day when the traffic around Ballina is lighter. Generally speaking, Mondays and Fridays are busier than Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays and morning times are quieter than afternoons. The busiest time for driving tests in Ballina is Friday afternoon so it is best to avoid choosing this time if possible. If you have an option of between 9:15-11:55am Tuesday to Thursday or the very rare Saturday morning slots then snap it up while you can.

 

After you receive the email from the RSA and go to choose a Test time it will only give options for 3 days. If neither the times or dates or suitable simply come back the next day and the options will have moved on a day. If you log on early in the morning you will have the best choice available. But don’t worry – If you are good enough to pass the day or time won’t make any difference!

Where do testers bring you on the Ballina test route?

Where is the reverse around the corner done on the Ballina Test Route?

The Tester can bring you anywhere within a 5km radius of the driving test centre. The best way to familiarise yourself with the test route area is to book Pre Test Driving Lessons or to download the Test Routes App.

These are most commonly done in St. Patricks estate but there are other less well known places the tester can bring you. The Test Route App will have a complete updated list of the most common places used.

Where is the turnabout around the corner done on the Ballina Test Route?

How long is the driving test in Ballina? ​

These are most commonly done in St. Patricks Estate but there are other less well known places the tester can bring you. The Test Route App will have a complete updated list of the most common places used.

The driving test is a minimum of 7.5km and 25minutes long. Normally the driving part of the test will take 30-35 minutes.

Can I change the date/time of my driving test in Ballina ?

What is the format of the driving test in Ballina ?

If your test is more than 10 days away you can change the time and date of the test for free. If it is under 10 days you will lose your fee if you need to cancel unless you have covid, in which case you can cancel and reschedule for free.

1: Enter the waiting room 15 minutes before your test starts.
2: Inside the Test Centre answer some questions including 12 Road Signs and 12 questions on the Rules of the Road.
3: Go to the car and do the under bonnet checks
4: Tester will check the insurance disc, tax, NCT, brake lights and indicators.
5: Inside the car do the Technical checks and hand signals.
6: Drive for 30-35 Minutes which includes a reverse around the corner, hill start and turnabout.
7: Return to the Test Centre and after being seated receive the result.

Where is the Hill Start done on the Ballina Driving Test Route?

These are most commonly done in St Patricks Estate  but there are other less well known places the tester can bring you. The Test Route App will have a complete updated list of the most common places used.