Kirkwall Theory Test Centre

Drivers should head north on the A965 towards Kirkwall, following signs for the city centre once you’re close, with parking generally available nearby. Rail is a longer story here: there’s no direct train service to Kirkwall itself, so the nearest station is at Thurso, from where a ferry crosses over to Orkney before you drive or catch a bus the rest of the way into Kirkwall. Bus travellers can take a regional service from cities such as Inverness towards Kirkwall, and once you’ve arrived, local buses or a short walk will get you to the test centre from the town centre.

Because getting to Orkney from further south usually involves a ferry crossing at some point, plan the journey a day ahead where possible rather than assuming a same-day arrival will leave enough margin. Bring your provisional licence for the ID check, and arrive with time to settle before the exam starts. LPOD Academy runs intensive courses that combine theory coaching with concentrated driving lessons, useful for Orkney-based learners who want to limit the number of separate trips needed for lessons, theory revision and testing. Once the theory test is behind you, the next step is a practical test booking, and since 12 May 2026 that has to be made and managed by the candidate directly through DVSA rather than via a driving school, so keep your GOV.UK login safe once the certificate arrives.

Wherever you sit it, the test follows the same format: fifty multiple-choice Highway Code questions needing 43 correct, and a hazard perception section of fourteen clips out of 75, where 44 marks are required to pass. You’ll have the result before leaving, and it holds for two years, which suits Orkney learners who may need to space out driving lessons around ferry-dependent access to instructors. A photocard licence is checked at the desk before the exam starts. LPOD Academy’s revision material is designed to be worked through in advance, since a return trip to Kirkwall purely to retake a missed or failed theory test isn’t something most island learners want to repeat unnecessarily. Given how much of the journey here already depends on ferries and connecting buses, thorough preparation before setting off tends to matter more than it would for a test centre with easier repeat access.

Page reviewed and updated 17 July 2026.