Mon - Sat 8am - 6pm 0330 223 2127
Practical test centre in Barking (Tanner Street)
Barking (Tanner Street) sits in the heart of Barking, East London, a short walk from Barking Station and the busy shopping streets around it. As one of the more built-up test centres in the region, it puts learners straight into dense urban driving: bus lanes, pedestrian crossings, cyclists and constant give-way judgement rather than open road. Candidates who have practised mostly in quieter suburbs often find the sheer volume of traffic here the biggest adjustment, so a few sessions specifically in central Barking traffic are worth the time. The area has changed considerably over the last decade as new housing developments have gone up around the station, adding extra traffic to streets that were originally laid out for a much smaller population.
- 4.9★ Rating (159 Reviews)
- 2,300+ Students Trained
- DVSA-Approved ADI Instructors
- Test Date Support, Not Just Lessons
Practical Test Centre Address
The address is 14 Tanner Street, Barking, Essex, IG11 8HG. There is no parking available at the site, no toilets on site, and disabled access is limited, so plan your journey and any accessibility needs accordingly. Car tests are conducted from this address.
How To Get To Barking (Tanner Street) Test Centre
The simplest way in is by train or tube to Barking Station, then on foot: head southeast on Station Parade past a run of local shops and cafes, continue onto Ripple Road, and Tanner Street is close to the centre of town, with Barking Town Hall and Abbey Green visible on your right as you go. Drivers can follow the A124, which leads directly into Barking and passes near Tanner Street itself, though since there is no parking at the centre, you will need to find a nearby space or use public transport for at least part of the journey. Buses including the 173 and 287 both serve the area regularly, and dedicated cycle lanes make Tanner Street a reasonably practical destination on two wheels as well.
Because there is no on-site parking, many candidates choose to be dropped off or to arrive by public transport, which also means practising the walk from the station is worth doing in advance if you are unfamiliar with the route. Given how dense the local traffic is, the driving itself demands sustained concentration on lane discipline, junction priority and pedestrian awareness rather than any single tricky manoeuvre.
LPOD’s Gold 45 intensive course is aimed at exactly this kind of high-traffic urban test, giving learners enough concentrated hours to build real confidence in busy East London conditions rather than facing it cold on test day. A deposit from £180 reserves your place, scaled up with course length.
Some candidates travel in from further out, including Loughton and Woodford Halse, and LPOD can start lessons from either area so the drive into central Barking becomes part of your normal practice rather than a surprise on test day.
Wherever you test, the format is the same: an eyesight check, two vehicle safety questions, general driving in normal traffic, one manoeuvre, and an emergency stop for around a third of candidates, followed by about twenty minutes of independent driving guided by signs or a sat nav. Fifteen or fewer driving faults, with nothing serious or dangerous, means a pass. Given how built-up the roads around Tanner Street are, independent driving sections here tend to involve frequent junctions and bus lanes rather than long open stretches, so decision-making speed matters more than raw confidence on faster roads.
Whatever route you take, carry your provisional licence and allow extra time given the parking situation. Booking rules changed on 12 May 2026: DVSA now requires the candidate to handle their own practical test booking, so get that account ready well before your course starts. Our guide on getting a cancellation test slot is worth a look if you would rather test sooner than your current date allows. Instructors who regularly teach around Tanner Street are used to the bus lanes and junction density here, and plan lessons to build genuine confidence in that traffic rather than avoiding it until test day.
Page reviewed and updated 17 July 2026.
View All Practical Test Centre Pages Here
Why Book With LPOD Academy?
Can LPOD book my practical test at this centre for me?
No. Since 12 May 2026, only you can book, change or manage your DVSA practical test. LPOD provides test date support instead: centre and timing guidance as standard, plus an optional Test Alerts + Booking Strategy add-on (£50) if you’d like us actively watching for earlier dates and helping you plan around them.
Which course should I choose before my test?
It depends on your experience. Complete beginners usually start with a Gold or Platinum course, while learners who have already had lessons or sat a test before often suit a Silver or Bronze course. Try our course recommendation tool for a personal suggestion.
Are LPOD instructors qualified?
Yes. Every LPOD instructor is a DVSA-approved ADI, paid full market rates, so you get a properly qualified instructor rather than the cheapest bidder.