Practical test centre in Hexham

Gilesgate sits close to Hexham town centre, and the A69 is the road most drivers already know, connecting Newcastle to Carlisle and running conveniently past Hexham on the way through the Tyne Valley. Regular train services from Newcastle also stop at Hexham station, a short walk from the centre and a scenic route through the valley in its own right, while Go North East buses cover the town and surrounding villages if you’d rather not drive. With no parking provided at Hexham House itself, check the nearby car parks, Wentworth car park among them, before your appointment, particularly if you’re combining the visit with a look around Hexham Abbey or the Market Place while you’re in town.

The theory test itself has two parts: a multiple-choice section covering the Highway Code and general road knowledge, and a hazard perception section using video clips, where you identify developing hazards as they appear. Both need to be passed together, and neither part relies on knowledge of Hexham specifically, so preparation is largely about working through the official question bank and practising hazard perception clips rather than anything location-specific.

Passing the theory test is a prerequisite for booking a practical test, and it’s worth having this out of the way before an intensive practical course begins, since your instructor will want your theory pass certificate number to book the practical test towards the end of the course. LPOD Academy’s intensive courses, from the Bronze 10 through to the Gold 35, are typically booked once a learner already holds a theory pass, so lesson time isn’t lost waiting on that step.

The DVSA’s own theory test fee is £23, payable when you book online, and it’s worth booking directly through the official GOV.UK service rather than a third-party site that charges more for the same appointment. From 12 May 2026, practical test bookings must be made and managed by the candidate directly too, so once you’ve passed your theory test, set up your DVSA account ready for the next stage. Our guide to theory test costs and how to pay covers the booking process and what the fee actually includes in more detail.

Because the theory test doesn’t involve any driving, preparation here is less about mock tests and more about working consistently through practice question banks and hazard perception clips in the days before the appointment, rather than cramming the night before. Learners who space that revision out over a week or two, going over the Highway Code sections they find hardest more than once, tend to retain the material far better than those who try to absorb all of it in one long sitting close to the exam.

On the day, bring your provisional licence, since the centre cannot let you sit the test without valid photo ID, and allow time to find parking nearby given none is available on site.

Page reviewed and updated 17 July 2026.