Nelson Route 5

Nelson Route 5 covers the roads, junctions and manoeuvres around Nelson that learners commonly meet on test day. Examiners choose the exact route on the day, so there's no single official list — but practising the local roads you're most likely to be sent down is one of the best ways to prepare and to settle test-day nerves.

Nelson Route 5 is rated moderate (3/5). It's a balanced route — comfortable once you've got the basics, with enough variety to keep you on your toes.

It's about 12.8 km and takes roughly 33 min at a steady test pace. Leave a little extra for traffic and lights, and plan to drive it more than once — most learners find the route clicks into place by the second or third run.

Nelson Route 5 is based around Nelson — the same neighbourhood your test sets off from. Starting from there lets you practise the first few turns exactly as you'll meet them on the day.

Open Nelson Route 5 in the Driving Routes app for hands-free, voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation with CarPlay and Android Auto, so a learner driver can keep their eyes on the road while an instructor or supervising driver focuses on coaching.