Lee On The Solent driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Lee On The Solent's pass rate has been above Britain's pass rate every year since 2008, the first year DVSA has figures for it.
Quick answers
- Where is it? The Richard Sainsbury Building, Daedalus Argus Gate, Daedalus Drive, Lee on the Solent, Hampshire, PO13 9JY. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 63% overall (manual 67%, automatic 53%), compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 4½ months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Easier than most. Only 13 of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a higher pass rate.
- What's nearby? Portsmouth is the closest, 15 minutes away. Its pass rate is 53% and its typical wait about 3½ months.
Waiting times
Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 3½ months, down from about 4½ months in the 12 months before.
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 1½ months.
| Year | Lee On The Solent | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1½ months | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 2½ months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 1½ months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 3½ months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 4 months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 3½ months | 2½ months |
2019 starts in May and 2026 runs to September.
See how waits have changed across Britain in our report on driving test waiting times.
Other test centres nearby
Portsmouth is the only other centre within half an hour's drive. Its pass rate is lower than Lee On The Solent's, and its wait shorter.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Portsmouth 7 miles by road | 15 minutes | 52.8% | 54.7% | 46.1% | 3½ months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Lee On The Solent's pass rate was 63%, compared with 50% across Great Britain.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 53%, compared with 67%. That gap is wider than at most centres. Only 25 of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests had a higher automatic pass rate. 29% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Men had a higher pass rate than women here: 64%, compared with 62%. That's a similar gap to Great Britain's, where men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| 2025 to 2026 | 8,502 | 63.2% | 67.3% | 53.1% | 14th of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 10,409 | 59.6% | 62.4% | 50.5% | 24th of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 12,557 | 57.5% | 60.1% | 47.4% | 33rd of 277 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 9,332 | 62.1% | 63.6% | 54.2% | 8th of 271 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 7,137 | 65.6% | 67.4% | 53.5% | 6th of 280 |
Each year runs from April to March.
Compare every centre in our report on driving test pass rates.
Before your test
In the weeks before your test, ask your instructor to take you round the roads near the centre, and practise the faults learners make most often. If you're still looking for an instructor, see who teaches in Fareham.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Lee On The Solent?
53% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.
How can I get a test sooner at Lee On The Solent?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there. Or book a centre nearby: Portsmouth, 15 minutes away, had a typical wait of about 3½ months.
How busy is Lee On The Solent test centre?
It ran 8,502 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. That's around the middle for Britain's test centres.
Can I move my test from Lee On The Solent to another centre?
Yes. You can move it to any centre with a free date, on gov.uk. Before you do, check your instructor can take you there, and bear in mind it's harder to pass on roads you don't know. The closest other centre is Portsmouth, about 15 minutes away by road.
Figures from DVSA: pass rates for the 12 months to March 2026, waits for September 2026, published 14 October 2026. Driving times by road, from OpenRouteService. How we worked these out.