Lee on the Solent Driving Test Centre: Local Knowledge Guide

DriveRoutes is an independent practice aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the DVSA. Examiners no longer publish fixed test routes, the roads named below are the real local network learners practise on, drawn from our route catalogue, not a copy of any examiner route.

Lee on the Solent's practical test centre is at the Richard Sainsbury Building, Daedalus, Argus Gate, Daedalus Drive (PO13 9JY), on the historic Daedalus airfield site on the coast between Gosport and Fareham. The setting gives the centre an unusual mix: open, exposed coastal roads near the seafront, the quieter villages of Stubbington and Titchfield, and faster links reaching towards Fareham and the M27. Our catalogue maps fifteen realistic practice routes from here.

What to expect on test day at Lee on the Solent

A Lee on the Solent test ranges widely. The mapped routes run from roughly 24 km to over 120 km, with the typical 35–40 minute drives balancing left and right turns evenly and threading several named roundabouts. One representative route logs ten left turns and ten right turns across the loop, an even spread that means the examiner sees the full range of your junction work rather than a single bias. Traffic lights feature more here than at some smaller centres, so signalised junctions and box-junction awareness come into play.

Expect the standard format, around 40 minutes of driving, the eyesight check, two "show me, tell me" safety questions, roughly 20 minutes of independent driving following a sat-nav or road signs, and one reversing manoeuvre fitted into a quieter residential street near the Daedalus site or in Stubbington.

The real local roads, roundabouts and landmarks

Every place below comes from the real route network we map around Lee on the Solent.

• Privett Roundabout and St Margarets Roundabout: key junctions on the Gosport-side approaches, concentrating turning traffic, plan your lane and exit early.
• Station Roundabout and Quay Street Roundabout: Fareham-side junctions where town and through-traffic mix.
• Titchfield Gyratory: a multi-arm gyratory near Titchfield that rewards early lane choice and clear reading of the signs.
• Whiteley Way Roundabout: on the northern links towards the M27 and the Whiteley area, where faster traffic and merging matter.
• Stokes Bay Road and the seafront: open coastal roads near Lee where wind, spray and changing visibility can feature.
• Village and residential loops: Stubbington and Titchfield, past landmarks like the Bun Penny, the Cuckoo Pint and Stubbington Baptist Church, where village routes narrow and feed into busier roads.

Notable hazards and how they are tested

The roundabouts and the gyratory are the headline. With several named junctions on the network, lane discipline and reading your exit early are tested repeatedly, and the Titchfield Gyratory in particular rewards planning over reaction. On the faster links towards the M27 and Whiteley, merging and lane choice come into play, with the common faults being hesitating to merge and sitting out in the wrong lane.

The coastal roads add a different challenge. Open seafront stretches near Stokes Bay Road are exposed to wind, spray and sudden changes in visibility, so reading conditions and adjusting speed is part of a clean drive. In Stubbington and Titchfield the marking shifts to village driving: meeting traffic on narrower roads, clearance from parked cars, and observation near the schools (you will pass Stubbington and Titchfield Primary School areas). The even left/right turn split means no single turn type can be neglected.

Pass-rate context

At 58.4% for 2024, Lee on the Solent sits comfortably above the national car pass rate of around 48%, and is one of the more forgiving centres in the wider Portsmouth and Fareham area. The area is less congested than nearby Portsmouth, with well-engineered roundabouts and open roads, which helps, but the figure still rewards solid roundabout discipline and confident driving on the faster links. Do not treat a high pass rate as a reason to relax: examiners mark every missed observation and late signal the same way here as anywhere. Pass rates also vary year to year and with the candidate mix, so use the number as context.

Area driving tips

1. Plan the gyratory. Read the Titchfield signs early, pick your lane in good time, and treat it as a sequence of roundabout decisions.
2. Get a roundabout rhythm. Privett, St Margarets, Station and Quay Street come up across the loops, approach each the same way.
3. Read coastal conditions. Open seafront stretches near Stokes Bay can carry wind and spray, adjust your speed sensibly.
4. Stay sharp despite the high pass rate. Every late signal and missed observation still counts.

How to practise for the Lee on the Solent test

The most effective preparation is to drive Lee on the Solent's real network rather than memorise a route that no longer exists. Start in the quieter Stubbington and Titchfield village roads to settle your observation routine, then build up to the roundabout ring and the Titchfield Gyratory as your confidence grows. Make the gyratory and the faster links towards the M27 deliberate drills, early lane choice and confident merging are where even strong candidates wobble, and rehearse the exposed seafront stretches so coastal conditions never surprise you.

Vary your practice times so the Gosport-side and Fareham-side roundabouts, the gyratory and the village roads are all familiar across different traffic levels. After each run, debrief honestly: note the roundabout exit you cut fine, the lane you chose late on the gyratory, and the junction you approached too fast, then target those next time. With a pass rate well above average, the goal is consistency, turning solid, repeatable driving into a calm performance on the day.