Near Lee on the Solent test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 6 roundabouts, 18 turns and 5 signalled junctions across 27 navigation steps.
This is an independent 122.4 km practice route near Lee on the Solent test centre, taking roughly 40 min to drive. It is NOT an official DVSA examiner route, the DVSA does not publish those, but it uses the same local roads and junction types an examiner is likely to choose.
Along the way you'll meet Port Way. Knowing the approach, lane and exit at each one before you arrive is the difference between a planned manoeuvre and a last-second reaction, and last-second reactions are where avoidable faults come from.
On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, dual-carriageway joins, national-speed roads, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads and sustained concentration. Driving it a few times before your test builds the muscle memory that frees up attention for observation and decision-making on the day.
The loop is anchored by 20 catalogued landmarks, including schools, churches, shops and pubs, so you can navigate it from recognisable features rather than a memorised turn list. Rehearsing it in this way means that on test day the area already feels familiar, and your attention is free for the traffic rather than the map.
Whatever the route, your practical test follows the same national shape: an eyesight check, a couple of vehicle-safety questions, around forty minutes of general driving, one reversing manoeuvre chosen by the examiner, and roughly twenty minutes of independent driving following signs or a sat-nav. Practising on roads like these is how you make each of those elements feel routine rather than new.
Treat this route as practice, not a script. The value is not in repeating one fixed sequence but in getting comfortable with the road types, speed changes and junction patterns of the area around Lee on the Solent test centre, so that whatever order your examiner chooses on the day, none of it is unfamiliar. Drive it a few times, focus on smooth observation and planning, and it becomes one more stretch of road you already know, which is exactly the kind of preparation that turns nerves into confidence.
If you are practising with a supervising driver rather than an instructor, take it steadily: agree the manoeuvre spots in advance, keep to a comfortable pace, and stop to talk through anything that felt rushed. And remember the basics that apply on every road, mirrors before any change of speed or direction, signals in good time, and a following distance that gives you room to react. Those habits travel with you long after the test is passed.
What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.
This route helps you practise:
Road mix
The full 25-step drive on real, named roads. An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
At end of road, turn left
Chark Lane
At roundabout, 3rd exit, turn right
Broom Way
At traffic lights, turn left
Rowner Rd
Take the 4th left
Carisbrooke Rd
At end of road, turn left
The Parkway
At end of road, turn left
The Parkway
Turn left
The Drive
At roundabout, 2nd exit, go ahead
Rowner Rd
At roundabout, 1st exit, go ahead
Rowner Rd
At roundabout, 2nd exit, go ahead
Rowner Rd
At roundabout, 1st exit, turn left
Fareham Rd
Take the 1st right
Elson Rd
At end of road, turn right
Brighton Avenue
Take the 1st left
Elson Rd
At end of road, turn right
School Lane
At end of road, turn left
Gunners Way
At traffic lights, turn right
Heritage Way
At traffic lights, turn left
A32 Fareham Rd
Take the 1st right
Tichbourne Way
At end of road, turn left
Brading Avenue
At traffic lights, turn right
Carisbrooke Rd
At roundabout, 1st exit, turn left
Rowner Rd
At traffic lights, go ahead
Broom Way
Take the 1st right
Broom Way
At end of road, turn left
Chark Lane
Directions for the Lee on the Solent · Route 9 loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.
These are the real named features along the loop, straight from our route catalogue. Use them to recognise where you are and to anticipate the hazard each one brings, not to memorise a fixed order.
Decide your lane and exit on the approach to each of these, get set up early.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.
Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.
Multiple roundabouts
Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.
Dual-carriageway join
About 9.2 km of this loop is dual carriageway. Build your speed on the slip road, take an effective rearward observation, and merge without forcing other traffic to brake.
Changing speed limits
Limits change across this route (30, 40, 50, 60, 70 mph). Watch for repeater signs and adjust early, examiners mark you down for carrying the wrong speed into a new limit.
Residential streets
Narrow residential roads mean parked cars, pedestrians and reduced visibility. Cover the brake, keep your speed down and be ready to give way.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
CEMAST
Start near CEMAST.
Holy Rood Church
Continue to Holy Rood Church.
Immaculate Conception
Continue to Immaculate Conception.
Asda On The Move
Continue to Asda On The Move.
Carisbrooke Arms
Continue to Carisbrooke Arms.
St Thomas the Apostle
Continue to St Thomas the Apostle.
KFC
Continue to KFC.
Bird in Hand
Continue to Bird in Hand.
Portsmouth Muslim Academy
Continue to Portsmouth Muslim Academy.
Portsmouth Car Ferry terminal
Continue to Portsmouth Car Ferry terminal.
Portsmouth IOW Car Ferry Terminal
Continue to Portsmouth IOW Car Ferry Terminal.
Balti King
Continue to Balti King.
Wightlink Fishbourne Car Ferry terminal
Continue to Wightlink Fishbourne Car Ferry terminal.
Portsmouth Grammar School
Continue to Portsmouth Grammar School.
Wightlink Car Ferry Terminal
Continue to Wightlink Car Ferry Terminal.
Port Way
Continue to Port Way, taking the junction with good observation.
Castle In The Air
Continue to Castle In The Air.
St Columba's United Reformed Church
Continue to St Columba's United Reformed Church.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Manor Hotel
Finish back near Manor Hotel, completing the loop.
3 roundabouts · 20 turns · 5 sets of lights
4 roundabouts · 14 turns · 2 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 13 turns · 1 set of lights
5 roundabouts · 15 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 122.4 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Lee on the Solent test centre, not an official DVSA route.