Test Centre Stats

South East, England · DVSA car test centre

Portsmouth driving test centre

Portsmouth Marriott Hotel, Southampton Road, Portsmouth, PO6 4SH

Tests here: car, ADI part 3.

Waiting times to September 2026 and pass rates for 2025–26, from DVSA statistics published .

Median wait, September 2026

16.1 weeks

−0.3 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

52.8%

+2.8 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

218 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 26th of 32 South East

Weeks to 10% of slots free

19 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Portsmouth in September 2026 had booked it a median of 16.1 weeks earlier: 4.5 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 4.7 weeks longer than the South East figure (11.4 weeks). That's about where it was in September 2025 (16.4 weeks). Over the last 12 months it ranged from 11.7 weeks to 16.1 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 19 weeks to reach a week with at least 10% of its test slots free (Great Britain: 19.7 weeks). Across the whole 24-week window, 23.1% of standard slots were still unbooked (Great Britain: 13.3%).

Waiting time over the last two years

Median weeks between booking a test and taking it, for tests taken each month.

  • Portsmouth
  • South East
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Portsmouth, October 2024 to September 2026Portsmouth: 16.1 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.05101520Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2616.1Weeks05101520Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2616.1Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Portsmouth, October 2024 to September 2026
MonthPortsmouthSouth EastGreat Britain
September 202616.111.411.6
August 202613.011.011.1
July 202613.010.011.1
June 202613.09.610.7
May 202613.18.79.7
April 202611.79.09.1
March 202614.18.49.0
February 202614.110.110.4
January 202614.410.010.1
December 202513.610.710.1
November 202512.010.310.4
October 202515.112.311.6
September 202516.413.312.4
August 202515.413.011.7
July 202513.312.412.0
June 202511.611.311.0
May 202511.411.011.3
April 202511.010.610.6
March 202511.610.910.4
February 202510.011.011.4
January 202514.011.911.0
December 202413.711.010.4
November 202413.310.49.9
October 20249.611.19.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Portsmouth in September 2026, 28.3% had been booked within 7 weeks and 34.9% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Portsmouth
South East
Great Britain

At Portsmouth, 28.3% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 34.9% more than 21 weeks ahead.

Show these figures as a table
How far ahead tests taken in September 2026 were booked
Within 7 weeks7 to 14 weeks14 to 21 weeksOver 21 weeks
Portsmouth28.3%15.1%21.8%34.9%
South East42.5%13.1%14.2%30.2%
Great Britain41.1%14.2%15.2%29.5%

If your test is booked here

Since 9 June 2026 a car test can only be moved to one of the three centres DVSA lists as nearest by road (or back to the centre where you first booked), and you get two changes in total. For a test booked at Portsmouth, those three are below. Of the three, Chichester (3.7 weeks) and Southampton (Maybush) (14.4 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Portsmouth in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Portsmouth can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs PortsmouthPass rate 2025–26
Lee On The Solentabout 7 miles by roadabout 7 mi18.9 weeks+2.8 wk63.2%
Chichesterabout 21 miles by roadabout 21 mi3.7 weeks−12.4 wk61.6%
Southampton (Maybush)about 22 miles by roadabout 22 mi14.4 weeks−1.7 wk50.3%

From DVSA's list of centres you can move your test to, which it says may change. The change service shows your actual options.

Pass rates

In 2025–26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 13,518 car tests were taken here and 52.8% passed, 2.8 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 51.8%, so the rate rose by 1.0 points. First attempts did about the same: 52.9% of 7,293 first-time candidates passed, and 3.6% did it with no faults at all.

  • Portsmouth
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    52.8%2.8 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    52.9%2.4 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    3.6%about the same as Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    53.6%2.8 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    51.9%2.8 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    62.4%1.2 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars22% of tests here were in automatics
    46.1%1.5 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Portsmouth compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasurePortsmouthGreat Britain
All tests52.8%50.0%
First attempts52.9%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults3.6%2.9%
Men53.6%50.8%
Women51.9%49.1%
17-year-olds62.4%63.6%
Automatic cars46.1%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Portsmouth
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Portsmouth by financial yearPass rate at Portsmouth in 2025–26: 52.8%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Portsmouth, 2019–20: 47.2%47Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Portsmouth, 2020–21: 53.3%53Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Portsmouth, 2021–22: 50.4%50Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Portsmouth, 2022–23: 48.2%48Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Portsmouth, 2023–24: 50.3%50Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Portsmouth, 2024–25: 51.8%52Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Portsmouth, 2025–26: 52.8%53Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Portsmouth, 2019–20: 47.2%47Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Portsmouth, 2020–21: 53.3%53Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Portsmouth, 2021–22: 50.4%50Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Portsmouth, 2022–23: 48.2%48Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Portsmouth, 2023–24: 50.3%50Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Portsmouth, 2024–25: 51.8%52Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Portsmouth, 2025–26: 52.8%53Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Portsmouth by financial year
YearPortsmouthGreat Britain
2019–2047.2%45.9%
2020–2153.3%49.8%
2021–2250.4%48.9%
2022–2348.2%48.4%
2023–2450.3%47.9%
2024–2551.8%48.7%
2025–2652.8%50.0%

Years run April to March; ’20 is 2020–21.

By age, 17 to 25 (2025–26)

Candidates aged 17 did best here, at 62.4%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1762.4% of 3,034
  • Age 1856.7% of 1,934
  • Age 1953.4% of 927
  • Age 2053.5% of 634
  • Age 2153.0% of 519
  • Age 2251.5% of 497
  • Age 2355.6% of 428
  • Age 2453.5% of 415
  • Age 2556.7% of 356

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 289 tests at Portsmouth, about 21.4 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (174). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness174
  • Examiner leave114
  • Weather and other acts of nature1

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Portsmouth (Ground Floor Annex, Enterprise House, Isambard Brunel Road, PO1 2RX), 3.3 mi away. In 2025–26, 43.8% of its 16,334 car theory tests were passes, 1.0 points below the Great Britain rate (44.8%). You can sit the theory test at any centre.

Nearby centres

The nearest centre with a shorter wait is Newport (Isle of Wight), 13 mi away, at 7.1 weeks. Within the same list, Lee On The Solent (5.4 mi) had a pass rate of 63.2%. You can book a new test at any centre in Great Britain, but once it's booked a car test can only be moved to the three centres DVSA names for that centre. Distances here are straight-line.

Centres near Portsmouth, with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Lee On The SolentHigher pass rate5.4 mi18.9 weeks63.2%
Newport (Isle of Wight)Shorter wait13 mi7.1 weeks54.1%
ChichesterShorter waitHigher pass rate17 mi3.7 weeks61.6%
Southampton (Maybush)Shorter wait17 mi14.4 weeks50.3%
WinchesterShorter wait18 mi11.3 weeks52.2%
BasingstokeShorter waitHigher pass rate28 mi10.1 weeks56.8%
WorthingShorter waitHigher pass rate30 mi13.7 weeks59.8%
FarnboroughHigher pass rate33 mi19.6 weeks59.7%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Lee On The Solent: 18.9 weeksNewport (Isle of Wight): 7.1 weeksChichester: 3.7 weeksSouthampton (Maybush): 14.4 weeksWinchester: 11.3 weeksBasingstoke: 10.1 weeksWorthing: 13.7 weeksFarnborough: 19.6 weeksPortsmouthPortsmouth

Reading these figures

  • The waiting time is a median for tests taken that month: half of candidates booked closer to their test date, half further ahead. It is not the earliest date you could book today, which can be sooner when tests are cancelled or extra ones are added.
  • DVSA marks figures from April 2025 onwards as provisional; they can be revised at the quarterly update.
  • Pass rates are published once a year; the latest cover April 2025 to March 2026. Waiting times are monthly, to September 2026.
  • The figures cover DVSA car tests only, not tests run by delegated examiners (such as some fleet and emergency service tests).

To book or move a test, use the official services: book your driving test or change your driving test on GOV.UK. DVSA explains when new tests are released. We have no link with DVSA and no access to its booking system.

Sources

DVSA, Driving test and theory test data: cars: tables DRT122F (waiting times), DRT121G (regional and national), DRT122A to DRT122E (pass rates), DRT122B (cancellations) and DRT112A (theory tests). Address and coordinates from GOV.UK's Find a driving test centre. Open Government Licence v3.0. Checked 3 November 2026.