Portsmouth

How To Get There

Learners in Portsmouth are looking at a 20 minute journey following the M27 or A3, turning onto the B2177 towards James Callaghan Drive. If you’re not so perfectly located, the nearby A3(M) or A27 will get you on the right path soon enough. If it’s your first trip to Portsmouth test centre, we’d recommend you use these directions.

A Bit More About Portsmouth

If you’re keen to become a qualified driver in the Portsmouth area, be prepared to face a variety of difficult traffic conditions and road types. Whilst the driving examiner isn’t looking to fail you, they are trying to make sure you’re actually ready to ditch the L plates. As such, they’ll try to pit you against all of the challenges Portsmouth has to offer. With a mix of residential roads and busier, congested areas the closer you get to local motorways like the M27, you’ll need to be comfortable with moving through different speed limits.

Want to get more familiar with Portsmouth? Read up on the resources below!

• National Rail
• Bus
• Council
• BBC Weather
• More about Portsmouth

Portsmouth Test Route

Spent a few hours trawling the Internet for Portsmouth test routes? There’s a reason your search has come up short—the DVSA doesn’t publish test routes. Shocking, right? Whilst we can’t tell you which exact roads will feature on your test, you can still get a vague idea by watching videos of Portsmouth test routes on YouTube or downloading our sample Portsmouth driving test routes. You’ll likely recognise most of the roads by the time your driving test rolls on by, as a result of your driving lessons in the local area.

Portsmouth Test Pass Rates

Enjoy reading up on the odd statistic here and there? Us too! That’s why we make an effort to compile the most interesting driving test pass rates around—from manual vs automatic pass rates to the average number of attempts it takes to pass the test, we’ve got it all! On a broader scale, learners in the UK have a 45.9% chance of passing the test. If you’re taking the plunge at Portsmouth test centre, check out pass rates from the last five years below…

As you can see, pass rates at Portsmouth test centre have coasted just below the national average in the last five years. Whilst this might seem disappointing to hear, we wouldn’t change test centres just yet. Even if Portsmouth’s pass rates reached 90%, it wouldn’t mean that you’d definitely pass your test. You need to work hard, listen to your instructor’s feedback during lessons and make sure you know exactly what will happen in your driving test.

What If I Can’t Go To Portsmouth?

Don’t panic too much if you’ve decided that Portsmouth test centre is no longer an option for you, or if you’re simply looking for another test centre to put down as a backup. You’ve still got plenty to choose from in the Hampshire area. The centres closest to Portsmouth are Lee on the Solent and Southampton Forest Hills.

What To Expect On The Day

After what probably seems like years getting to grips with the intricacies of learning to drive, your test day is finally upon you. Though it can be easy to crumble under the pressure of having your driving ability determined by 40 minutes with an examiner, try to stay positive. In fact, just think of the test as another driving lesson.

On the day of your driving test, make sure you put your provisional driving licence in your pocket or wallet—forgetting it will result in your test being cancelled. Though your instructor will already be familiar with the entire process, it’s worth mentioning here that you need to get to the test centre 10 minutes before your practical begins. Your test will then involve:

• An eyesight test, where you’ll need to read a number plate from a distance of 20 metres
• Two “show me, tell me” questions covering vehicle safety and maintenance
• Twenty minutes of general driving, where you’ll be guided by the examiner, and will also need to perform one of the following manoeuvres:
  • Parallel parking
  • Bay parking
  • Pulling up on the right
• Twenty minutes of independent driving, during which you’ll either follow sat nav directions or sign posts to reach a set destination

You can finally take a sigh of relief once you park back up at Portsmouth test centre—your driving test is finally at an end. The driving examiner will take a few minutes here to tot up your driving test faults—unless you’re a member of the zero minors club—before telling you their final verdict. Regardless of the result, you’ll receive a physical feedback sheet or an electronic one via the driving test app.

But What If I Fail?

There are countless reasons as to why you might end up failing your test. Despite what you might have heard, however, this is completely normal for learner drivers. Failing your test isn’t something you should be ashamed of. Instead of focusing on the fact that you failed, you should look at why you failed. If it was due to test day nerves, your next attempt won’t be half as bad now that you know what will be expected of you. If it was due to a weakness in a certain area, such as tricky junctions, you know you need to work with your instructor before you go in again.

Ready to get going again? Wave goodbye to long waiting times and book a fast-track practical test with PassMeFast. Get started today by giving us a call on 0333 123 4949 or contact us online.

Improve Your Chances With PassMeFast

There’s a reason that so many learner drivers nowadays are moving away from traditional hourly driving lessons towards intensive courses—it’s because they work. Whilst hourly lessons can lengthen the learning process by months, or even years, intensive courses take you from beginner to expert in mere weeks. So, if you’ve got a need for speed, PassMeFast’s intensive courses are the way to go. Of course, if you’re looking for something slightly more relaxed, we also offer semi-intensive courses.

If you’re finally ready to become a qualified driver in Portsmouth, take a look at our course prices page to get a better idea of what we offer. As soon as you’re ready, you can book your course online, or give us a call on 0333 123 4949.