East Sussex · London & the South East
Eastbourne driving test centre
55.4% of car practical tests taken at Eastbourne passed in 2025-26, from 6,031 tests. Pass rates, local road types and how we prepare you for this centre.
Eastbourne pass rates
Pass rate 2025-26
55.4%
3,342 passes
National average
50%
+5.4 points here
Tests conducted
6,031
about 503 a month
Best published year
55.4%
2025-26
6,031 car practical tests were taken at Eastbourne in 2025-26. 55.4% passed, 5.4 percentage points above the national average of 50%. It is up on 2019-20, when 51.7% passed.
Over the published years the rate has moved between 48.1% in 2023-24 and 55.4% in 2025-26, so a single year's figure is a weak guide on its own. That works out at roughly 503 tests a month, which is what waiting times at Eastbourne depend on more than the pass rate does.
- Eastbourne
- National average
| Year | Tests | Passes | Pass rate | National | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 6,031 | 3,342 | 55.4% | 50% | 54.8% | 56.2% |
| 2024-25 | 5,609 | 2,925 | 52.1% | 48.7% | 53.3% | 50.6% |
| 2023-24 | 6,917 | 3,327 | 48.1% | 47.9% | 48.4% | 47.7% |
| 2022-23 | 5,877 | 3,066 | 52.2% | 48.4% | 54.2% | 49.7% |
| 2021-22 | 6,220 | 3,398 | 54.6% | 48.9% | 56.6% | 52.6% |
| 2019-20 | 4,190 | 2,166 | 51.7% | 45.9% | 54% | 49.6% |
Source: DVSA table DRT122A, car practical driving test pass rates by test centre, published on GOV.UK. Figures are financial years running April to March.
Where Eastbourne test centre is
Arrive ten minutes early and park where you can pull out easily. The waiting room is small at most centres, so your instructor will normally wait in the car park while you take the test.
Driving out of Eastbourne
Routes out of Eastbourne use the roads around the centre: bypass slip roads, mini-roundabouts and older residential terraces. Each of them is marked differently, which is why the last few hours of tuition are worked around the centre.
Mini-roundabouts are the usual stumbling block — they still need proper observation and signalling. Sat-nav sections usually run on the wider through-routes rather than the back streets. Learners across London & the South East often book here without practising locally first — the road types above are the gap to close.
Eastbourne takes candidates from across East Sussex, so plenty arrive having learned on a different road mix. That usually shows in the first five minutes of the drive.
A marked mock test on these roads is the most useful thing you can do in the week before your slot.
Roads you are likely to meet
Bypass slip roads
Mini-roundabouts
Older residential terraces
- Mini-roundabouts are the usual stumbling block — they still need proper observation and signalling.
- Sat-nav sections usually run on the wider through-routes rather than the back streets.
- Learners across London & the South East often book here without practising locally first — the road types above are the gap to close.
Test routes are no longer published by the DVSA, and examiners vary them. Treat this as a guide to the local road types rather than a route list. Book your test and check availability on GOV.UK.
Where marks are lost at Eastbourne
Merging with faster traffic
Emerging too slowly forces other drivers to react, and that is marked. Use the full length of the slip road and match the flow before you merge.
Reading roundabouts early
Examiners watch the approach more than the exit. Speed reduced in good time, correct lane held throughout, signal timed to the exit before yours.
Meeting traffic and clearance
Whose priority it is, how much room you leave for parked cars, and whether you wait in a safe place — all marked closely on these streets.
How we prepare you for this centre
Local route practice
The last hours of your course are spent on bypass slip roads and mini-roundabouts near the centre, because that is what the examiner will put you on.
One rehearsal, examiner-style
Marked the way an examiner marks it, on a Eastbourne route, with a written debrief of every fault.
All four manoeuvres
Every manoeuvre practised with traffic present, because that is the version that appears on the day.
Test-day rehearsal
Licence and theory certificate checked, show me / tell me covered, and the sat-nav section practised before the day.
Courses that suit test-centre prep
Eastbourne test centre FAQs
What are the test routes like at Eastbourne?
The DVSA stopped publishing official routes, and examiners vary them. In practice, routes from Eastbourne draw on bypass slip roads, mini-roundabouts, older residential terraces, so those are the conditions to rehearse rather than a fixed sequence of streets.
What do learners most often fail on at Eastbourne?
merging with faster traffic, reading roundabouts early, meeting traffic and clearance — all of which come directly from the road types on the local network.
Can I take an intensive course and test at Eastbourne?
Yes. We match you with a DVSA approved instructor who teaches on these roads day to day, and we look for the earliest practical slot at Eastbourne.
How do I book a practical test at Eastbourne?
Practical tests are booked through GOV.UK with your provisional licence and theory certificate numbers. We can check cancellations for you once your course dates are set.
What happens when I get to Eastbourne?
Arrive with your provisional licence and a car that is legal, insured for the test and has no warning lights showing. We handle that side if you use one of our instructors' cars.
Is Eastbourne an easy test centre?
Pass rates are published by the DVSA, but they say more about the mix of candidates than the difficulty of the routes. Practising the road types above will move your odds more than switching centres.
Not sure how many hours you need?
Answer four quick questions and we will recommend a course based on your experience, not a sales target.