Listed in the official practical test centre dataset when last checked. Opening hours may change. Check the official office page before travelling.
DVSA will make arrangements for you at this test centre if you have a disability.
Eastbourne follows the standard DVSA format for car driving tests. Practise observing traffic, managing speed, choosing a safe road position and driving independently on a range of roads.
The published address is 1 Coastguard Cottages, 84 Wartling Road, Eastbourne, BN22 7PT. Before you travel, check the map, your booking confirmation and any instructions on where to report. Check whether parking is available for candidates.
Local access, parking, and reception arrangements can change. Follow current signs and official appointment instructions when you arrive.
Treat these as preparation themes, not published test routes. Change the direction, timing, and traffic conditions with your instructor so you practise reading the road.
Make moving off, stopping, steering, speed changes, and safe clearance feel routine enough that your attention stays on the road around you.
Vary the junctions and roundabouts you practise. Look early, judge gaps without pressure, and choose the correct lane before the decision becomes rushed.
Follow traffic signs or directions from a sat nav. If you miss a turn, keep driving safely and avoid sudden changes in direction.
Practise on suitable local roads, including residential streets, urban and rural roads, and roads with higher speed limits. Build the skills to adapt to unfamiliar routes.
Read a number plate from 20 metres away, or from 20.5 metres if the plate uses the older format. Before you drive, answer a ‘tell me’ question about vehicle safety.
GOV.UK says the driving portion lasts around 35 minutes. You drive in varied road and traffic conditions while the examiner assesses observation, control, and safe decisions.
Follow a sat nav, traffic signs, or both for 20 to 35 minutes. A wrong turn is not a fault if you continue safely.
Complete one reversing exercise and answer a “show me” question while driving. You might also be asked for an emergency stop.
DVSA does not publish routes used in driving tests. If you take a wrong turn during independent driving, the examiner will help you get back on route. The turn itself does not count as a fault. Practise on a variety of local roads to build confidence in unfamiliar conditions.
Bring your physical UK driving licence and your theory test pass certificate if you have it.
Use a suitable car. Most learners use their instructor’s car. If you bring your own, check that it meets the DVSA rules.
Recheck the appointment time, published address, route to the centre, and any instructions in your confirmation.
Allow extra time for travel and follow any arrival instructions in your booking confirmation.
Official guidance: what happens during the car test, what to take to a car test, book or manage a practical test and driving test faults and results. Always recheck the official requirements before the appointment.
In 2025/26, 3,342 of 6,031 car driving tests at Eastbourne resulted in a pass. The pass rate was 55.4%. The national average was 50.0%. Eastbourne ranked 110th out of 317 car test centres in Great Britain. The rate is 3.3 percentage points higher than the 52.1% recorded in 2024/25.
Among the 6 nearest driving test centres with published figures, Tunbridge Wells has the highest pass rate at 64.5% and Crawley the lowest at 42.7%. 3 of those 6 pass more candidates than Eastbourne.
Source: DVSA table DRT122A, financial years 2025/26 and 2024/25. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
DVSA reports a median wait of 13.7 weeks for a car driving test at Eastbourne, 1.7 weeks longer than a year earlier. 106 of 1,742 appointment slots in the current booking window are still open. Figures are for July 2026.
08/25 to 07/26 · Median wait in weeks
Monthly median waits ranged from 6.7 to 13.7 weeks. Each point shows the monthly median published by DVSA. Current appointment availability can vary.
The longest wait for a driving test at Eastbourne in this period was 13.7 weeks in July 2026, and the shortest was 6.7 weeks in November 2025. DVSA measures this as the median wait across appointments booked at the test centre, so it moves as examiner capacity and demand change.
Source: DVSA table DRT122F, published 12 August 2026.
Eastbourne does not run that test. The nearest theory test centre is a separate site of the same name, 1 mile away.
The closest is Hastings (Ore), 14.4 miles from Eastbourne. The furthest is 34.2 miles away. None is within 10 miles, so Eastbourne is the only practical test centre in its immediate area.
Distances are measured directly between locations. Driving distances can vary.