Birmingham driving test
Birmingham's test centres ring the city rather than sitting in it, and between them they test more candidates than most UK regions. The roads are built for traffic: multi-lane islands (what Birmingham calls roundabouts), long dual carriageways and the Outer Circle that links several of the centres. Lane choice on approach is where most local tests are won or lost.
- 56.6%🏆 Birmingham (Shirley)
- 3.1 wks⏱ Birmingham (Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre)
- 13.8 ptsbest to worst
Driving test centres in and around Birmingham
- 1Birmingham (Shirley)Solihull · B90 4AA56.6%Wait 16.2 wks
- 2Birmingham (Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre)Birmingham · B14 6ER53.5%Wait 3.1 wks
- 3Birmingham (Kingstanding)Birmingham · B44 9UL48.5%Wait 23 wks
- 4Birmingham (Kings Heath)Birmingham · B14 5JA46.8%Wait 11.7 wks
- 5Birmingham (Garretts Green)Birmingham · B33 0SD44.4%Wait 7 wks
- 6Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield)Sutton Coldfield · B73 5UB44.1%Wait 15.1 wks
- 7Birmingham (South Yardley)South Yardley · B26 1EA42.8%Wait 10 wks
Birmingham roads to know before your test
🛣 A4040 Outer Circle
The ring road the No. 11 bus follows. Passes close to Kings Heath and South Yardley with frequent lights and bus stops.
🛣 A45 Coventry Road
The main road near Garretts Green and South Yardley. Wide, busy, with right turns across two lanes of oncoming traffic.
🛣 A34 Stratford Road
Shirley's main road: shops, bus stops, pedestrian crossings and a lot of stop-start traffic.
🛣 Multi-lane islands
Big roundabouts with lane markings on the approach and on the circle. Pick the lane by the arrows, not by habit.
Local tips for a Birmingham test
- The Clean Air Zone covers the city centre inside the A4540 Middleway ring road. No test centre is inside it, but if you drive in for a lesson in a non-compliant car, the daily charge applies.
- Read the lane arrows painted on the approach to every island. Late lane changes on the circle are a common serious fault.
- Many routes include a dual carriageway at 40 or 50 mph. Get up to the limit on the slip road; joining too slowly is marked as well as joining too fast.
Practise what Birmingham throws at you
Birmingham driving test FAQ
What is the driving test pass rate in Birmingham?
47% across the 7 test centres in and around Birmingham in 2025/26, weighted by the number of tests each one conducts. The Great Britain average is 50%.
Which test centre near Birmingham has the highest pass rate?
Birmingham (Shirley), at 56.6%. The lowest is Birmingham (South Yardley) at 42.8%, a gap of 13.8 points.
Which test centre near Birmingham has the shortest wait?
Birmingham (Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre). Candidates tested there in August 2026 had booked a median of 3.1 weeks earlier.
Can I practise the Birmingham driving test routes?
Yes. PassRank has 35 practice routes around 7 test centres serving Birmingham that you can drive in 3D on your phone or computer. They are generated from the roads near each centre, not DVSA's own routes, which DVSA does not publish.
How many driving test centres are there in Birmingham?
Seven car test centres carry the Birmingham name: Garretts Green, Kings Heath, Kingstanding, South Yardley, Shirley, Sutton Coldfield and Cocks Moors Woods. Wednesbury is the nearest in the Black Country.
Why do people say island instead of roundabout in Birmingham?
It is local usage for the same thing. On test the examiner may say either. The rules and the lane markings are the same as any other roundabout.
Does Birmingham's Clean Air Zone affect my test?
Not directly. The zone is inside the A4540 Middleway and no test centre sits in it, so test routes do not cross it.
Get ready for test day
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Pass rates are DVSA figures for 2025/26; waits are for August 2026. Practice routes are generated from the road network around each centre. DVSA does not publish test routes, and your examiner may take a different one.