Car Test Centre, England

Birmingham (Kingstanding) Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BBirminghamTougher than average

The Birmingham (Kingstanding) driving test centre is located in Birmingham, England. Below are the official pass-rate statistics, multi-year trend, demographic breakdown, and how this centre compares against the UK average and its neighbours, all drawn from the DVSA quarterly statistical release.

By VikasReviewed by VikasMethodologySources
Pass rate (2024-25)
44.6%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
17.9K
2024-25
National rank
#272
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
43.9%
below UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

44.6%passed
failed61.7%

71.5K passed, 115.4K failed, 186.9K total

How Birmingham (Kingstanding) compares

Birmingham (Kingstanding)
44.6%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-4.1 pp

Birmingham (Kingstanding) has a slightly tougher pass rate than the UK average. Routes here may be more demanding than rural centres.

Where Birmingham (Kingstanding) ranks among 323 centres

Top 17%
Birmingham (Kingstanding) sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates
Rank
#272
BestMedianHardest

Pass-rate trend by year

The most common driving test faults nationally

These are the fault types DVSA examiners record most often across all car tests in Great Britain, ranked most to least common. They are a national pattern, not a measurement taken at this centre, but they are the faults worth targeting in practice wherever you sit your test.

  1. 1
    Junctions - observationNot looking properly before pulling out at junctions.
  2. 2
    Mirrors - change directionNot checking mirrors before signalling, changing speed or direction.
  3. 3
    Move off - safelyPulling away without safe control or proper observation.
  4. 4
    Junctions - turning rightPoor positioning or judgement when turning right at junctions.
  5. 5
    Response to signs - traffic lightsMissing or misreading traffic signs, signals or road markings.

This ranking is DVSA national fault data, shown here for context. DVSA does not publish a separate fault breakdown for individual test centres.

Pass rate by demographic

Male vs female pass rate gap 9.0 pp
Male42.9%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female33.9%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults0.7%
576 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
18 to 22 weeks
Very high demand
Weekly capacity
~487
estimated test slots per week
Demand
Very high
among the busiest centres

Booking requires patience: on this estimate, learners booking at Birmingham (Kingstanding) would typically wait around 18 to 22 weeks from booking to test day.

Peak months
June, July, August, September
when UK waits tend to be longest
Best to book
November, December, January, February
when UK waits tend to be shortest

This wait is an estimate modelled from regional demand and this centre's test volume, not a live booking figure. See how it is worked out on our methodology page, and check the DVSA booking service for live slots.

Centre details

Address

205 Birdbrook Road
Kingstanding
Birmingham
B44 9UL
England

Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.

Tests offered at Birmingham (Kingstanding)

  • car

Accessibility & facilities

Wheelchair accessible per DVSA

Parking and toilet details aren't included in DVSA's published feed. For the current on-site facilities, check the DVSA find a driving test centre tool with postcode B44 9UL, or call DVSA Customer Services on 0300 200 1122.

About this test centre

Birmingham (Kingstanding) is one of the DVSA's car test sites in England, located in Birmingham, West Midlands. The choice of routes reflects the local mix of road types rather than any standard national template. If you're cross-checking this pass rate against other sources, the sample size matters. 186.9K tests over 2017-18-2024-25 is large enough that any rounding you see between sites is just rounding, not disagreement on the underlying data.

Birmingham (Kingstanding) runs close to the national curve: 44.6% pass rate, 4.1 points below the UK average of 48.7%. The rank is #272 of 323 car centres. First-attempt figure: 43.9%. UK first-attempt average: 49%. Birmingham (Kingstanding) runs 5.1 points behind, candidates who succeed here on the first try are usually the ones who've driven the local routes specifically.

All figures shown are aggregated from the DVSA quarterly statistical release covering the most recent reporting periods available. Pass-rate calculations exclude tests cancelled by the candidate or examiner. Sample sizes and methodology are described in the source attribution at the foot of this page.

Country
England
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
birmingham-kingstanding

What learners should know about Birmingham (Kingstanding)

  • Centre difficulty is roughly average at Birmingham (Kingstanding). The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
  • 186.9K tests through this centre over the published window. At that throughput, competition for short-notice slots is constant, set up a cancellation alert and check often.
  • Ask any instructor working Birmingham (Kingstanding) about the centre's "usual fails", they'll have two or three specific junctions or manoeuvres in mind. Practise those until they're automatic before your date.
  • If you missed the earlier slots at Birmingham (Kingstanding), the DVSA's official cancellation pool refreshes constantly. Check at off-peak times (early morning, late evening) for better odds.

Other test centres nearby

On the day at Birmingham (Kingstanding)

Arrive at Birmingham (Kingstanding) with about ten minutes to spare and know your parking options in advance, they vary site to site across the DVSA network. The DVSA centre finder maps the centre and its surroundings. With very high demand and waits near 18 to 22 weeks, take any earlier slot the booking service offers rather than holding out. Don't set off without your provisional photocard licence; the test cannot start without it, and your car needs L plates and a working interior mirror. If Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) is fully booked, Birmingham (Kingstanding) is the next closest centre, roughly 2 miles away.

Plan for a drive of roughly 40 minutes, identical in structure to every other DVSA centre. First comes the 20-metre eyesight check and a pair of vehicle-safety questions, one show-me, one tell-me, then the examiner joins you for the road section. About 20 minutes is independent driving by sat nav or by following signs to a named target, you tackle one of four set manoeuvres, and around a third of candidates get an emergency stop. The drive works through whatever mix of urban and outlying roads sits within about a twenty-minute radius, and at a centre this busy that usually means heavier traffic to read. Across DVSA marking nationally, the fault recorded most often on car tests is junctions - observation, worth drilling on the local routes before your date.

You find out there and then, back at Birmingham (Kingstanding). The examiner runs through the faults on the DL25 feedback form and, on a pass, keeps your provisional licence so a full licence follows in the post. Clearing the test means staying under 16 driving faults, that is 15 or fewer, with no serious or dangerous fault; 44.6% of candidates here manage it on the current marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Birmingham (Kingstanding)?
The current pass rate at Birmingham (Kingstanding) driving test centre is 44.6%, calculated from 17.9K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 43.9%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 38.3% (from 186.9K tests).
Is Birmingham (Kingstanding) an easy or hard test centre?
Birmingham (Kingstanding) is ranked #272 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 44.6% compares to a UK average of 48.7%. Much of the spread comes down to route geography: lighter traffic and simpler junctions lift a centre, dense city driving and complex roundabouts pull it down.
How does Birmingham (Kingstanding) compare to the UK average?
Birmingham (Kingstanding)'s pass rate is 4.1 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Birmingham (Kingstanding) has a slightly tougher pass rate than the UK average. Routes here may be more demanding than rural centres.
How many tests are taken at Birmingham (Kingstanding) each year?
Birmingham (Kingstanding) has recorded 186.9K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 71.5K passed and 115.4K failed. The trend chart on this page plots how both volume and pass rate have changed across the recent DVSA reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Birmingham (Kingstanding)?
The closest DVSA test centres to Birmingham (Kingstanding) are Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) (44.1%), Mainstream (Sittingbourne) (69.3%), Birmingham (Garretts Green) (76.2%) and Birmingham (Garretts Green) (66.5%). Of these, Mainstream (Sittingbourne), Birmingham (Garretts Green), Birmingham (Garretts Green) have higher current pass rates than Birmingham (Kingstanding)'s 44.6%. Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) sits lower. You can compare every nearby centre in the "Other test centres nearby" section above, or see them all on the interactive PassRates map.
When is the best time to book a test at Birmingham (Kingstanding)?
Birmingham (Kingstanding) currently sees very high demand with an estimated wait of about 18 to 22 weeks. Across the UK, waits tend to ease in November, December, January, when fewer learners are booking, and peak in June, July, August. If your test date is flexible, aiming for a quieter month can mean a shorter wait and more slot choice. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Birmingham (Kingstanding) and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Birmingham (Kingstanding) as your centre. You will need your provisional licence number and your theory test pass certificate number. To pass, you must finish with no more than 15 driving (minor) faults and zero serious or dangerous faults. Our guides cover how to book step by step and how faults are marked.
How long is the wait for a driving test at Birmingham (Kingstanding)?
The estimated wait at Birmingham (Kingstanding) is about 18 to 22 weeks (very high demand). That range is modelled from regional demand patterns reported in the National Audit Office investigation into car driving test waiting times, the DVSA Despatch blog updates, and this centre's test volume of 186.9K lifetime tests, so treat it as an estimate rather than a live figure. Across the UK, waits peak in June and July and ease in November and December. For live availability, check the official DVSA booking service.
Source

Data: DVSA quarterly statistical release, released under the Open Government Licence v3.0. PassRates.uk aggregates DVSA centre-level totals across reporting periods.

Edited by Vikas. DVSA data period: 2024-25.