PassRates.uk
Car Test Centre, England

Birmingham (South Yardley) Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BBirminghamTougher than average

The Birmingham (South Yardley) 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)
41.6%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
12.7K
2024-25
National rank
#296
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
39.4%
below UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

41.6%passed
failed63.5%

57.1K passed, 99.4K failed, 156.5K total

How Birmingham (South Yardley) compares

Birmingham (South Yardley)
41.6%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-7.1 pp

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

Where Birmingham (South Yardley) ranks among 323 centres

Top 9%
Birmingham (South Yardley) sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates
Rank
#296
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 10.8 pp
Male41.9%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female31.1%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults0.5%
250 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
18 to 22 weeks
Very high demand
Weekly capacity
~408
estimated test slots per week
Demand
Very high
among the busiest centres

Booking requires patience: on this estimate, learners booking at Birmingham (South Yardley) 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

These figures are an estimate, not live data. We model them from published demand reports and this centre's test volume; the method is on our methodology page. Check the DVSA booking service for current 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 (South Yardley)

  • 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 (South Yardley) is the DVSA car test centre in Birmingham, West Midlands. Examiners use a small set of fixed routes built around the roads immediately surrounding the centre. Birmingham (South Yardley) runs at high cadence: 156.5K tests across 2017-18-2024-25 put it among the busier DVSA centres in the country. The headline numbers carry weight because the sample carries weight.

Rank: #296 of 323. Pass rate: 41.6%. UK average: 48.7%. That's a bottom quartile centre by the DVSA's own published figures. First-attempt pass rate at Birmingham (South Yardley): 39.4%, against 49% nationally. That's 9.6 points below the UK average. Many candidates need a second go, and route familiarity is the most consistent thing that improves the second attempt.

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-south-yardley

What learners should know about Birmingham (South Yardley)

  • Birmingham (South Yardley) is in the lower tier of pass rates nationally. That isn't an indictment of the examiners, it reflects road layout, traffic density, and route mix. Prepare specifically for the centre, not generically.
  • First-time pass rate at Birmingham (South Yardley) is 39.4%, low enough that a meaningful share of candidates retake. If this is your first booking, take a mock on the actual test routes before the date.
  • Birmingham (South Yardley) is a high-volume centre. Booking pressure is real, check the DVSA cancellation feed daily for earlier slots rather than relying on the headline available date.
  • Practising the test routes is the single thing that most reliably moves a candidate's pass odds. Most ADI instructors in Birmingham will have a working knowledge of which routes Birmingham (South Yardley) uses.
  • Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Birmingham (South Yardley). Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.

Other test centres nearby

Garretts Green LGV
4.6K tests, Rank #151
38.8%
Birmingham (Garretts Green)
179.2K tests, Rank #295
42%
Birmingham (Shirley)
91.7K tests, Rank #71
58.1%
Mainstream (Sittingbourne)
4.0K tests, Rank #57
69.3%
Birmingham (Kings Heath)
125.4K tests, Rank #237
47%
Birmingham (Garretts Green)
18.5K tests, Rank #54
76.2%
See all centres in Birmingham→Easiest UK centres→Hardest UK centres→Best for first-time pass→Busiest UK centres→

On the day at Birmingham (South Yardley)

Aim to be at Birmingham (South Yardley) ten minutes early. Because parking and waiting facilities are not the same at every DVSA centre, check the approach on the DVSA centre finder before the day. Demand is very high and the modelled wait is close to 18 to 22 weeks, so an early booking and a cancellation alert are both worth setting up. The examiner needs to see your provisional photocard licence to begin, and the car you bring must be roadworthy, fitted with L plates and a working interior mirror. If Garretts Green LGV is fully booked, Birmingham (South Yardley) is the next closest centre, roughly 2 miles away.

The practical lasts about 40 minutes and uses the standard DVSA format nationwide. After an eyesight check at 20 metres and one show-me and one tell-me question, the examiner sits in for the drive. Roughly 20 minutes of that is independent driving, either following a sat nav set by the examiner or following road signs, and you will complete one of four set manoeuvres; about one in three tests includes 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 will know the result before you leave Birmingham (South Yardley). The examiner explains the faults marked on your DL25 feedback form and, if you have passed, takes the provisional licence so a full one can be posted out. The pass standard is fixed nationally, 15 driving faults maximum and zero serious or dangerous faults, and 41.6% of candidates here meet it under current DVSA marking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass rate at Birmingham (South Yardley)?
The current pass rate at Birmingham (South Yardley) driving test centre is 41.6%, calculated from 12.7K tests in 2024-25. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 39.4%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 36.5% (from 156.5K tests).
Is Birmingham (South Yardley) an easy or hard test centre?
Birmingham (South Yardley) is ranked #296 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 41.6% 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 (South Yardley) compare to the UK average?
Birmingham (South Yardley)'s pass rate is 7.1 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Birmingham (South Yardley) 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 (South Yardley) each year?
Birmingham (South Yardley) has recorded 156.5K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 57.1K passed and 99.4K 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 (South Yardley)?
The closest DVSA test centres to Birmingham (South Yardley) are Garretts Green LGV (38.8%), Birmingham (Garretts Green) (42%), Birmingham (Shirley) (58.1%) and Mainstream (Sittingbourne) (69.3%). Of these, Birmingham (Garretts Green), Birmingham (Shirley), Mainstream (Sittingbourne) have higher current pass rates than Birmingham (South Yardley)'s 41.6%. Garretts Green LGV 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 (South Yardley)?
Birmingham (South Yardley) 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 (South Yardley) and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Birmingham (South Yardley) 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 (South Yardley)?
The estimated wait at Birmingham (South Yardley) 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 156.5K 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.