Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) Driving Test Centre
Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) posts a 44.1% pass rate, with Birmingham (Kingstanding) the nearest alternative about 2 miles away. Read on for its full DVSA history, first-time pass rate, waiting time and demographic breakdown.
DVSA data last updated July 2026
Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally (Bottom 14%, rank #279 of 323). The strongest car alternative nearby is Birmingham (Shirley), about 9.9 miles away.
Pass vs fail at a glance
All-time 45.7K passed, 64.9K failed, 110.6K total
How Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) compares
Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) gives up 4.6 points to the national average and is ranked 279 of 323 in its category; treat that as a route-difficulty signal, not a verdict on your chances.
Where Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) ranks among 323 centres
Pass-rate trend by year
Since 2016-17 the rate at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) has risen from 37.9% to 44.1%, a 6.2-point gain, peaking at 44.1% in 2023-24.
Pass rate by demographic
Waiting time at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield)
The headline figure for reaching 10% availability is 12.6 weeks, but the typical (median) learner who took their test at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) in May 2026 had waited 15.1 weeks from booking to test day.
Official DVSA data, May 2026. The median is the time between booking and taking the test; for live availability use the DVSA booking service.
Centre details
Address
Source: DVSA find a driving test centre (Open Government Licence v3.0), captured 2026-05-12.
Tests offered at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield)
- car
Accessibility & facilities
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 (Sutton Coldfield) is in Birmingham, West Midlands and runs DVSA car tests for learners across the local area. Your examiner picks the route on the day without telling you which, and the DVSA does not publish them. 110.6K tests over 2016-17-2023-24. That's enough volume that the headline pass rate here moves slowly, a single bad quarter shifts it by a fraction of a percentage point rather than visibly.
Out of 323 UK car test centres, Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) ranks 279, which lands it in the bottom quarter nationally. The 44.1% pass rate is 4.6 points below the UK figure of 48.7%. Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) is one of the tougher venues for a first attempt. The DVSA reports 41.6% first-time pass against a UK average of 49%, 7.4 points down on the national figure.
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.
What learners should know about Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield)
- Centre difficulty is roughly average at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield). The same fault categories that fail candidates nationally (junctions, mirrors, observation) are what fail candidates here, in similar proportions.
- Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) is a high-volume centre. Booking pressure is real, check the DVSA booking service daily for earlier slots rather than relying on the headline available date.
- Ask any instructor working Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) 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.
- Don't pay third-party sites for booking access at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield). Use gov.uk/book-driving-test directly; cancellations show up on the same booking flow.
Other test centres nearby
On the day at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield)
Ten minutes early is the right target at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield). Parking differs between DVSA centres, so it pays to scout the route on the DVSA centre finder the day before. This centre sees very high demand, modelled at roughly 18 to 22 weeks to a slot; booking well ahead and watching for cancellations both help. Bring the provisional photocard licence, the examiner checks for it first, and make sure your car is roadworthy with L plates and a working interior mirror. If Birmingham (Kingstanding) is fully booked, Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) 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 seven tests includes an emergency stop, a frequency the DVSA reduced in late 2025. 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 (Sutton Coldfield). 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 44.1% of candidates here meet it under current DVSA marking.
Frequently asked questions
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Data: DVSA quarterly statistical release, released under the Open Government Licence v3.0. PassRates.uk aggregates DVSA centre-level totals across reporting periods.
DVSA data period: 2023-24.