PassRates.uk
Car Test Centre, England

Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) Driving Test Centre

Car, Cat BBirminghamTougher than average

The Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) 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 (2023-24)
44.1%
vs 48.7% UK avg
Tests in period
2.7K
2023-24
National rank
#279
of 323 centres
1st-time pass
41.6%
below UK avg

Pass vs fail at a glance

44.1%passed
failed58.7%

45.7K passed, 64.9K failed, 110.6K total

How Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) compares

Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield)
44.1%
UK national average
48.7%
Difference
-4.6 pp

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

Where Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) ranks among 323 centres

Top 15%
Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) sits in the bottom quarter of car pass rates
Rank
#279
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 9.6 pp
Male46.2%
0%UK avg 49.7%100%
Female36.6%
0%UK avg 44.0%100%
Zero faults0.5%
259 candidates passed without a single recorded fault

Estimated wait time and demand

Estimated wait
18 to 22 weeks
Very high demand
Weekly capacity
~288
estimated test slots per week
Demand
Very high
among the busiest centres

Booking requires patience: on this estimate, learners booking at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) 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 (Sutton Coldfield)

  • 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 (Sutton Coldfield) is in Birmingham, West Midlands and runs DVSA car tests for learners across the local area. The routes are the same fixed set every day; your examiner picks one without telling you which. 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.

Country
England
Test category
Car
DVSA centre ID
birmingham-sutton-coldfield

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 cancellation feed 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

Birmingham (Kingstanding)
186.9K tests, Rank #272
44.6%
Mainstream (Sittingbourne)
4.0K tests, Rank #57
69.3%
Birmingham (Garretts Green)
18.5K tests, Rank #54
76.2%
Birmingham (Garretts Green)
11.2K tests, Rank #155
66.5%
Birmingham (Garretts Green)
22.1K tests, Rank #138
55.3%
Garretts Green LGV
4.6K tests, Rank #151
38.8%
See all centres in Birmingham→Easiest UK centres→Hardest UK centres→Best for first-time pass→Busiest UK centres→

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 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 (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

What is the pass rate at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield)?
The current pass rate at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) driving test centre is 44.1%, calculated from 2.7K tests in 2023-24. The first-time pass rate, candidates passing on their initial attempt, is 41.6%. Across all DVSA reporting periods on record, the lifetime average is 41.3% (from 110.6K tests).
Is Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) an easy or hard test centre?
Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) is ranked #279 of 323 UK car test centres by pass rate, placing it in the bottom quarter of car pass rates nationally. Its pass rate of 44.1% 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 (Sutton Coldfield) compare to the UK average?
Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield)'s pass rate is 4.6 percentage points below the UK national average of 48.7%. Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) 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 (Sutton Coldfield) each year?
Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) has recorded 110.6K tests in the available DVSA data, of which 45.7K passed and 64.9K failed. The yearly trend chart on this page shows how volume and pass rate have moved across recent reporting periods.
Which driving test centres are near Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield)?
The closest DVSA test centres to Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) are Birmingham (Kingstanding) (44.6%), Mainstream (Sittingbourne) (69.3%), Birmingham (Garretts Green) (76.2%) and Birmingham (Garretts Green) (66.5%). Of these, Birmingham (Kingstanding), Mainstream (Sittingbourne), Birmingham (Garretts Green), Birmingham (Garretts Green) have higher current pass rates than Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield)'s 44.1%. 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 (Sutton Coldfield)?
Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) 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. Where you can be flexible on dates, targeting one of the quieter months tends to bring a shorter wait and a wider choice of slots. Always confirm live availability on the DVSA booking service.
How do I book a test at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) and what do I need?
Book your practical test through the official DVSA service at gov.uk/book-driving-test, then choose Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) 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 (Sutton Coldfield)?
The estimated wait at Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) 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 110.6K 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: 2023-24.