Birmingham South Yardley driving test centre
The pass rate, how long you'll wait for a test, and the other centres nearby.
Birmingham South Yardley's pass rate is the highest it has been since DVSA's figures began in 2007.
Quick answers
- Where is it? Clay Lane, South Yardley, B26 1EA. Directions
- What's the pass rate? 43% overall (manual 45%, automatic 38%), compared with the 50% national average.
- How long is the wait? If you book now, expect about 2½ months. Check gov.uk for the real earliest date.
- Is it hard to pass? Harder than most. Only 31 of Britain's 276 bigger centres had a lower pass rate.
- What's nearby? Birmingham Garretts Green is the closest, 10 minutes away. Its pass rate is 44% and its typical wait about 2½ months.
Waiting times
Over the last 12 months, the typical wait here averaged about 2 months, up from about 1½ months in the 12 months before. Waits here have been rising, so yours could be longer.
Before the pandemic, from May 2019 to February 2020, the typical wait here averaged about 1 month.
| Year | Birmingham South Yardley | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 month | 1½ months |
| 2020 | 2 months | 2½ months |
| 2021 | 4 months | 4 months |
| 2022 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2023 | 2½ months | 2½ months |
| 2024 | 1½ months | 2 months |
| 2025 | 1½ months | 2½ months |
| 2026 | 2 months | 2½ months |
2019 starts in May and 2026 runs to September.
See how waits have changed across Britain in our report on driving test waiting times.
Other test centres nearby
There are six other centres within half an hour's drive. Of those, Birmingham Kings Heath has the shortest wait, about 2½ months, and Birmingham Shirley the highest pass rate, 57%.
| Test centre | Driving time | Pass rate | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Birmingham (Garretts Green) 3 miles by road | 10 minutes | 44.4% | 46.0% | 41.0% | 2½ months |
| Birmingham (Shirley) 4 miles by road | 12 minutes | 56.6% | 60.4% | 49.8% | 4½ months |
| Birmingham (Kings Heath) 7 miles by road | 18 minutes | 46.8% | 47.9% | 44.7% | 2½ months |
| Birmingham (Kingstanding) 9 miles by road | 25 minutes | 48.5% | 50.5% | 45.3% | 3½ months |
| Wednesbury 15 miles by road | 28 minutes | 35.0% | 37.3% | 30.2% | 3 months |
| Coventry 19 miles by road | 28 minutes | 40.0% | 42.1% | 35.6% | 2½ months |
Driving times are without traffic.
Pass rate over the years
In the 12 months to March 2026, Birmingham South Yardley's pass rate was 43%, compared with 50% across Great Britain. It has been below Britain's pass rate every year since 2007.
The automatic pass rate here was lower than manual, as it is almost everywhere: 38%, compared with 45%. That gap is about the same as at most centres, but only 38 of the 267 centres that ran 100 or more automatic tests had a lower automatic pass rate. 30% of tests here were in automatic cars, compared with 29% across Great Britain.
Men had a higher pass rate than women here: 45%, compared with 38%. That's a wider gap than across Great Britain, where men's pass rate was 51% and women's 49%.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| 2025 to 2026 | 14,471 | 42.8% | 45.0% | 37.8% | 245th of 276 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 12,709 | 41.6% | 42.1% | 40.2% | 247th of 275 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 10,190 | 42.4% | 43.5% | 39.2% | 234th of 277 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 10,570 | 39.7% | 40.8% | 36.0% | 252nd of 271 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 7,890 | 36.7% | 37.7% | 32.5% | 272nd of 280 |
Each year runs from April to March.
Compare every centre in our report on driving test pass rates.
Before your test
In the weeks before your test, ask your instructor to take you round the roads near the centre, and practise the faults learners make most often. If you're still looking for an instructor, see who teaches in Birmingham.
Frequently asked questions
What's the pass rate for automatic cars at Birmingham South Yardley?
38% in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with Britain's automatic pass rate of 45%.
How can I get a test sooner at Birmingham South Yardley?
Check gov.uk often: tests other people cancel come back up there.
How busy is Birmingham South Yardley test centre?
It ran 14,471 car tests in the 12 months to March 2026. Only 13 of Britain's 311 test centres ran more.
Can I move my test from Birmingham South Yardley to another centre?
Yes. You can move it to any centre with a free date, on gov.uk. Before you do, check your instructor can take you there, and bear in mind it's harder to pass on roads you don't know. The closest other centre is Birmingham Garretts Green, about 10 minutes away by road.
Figures from DVSA: pass rates for the 12 months to March 2026, waits for September 2026, published 14 October 2026. Driving times by road, from OpenRouteService. How we worked these out.