Test Centre Stats

West Midlands, England · DVSA car test centre

Birmingham (South Yardley) driving test centre

Clay Lane, South Yardley, B26 1EA · wheelchair accessible

Tests here: car, ADI part 2, ADI part 3.

Waiting times to September 2026 and pass rates for 2025–26, from DVSA statistics published .

Median wait, September 2026

11.9 weeks

+2.8 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

42.8%

−7.2 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

143 of 314

1 = shortest wait; joint 12th of 26 West Midlands

Weeks to 10% of slots free

22.3 weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Birmingham (South Yardley) in September 2026 had booked it a median of 11.9 weeks earlier: about the same as the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and about the same as the West Midlands figure (12.1 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 9.1 weeks, so the wait has grown by 2.8 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 5.1 weeks to 12.6 weeks.

On the last Monday of September 2026 it would have taken about 22.3 weeks to reach a week with at least 10% of its test slots free (Great Britain: 19.7 weeks). Across the whole 24-week window, 8.9% of standard slots were still unbooked (Great Britain: 13.3%).

Waiting time over the last two years

Median weeks between booking a test and taking it, for tests taken each month.

  • Birmingham (South Yardley)
  • West Midlands
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Birmingham (South Yardley), October 2024 to September 2026Birmingham (South Yardley): 11.9 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.051015Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2611.9Weeks051015Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2611.9Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Birmingham (South Yardley), October 2024 to September 2026
MonthBirmingham (South Yardley)West MidlandsGreat Britain
September 202611.912.111.6
August 202610.012.111.1
July 202610.011.111.1
June 202611.111.010.7
May 202612.69.19.7
April 20265.17.19.1
March 202610.98.39.0
February 20267.410.410.4
January 20267.09.910.1
December 20257.09.310.1
November 20256.39.710.4
October 20256.111.711.6
September 20259.113.112.4
August 20255.011.111.7
July 20256.112.412.0
June 20257.711.311.0
May 20257.112.111.3
April 20256.011.110.6
March 20255.310.410.4
February 20255.611.711.4
January 20256.411.911.0
December 20246.611.010.4
November 20249.610.79.9
October 20246.710.39.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Birmingham (South Yardley) in September 2026, 42.0% had been booked within 7 weeks and 30.2% more than 21 weeks before.

  • Within 7 weeks
  • 7 to 14 weeks
  • 14 to 21 weeks
  • Over 21 weeks
Birmingham (South Yardley)
West Midlands
Great Britain

At Birmingham (South Yardley), 42.0% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 30.2% more than 21 weeks ahead.

Show these figures as a table
How far ahead tests taken in September 2026 were booked
Within 7 weeks7 to 14 weeks14 to 21 weeksOver 21 weeks
Birmingham (South Yardley)42.0%12.2%15.6%30.2%
West Midlands40.6%12.9%14.1%32.4%
Great Britain41.1%14.2%15.2%29.5%

If your test is booked here

Since 9 June 2026 a car test can only be moved to one of the three centres DVSA lists as nearest by road (or back to the centre where you first booked), and you get two changes in total. For a test booked at Birmingham (South Yardley), those three are below. Of the three, Birmingham (Cocks Moors) (4.7 weeks) had a median wait at least a week shorter than Birmingham (South Yardley) in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Birmingham (South Yardley) can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Birmingham (South Yardley)Pass rate 2025–26
Birmingham (Garretts Green)about 3 miles by roadabout 3 mi11.4 weeks−0.5 wk44.4%
Birmingham (Shirley)about 4 miles by roadabout 4 mi19 weeks+7.1 wk56.6%
Birmingham (Cocks Moors)about 6 miles by roadabout 6 mi4.7 weeks−7.2 wk53.5%

From DVSA's list of centres you can move your test to, which it says may change. The change service shows your actual options.

Pass rates

In 2025–26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 14,471 car tests were taken here and 42.8% passed, 7.2 points below the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 41.6%, so the rate rose by 1.2 points. First attempts did worse: 40.5% of 6,393 first-time candidates passed, and 1.5% did it with no faults at all.

  • Birmingham (South Yardley)
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    42.8%7.2 points below Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    40.5%10.0 points below Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    1.5%1.4 points below Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    45.4%5.4 points below Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    38.4%10.7 points below Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    59.9%3.7 points below Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars30% of tests here were in automatics
    37.8%6.8 points below Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Birmingham (South Yardley) compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureBirmingham (South Yardley)Great Britain
All tests42.8%50.0%
First attempts40.5%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults1.5%2.9%
Men45.4%50.8%
Women38.4%49.1%
17-year-olds59.9%63.6%
Automatic cars37.8%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Birmingham (South Yardley)
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Birmingham (South Yardley) by financial yearPass rate at Birmingham (South Yardley) in 2025–26: 42.8%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Birmingham (South Yardley), 2019–20: 31.7%32Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Birmingham (South Yardley), 2020–21: 34.6%35Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Birmingham (South Yardley), 2021–22: 36.7%37Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Birmingham (South Yardley), 2022–23: 39.7%40Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Birmingham (South Yardley), 2023–24: 42.4%42Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Birmingham (South Yardley), 2024–25: 41.6%42Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Birmingham (South Yardley), 2025–26: 42.8%43Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Birmingham (South Yardley), 2019–20: 31.7%32Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Birmingham (South Yardley), 2020–21: 34.6%35Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Birmingham (South Yardley), 2021–22: 36.7%37Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Birmingham (South Yardley), 2022–23: 39.7%40Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Birmingham (South Yardley), 2023–24: 42.4%42Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Birmingham (South Yardley), 2024–25: 41.6%42Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Birmingham (South Yardley), 2025–26: 42.8%43Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Birmingham (South Yardley) by financial year
YearBirmingham (South Yardley)Great Britain
2019–2031.7%45.9%
2020–2134.6%49.8%
2021–2236.7%48.9%
2022–2339.7%48.4%
2023–2442.4%47.9%
2024–2541.6%48.7%
2025–2642.8%50.0%

Years run April to March; ’20 is 2020–21.

By age, 17 to 25 (2025–26)

Candidates aged 17 did best here, at 59.9%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1759.9% of 553
  • Age 1848.9% of 1,036
  • Age 1944.9% of 1,043
  • Age 2043.8% of 970
  • Age 2144.8% of 741
  • Age 2248.1% of 642
  • Age 2347.2% of 604
  • Age 2443.2% of 683
  • Age 2545.3% of 658

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 1,020 tests at Birmingham (South Yardley), about 70.5 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was examiner illness (443). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Examiner illness443
  • Examiner leave412
  • Weather and other acts of nature165

The nearest theory test centre

The closest theory test centre DVSA publishes figures for is Birmingham (First Floor, 155 Great Charles Street, Queensway, B3 3LP), 4.4 mi away. In 2025–26, 40.6% of its 78,958 car theory tests were passes, 4.2 points below the Great Britain rate (44.8%). You can sit the theory test at any centre.

Nearby centres

The nearest centre with a shorter wait is Birmingham (Cocks Moors), 4.2 mi away, at 4.7 weeks. Within the same list, Birmingham (Shirley) (3.5 mi) had a pass rate of 56.6%. You can book a new test at any centre in Great Britain, but once it's booked a car test can only be moved to the three centres DVSA names for that centre. Distances here are straight-line.

Centres near Birmingham (South Yardley), with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Birmingham (Garretts Green)2.1 mi11.4 weeks44.4%
Birmingham (Shirley)Higher pass rate3.5 mi19 weeks56.6%
Birmingham (Cocks Moors)Shorter waitHigher pass rate4.2 mi4.7 weeks53.5%
Birmingham (Kings Heath)Shorter waitHigher pass rate4.7 mi10.1 weeks46.8%
Birmingham (Kingstanding)Higher pass rate7.1 mi16.1 weeks48.5%
Wednesbury11 mi13.1 weeks35.0%
RedditchShorter waitHigher pass rate12 mi4 weeks51.4%
Coventry14 mi11.9 weeks40.0%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Birmingham (Garretts Green): 11.4 weeksBirmingham (Shirley): 19 weeksBirmingham (Cocks Moors): 4.7 weeksBirmingham (Kings Heath): 10.1 weeksBirmingham (Kingstanding): 16.1 weeksWednesbury: 13.1 weeksRedditch: 4 weeksCoventry: 11.9 weeksBirmingham (South Yardley)Birmingham (South Yardley)

Reading these figures

  • The waiting time is a median for tests taken that month: half of candidates booked closer to their test date, half further ahead. It is not the earliest date you could book today, which can be sooner when tests are cancelled or extra ones are added.
  • DVSA marks figures from April 2025 onwards as provisional; they can be revised at the quarterly update.
  • Pass rates are published once a year; the latest cover April 2025 to March 2026. Waiting times are monthly, to September 2026.
  • The figures cover DVSA car tests only, not tests run by delegated examiners (such as some fleet and emergency service tests).

To book or move a test, use the official services: book your driving test or change your driving test on GOV.UK. DVSA explains when new tests are released. We have no link with DVSA and no access to its booking system.

Sources

DVSA, Driving test and theory test data: cars: tables DRT122F (waiting times), DRT121G (regional and national), DRT122A to DRT122E (pass rates), DRT122B (cancellations) and DRT112A (theory tests). Address and coordinates from GOV.UK's Find a driving test centre. Open Government Licence v3.0. Checked 3 November 2026.