Test Centre Stats

West Midlands, England · DVSA car test centre

Birmingham (Shirley) driving test centre

401 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 4AA

Tests here: car, ADI part 3.

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

Median wait, September 2026

19 weeks

+4.1 wk on a year ago

Pass rate, 2025–26

56.6%

+6.6 pts vs GB 50.0%

Wait rank in Great Britain

263 of 314

1 = shortest wait; 25th of 26 West Midlands

Weeks to 10% of slots free

24+ weeks

GB 19.7 weeks

People who took a car test at Birmingham (Shirley) in September 2026 had booked it a median of 19 weeks earlier: 7.4 weeks longer than the Great Britain figure (11.6 weeks), and 6.9 weeks longer than the West Midlands figure (12.1 weeks). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 14.9 weeks, so the wait has grown by 4.1 weeks. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4.6 weeks to 19 weeks.

When DVSA took its snapshot on the last Monday of September 2026, no week in the next 24 had even 10% of its slots free. DVSA caps this measure at 24 weeks, so the true figure could be longer. Across the whole 24-week window, 4.0% 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 (Shirley)
  • West Midlands
  • Great Britain
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Birmingham (Shirley), October 2024 to September 2026Birmingham (Shirley): 19 weeks in September 2026, against 11.6 weeks for Great Britain.0510152025Oct 24Jan 25Apr 25Jul 25Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 2619.0Weeks0510152025Jan 25Jul 25Jan 26Jul 2619.0Weeks
Show these figures as a table
Median weeks between booking and taking a test at Birmingham (Shirley), October 2024 to September 2026
MonthBirmingham (Shirley)West MidlandsGreat Britain
September 202619.012.111.6
August 202616.212.111.1
July 202616.211.111.1
June 202614.011.010.7
May 20265.49.19.7
April 20264.67.19.1
March 202612.08.39.0
February 202610.410.410.4
January 202610.79.910.1
December 202510.99.310.1
November 202512.19.710.4
October 202514.311.711.6
September 202514.913.112.4
August 202513.311.111.7
July 202513.612.412.0
June 20257.311.311.0
May 202512.412.111.3
April 20257.811.110.6
March 202511.110.410.4
February 20256.111.711.4
January 20257.111.911.0
December 20245.011.010.4
November 20247.710.79.9
October 20246.910.39.7

How far ahead people booked

Of tests taken at Birmingham (Shirley) in September 2026, 37.4% had been booked within 7 weeks and 42.4% more than 21 weeks before.

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

At Birmingham (Shirley), 37.4% of tests in September 2026 were booked within 7 weeks and 42.4% 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 (Shirley)37.4%7.7%12.5%42.4%
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 (Shirley), those three are below. Of the three, Birmingham (Cocks Moors) (4.7 weeks), Birmingham (Kings Heath) (10.1 weeks) and Birmingham (South Yardley) (11.9 weeks) had median waits at least a week shorter than Birmingham (Shirley) in September 2026.

Centres a test booked at Birmingham (Shirley) can be moved to
CentreDriving distance (DVSA)Median waitvs Birmingham (Shirley)Pass rate 2025–26
Birmingham (Kings Heath)about 3 miles by roadabout 3 mi10.1 weeks−8.9 wk46.8%
Birmingham (Cocks Moors)about 4 miles by roadabout 4 mi4.7 weeks−14.3 wk53.5%
Birmingham (South Yardley)about 5 miles by roadabout 5 mi11.9 weeks−7.1 wk42.8%

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), 9,385 car tests were taken here and 56.6% passed, 6.6 points above the Great Britain rate (50.0%). The year before it was 58.1%, so the rate fell by 1.5 points. First attempts did better: 58.3% of 4,791 first-time candidates passed, and 7.5% did it with no faults at all.

  • Birmingham (Shirley)
  • Great Britain average
  • All tests
    56.6%6.6 points above Great Britain (50.0%)
  • First attempts
    58.3%7.8 points above Great Britain (50.5%)
  • First attempt with zero faults
    7.5%4.6 points above Great Britain (2.9%)
  • Men
    57.9%7.1 points above Great Britain (50.8%)
  • Women
    54.7%5.6 points above Great Britain (49.1%)
  • 17-year-oldsGB figure is the sum of listed centres
    76.3%12.7 points above Great Britain (63.6%)
  • Automatic cars36% of tests here were in automatics
    49.8%5.2 points above Great Britain (44.6%)
Show these figures as a table
Pass rates at Birmingham (Shirley) compared with Great Britain, 2025–26
MeasureBirmingham (Shirley)Great Britain
All tests56.6%50.0%
First attempts58.3%50.5%
First attempt with zero faults7.5%2.9%
Men57.9%50.8%
Women54.7%49.1%
17-year-olds76.3%63.6%
Automatic cars49.8%44.6%

Pass rate by year

  • Birmingham (Shirley)
  • Great Britain
Car test pass rate at Birmingham (Shirley) by financial yearPass rate at Birmingham (Shirley) in 2025–26: 56.6%; Great Britain 50.0%.020406080100Birmingham (Shirley), 2019–20: 43.3%43Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%2019–20Birmingham (Shirley), 2020–21: 51.1%51Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%2020–21Birmingham (Shirley), 2021–22: 49.0%49Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%2021–22Birmingham (Shirley), 2022–23: 50.0%50Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%2022–23Birmingham (Shirley), 2023–24: 53.2%53Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%2023–24Birmingham (Shirley), 2024–25: 58.1%58Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%2024–25Birmingham (Shirley), 2025–26: 56.6%57Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%2025–26Pass rate, %020406080100Birmingham (Shirley), 2019–20: 43.3%43Great Britain, 2019–20: 45.9%’19Birmingham (Shirley), 2020–21: 51.1%51Great Britain, 2020–21: 49.8%’20Birmingham (Shirley), 2021–22: 49.0%49Great Britain, 2021–22: 48.9%’21Birmingham (Shirley), 2022–23: 50.0%50Great Britain, 2022–23: 48.4%’22Birmingham (Shirley), 2023–24: 53.2%53Great Britain, 2023–24: 47.9%’23Birmingham (Shirley), 2024–25: 58.1%58Great Britain, 2024–25: 48.7%’24Birmingham (Shirley), 2025–26: 56.6%57Great Britain, 2025–26: 50.0%’25Pass rate, %
Show these figures as a table
Car test pass rate at Birmingham (Shirley) by financial year
YearBirmingham (Shirley)Great Britain
2019–2043.3%45.9%
2020–2151.1%49.8%
2021–2249.0%48.9%
2022–2350.0%48.4%
2023–2453.2%47.9%
2024–2558.1%48.7%
2025–2656.6%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 76.3%. Ages with fewer than 20 tests are left out; DVSA suppresses some small groups.

  • Age 1776.3% of 828
  • Age 1867.1% of 875
  • Age 1961.5% of 641
  • Age 2061.9% of 493
  • Age 2161.8% of 385
  • Age 2261.8% of 364
  • Age 2359.0% of 349
  • Age 2458.8% of 320
  • Age 2554.3% of 376

Tests cancelled by DVSA

In 2025–26 DVSA cancelled 232 tests at Birmingham (Shirley), about 24.7 for every 1,000 tests taken (Great Britain: 50.7). The biggest reason was weather and other acts of nature (90). These are cancellations by DVSA, not by learners; DVSA should rebook you and may owe you expenses.

  • Weather and other acts of nature90
  • Examiner leave81
  • Examiner illness61

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), 6.4 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 (Kings Heath), 2.7 mi away, at 10.1 weeks. No nearby centre had a pass rate more than 2 points higher. 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 (Shirley), with median wait in September 2026 and 2025–26 pass rate
Centre24 months
Birmingham (Kings Heath)Shorter wait2.7 mi10.1 weeks46.8%
Birmingham (Cocks Moors)Shorter wait3.0 mi4.7 weeks53.5%
Birmingham (South Yardley)Shorter wait3.5 mi11.9 weeks42.8%
Birmingham (Garretts Green)Shorter wait5.2 mi11.4 weeks44.4%
RedditchShorter wait8.5 mi4 weeks51.4%
Birmingham (Kingstanding)Shorter wait10 mi16.1 weeks48.5%
Warwick (Wedgenock House)Shorter wait12 mi9.8 weeks48.5%
WednesburyShorter wait13 mi13.1 weeks35.0%
  • This centre
  • Shorter wait
  • Other nearby
Birmingham (Kings Heath): 10.1 weeksBirmingham (Cocks Moors): 4.7 weeksBirmingham (South Yardley): 11.9 weeksBirmingham (Garretts Green): 11.4 weeksRedditch: 4 weeksBirmingham (Kingstanding): 16.1 weeksWarwick (Wedgenock House): 9.8 weeksWednesbury: 13.1 weeksBirmingham (Shirley)Birmingham (Shirley)

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.
  • "Weeks to 10% availability" stops at 24 because DVSA only releases tests 24 weeks ahead. A figure of 24 means "24 or more".
  • 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.