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West Midlands

Swap your driving test at Birmingham (South Yardley)

Somebody holding a Birmingham (South Yardley) slot wants a date they can't get. Somebody else wants theirs. DVSA will swap the two of you over the phone. They just won't introduce you.

42.8% of car tests at Birmingham (South Yardley) end in a pass, 7.2 points below the national average of 50%. Within West Midlands it ranks 20th of 26. It is also one of the busiest centres in the country, putting roughly 278 car tests through every week, which means a lot of learners holding a Birmingham (South Yardley) slot at any one time.

holding a slot at Birmingham (South Yardley)
learners want a slot here
want to move earlier
want to move later

Which way the board is moving

A swap needs someone who wants the opposite of you. A centre with movement in both directions is a centre where swaps actually happen.

0 want earlier0 want later

Pass rate at Birmingham (South Yardley)

Below average
42.8%
passed here, Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 (14,471 tests)
50%
national average, same period
+1.2
points up on last year (41.6%)

Official DVSA figures (dataset DRT122A). A low pass rate does not make your test harder to swap: it often means more learners trying to move, which is exactly what a swap needs.

Where a swap could take you

Every centre Birmingham (South Yardley) can legally swap with, and how each one does on the DVSA pass-rate table. Of these, Birmingham (Shirley) has the highest rate at 56.6%.

CentreDistancePass rate vs here
Birmingham (Garretts Green)about 3 miles44.4% +1.6
Birmingham (Shirley)about 4 miles56.6% +13.8
Birmingham (Cocks Moors)about 6 miles53.5% +10.7
Birmingham (Kings Heath)about 7 miles46.8% +4
Birmingham (Kingstanding)about 9 miles48.5% +5.7
Warwick (Wedgenock House)about 17 miles48.5% +5.7

Pass rates are DVSA figures for April 2025 to March 2026 and describe the centre, not you.

Centres you can swap with from Birmingham (South Yardley)

DVSA only allows a swap where both tests are at the same centre, or within each other's three nearest. That last word matters: a centre counts if it is one of Birmingham (South Yardley)'s three nearest or if Birmingham (South Yardley) is one of its three. Everywhere not on this list is off the table however keen you both are. The list and distances below are DVSA's own published ones (driving distance, avoiding motorways).

CentreDistanceOn the board
Birmingham (Garretts Green)about 3 miles0
Birmingham (Shirley)about 4 miles0
Birmingham (Cocks Moors)about 6 miles0
Birmingham (Kings Heath)about 7 miles0
Birmingham (Kingstanding)about 9 miles0
Warwick (Wedgenock House)about 17 miles0

The four rules, applied here

  1. You both need a change left

    Two changes per car test, and a swap spends one of them.

  2. 10 working days' notice

    To whichever of the two tests is first. Sundays and bank holidays do not count.

  3. Centres near each other

    Birmingham (South Yardley)'s own three nearest are Birmingham (Garretts Green), Birmingham (Shirley), Birmingham (Cocks Moors). The rule works both ways, so Birmingham (Kings Heath) and Birmingham (Kingstanding) and Warwick (Wedgenock House) also qualify, because Birmingham (South Yardley) is among theirs.

  4. Same test type

    Weekday with weekday; evening and weekend tests only with each other.

The rules in full
Know the roads first

Driving around Birmingham (South Yardley) before test day

Nobody can give you the examiner's route. DVSA stopped publishing routes in 2010 and four tests in five are now led by a sat nav the examiner sets up, so there is no sequence to learn. What is worth knowing is the roads — which roundabout, which multi-lane junction, where the limit changes. Instructors film those, and watching them is the cheapest practice there is.

Find Birmingham (South Yardley) route videos

We link rather than embed here, because we only put a video on the page once somebody has actually watched it. This search is aimed at Birmingham (South Yardley) specifically.

Swapping at Birmingham (South Yardley): questions

Can I swap a test at Birmingham (South Yardley) for one at another centre?

Only if the other centre is the same one, or within each other's three nearest. That works in both directions. From Birmingham (South Yardley) the full list is Birmingham (Garretts Green), Birmingham (Shirley), Birmingham (Cocks Moors), Birmingham (Kings Heath), Birmingham (Kingstanding), Warwick (Wedgenock House). Anywhere else would be refused on the call.

What is the pass rate at Birmingham (South Yardley)?

42.8% of car tests at Birmingham (South Yardley) ended in a pass between April 2025 and March 2026, from 14,471 tests. The national average over the same period was 50%, so Birmingham (South Yardley) is 7.2 points below it, ranking 285th of 314 centres in Great Britain. These are DVSA's own published figures and they describe the centre, not you.

Which nearby centre has a better pass rate than Birmingham (South Yardley)?

Of the centres you can legally move a Birmingham (South Yardley) test to, Birmingham (Shirley) has the highest pass rate at 56.6%, against 42.8% here. That is a difference in the centre, not a promise about your test, and a swap has to suit the other learner too.

How long does it take to find a swap at Birmingham (South Yardley)?

It depends on how many learners hold a slot here and whether any want the opposite of what you want. DVSA runs about 278 car tests a week at Birmingham (South Yardley), so the pool of people holding a slot is large. The live count is at the top of this page, and a three-way chain often resolves it faster than waiting for a perfect pair.

Does swapping at Birmingham (South Yardley) cost anything?

No. You exchange slots rather than rebooking, so you keep your original booking reference and payment. Matching here is free, and DVSA does the swap on the phone at no charge.

How much notice do I need?

At least 10 working days before whichever of the two tests comes first. Sundays and bank holidays do not count towards that, so the real deadline is earlier than the calendar suggests.

Can my instructor arrange it for me?

No. Since 12 May 2026 only the learner taking the test can book or manage it, and it is against the law for anyone to book a car test for someone else. Your instructor can sit with you while you call.

Your Birmingham (South Yardley) date is somebody's dream date

Somewhere there is a learner holding the slot you want, who wants the one you are stuck with. Put yours on the board and we will find them, then email you the moment they appear. Free, no card, no fee if it works.

Swaps only work if both people are on the board, so passing this to a classmate or your instructor's group chat genuinely helps you too.