Birmingham (Kingstanding)

Somewhere real to practise

6 circuits from the test centre on 205 Birdbrook Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, each one 41 minutes or more, taking in the junctions a Birmingham test actually uses. Turn by turn, with the roundabout exits numbered, and a manoeuvre to try on each one.

Straight to the routes Swap your Birmingham test

Is your test on the right date? If it is too soon or too far off, a learner at Birmingham (Kingstanding) who wants the opposite could swap with you. Get an email when one joins

Before you drive any of these

Practising in your own car is legal and it is the cheapest way to get better. The rules are short:

Whoever sits beside you must be over 21, qualified to drive that type of car, and have held their full licence for three years.
The car needs L plates front and rear, and insurance that covers you as a learner. Some insurers also want the supervisor to be over 25.
No motorways. A learner can only go on one with an approved instructor in a dual-control car, so none of these routes touch one.

The rules on GOV.UK

These are not the examiner's routes, and nobody else's are either.

DVSA stopped publishing test routes in 2010 and refuses freedom-of-information requests for them. Since December 2017 four tests in five are led by a sat nav the examiner sets up, so even the examiner's route is not a fixed thing you could learn.

What these are: loops on the real roads around the centre, put together so you meet the junctions and road types the test actually assesses. Drive the roads, not a sequence.

You drive. Somebody else reads.

Nobody can read a numbered list while driving, and a sat nav will not tell you which exit to take early enough to get in the right lane. So these routes are written for the person in the passenger seat: the supervising driver who has to be there anyway.

Two ways to do that: print the route and put it on their lap, or send it to them on WhatsApp. Either way they call the turns and you drive.

If the phone and the written steps disagree, the written steps are the route. Google plots its own line between the places we hand it, and it will sometimes take a turn this page would not print.

About the Google Maps links

Google does not follow our route. It draws its own between the places we give it, and it is bound by none of the rules these pages are built on, two of which matter here: no turn in the road and no motorway.

So a route goes to Google in legs, and each leg ends at a real place to stop: a car park, a quiet side street, a loop road, with a manoeuvre to do there. The next leg starts from a parked car, so there is nothing behind you for Google to turn round for. Every leg is opened in Google Maps and checked by hand before its button goes on the page.

A route whose legs have not been checked yet has no Google Maps button. Drive it with the written directions read out, which is how the test itself works anyway.

Two other things Google will not tell you: its travel time assumes a confident driver in clear traffic, so expect ours to be closer; and it will happily route you down something a learner should not be on. Look at it before you set off.

The small map on each route is ours, drawn from the same data. It needs no permission, loads instantly and prints, which is why it is the one you see first.

Route 1 · Hockley Circus → Lucas Circus

Hockley Circus and Lucas Circus

South into Hockley and back, on roads that never leave thirty. The shortest of the six and the one to drive first.

9.1 milesabout 45 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 1.8 milesTo Holford Drive Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off Aldridge Road, a side road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Aldridge Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 16 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 50 yards
2. 2
  At Birdbrook Road, take the 1st exit onto Aldridge Road
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
3. 3
  Turn left to stay on Aldridge Road 60 yards
4. 4
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.7 miles
5. 5
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.5 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Holford Drive 70 yards
7. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 2 · 2.1 milesTo Gunmakers Walk Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Right off Gerrard Street, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Gerrard Street.
Directions for the passenger, leg 28 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Holford Drive to the end 70 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Aldridge Road 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Turn left into Walsall Road 1.0 miles
4. 4
  Turn left into Birchfield Road 320 yards
5. 5
  At Six Ways Island, take the 4th exit onto Lozells Road 230 yards
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
6. 6
  Turn left into Wheeler Street 260 yards
7. 7
  Turn right into Gerrard Street 120 yards
8. 8
  Turn right into Gunmakers Walk 110 yards
9. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 3 · 1.8 milesTo Chain Walk Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Lozells Road, a quiet residential road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 39 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Gunmakers Walk to the end 110 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Gerrard Street 350 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into Nursery Road 0.3 miles
4. 4
  Turn left into Hunters Road 160 yards
5. 5
  At Hockley Circus, take the 1st exit onto New John Street West 0.2 miles
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
6. 6
  At Lucas Circus, take the 1st exit onto Great King Street North 0.3 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
7. 7
  Carry on into Wheeler Street 0.5 miles
8. 8
  Turn right into Lozells Road 100 yards
9. 9
  Turn left into Chain Walk 100 yards
10. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 4 · 1.8 milesTo Nash Square Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off Aldridge Road, a quiet residential road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Aldridge Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 47 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Chain Walk to the end 100 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Lozells Road 120 yards
3. 3
  At Six Ways Island, take the 1st exit 250 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn right into A34 1.0 miles
5. 5
  Turn right into Walsall Road 270 yards
6. 6
  Carry on into Aldridge Road 0.4 miles
7. 7
  Turn left into Nash Square 80 yards
8. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 5 · 1.6 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 56 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Nash Square to the end 80 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Aldridge Road 1.1 miles
3. 3
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 90 yards
4. 4
  Turn left to stay on Aldridge Road 60 yards
5. 5
  Turn right into Birdbrook Road 0.4 miles
6. 6
  At Dyas Road, take the 3rd exit into the test centre
  Approach in the right lane, signal right, then signal left once you pass the exit before yours.
7. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Route 2 · Lucas Circus → Six Ways Island

Lucas Circus and Six Ways Island

Down to Hockley and across to Six Ways Island in Aston, through some of the busiest streets in the city. Traffic is the whole difficulty here.

9.0 milesabout 45 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 1.8 milesTo Holford Drive Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off Aldridge Road, a side road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Aldridge Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 16 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 50 yards
2. 2
  At Birdbrook Road, take the 1st exit onto Aldridge Road
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
3. 3
  Turn left to stay on Aldridge Road 60 yards
4. 4
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.7 miles
5. 5
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.5 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Holford Drive 70 yards
7. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 2 · 2.1 milesTo Porchester Drive Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Wheeler Street, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Wheeler Street.
Directions for the passenger, leg 27 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Holford Drive to the end 70 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Aldridge Road 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Turn left into Walsall Road 1.0 miles
4. 4
  Turn left into Birchfield Road 320 yards
5. 5
  At Six Ways Island, take the 4th exit onto Lozells Road 230 yards
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
6. 6
  Turn left into Wheeler Street 0.3 miles
7. 7
  Turn left into Porchester Drive 90 yards
8. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 3 · 1.7 milesTo Albert Road Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then move off again along Albert Road

Right off Witton Road, a quiet residential road
Check all round before each move, and move off only when the road behind is clear.
Directions for the passenger, leg 38 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Porchester Drive to the end 90 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Wheeler Street 310 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into Great King Street North 0.2 miles
4. 4
  At Lucas Circus, take the 5th exit onto Great King Street North 0.3 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
5. 5
  Carry on into Wheeler Street 0.5 miles
6. 6
  Turn right into Lozells Road 220 yards
7. 7
  At Six Ways Island, take the 2nd exit onto Witton Road 210 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
8. 8
  Turn right into Albert Road 130 yards
9. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then move off again along Albert Road.
Leg 4 · 1.9 milesTo The Ridgeway Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then move off again

On the route, the residential stretch of The Ridgeway between Brookvale Road and Gipsy Lane
Choose a safe, legal place and stop smoothly. Move off only when the road behind is clear.
Directions for the passenger, leg 47 steps
1. 1
  Check your mirrors and blind spot, then move off along Albert Road 110 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Whitehead Road 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Turn left into Bevington Road 330 yards
4. 4
  Turn right into Witton Road 0.2 miles
5. 5
  At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Witton Road 340 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
6. 6
  Carry on into Brookvale Road 0.7 miles
7. 7
  Turn left into The Ridgeway 300 yards
8. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then move off again.
Leg 5 · 1.6 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 55 steps
1. 1
  Check your mirrors and blind spot, then move off along The Ridgeway 0.7 miles
2. 2
  At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Warren Road 0.3 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
3. 3
  Turn left into Hawthorn Road 0.3 miles
4. 4
  Carry on into Dyas Road 0.3 miles
5. 5
  Turn right into the test centre.
6. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Practising for the wrong date? A learner at Birmingham (Kingstanding) who wants the opposite date could swap with you, and DVSA does the swap on the phone. Tell me when one joins

Route 3 · Six Ways Island → Hockley Circus

Six Ways Island and Hockley Circus

Aston first and then Hockley, taking in seven roundabouts without once going above thirty. A good second drive.

8.8 milesabout 44 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 1.8 milesTo Holford Drive Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Aldridge Road, a side road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Aldridge Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 16 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 50 yards
2. 2
  At Birdbrook Road, take the 1st exit onto Aldridge Road
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
3. 3
  Turn left to stay on Aldridge Road 60 yards
4. 4
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.7 miles
5. 5
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.5 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Holford Drive 70 yards
7. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 2 · 1.6 milesTo Wilton Street Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then move off again

A quiet residential road off Lozells Road
Check all round before each move, and move off only when the road behind is clear.
Directions for the passenger, leg 26 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Holford Drive to the end 70 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Aldridge Road 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Turn left into Walsall Road 0.5 miles
4. 4
  Turn left into Birchfield Road 330 yards
5. 5
  Turn right into Heathfield Road 330 yards
  
  Turn right through the short link road first.
6. 6
  Turn left into Leonard Road 0.3 miles
7. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then move off again.
Leg 3 · 1.7 milesTo Porchester Drive Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Right off Wheeler Street, a quiet residential road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Wheeler Street.
Directions for the passenger, leg 310 steps
1. 1
  Check your mirrors and blind spot, then move off along Wilton Street 100 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Lozells Road 130 yards
3. 3
  Turn right into Wheeler Street 260 yards
4. 4
  Turn right into Gerrard Street 0.3 miles
5. 5
  Carry on into Nursery Road 0.3 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Hunters Road 160 yards
7. 7
  At Hockley Circus, take the 1st exit onto New John Street West 0.2 miles
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
8. 8
  At Lucas Circus, take the 1st exit onto Great King Street North 0.3 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
9. 9
  Carry on into Wheeler Street 310 yards
10. 10
  Turn right into Porchester Drive 90 yards
11. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 4 · 2.2 milesTo Nash Square Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Aldridge Road, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Aldridge Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 48 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Porchester Drive to the end 90 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Wheeler Street 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Turn right into Lozells Road 220 yards
4. 4
  At Six Ways Island, take the 1st exit 250 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
5. 5
  Turn right into A34 1.0 miles
6. 6
  Turn right into Walsall Road 270 yards
7. 7
  Carry on into Aldridge Road 0.4 miles
8. 8
  Turn left into Nash Square 80 yards
9. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 5 · 1.6 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 56 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Nash Square to the end 80 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Aldridge Road 1.1 miles
3. 3
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 90 yards
4. 4
  Turn left to stay on Aldridge Road 60 yards
5. 5
  Turn right into Birdbrook Road 0.4 miles
6. 6
  At Dyas Road, take the 3rd exit into the test centre
  Approach in the right lane, signal right, then signal left once you pass the exit before yours.
7. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Route 4 · Aston Cross → Six Ways

Aston Cross and Six Ways

Down the A5127 to Aston Cross and back up through Six Ways in Erdington, which is a different junction from Six Ways Island. Steady rather than quick.

10.4 milesabout 52 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 1.8 milesTo Holford Drive Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Aldridge Road, a side road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Aldridge Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 16 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 50 yards
2. 2
  At Birdbrook Road, take the 1st exit onto Aldridge Road
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
3. 3
  Turn left to stay on Aldridge Road 60 yards
4. 4
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.7 miles
5. 5
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.5 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Holford Drive 70 yards
7. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 2 · 2.2 milesTo Upper Sutton Street Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Park Lane, a quiet residential road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 26 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Holford Drive to the end 70 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Aldridge Road 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Turn left into Walsall Road 1.4 miles
4. 4
  Turn left into A34 100 yards
5. 5
  Turn left into Park Lane 0.3 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Upper Sutton Street 100 yards
7. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 3 · 2.5 milesTo The Mount Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off Gravelly Hill, a quiet residential road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Gravelly Hill.
Directions for the passenger, leg 311 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Upper Sutton Street to the end 100 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Park Lane 320 yards
3. 3
  At Aston Cross, take the 2nd exit onto Rocky Lane 0.4 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Carry on into Walter Street 250 yards
5. 5
  At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Long Acre 0.7 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
6. 6
  Turn left into Cuckoo Road 170 yards
7. 7
  Carry on into Lichfield Road 350 yards
8. 8
  At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Slade Road 0.2 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
9. 9
  Turn right into Hillaries Road 0.2 miles
10. 10
  Turn right into Frederick Road 210 yards
11. 11
  Turn right into Beverley Croft 120 yards
12. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 4 · 1.9 milesTo Camberley Grove Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Right off Short Heath Road, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Short Heath Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 410 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along The Mount to the end 120 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Anita Croft 60 yards
3. 3
  Carry on into Frederick Road 150 yards
4. 4
  Turn right into Hillaries Road 170 yards
5. 5
  Turn left into Gravelly Hill 0.6 miles
6. 6
  At Six Ways, take the 2nd exit onto Summer Road 0.3 miles
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
7. 7
  Carry on into Gravelly Lane 250 yards
8. 8
  Turn left into Station Road 130 yards
9. 9
  Turn right into Short Heath Road 0.4 miles
10. 10
  Turn right into Camberley Grove 120 yards
11. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 5 · 2 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 54 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Camberley Grove to the end 120 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Short Heath Road 0.4 miles
3. 3
  Carry on into Perry Common Road 1.5 miles
  
  Signed Hawthorn Road and Dyas Road along the way, and it is the same road.
4. 4
  Turn right into the test centre.
5. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Route 5 · Hockley Circus → Aston Cross

Hockley Circus and Aston Cross

The full width of inner north Birmingham, west to Hockley and east to Aston. Eight roundabouts and a great deal of traffic between them.

10.4 milesabout 52 min

Test centre1Stops

Send to my navigator on WhatsApp

Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 1.8 milesTo Holford Drive Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off Aldridge Road, a side road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards Aldridge Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 16 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 50 yards
2. 2
  At Birdbrook Road, take the 1st exit onto Aldridge Road
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
3. 3
  Turn left to stay on Aldridge Road 60 yards
4. 4
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.7 miles
5. 5
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.5 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Holford Drive 70 yards
7. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 2 · 2.5 milesTo Brougham Street Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road

Right off Nursery Road, a quiet residential road
Use forward and reverse, as few moves as you need, and finish facing back towards Nursery Road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 29 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Holford Drive to the end 70 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Aldridge Road 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Turn left into Walsall Road 1.0 miles
4. 4
  Turn left into Birchfield Road 320 yards
5. 5
  At Six Ways Island, take the 4th exit onto Lozells Road 230 yards
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
6. 6
  Turn left into Wheeler Street 260 yards
7. 7
  Turn right into Gerrard Street 0.3 miles
8. 8
  Carry on into Nursery Road 0.2 miles
9. 9
  Turn right into Brougham Street 160 yards
10. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 3 · 2.1 milesTo Upper Portland Street Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Lichfield Road, a side road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 310 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Brougham Street to the end 160 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Nursery Road 150 yards
3. 3
  Turn left into Hunters Road 160 yards
4. 4
  At Hockley Circus, take the 1st exit onto New John Street West 0.2 miles
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
5. 5
  At Lucas Circus, take the 1st exit onto Great King Street North 0.3 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
6. 6
  Carry on into Wheeler Street 380 yards
7. 7
  Turn right into Clifford Street 0.3 miles
8. 8
  Carry on into Park Lane 0.6 miles
  
  Signed Newbury Road along the way, and it is the same road.
9. 9
  At Aston Cross, take the 1st exit onto Lichfield Road 370 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
10. 10
  Turn left into Upper Portland Street 70 yards
11. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 4 · 2.5 milesTo The Ridgeway Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the left, then move off again

On the route, the residential stretch of The Ridgeway
Choose a safe, legal place and stop smoothly. Move off only when the road behind is clear.
Directions for the passenger, leg 49 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Upper Portland Street to the end 70 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Lichfield Road 140 yards
3. 3
  At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Lichfield Road 0.3 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
4. 4
  Turn left into Grosvenor Road 250 yards
5. 5
  Turn left into Queens Road 0.2 miles
6. 6
  Carry on into Witton Lane 0.5 miles
7. 7
  At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Witton Road 340 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
8. 8
  Carry on into Brookvale Road 0.7 miles
9. 9
  Turn left into The Ridgeway 0.2 miles
10. Stop here: Pull up on the left, then move off again.
Leg 5 · 1.5 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 55 steps
1. 1
  Check your mirrors and blind spot, then move off along The Ridgeway 0.6 miles
2. 2
  At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Warren Road 0.3 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
3. 3
  Turn left into Hawthorn Road 0.3 miles
4. 4
  Carry on into Dyas Road 0.3 miles
5. 5
  Turn right into the test centre.
6. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Route 6 · Aston Cross → Lucas Circus

The long way round by Aston

Aston Cross and then Lucas Circus, which makes it the longest of the six. Worth driving once in the fortnight before the date, because tiredness is what turns a good drive into a careless fault.

10.8 milesabout 56 min

Test centre1Stops

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Drive it in 5 legs

Each button opens one leg in Google Maps. A leg ends at a stop with something to practise, so do the leg, park, do the manoeuvre, then open the next.

Leg 1 · 2.3 milesTo Bragg Road Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off the route, a quiet residential road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards the main road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 18 steps
1. 1
  Start on the test centre access road 50 yards
2. 2
  At Birdbrook Road, take the 1st exit onto Aldridge Road
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
3. 3
  Turn left to stay on Aldridge Road 60 yards
4. 4
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.7 miles
5. 5
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 0.7 miles
6. 6
  Turn left into Wellhead Lane 0.3 miles
7. 7
  Carry on into Stoneleigh Road 120 yards
8. 8
  Turn right into Bragg Road 30 yards
9. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 2 · 2.2 milesTo Whitehouse Street Open inGoogle Maps

Pull up on the right, reverse two car lengths, then move off

On the route, the residential stretch of Whitehouse Street between Chester Street and Aston Road North
Cross to the right only when the road is clear both ways, and check over both shoulders before you rejoin on the left.
Directions for the passenger, leg 211 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Bragg Road to the end 30 yards
2. 2
  Turn right into Stoneleigh Road 90 yards
3. 3
  Turn right into The Broadway 360 yards
4. 4
  Turn left into Birchfield Road 220 yards
5. 5
  Turn right into A34 0.9 miles
6. 6
  Turn left to stay on A34 100 yards
7. 7
  Turn left into Park Lane 0.5 miles
8. 8
  At Aston Cross, take the 3rd exit onto Aston Road North 190 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
9. 9
  Turn left into Avenue Road 220 yards
10. 10
  Turn right into Chester Street 110 yards
11. 11
  Turn right into Whitehouse Street 100 yards
12. Stop here: Pull up on the right, reverse two car lengths, then move off.
Leg 3 · 2 milesTo Hunters Road Open inGoogle Maps

Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road

Left off Nursery Road, a quiet residential road
Check all round before each move, and finish facing back the way you came in, ready for the next leg.
Directions for the passenger, leg 37 steps
1. 1
  Check your mirrors and blind spot, then move off along Whitehouse Street 120 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Aston Road North 0.2 miles
3. 3
  At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Newtown Middleway 0.3 miles
  No signal on the approach. Keep left unless the markings say otherwise, then signal left after the exit before yours.
4. 4
  Carry on into New John Street West 0.6 miles
5. 5
  At Lucas Circus, take the 2nd exit onto Boulton Middleway 0.3 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
6. 6
  At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Heaton Street 0.2 miles
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
7. 7
  At Hockley Circus, take the 2nd exit onto Hunters Road 220 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
8. Stop here: Parallel park behind a parked car, then turn the car round in the road.
Leg 4 · 1.7 milesTo Livingstone Road Open inGoogle Maps

Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out

Left off the route, a quiet residential road
Keep it slow and look all round before every move. Finish facing back towards the main road.
Directions for the passenger, leg 49 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Hunters Road to the end 80 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Nursery Road 0.3 miles
3. 3
  Carry on into Gerrard Street 0.2 miles
4. 4
  Turn left into Wheeler Street 290 yards
5. 5
  Turn right into Lozells Road 220 yards
6. 6
  At Six Ways Island, take the 1st exit 250 yards
  Approach in the left lane and signal left.
7. 7
  Turn right into A34 0.5 miles
8. 8
  Turn left into Birchfield Road 80 yards
9. 9
  Turn left into Livingstone Road 100 yards
10. Stop here: Turn the car round in the road, then pull up on the left facing back out.
Leg 5 · 2.6 milesBack to the test centre Open inGoogle Maps
The last leg. Nothing to do at the end of it but park.
Directions for the passenger, leg 58 steps
1. 1
  Facing back the way you came in, drive along Livingstone Road to the end 100 yards
2. 2
  Turn left into Birchfield Road 0.4 miles
3. 3
  Turn right into Walsall Road 270 yards
4. 4
  Carry on into Aldridge Road 1.4 miles
5. 5
  Turn right to stay on Aldridge Road 90 yards
6. 6
  Turn left to stay on Aldridge Road 60 yards
7. 7
  Turn right into Birdbrook Road 0.4 miles
8. 8
  At Dyas Road, take the 3rd exit into the test centre
  Approach in the right lane, signal right, then signal left once you pass the exit before yours.
9. You are back at the test centre. Park where you started.

Stop only where it is safe and legal, and read the signs: a car park is somebody's, and a residential street has driveways and junctions to stay clear of.

Before you drive it

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Instructors film these roads constantly. Watch for the roads: which roundabout, which multi-lane approach, where the lanes split. Not for a sequence to memorise, because the sequence is the one thing that changes.

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Where the roads come from

Every road, roundabout and car park named on this page comes from OpenStreetMap, used under the Open Database Licence. Trust the signs, not us.

Distances and times are calculated, not driven. The turns between the junctions are worked out by OSRM, an open source router running on that same map data. The times assume town-centre averages, so treat them as a rough guide.

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Somewhere real to practise

Before you drive any of these

You drive. Somebody else reads.

Hockley Circus and Lucas Circus

Drive it in 5 legs

Lucas Circus and Six Ways Island

Drive it in 5 legs

Six Ways Island and Hockley Circus

Drive it in 5 legs

Aston Cross and Six Ways

Drive it in 5 legs

Hockley Circus and Aston Cross

Drive it in 5 legs

The long way round by Aston

Drive it in 5 legs

Watch somebody else drive Birmingham first

You are already on Driving Test Hero

Is your Birmingham (Kingstanding) test on the right date?

Where the roads come from