# Birmingham (Garretts Green) vs Birmingham (South Yardley) — Which Driving Test Centre Is Better? > Birmingham (Garretts Green) and Birmingham (South Yardley) compared on DVSA pass rates and waiting times. Birmingham (Garretts Green) comes out ahead: 44.4% pass rate and a 7 weeks wait. Source: https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/compare/birmingham-garretts-green-vs-birmingham-south-yardley/ # Birmingham (Garretts Green) vs Birmingham (South Yardley) Two Birmingham test centres compared on the official DVSA figures — pass rate, waiting time and how many tests each one runs. By Yigit Yilmaz · Last updated 14 September 2026 [Birmingham (Garretts Green)](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/birmingham-garretts-green/) 44.4% pass rate 7 weeks typical wait [Birmingham (South Yardley)](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/birmingham-south-yardley/) 42.8% pass rate 10 weeks typical wait Birmingham (Garretts Green) and Birmingham (South Yardley) are both DVSA car test centres in Birmingham, and there is no catchment area stopping you booking either. On the most recent official figures they differ by 1.6 points of pass rate and about 3 weeks of waiting. ## Side by side | | Birmingham (Garretts Green) | Birmingham (South Yardley) | Difference | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Pass rate | 44.4% | 42.8% | 1.6 points to Birmingham (Garretts Green) | | Waiting time | 7 weeks | 10 weeks | 3 weeks sooner at Birmingham (Garretts Green) | | Tests a year | 22,480 | 14,471 | 8,009 more at Birmingham (Garretts Green) | | Region | West Midlands | West Midlands | Same region | Pass rates are for April 2025 to March 2026; waiting times are to August 2026. The Great Britain averages are 50.1% and 12.8 weeks. ## Pass rate Birmingham (Garretts Green) passes 44.4% of car candidates against 42.8% at Birmingham (South Yardley) — close enough that it is not a reason to choose between them. Both sit below the national average of 50.1%, which is common at busy urban centres where the routes are harder. The lead has swapped between them over the last 10 years, so the current gap is worth less than it looks — expect the two to keep trading places. | Year | Birmingham (Garretts Green) | Birmingham (South Yardley) | | --- | --- | --- | | 2022– 2023 | 42.9% | 39.7% | | 2023– 2024 | 40.2% | 42.4% | | 2024– 2025 | 42% | 41.6% | | 2025– 2026 | 44.4% | 42.8% | Neither number says much about the examiners, who work to one national standard everywhere. It says a great deal about the roads each centre tests on — the count of multi-lane roundabouts, bus lanes and busy junctions a forty-minute route can fit in. Our [guide to test routes](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/guides/driving-test-routes-explained/) covers how to work out what each centre uses. ## Waiting time Birmingham (Garretts Green) books about 3 weeks sooner — 7 weeks against 10 weeks — with the Great Britain average at 12.8 weeks. Both are inside DVSA's 24-week booking window, so slots at either should be visible on the booking service rather than needing you to wait for the window to roll forward. This is the median gap between booking and testing for people who actually sat a test, not the soonest date on screen today. Cancellations surface continuously at both centres and regularly beat these figures by weeks, which is the subject of [how to get an earlier test date](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/guides/how-to-get-an-earlier-driving-test/). ## How busy each centre is Birmingham (Garretts Green) conducted 22,480 car tests over the year and Birmingham (South Yardley) 14,471. Volume is worth a glance for two reasons: a pass rate built on more tests is a firmer measure of the routes, and a busier centre generates more cancelled slots in a given week, so refreshing the booking service pays off more there even when its published wait is longer. ## Verdict **Birmingham (Garretts Green)** is the better booking of the two. It has both the higher pass rate (44.4% against 42.8%) and the shorter wait (7 weeks against 10 weeks), so there is no trade-off to weigh. One thing outranks all of this: whether you have driven the roads. Each centre works a fixed set of routes around it, and practising those exact junctions moves your odds more than the gap between two centres in the same city. If you have had all your lessons around Birmingham (South Yardley), book Birmingham (South Yardley). ## Full figures for each centre - [Birmingham (Garretts Green) driving test centre](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/birmingham-garretts-green/) — monthly trend, full history and nearby alternatives - [Birmingham (South Yardley) driving test centre](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/birmingham-south-yardley/) — monthly trend, full history and nearby alternatives - [Best driving test centre in Birmingham](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/guides/best-driving-test-centre-birmingham/) — every centre in the city ranked ## Other comparisons - [Birmingham (Garretts Green) vs Birmingham (Kings Heath)](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/compare/birmingham-garretts-green-vs-birmingham-kings-heath/) - [Birmingham (Garretts Green) vs Birmingham (Kingstanding)](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/compare/birmingham-garretts-green-vs-birmingham-kingstanding/) - [Birmingham (Garretts Green) vs Birmingham (Shirley)](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/compare/birmingham-garretts-green-vs-birmingham-shirley/) - [Birmingham (Kings Heath) vs Birmingham (South Yardley)](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/compare/birmingham-kings-heath-vs-birmingham-south-yardley/) - [Birmingham (Kingstanding) vs Birmingham (South Yardley)](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/compare/birmingham-kingstanding-vs-birmingham-south-yardley/) - [Birmingham (Shirley) vs Birmingham (South Yardley)](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/compare/birmingham-shirley-vs-birmingham-south-yardley/) Or compare every centre at once on [pass rates](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/pass-rates/) and [waiting times](https://ukdrivingtestcentres.co.uk/waiting-times/). ## Frequently asked ### Is Birmingham (Garretts Green) or Birmingham (South Yardley) easier to pass at? Birmingham (Garretts Green) has the higher car pass rate at 44.4%, against 42.8% at Birmingham (South Yardley) — a gap of 1.6 points over April 2025 to March 2026. The lead has changed hands over the last 10 years, though, so treat the gap as smaller than it looks. ### Which has the shorter waiting time, Birmingham (Garretts Green) or Birmingham (South Yardley)? Birmingham (Garretts Green), at about 7 weeks against 10 weeks at Birmingham (South Yardley) as of August 2026 — roughly 3 weeks of difference. That is the median gap between booking and testing, not the soonest slot on the booking service, which cancellations often bring much closer at both. ### Should I book Birmingham (Garretts Green) or Birmingham (South Yardley)? Birmingham (Garretts Green), on balance: it beats Birmingham (South Yardley) on both pass rate and waiting time. That assumes you can practise on its routes — if you have driven the roads around Birmingham (South Yardley) and not the ones around Birmingham (Garretts Green), book the one you know. ### Can I book either centre, or does it depend on where I live? Either. There is no catchment area for the car practical test, so you can book any DVSA centre in Great Britain regardless of your address or where you passed your theory test. The only real constraints are the journey on the day and how well you know the roads. ### Where do these figures come from? DVSA statistical tables DRT122A (car pass rates by test centre) and DRT122F (test availability and waiting times), published on GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence. Pass rates cover April 2025 to March 2026; waiting times run to August 2026. Nothing is estimated.