Birmingham (Kings Heath) and Birmingham (Shirley) 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 9.8 points of pass rate and about 0.7 weeks of waiting.
Side by side
| Birmingham (Kings Heath) | Birmingham (Shirley) | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass rate | 46.8% | 56.6% | 9.8 points to Birmingham (Shirley) |
| Waiting time | 14.7 weeks | 14 weeks | 0.7 weeks sooner at Birmingham (Shirley) |
| Tests a year | 9,072 | 9,385 | 313 more at Birmingham (Shirley) |
| Region | West Midlands | West Midlands | Same region |
Pass rates are for April 2025 to March 2026; waiting times are to June 2026. The Great Britain averages are 50.1% and 12.1 weeks.
Pass rate
Birmingham (Shirley) passes 56.6% of car candidates against 46.8% at Birmingham (Kings Heath), a gap of 9.8 points. Birmingham (Shirley) is above the national average of 50.1% and Birmingham (Kings Heath) below it.
The gap holds up over time. Birmingham (Shirley) has come out ahead in every one of the last 10 years DVSA has published, which points at a real difference in the roads rather than a single unusual year.
| Year | Birmingham (Kings Heath) | Birmingham (Shirley) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022– 2023 | 44.2% | 50% |
| 2023– 2024 | 44.5% | 53.2% |
| 2024– 2025 | 47% | 58.1% |
| 2025– 2026 | 46.8% | 56.6% |
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 covers how to work out what each centre uses.
Waiting time
Birmingham (Shirley) books about 0.7 weeks sooner — 14 weeks against 14.7 weeks — with the Great Britain average at 12.1 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.
How busy each centre is
Birmingham (Kings Heath) conducted 9,072 car tests over the year and Birmingham (Shirley) 9,385. 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 (Shirley) is the better booking of the two. It has both the higher pass rate (56.6% against 46.8%) and the shorter wait (14 weeks against 14.7 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 (Kings Heath), book Birmingham (Kings Heath).
Full figures for each centre
- Birmingham (Kings Heath) driving test centre — monthly trend, full history and nearby alternatives
- Birmingham (Shirley) driving test centre — monthly trend, full history and nearby alternatives
- Best driving test centre in Birmingham — every centre in the city ranked
Other comparisons
- Birmingham (Garretts Green) vs Birmingham (Kings Heath)
- Birmingham (Kings Heath) vs Birmingham (Kingstanding)
- Birmingham (Kings Heath) vs Birmingham (South Yardley)
- Birmingham (Garretts Green) vs Birmingham (Shirley)
- Birmingham (Kingstanding) vs Birmingham (Shirley)
- Birmingham (Shirley) vs Birmingham (South Yardley)
Or compare every centre at once on pass rates and waiting times.
