Near Birmingham Kings Heath test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 3 roundabouts and 18 turns across 23 navigation steps.
This is an independent 93.7 km practice loop near Birmingham Kings Heath test centre, taking roughly 30 min to drive. It is NOT an official DVSA examiner route, the DVSA does not publish those, but it uses the same local roads and junction types an examiner is likely to choose.
Along the way you'll meet Portway Island, Cobbs Barn Roundabout and Hopwood Park Interchange. Knowing the approach, lane and exit at each one before you arrive is the difference between a planned manoeuvre and a last-second reaction, and last-second reactions are where avoidable faults come from.
On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, dual-carriageway joins, national-speed roads, 20 mph zones, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads and independent driving. Driving it a few times before your test builds the muscle memory that frees up attention for observation and decision-making on the day.
The loop is anchored by 20 catalogued landmarks, including pubs, schools, churches and shops, so you can navigate it from recognisable features rather than a memorised turn list. Rehearsing it in this way means that on test day the area already feels familiar, and your attention is free for the traffic rather than the map.
Whatever the route, your practical test follows the same national shape: an eyesight check, a couple of vehicle-safety questions, around forty minutes of general driving, one reversing manoeuvre chosen by the examiner, and roughly twenty minutes of independent driving following signs or a sat-nav. Practising on roads like these is how you make each of those elements feel routine rather than new.
Treat this route as practice, not a script. The value is not in repeating one fixed sequence but in getting comfortable with the road types, speed changes and junction patterns of the area around Birmingham Kings Heath test centre, so that whatever order your examiner chooses on the day, none of it is unfamiliar. Drive it a few times, focus on smooth observation and planning, and it becomes one more stretch of road you already know, which is exactly the kind of preparation that turns nerves into confidence.
If you are practising with a supervising driver rather than an instructor, take it steadily: agree the manoeuvre spots in advance, keep to a comfortable pace, and stop to talk through anything that felt rushed. And remember the basics that apply on every road, mirrors before any change of speed or direction, signals in good time, and a following distance that gives you room to react. Those habits travel with you long after the test is passed.
What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.
This route helps you practise:
Road mix
The full 122-step drive on real, named roads (about 93.7 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive north.
33 m
Turn right onto Hawkhurst Road.
Hawkhurst Road233 m
Turn right onto Henlow Road.
Henlow Road114 m
Turn right onto Stotfold Road.
Stotfold Road302 m
Turn left onto A435/Alcester Road South.
A435195 m
Enter The Maypole and take the 5th exit onto A435/Alcester Road South.
The Maypole143 m
Exit the roundabout onto A435/Alcester Road South. Continue on A435.
A4351.8 km
Turn right.
25 m
Turn left.
20 m
Turn left.
25 m
Turn left onto A435/Alcester Road South. Continue on A435.
A4351.1 km
Turn left onto Glenavon Road.
Glenavon Road743 m
Turn right onto Highters Heath Lane.
Highters Heath Lane174 m
Turn right onto Sladepool Farm Road.
Sladepool Farm Road786 m
Turn right onto A435/Alcester Road South. Continue on A435.
A435745 m
Turn left onto Broad Lane.
Broad Lane767 m
Turn left onto Poston Croft.
Poston Croft48 m
Turn left to stay on Poston Croft.
Poston Croft87 m
Turn left to stay on Poston Croft.
Poston Croft48 m
Turn right onto Broad Lane.
Broad Lane767 m
Turn right onto A435/Alcester Road South. Continue on A435.
A435273 m
Turn left onto Warstock Road.
Warstock Road874 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto School Road.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto School Road.
School Road129 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Yardley Wood Road.
94 m
Exit the roundabout onto Yardley Wood Road.
Yardley Wood Road284 m
Turn right onto Prince of Wales Lane.
Prince of Wales Lane732 m
Turn left onto High Street.
High Street662 m
Turn left onto Yardley Wood Road.
Yardley Wood Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto School Road.
47 m
Exit the roundabout onto School Road.
School Road127 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Warstock Road.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Warstock Road.
Warstock Road840 m
Turn right onto A435/Alcester Road South. Continue on A435.
A435337 m
Turn left onto Broad Lane.
Broad Lane767 m
Turn left onto Poston Croft.
Poston Croft48 m
Turn left to stay on Poston Croft.
Poston Croft87 m
Turn left to stay on Poston Croft.
Poston Croft48 m
Turn right onto Broad Lane.
Broad Lane767 m
Turn right onto A435/Alcester Road South. Continue on A435.
A4351.4 km
Enter The Maypole and take the 1st exit onto Maypole Lane.
The Maypole9 m
Exit the roundabout onto Maypole Lane.
Maypole Lane491 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Maypole Lane.
26 m
Exit the roundabout onto Maypole Lane.
Maypole Lane1.0 km
Turn right onto Peterbrook Road.
Peterbrook Road1.8 km
Turn right onto Truemans Heath Lane.
Truemans Heath Lane2.3 km
Turn left onto Alcester Road.
Alcester Road1.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A435.
56 m
Exit the roundabout onto A435.
A4352.0 km
Enter Portway Island and take the 4th exit onto M42.
Portway Island315 m
Exit the roundabout onto M42.
M424.1 km
Take exit 2 onto A441 towards Birmingham (S).
M42361 m
Enter Hopwood Park Interchange and take the 1st exit onto A441/Alvechurch Bypass.
Hopwood Park Interchange9 m
Exit the roundabout onto A441/Alvechurch Bypass.
A4413.2 km
Enter Cobbs Barn Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Redditch Road/B4120.
Cobbs Barn Roundabout96 m
Exit the roundabout onto Redditch Road/B4120.
Redditch Road560 m
Turn left onto Grange Lane.
Grange Lane2.1 km
Move left onto Stoney Lane.
Stoney Lane2.2 km
Turn left onto Hewell Lane/B4096.
Hewell Lane1.6 km
Turn right onto Alcester Road/B4184.
Alcester Road405 m
Turn left onto High House Lane.
High House Lane995 m
Turn right onto London Lane.
London Lane1.1 km
Turn right onto Dusthouse Lane.
Dusthouse Lane680 m
Turn left onto Alcester Road/B4184.
Alcester Road240 m
Turn right onto Tutnall Lane.
Tutnall Lane216 m
Turn left to stay on Tutnall Lane.
Tutnall Lane2.7 km
Move right onto Grange Lane.
Grange Lane2.1 km
Turn right onto Redditch Road/B4120.
Redditch Road555 m
Enter Cobbs Barn Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A441/Alvechurch Bypass.
Cobbs Barn Roundabout8 m
Exit the roundabout onto A441/Alvechurch Bypass.
A4413.2 km
Enter Hopwood Park Interchange and take the 4th exit onto M42.
Hopwood Park Interchange247 m
Exit the roundabout onto M42.
M424.0 km
Take exit 3 onto A435 towards Birmingham (S)/Redditch/Evesham.
M42383 m
Enter Portway Island and take the 1st exit onto A435.
Portway Island4 m
Exit the roundabout onto A435.
A4352.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A435/Hollywood By-Pass.
79 m
Exit the roundabout onto A435/Hollywood By-Pass.
A4353.8 km
Enter The Maypole and take the 2nd exit onto A435/Alcester Road South.
The Maypole35 m
Exit the roundabout onto A435/Alcester Road South. Continue on A435.
A4354.1 km
Turn right onto Valentine Road.
Valentine Road49 m
Turn left onto Ashfield Avenue.
Ashfield Avenue154 m
Turn right to stay on Ashfield Avenue.
Ashfield Avenue47 m
Turn left onto Leasowes Road.
Leasowes Road111 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Leasowes Road.
Leasowes Road111 m
Turn right onto Ashfield Avenue.
Ashfield Avenue47 m
Turn left to stay on Ashfield Avenue.
Ashfield Avenue154 m
Turn right onto Valentine Road.
Valentine Road49 m
Turn left onto A435/High Street. Continue on A435.
A4354.1 km
Enter The Maypole and take the 2nd exit onto Alcester Road South.
The Maypole47 m
Exit the roundabout onto Alcester Road South.
Alcester Road South74 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Alcester Road South.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto Alcester Road South.
Alcester Road South801 m
Turn left onto Hollywood Lane.
Hollywood Lane87 m
Turn right onto Douglas Road.
Douglas Road146 m
Turn left onto Simon Road.
Simon Road255 m
Turn left onto Dyas Road.
Dyas Road13 m
Turn right onto Fenton Road.
Fenton Road174 m
Turn left onto Heath Road.
Heath Road154 m
Turn right onto Dyas Road.
Dyas Road76 m
Turn left onto Corbett Road.
Corbett Road142 m
Turn right onto Hollywood Lane.
Hollywood Lane681 m
Turn left onto Houndsfield Lane.
Houndsfield Lane1.3 km
Turn right onto Tilehouse Lane.
Tilehouse Lane1.3 km
Turn right onto Norton Lane.
Norton Lane843 m
Move left onto Station Road.
Station Road1.5 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A435/Hollywood By-Pass.
143 m
Exit the roundabout onto A435/Hollywood By-Pass.
A4353.8 km
Enter The Maypole and take the 2nd exit onto A435/Alcester Road South.
The Maypole35 m
Exit the roundabout onto A435/Alcester Road South. Continue on A435.
A4353.4 km
Turn left onto Vicarage Road/B4122. Continue on Vicarage Road.
Vicarage Road338 m
Turn right onto Avenue Road.
Avenue Road436 m
Turn right onto Station Road.
Station Road429 m
Turn right onto York Road.
York Road87 m
Turn right onto Grange Road.
Grange Road431 m
Turn left onto Avenue Road.
Avenue Road348 m
Turn right onto Vicarage Road.
Vicarage Road367 m
Turn left onto Howard Road/A4040.
Howard Road652 m
Turn right onto A435/Alcester Road South. Continue on A435.
A4352.9 km
Enter The Maypole and take the 1st exit onto Maypole Lane.
The Maypole9 m
Exit the roundabout onto Maypole Lane.
Maypole Lane199 m
Turn left onto Henlow Road.
Henlow Road276 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Birmingham Kings Heath · Route 15 loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.
These are the real named features along the loop, straight from our route catalogue. Use them to recognise where you are and to anticipate the hazard each one brings, not to memorise a fixed order.
Decide your lane and exit on the approach to each of these, get set up early.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.
Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.
Multiple roundabouts
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Cobbs Barn Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 44.5 km of this loop is dual carriageway. Build your speed on the slip road, take an effective rearward observation, and merge without forcing other traffic to brake.
Changing speed limits
Limits change across this route (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 mph). Watch for repeater signs and adjust early, examiners mark you down for carrying the wrong speed into a new limit.
Residential streets
Narrow residential roads mean parked cars, pedestrians and reduced visibility. Cover the brake, keep your speed down and be ready to give way.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
Horseshoe
Start near Horseshoe.
Millpool Campus - City of Birmingham School
Continue to Millpool Campus - City of Birmingham School.
Yardley Wood Baptist Church
Continue to Yardley Wood Baptist Church.
Prince of Wales
Continue to Prince of Wales.
Krystal Kleen
Continue to Krystal Kleen.
Hair Loft
Continue to Hair Loft.
Portway Island
Continue to Portway Island, taking the junction with good observation.
Cobbs Barn Roundabout
Continue to Cobbs Barn Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Tardebigge
Continue to Tardebigge.
Hopwood Park Interchange
Continue to Hopwood Park Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
Shop and Select
Continue to Shop and Select.
Natural Complexions
Continue to Natural Complexions.
Green Oak Academy (Kings Heath)
Continue to Green Oak Academy (Kings Heath).
New Life Baptist Church
Continue to New Life Baptist Church.
Birmingham South Christadelphian Meeting Room
Continue to Birmingham South Christadelphian Meeting Room.
Kings Arms
Continue to Kings Arms.
Tidbury Green Garage
Continue to Tidbury Green Garage.
Select and Save
Continue to Select and Save.
All Saints Parish Church
Continue to All Saints Parish Church.
Kings Heath Mosque
Finish back near Kings Heath Mosque, completing the loop.
5 roundabouts · 20 turns
9 roundabouts · 19 turns
4 roundabouts · 17 turns
6 roundabouts · 16 turns
This route is 93.7 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Birmingham Kings Heath test centre, not an official DVSA route.