Near Birmingham (Kingstanding) test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 6 roundabouts, 18 turns and 4 signalled junctions across 28 navigation steps.
This is an independent 22.6 km practice loop near Birmingham (Kingstanding) test centre, taking roughly 40 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.
On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, 20 mph zones, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads, independent driving and sustained concentration. 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 churches, schools 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 (Kingstanding) 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 73-step drive on real, named roads (about 22.6 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive north.
25 m
Turn right onto Rodlington Avenue.
Rodlington Avenue146 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Rodlington Avenue.
Rodlington Avenue179 m
Turn left onto Birdbrook Road.
Birdbrook Road81 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Birdbrook Road.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Birdbrook Road.
Birdbrook Road324 m
Turn left onto Goodway Road.
Goodway Road161 m
Turn left onto Harleston Road.
Harleston Road310 m
Turn right onto Birdbrook Road.
Birdbrook Road110 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Birdbrook Road.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Birdbrook Road.
Birdbrook Road412 m
Turn left onto Old Oscott Lane.
Old Oscott Lane22 m
Turn right onto Oscott School Lane.
Oscott School Lane581 m
Turn right onto Shady Lane.
Shady Lane246 m
Turn right onto Thorncliffe Road.
Thorncliffe Road276 m
Turn left onto Southgate Road.
Southgate Road439 m
Turn left onto Dunedin Road.
Dunedin Road272 m
Turn left onto Shady Lane.
Shady Lane1.1 km
Turn left onto Aldridge Road.
Aldridge Road740 m
Turn left onto Dyas Road.
Dyas Road541 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Dyas Road.
34 m
Exit the roundabout onto Dyas Road.
Dyas Road238 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Dyas Road.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Dyas Road.
Dyas Road431 m
Turn left onto Kingstanding Road/B4138.
Kingstanding Road1.1 km
Make a right U-turn at Kingstanding Road/B4138 to stay on Kingstanding Road/B4138.
Kingstanding Road125 m
Move left onto Harringay Road.
Harringay Road35 m
Turn left to stay on Harringay Road.
Harringay Road208 m
Turn right onto Caversham Road.
Caversham Road89 m
Turn right onto Carshalton Road.
Carshalton Road171 m
Turn left onto Hurlingham Road.
Hurlingham Road715 m
Turn left onto Danesbury Crescent.
Danesbury Crescent480 m
Turn left onto Plumstead Road.
Plumstead Road117 m
Turn right onto Dulwich Road.
Dulwich Road143 m
Turn left onto Charlton Road.
Charlton Road233 m
Turn left onto Hawthorn Road.
Hawthorn Road112 m
Turn right onto Warren Road.
Warren Road508 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto College Road/A453.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto College Road/A453.
College Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Brackenbury Road.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto Brackenbury Road.
Brackenbury Road454 m
Make a sharp right onto Warren Farm Road.
Warren Farm Road54 m
Turn right onto Brackenbury Road.
Brackenbury Road438 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Dovedale Road.
28 m
Exit the roundabout onto Dovedale Road.
Dovedale Road89 m
Move right onto Broomhill Road.
Broomhill Road96 m
Turn left onto Jackdaw Road.
Jackdaw Road183 m
Turn left onto Hurstwood Road.
Hurstwood Road38 m
Turn right onto Dovedale Road.
Dovedale Road383 m
Turn right onto Kittiwake Drive.
Kittiwake Drive91 m
Turn right onto Capilano Road.
Capilano Road77 m
Turn right onto Witton Lodge Road.
Witton Lodge Road365 m
Turn right onto Turfpits Lane.
Turfpits Lane759 m
Turn left onto Short Heath Road.
Short Heath Road1.1 km
Turn left onto Court Lane.
Court Lane232 m
Turn left onto Anderson Road.
Anderson Road275 m
Turn right onto Short Heath Road.
Short Heath Road514 m
Turn left onto Streetly Road.
Streetly Road286 m
Turn right onto Marlow Road.
Marlow Road256 m
Turn left onto Bleak Hill Road.
Bleak Hill Road533 m
Stay straight to take the ramp.
15 m
Turn right onto Marsh Hill/A4040. Continue on A4040.
A4040924 m
Turn right onto The Ridgeway.
The Ridgeway1.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Warren Road.
45 m
Exit the roundabout onto Warren Road.
Warren Road527 m
Move left onto Hawthorn Road.
Hawthorn Road919 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Dyas Road.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Dyas Road.
Dyas Road238 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Dyas Road.
63 m
Exit the roundabout onto Dyas Road.
Dyas Road238 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Birdbrook Road.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto Birdbrook Road.
Birdbrook Road110 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Birmingham (Kingstanding) · Route 1 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.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.
Multiple roundabouts
Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.
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.
Goodway Evangelical Free Church
Start near Goodway Evangelical Free Church.
Little Ripley Day Nursery
Continue to Little Ripley Day Nursery.
Golden Fish
Continue to Golden Fish.
Great Barr Primary School school
Continue to Great Barr Primary School school.
Nisa Local
Continue to Nisa Local.
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Continue to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Rattlesnake Canyon
Continue to Rattlesnake Canyon.
Warren Farm Primary School
Continue to Warren Farm Primary School.
Charlton Road Christian Church
Continue to Charlton Road Christian Church.
Elim Church
Continue to Elim Church.
Londis
Continue to Londis.
Park Avenue Laundry Service
Continue to Park Avenue Laundry Service.
Select Xpress
Continue to Select Xpress.
Beacon Lighthouse
Continue to Beacon Lighthouse.
Lifestyle Express
Continue to Lifestyle Express.
St Mark's Church
Continue to St Mark's Church.
Marsh Hill Nursery School
Continue to Marsh Hill Nursery School.
Granville Street Memorial
Continue to Granville Street Memorial.
Hawthorn Superstore
Continue to Hawthorn Superstore.
Cheers - Off Licence and Convenience Store
Finish back near Cheers - Off Licence and Convenience Store, completing the loop.
6 roundabouts · 14 turns · 2 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 11 turns · 6 sets of lights
7 roundabouts · 12 turns · 3 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 13 turns · 8 sets of lights
This route is 22.6 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Birmingham (Kingstanding) test centre, not an official DVSA route.