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Practice route
ChallengingLoop

Birmingham (Kingstanding) · Route 13

Near Birmingham (Kingstanding) test centre

22.1 km
Distance
30 min
Duration
Challenging
Difficulty
19
Manoeuvres
Difficulty: Easy

Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 2 roundabouts, 14 turns and 4 signalled junctions across 23 navigation steps.

How this route is examined

This is an independent 22.1 km practice loop near Birmingham (Kingstanding) 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.

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 shops, churches, pubs and schools, 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.

Manoeuvre breakdown

What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.

10
Left turns
4
Right turns
2
Roundabouts
4
Traffic lights
23
Total steps

Skills & features

4
Roundabouts
20, 30 mph
Speed limits
20
Landmarks

This route helps you practise:

  • Multiple roundabouts
  • 20 mph zones
  • Residential manoeuvres
  • Busy A-roads
  • Independent driving
  • Sustained concentration

Road mix

  • Residential 6.9 km
  • A-roads 4.5 km
  • B-roads 4.1 km
  • Minor roads 3.3 km
  • Unclassified 1.6 km
  • service_other 0.2 km

Turn-by-turn directions

The full 55-step drive on real, named roads (about 22.1 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.

  1. Depart:

    Drive north.

    25 m

  2. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Rodlington Avenue.

    Rodlington Avenue146 m

  3. U-turn:

    Make a right U-turn to stay on Rodlington Avenue.

    Rodlington Avenue179 m

  4. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Birdbrook Road.

    Birdbrook Road81 m

  5. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Birdbrook Road.

    36 m

  6. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Birdbrook Road.

    Birdbrook Road324 m

  7. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Goodway Road.

    Goodway Road161 m

  8. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Harleston Road.

    Harleston Road310 m

  9. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Birdbrook Road.

    Birdbrook Road110 m

  10. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Dyas Road.

    18 m

  11. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Dyas Road.

    Dyas Road238 m

  12. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Dyas Road.

    63 m

  13. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Dyas Road.

    Dyas Road238 m

  14. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Dyas Road.

    30 m

  15. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Dyas Road.

    Dyas Road431 m

  16. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Kingstanding Road/B4138.

    Kingstanding Road717 m

  17. U-turn:

    Make a right U-turn to stay on Kingstanding Road/B4138.

    Kingstanding Road1.6 km

  18. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Crossway Lane.

    Crossway Lane277 m

  19. Turn left:

    Turn left onto College Road/A453.

    College Road183 m

  20. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Epwell Road.

    Epwell Road303 m

  21. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Crossway Lane.

    Crossway Lane152 m

  22. Turn left:

    Turn left onto College Road/A453.

    College Road460 m

  23. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto College Road/A453.

    32 m

  24. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto College Road/A453.

    College Road829 m

  25. U-turn:

    Make a right U-turn to stay on College Road/A453.

    College Road846 m

  26. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto College Road/A453.

    39 m

  27. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto College Road/A453.

    College Road436 m

  28. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Moor Lane.

    Moor Lane18 m

  29. Turn left:

    Turn left to stay on Moor Lane.

    Moor Lane1.5 km

  30. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Brookvale Road/A4040.

    Brookvale Road361 m

  31. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Brookvale Park Road.

    Brookvale Park Road697 m

  32. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Gipsy Lane.

    Gipsy Lane735 m

  33. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Marsh Hill/A4040.

    Marsh Hill627 m

  34. U-turn:

    Make a right U-turn to stay on Marsh Hill/A4040.

    Marsh Hill347 m

  35. U-turn:

    Make a right U-turn to stay on Marsh Hill/A4040.

    Marsh Hill346 m

  36. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Bleak Hill Road.

    Bleak Hill Road533 m

  37. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Marlow Road.

    Marlow Road652 m

  38. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Marsh Lane/B4531.

    Marsh Lane324 m

  39. U-turn:

    Make a right U-turn to stay on Marsh Lane/B4531.

    Marsh Lane341 m

  40. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Edgware Road.

    Edgware Road437 m

  41. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Streetly Road.

    Streetly Road279 m

  42. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Short Heath Road.

    Short Heath Road2.2 km

  43. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Kingstanding Road/B4138.

    Kingstanding Road1.1 km

  44. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Dunedin Road.

    Dunedin Road388 m

  45. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Weybourne Road.

    Weybourne Road391 m

  46. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Thorncliffe Road.

    Thorncliffe Road122 m

  47. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Southgate Road.

    Southgate Road439 m

  48. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Dunedin Road.

    Dunedin Road272 m

  49. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Shady Lane.

    Shady Lane517 m

  50. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Oscott School Lane.

    Oscott School Lane588 m

  51. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Old Oscott Hill.

    Old Oscott Hill14 m

  52. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Birdbrook Road.

    Birdbrook Road412 m

  53. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Birdbrook Road.

    36 m

  54. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Birdbrook Road.

    Birdbrook Road110 m

  55. Arrive:

    You have arrived at your destination.

Directions for the Birmingham (Kingstanding) · Route 13 loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.

Local roads & landmarks

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.

Schools

Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.

  • Goodway Nursery School
  • Marsh Hill Nursery School
  • Little Ripley Day Nursery

Churches

Useful navigation anchors on the loop.

  • Goodway Evangelical Free Church
  • Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
  • St Mark's Church

Pubs

Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.

  • Golden Hind
  • Safe Harbour
  • Kingfisher

Shops & parades

Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.

  • Birdbrook Convenience Store
  • Co-operative Food
  • Kingstanding Car Sales
  • Bargain Kings

Watch out for

  • 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.

Drive it: landmark by landmark

Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.

  1. Birdbrook Convenience Store

    Start near Birdbrook Convenience Store.

  2. Goodway Evangelical Free Church

    Continue to Goodway Evangelical Free Church.

  3. Co-operative Food

    Continue to Co-operative Food.

  4. Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses

    Continue to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.

  5. Kingstanding Car Sales

    Continue to Kingstanding Car Sales.

  6. Golden Hind

    Continue to Golden Hind.

  7. Goodway Nursery School

    Continue to Goodway Nursery School.

  8. Bargain Kings

    Continue to Bargain Kings.

  9. Gill Batteries

    Continue to Gill Batteries.

  10. Granville Street Memorial

    Continue to Granville Street Memorial.

  11. Safe Harbour

    Continue to Safe Harbour.

  12. Nisa Local

    Continue to Nisa Local.

  13. Marsh Hill Nursery School

    Continue to Marsh Hill Nursery School.

  14. St Mark's Church

    Continue to St Mark's Church.

  15. Lifestyle Express

    Continue to Lifestyle Express.

  16. Bella's Local Rug Dealer

    Continue to Bella's Local Rug Dealer.

  17. Big Johns

    Continue to Big Johns.

  18. Iceland

    Continue to Iceland.

  19. Little Ripley Day Nursery

    Continue to Little Ripley Day Nursery.

  20. Kingfisher

    Finish back near Kingfisher, completing the loop.

More routes at Birmingham (Kingstanding) test centre

Route FAQs

This route is 22.1 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Birmingham (Kingstanding) test centre, not an official DVSA route.