Near Birmingham (Kingstanding) test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 6 roundabouts, 13 turns and 8 signalled junctions across 25 navigation steps.
This is an independent 49.2 km practice loop near Birmingham (Kingstanding) test centre, taking roughly 35 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, dual-carriageway joins, 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, shops, schools and pubs, 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 100-step drive on real, named roads (about 49.2 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 1st exit onto Dyas Road.
18 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 2nd exit onto Dyas Road.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Dyas Road.
Dyas Road964 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
Move left onto Warren Farm Road.
Warren Farm Road89 m
Turn right onto Danesbury Crescent.
Danesbury Crescent481 m
Turn right onto Warren Farm Road.
Warren Farm Road314 m
Turn left onto Hawthorn Road.
Hawthorn Road461 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 3rd exit onto College Road/A453.
53 m
Exit the roundabout onto College Road/A453.
College Road358 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on College Road/A453.
College Road373 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto College Road/A453.
38 m
Exit the roundabout onto College Road/A453.
College Road1.1 km
Move left to stay on College Road.
College Road36 m
Turn left onto A452/Chester Road. Continue on A452.
A4522.9 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A452/Chester Road.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A452/Chester Road.
A4522.4 km
Turn right to stay on Chester Road.
Chester Road17 m
Turn left to stay on Chester Road.
Chester Road189 m
Make a left U-turn at Chester Road onto A452/Chester Road.
A4522.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A452/Chester Road North.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto A452/Chester Road North. Continue on A452.
A4523.5 km
Turn left onto Antrobus Road.
Antrobus Road753 m
Turn right onto Boldmere Road/B4142.
Boldmere Road279 m
Turn left onto Beacon Road.
Beacon Road151 m
Turn left onto Wrekin Road.
Wrekin Road236 m
Turn left onto Highbridge Road.
Highbridge Road126 m
Turn right onto Boldmere Road/B4142.
Boldmere Road848 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Monmouth Drive.
15 m
Exit the roundabout onto Monmouth Drive.
Monmouth Drive1.9 km
Turn right onto A452/Chester Road North.
A4521.5 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A452/Chester Road.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A452/Chester Road.
A4522.4 km
Turn right to stay on Chester Road.
Chester Road17 m
Turn left to stay on Chester Road.
Chester Road189 m
Make a left U-turn at Chester Road onto A452/Chester Road.
A4522.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A452/Chester Road North.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto A452/Chester Road North.
A4521.1 km
Turn right onto Reay Nadin Drive.
Reay Nadin Drive38 m
Turn left to stay on Reay Nadin Drive.
Reay Nadin Drive163 m
Make a sharp left.
75 m
Turn left.
8 m
Turn left onto Westwood Road.
Westwood Road798 m
Turn left onto George Frederick Road.
George Frederick Road427 m
Turn left onto Longmoor Road.
Longmoor Road323 m
Turn left onto Westwood Road.
Westwood Road337 m
Turn left onto Reay Nadin Drive.
Reay Nadin Drive45 m
Make a sharp left.
75 m
Turn left.
8 m
Turn left onto Westwood Road.
Westwood Road45 m
Turn right onto Reay Nadin Drive.
Reay Nadin Drive155 m
Turn left onto A452/Chester Road North.
A4521.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A452/Chester Road.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A452/Chester Road.
A4522.4 km
Turn right to stay on Chester Road.
Chester Road17 m
Turn left to stay on Chester Road.
Chester Road189 m
Make a left U-turn at Chester Road onto A452/Chester Road.
A4522.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A452/Chester Road North.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto A452/Chester Road North.
A452192 m
Turn right onto Sutton Oak Road/B4138.
Sutton Oak Road17 m
Turn left to stay on Sutton Oak Road/B4138.
Sutton Oak Road351 m
Turn right onto Bakers Lane.
Bakers Lane416 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Bakers Lane.
142 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bakers Lane.
Bakers Lane416 m
Turn right onto Sutton Oak Road/B4138. Continue on B4138.
B41381.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Kingstanding Road/B4138.
76 m
Exit the roundabout onto Kingstanding Road/B4138.
Kingstanding Road999 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Kingstanding Road/B4138.
Kingstanding Road309 m
Turn left onto Tresham Road.
Tresham Road492 m
Turn left onto Birdbrook Road.
Birdbrook Road229 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Dyas Road.
54 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 17 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.
Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.
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.
Dual-carriageway join
About 25.6 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.
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.
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Continue to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Elim Church
Continue to Elim Church.
Hawthorn Fish bar
Continue to Hawthorn Fish bar.
Christ The King Catholic Primary School
Continue to Christ The King Catholic Primary School.
Co-op Florist
Continue to Co-op Florist.
Costcutter
Continue to Costcutter.
Narish Superstore
Continue to Narish Superstore.
Beggars Bush
Continue to Beggars Bush.
Saint Columba's
Continue to Saint Columba's.
Hardwick Arms
Continue to Hardwick Arms.
Nissan
Continue to Nissan.
d:fix
Continue to d:fix.
Boldmere Methodist Church
Continue to Boldmere Methodist Church.
Cask & Craft Bar & Bottle Shop
Continue to Cask & Craft Bar & Bottle Shop.
Nisa Local Westwood Stores
Continue to Nisa Local Westwood Stores.
Banners Gate United Reform Church
Continue to Banners Gate United Reform Church.
Jade Garden
Continue to Jade Garden.
Queslett
Continue to Queslett.
Drinks Cabin
Finish back near Drinks Cabin, 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 · 17 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 49.2 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Birmingham (Kingstanding) test centre, not an official DVSA route.