Near Birmingham (South Yardley) test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 8 roundabouts, 17 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 28 navigation steps.
This is an independent 56.2 km practice loop near Birmingham (South Yardley) 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.
Along the way you'll meet Copt Hill Interchange and Stratford Road. 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 schools, shops, churches and named junctions, 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 (South Yardley) 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 127-step drive on real, named roads (about 56.2 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive north on Clay Lane.
Clay Lane727 m
Turn left onto A45/Coventry Road.
A4595 m
Move left.
347 m
Enter Swan Island and take the 4th exit onto A45/Coventry Road.
Swan Island187 m
Exit the roundabout onto A45/Coventry Road.
A45578 m
Take the exit on the right.
62 m
Turn right onto A45/Coventry Road.
A45171 m
Turn left onto Clay Lane.
Clay Lane913 m
Turn left to stay on Clay Lane.
Clay Lane199 m
Turn left onto Bosworth Road.
Bosworth Road678 m
Turn left onto Pierce Avenue.
Pierce Avenue552 m
Turn right onto Richmond Road.
Richmond Road380 m
Turn left onto Lyndon Road.
Lyndon Road545 m
Turn left onto Chapel Fields Road.
Chapel Fields Road238 m
Turn right onto Richmond Road.
Richmond Road556 m
Turn right onto Barn Lane.
Barn Lane219 m
Turn right onto Lyndon Road.
Lyndon Road936 m
Move left onto Barrington Road.
Barrington Road331 m
Turn right onto Richmond Road.
Richmond Road390 m
Turn right onto Chapel Fields Road.
Chapel Fields Road238 m
Turn right onto Lyndon Road.
Lyndon Road545 m
Turn left onto Richmond Road.
Richmond Road461 m
Turn left onto A41/Warwick Road.
A412.1 km
Keep right to stay on Warwick Road.
Warwick Road492 m
Turn right onto Ashleigh Road.
Ashleigh Road383 m
Turn right onto Streetsbrook Road/B4025.
Streetsbrook Road229 m
Move right onto Broad Oaks Road.
Broad Oaks Road935 m
Turn left onto A41/Warwick Road.
A41581 m
Turn left onto Grange Road.
Grange Road789 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto St Bernards Road.
42 m
Exit the roundabout onto St Bernards Road.
St Bernards Road1.1 km
Turn left onto A41/Warwick Road. Continue on A41.
A41837 m
Turn right onto A41/Gospel Lane. Continue on A41.
A41852 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A41/Warwick Road.
76 m
Exit the roundabout onto A41/Warwick Road.
A41447 m
Turn right onto Greswolde Park Road.
Greswolde Park Road217 m
Turn right onto Arden Road.
Arden Road122 m
Turn right to stay on Arden Road.
Arden Road32 m
Move right onto Flint Green Road.
Flint Green Road222 m
Turn left onto A41/Warwick Road.
A41326 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A41/Warwick Road.
19 m
Exit the roundabout onto A41/Warwick Road.
A412.7 km
Turn right onto Grange Road.
Grange Road233 m
Turn left onto Bryanston Court.
Bryanston Court105 m
Move left.
40 m
Make a right U-turn.
40 m
Move right onto Bryanston Court.
Bryanston Court27 m
Move right to stay on Bryanston Court.
Bryanston Court78 m
Turn right onto Grange Road.
Grange Road233 m
Turn right onto A41/Warwick Road.
A41969 m
Keep left to take A41/Seven Star Road.
A41996 m
Move right onto A41/Seven Star Road. Continue on A41.
A412.7 km
Enter Copt Hill Interchange and take the 3rd exit.
Copt Hill Interchange250 m
Exit the roundabout onto M42/E 05.
M423.2 km
Take exit 4 onto A34 towards Shirley.
476 m
Keep right to take exit 4 onto A34 towards Shirley.
45 m
Enter Monkspath Interchange and take the 3rd exit onto A34/Stratford Road.
Monkspath Interchange277 m
Exit the roundabout onto A34/Stratford Road.
A341.1 km
Turn left onto Creynolds Lane.
Creynolds Lane897 m
Turn right onto Cheswick Way.
Cheswick Way150 m
Turn left onto Foxland Close.
Foxland Close78 m
Turn left onto Beechwood Close.
Beechwood Close20 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Beechwood Close.
Beechwood Close20 m
Turn right onto Foxland Close.
Foxland Close78 m
Turn right onto Cheswick Way.
Cheswick Way150 m
Turn left onto Creynolds Lane.
Creynolds Lane897 m
Turn left onto A34/Stratford Road.
A34349 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A34/Stratford Road.
9 m
Exit the roundabout onto A34/Stratford Road. Continue on A34.
A34495 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A34/Stratford Road.
47 m
Exit the roundabout onto A34/Stratford Road. Continue on A34.
A34458 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A34/Stratford Road.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto A34/Stratford Road. Continue on A34.
A34388 m
Enter Stratford Road and take the 2nd exit onto A34/Stratford Road.
Stratford Road25 m
Exit the roundabout onto A34/Stratford Road. Continue on A34.
A34407 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A34/Stratford Road.
19 m
Exit the roundabout onto A34/Stratford Road.
A34529 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A34/Stratford Road.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto A34/Stratford Road.
A34547 m
Turn right onto Solihull Road.
Solihull Road1.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Prospect Lane.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto Prospect Lane.
Prospect Lane870 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Streetsbrook Road/B4025.
42 m
Exit the roundabout onto Streetsbrook Road/B4025.
Streetsbrook Road328 m
Turn left onto Miall Park Road.
Miall Park Road17 m
Turn left to stay on Miall Park Road.
Miall Park Road122 m
Turn right onto Beechwood Park Road.
Beechwood Park Road421 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Beechwood Park Road.
87 m
Exit the roundabout onto Beechwood Park Road.
Beechwood Park Road421 m
Turn left onto Miall Park Road.
Miall Park Road122 m
Turn left to stay on Miall Park Road.
Miall Park Road21 m
Turn left onto Streetsbrook Road/B4025.
Streetsbrook Road153 m
Turn left to stay on Streetsbrook Road.
Streetsbrook Road24 m
Turn left to stay on Streetsbrook Road.
Streetsbrook Road511 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto St Bernards Road.
37 m
Exit the roundabout onto St Bernards Road.
St Bernards Road853 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto St Bernards Road.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto St Bernards Road.
St Bernards Road1.4 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Ulverley Green Road.
10 m
Exit the roundabout onto Ulverley Green Road.
Ulverley Green Road395 m
Turn right onto Bourton Road.
Bourton Road121 m
Turn right onto Reservoir Road.
Reservoir Road281 m
Turn right onto A41/Warwick Road.
A41488 m
Turn right onto Ulverley Green Road.
Ulverley Green Road66 m
Turn left onto Station Drive.
Station Drive187 m
Turn right onto Richmond Road.
Richmond Road1.2 km
Turn left onto Barn Lane.
Barn Lane13 m
Turn right onto Wagon Lane.
Wagon Lane869 m
Turn left onto A45/New Coventry Road. Continue on A45.
A45634 m
Turn left onto Gilbertstone Avenue.
Gilbertstone Avenue96 m
Turn left onto Marcot Road.
Marcot Road601 m
Turn right onto Wagon Lane.
Wagon Lane242 m
Turn left onto Wells Green Road.
Wells Green Road493 m
Turn left to stay on Wells Green Road.
Wells Green Road101 m
Turn right onto Keswick Road.
Keswick Road101 m
Turn left onto A45/New Coventry Road.
A4569 m
Turn left onto Wagon Lane.
Wagon Lane398 m
Turn left onto Wells Green Road.
Wells Green Road103 m
Turn left onto Keswick Road.
Keswick Road405 m
Turn left onto A45/New Coventry Road. Continue on A45.
A452.3 km
Move right.
97 m
Turn right onto Holder Road.
Holder Road6 m
Turn right onto A45/Coventry Road. Continue on A45.
A451.1 km
Take the exit on the right.
62 m
Turn right onto A45/Coventry Road.
A45171 m
Turn left onto Clay Lane.
Clay Lane610 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Birmingham (South Yardley) · Route 13 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.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.
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.
Dual-carriageway join
About 24.4 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, 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.
EBN Academy
Start near EBN Academy.
Acrewood Nursery & Pre-school
Continue to Acrewood Nursery & Pre-school.
St Margaret's Pre-school at Chapelfields
Continue to St Margaret's Pre-school at Chapelfields.
Best-one
Continue to Best-one.
Aesthetics Hair & Beauty
Continue to Aesthetics Hair & Beauty.
Classic Kitchens
Continue to Classic Kitchens.
St Margaret's Parish Church
Continue to St Margaret's Parish Church.
St Mary the Virgin
Continue to St Mary the Virgin.
Birmingham City Mission
Continue to Birmingham City Mission.
Olton Foot and Sports Injury Clinic
Continue to Olton Foot and Sports Injury Clinic.
Solihull Christadelphian Ecclesia
Continue to Solihull Christadelphian Ecclesia.
Copt Hill Interchange
Continue to Copt Hill Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
Stratford Road
Continue to Stratford Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church
Continue to Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church.
Smithtons Food Market
Continue to Smithtons Food Market.
Church of the Holy Ghost and Mary Immaculate
Continue to Church of the Holy Ghost and Mary Immaculate.
Olton
Continue to Olton.
Aldi
Continue to Aldi.
Sura
Continue to Sura.
South Yardley Methodist Church
Finish back near South Yardley Methodist Church, completing the loop.
4 roundabouts · 25 turns · 3 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 18 turns · 3 sets of lights
10 roundabouts · 13 turns · 4 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 16 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 56.2 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Birmingham (South Yardley) test centre, not an official DVSA route.