Near Birmingham (South Yardley) test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 12 roundabouts, 14 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 30 navigation steps.
This is an independent 24.0 km practice loop near Birmingham (South Yardley) test centre, taking roughly 45 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 schools, churches, shops 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 (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 77-step drive on real, named roads (about 23.9 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.
A451.0 km
Turn left onto Forest Road.
Forest Road98 m
Move left onto Waterloo Road.
Waterloo Road401 m
Turn left onto Stockfield Road/A4040.
Stockfield Road117 m
Turn left onto Broadyates Road.
Broadyates Road353 m
Turn left onto A45/Coventry Road.
A45397 m
Turn left onto Forest Road.
Forest Road98 m
Move left onto Waterloo Road.
Waterloo Road401 m
Turn right onto Stockfield Road/A4040. Continue on A4040.
A40401.1 km
Turn left onto A41/Warwick Road.
A41122 m
Turn right onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road584 m
Turn right to stay on Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road260 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road555 m
Make a right U-turn at York Road to stay on Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road580 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Olton Boulevard East/B4514.
114 m
Exit the roundabout onto Olton Boulevard East/B4514.
Olton Boulevard East533 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Olton Boulevard East/B4514.
113 m
Exit the roundabout onto Olton Boulevard East/B4514.
Olton Boulevard East797 m
Turn left to stay on Olton Boulevard East/B4514.
Olton Boulevard East41 m
Turn right onto A41/Warwick Road.
A41172 m
Turn right onto Olton Court.
Olton Court154 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Olton Court.
Olton Court154 m
Turn left onto A41/Warwick Road.
A41967 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Olton Boulevard East/B4514.
79 m
Exit the roundabout onto Olton Boulevard East/B4514.
Olton Boulevard East532 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Olton Boulevard East/B4514.
54 m
Exit the roundabout onto Olton Boulevard East/B4514.
Olton Boulevard East114 m
Turn left onto Shaftmoor Lane/B4217.
Shaftmoor Lane648 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Shaftmoor Lane/B4217.
35 m
Exit the roundabout onto Shaftmoor Lane/B4217.
Shaftmoor Lane272 m
Turn left onto Russell Road.
Russell Road236 m
Turn left onto York Road.
York Road200 m
Turn left onto Cateswell Road.
Cateswell Road151 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Cateswell Road.
67 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cateswell Road.
Cateswell Road151 m
Turn left onto York Road.
York Road646 m
Turn left onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road155 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road680 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road159 m
Turn left onto Lakey Lane.
Lakey Lane349 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Lakey Lane.
32 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lakey Lane.
Lakey Lane163 m
Turn left to stay on Lakey Lane.
Lakey Lane21 m
Turn left onto School Road.
School Road184 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Shirley Road.
81 m
Exit the roundabout onto Shirley Road.
Shirley Road585 m
Turn right onto Oakhurst Road.
Oakhurst Road593 m
Turn right onto Severne Road.
Severne Road360 m
Turn left onto Nailstone Crescent.
Nailstone Crescent229 m
Turn right onto Roydon Road.
Roydon Road225 m
Turn left onto Gospel Lane.
Gospel Lane354 m
Turn left onto Severne Road.
Severne Road90 m
Turn left onto Tavistock Road.
Tavistock Road361 m
Turn left onto Roydon Road.
Roydon Road89 m
Turn right onto Gospel Lane.
Gospel Lane68 m
Turn left onto Brook Lane.
Brook Lane318 m
Turn left onto Kineton Green Road.
Kineton Green Road1.5 km
Turn left onto Fernhill Road.
Fernhill Road403 m
Turn left onto Scott Road.
Scott Road81 m
Turn left onto Baddesley Road.
Baddesley Road200 m
Turn right onto Fernhill Road.
Fernhill Road189 m
Turn left onto Richmond Road.
Richmond Road100 m
Turn left onto Pierce Avenue.
Pierce Avenue552 m
Turn right onto Lincoln Road North.
Lincoln Road North678 m
Turn left onto Clay Lane.
Clay Lane265 m
Turn left to stay on Clay Lane.
Clay Lane83 m
Turn left onto Bosworth Road.
Bosworth Road119 m
Turn right onto Hardwick Road.
Hardwick Road311 m
Turn right onto Shalford Road.
Shalford Road114 m
Turn right onto Barn Lane.
Barn Lane262 m
Turn right onto Bosworth Road.
Bosworth Road326 m
Turn right onto Clay Lane.
Clay Lane199 m
Turn right to stay on Clay Lane.
Clay Lane302 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Birmingham (South Yardley) · Route 7 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 1.7 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.
EBN Academy
Start near EBN Academy.
Hay Mills Congregational Church
Continue to Hay Mills Congregational Church.
South Yardley Methodist Church
Continue to South Yardley Methodist Church.
JC Motorcycles
Continue to JC Motorcycles.
Shell Select
Continue to Shell Select.
Nanny Chi Chi's Day Nursery
Continue to Nanny Chi Chi's Day Nursery.
Fox Hollies Childrens Centre
Continue to Fox Hollies Childrens Centre.
Antony M
Continue to Antony M.
Dovehouse Nursery
Continue to Dovehouse Nursery.
Casey Joe's
Continue to Casey Joe's.
Lady Westminster
Continue to Lady Westminster.
Russells Nursery
Continue to Russells Nursery.
Hall Green Pentecostal Spiritualist Church
Continue to Hall Green Pentecostal Spiritualist Church.
Oriental Rendezvous
Continue to Oriental Rendezvous.
Maggies
Continue to Maggies.
Summer Town
Continue to Summer Town.
Pizza de Roma
Continue to Pizza de Roma.
St Margaret's Parish Church
Continue to St Margaret's Parish Church.
Acrewood Nursery & Pre-school
Continue to Acrewood Nursery & Pre-school.
Journey's End
Finish back near Journey's End, 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
8 roundabouts · 17 turns · 2 sets of lights
This route is 24.0 km and takes about 45 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.