What a driving test swap is

If you want to change your own test to a different date, time or test centre, you can do this yourself online.

Find out how to change your driving test.

Swapping is different from changing your test. You are not finding a new date or time. You and another learner driver are exchanging your existing bookings with each other.

Who can swap a driving test

You can only swap your own car driving test with another learner driver.

You must both want to swap to each other’s exact test date, time and test centre.

Check if you can swap

You can swap your car driving test with another learner driver if all of the following apply.

How many changes you have left

You both need at least one of your 2 allowed changes available. You cannot swap if either of you has used both changes.

When your tests are booked

You must request the swap at least 10 full working days before the earliest of the 2 tests. Monday to Saturday count as working days. Sundays and public holidays do not count.

Where your tests are booked

You can only swap with a learner driver whose test is booked at either:

• the same test centre asyou’re youbooked at
• one of the 3 nearest test centres to youthe test centre you’re booked at
• the test centre you first booked at

Check that both your test centres meet this location rule before you call the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA.).

What type of test you have booked

You can only swap with a learner who has the same type of test booking as you. This means:

• weekday tests (£62) can only swap with other weekday tests
• evening, weekend and bank holiday tests (£75) can only swap with the same
• tests given extra time due to a disability, health condition or learning difficulty can only swap with the same
• extended driving test for disqualified drivers on weekdays (£124) can only swap with the same - extended driving test for disqualified drivers at evenings, weekends and bank holidays (£150) can only swap with the same

Check your driving instructors are available

Before making the swap, both of you should check with your driving instructors that:

• they agree you will be ready to take the test on the date you’re swapping to
• they will be available to take you to your driving test at the date, time and centre you’re swapping to

How to swap your driving test

You can only swap your driving test by phone.

You cannot do it:

• online
• byit email
• byonline, webchat
• by textemail message
• usingor theby DVSA WhatsApp account
• using DVSA social media accounts

You both need to be available at the same time to speak to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). You do not need to be together, as DVSA will call the other learner.webchat.

What you need before you call

Make sure you have:

• your own driving licence number
• your own driving test booking reference number
• the driving test booking reference number of the learner you want to swap with
• the details of the payment card you used to book your test (you do not need this if your driving instructor booked the test for you before the rules changed)changed on 12 May 2026)
• the date, time and test centre for your currently booked test
• the date, time and test centre of the test you have agreed to swap to
• details about any driving tests you’ve taken before

The person who calls DVSA will also need the other learner driver’s driving test booking reference number.

WhatHow tothe docalls before you callwork

CheckBoth thatlearners yourneed drivingto testcall bookingDVSA hasseparately yourto correctcomplete phonethe numberswap.

You andboth emailneed addressto call on it.the same day.

DVSADecide which of you will usecall theDVSA contactfirst.

Learner details1’s oncall

1. Learner your1 bookingscalls DVSA to completerequest the swap.

2. UpdatingDVSA yourcompletes contactsecurity detailschecks doeswith notlearner use1. oneMake ofsure youryou availablehave changes.the right information before you call.

   1. SignLearner in1 withagrees yourto drivinga licencelegal number and booking reference number.declaration.

   2. OnLearner the1 ‘Viewgives booking’DVSA page,the selecttest Changedetails nextfor toboth ‘Candidatetests, details’.

   3. Enterincluding yourthe address,other emaillearner’s addressbooking andreference telephone number.

   4. SaveDVSA records the changes.swap request.

   Check

   Learner your2’s drivingcall

   Learner test2 appointmentmust details.

   Howcall on the callsame works

   day as learner 1.

   DoDVSA notrecommends callthat unlesslearner you2 arecalls bothby freeno later than 4pm to takegive partenough intime to complete the call.swap.

   1. OneLearner of2 you calls DVSA to requestconfirm the swap.

   2. DVSA completes security checks with thelearner person2. whoMake called.sure Youyou musthave confirmthe right information before you agreecall.

   3. Learner 2 agrees to a legal declaration.

   4. Learner 2 gives DVSA the swap.test details for both tests.

   5. YouDVSA givecompletes the swap.

   Calling DVSA

   DVSA customer services
   Telephone: 0300 200 1122 (select option 2 and follow the otherprompts)
   Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
   Find out about call charges

   Be realistic about when you call. If learner driver’s2 bookingcalls referenceafter number.4pm, Youthere willmay not be askedtime forto theircomplete namethe orswap contactthat details.day.

3. The swap request will expire if learner 2 has not called by the end of the day.

   If the swap request expires at the end of the day

   DVSA putswill younot onnotify holdlearner and1 callsthat learner 2 did not call.

   It’s your responsibility to agree with the other learner driver.driver whether and when you will each call.

   If a request expires, you will need to start the process again from learner 1’s call.

   If either of you changes your test

   If either learner makes a change to their test date, time or test centre after learner 1 has called, the swap request will no longer be valid.

   DVSA will onlytell calllearner them2 onif the phoneswap numbercannot that’sgo recordedahead for theirthis bookingreason -when itthey call. The process will notneed acceptto restart with a differentnew numbercall from you.learner 1.

4. DVSAUpdating your contact details, such as your address, email address or phone number, will completenot securityaffect checksa swap request that’s already in progress.

   If you want to swap with thesomeone otherelse instead

   If learner driver.1 Theycalls mustagain confirmbefore theylearner agree2 has completed their call, and asks to theswap swap.with a different learner, this request will be declined.

5. DVSAThe returnsexisting swap request must be completed, or allowed to youexpire, andbefore completesa thenew swap.swap can be requested.

When DVSA will not complete the swap

DVSA will not complete the swap if either of you:

• fails the security checks
• does not agree to a legal declaration
• does not agree for the swap to go ahead
• has already used both of your 2 allowed changes

DVSA will not be able to complete the swap if:

• the learner driver2 you’re swapping with does not answercall before the phoneswap request expires
• theeither phonetest numberis forchanged theafter learner driver1’s you’recall
• the swappingdetails withgiven isduring wrongeither oncall thedo bookingnot servicematch

Both of your driving tests will stay the same.

After you have swapped

Once the swap is completed:

• you will have the other learner driver’s original driving test date, time and test centre
• they will have yours
• both booking records will be updated

MakeYou surewill youeach notereceive thean detailsemail ofconfirming your new testbooking slotdetails after the call.swap is completed.

You will keep:

• your booking reference number
• your payment details
• any special requirements you added to your booking

You will not get an email confirmation, but the next reminder email you get from DVSA about your test will have the new details.