Swapping your driving test with another learner driver
You may be able to swap your car driving test with another learner driver by phone if you both already have a test booked and want each other's test slot.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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.
Swapping your driving test counts as one of the 2 changes you are allowed to make to your test.
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.
You’re not allowed to change, swap or cancel a driving test for someone else.
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 you’re booked at
- one of the 3 nearest test centres to the 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).
A swap can only go ahead if the location rule is met for both of you.
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, by email or by 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 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
To make a swap, DVSA will never ask you for your payment card’s full number or security code.
To protect your personal data, never give your driving licence number, theory test pass certificate number, address, phone number, email address or payment card details to another learner driver.
How the calls work
Both learners need to call DVSA separately to complete the swap.
You both need to call on the same day.
Decide which of you will call DVSA first.
Learner 1’s call
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Learner 1 calls DVSA to request the swap.
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DVSA completes security checks with learner 1. Make sure you have the right information before you call.
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Learner 1 agrees to a legal declaration.
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Learner 1 gives DVSA the test details for both tests, including the other learner’s booking reference number.
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DVSA records the swap request.
Learner 2’s call
Learner 2 must call on the same day as learner 1.
DVSA recommends that learner 2 calls by no later than 4pm to give enough time to complete the swap.
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Learner 2 calls DVSA to confirm the swap.
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DVSA completes security checks with learner 2. Make sure you have the right information before you call.
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Learner 2 agrees to a legal declaration.
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Learner 2 gives DVSA the test details for both tests.
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DVSA completes the swap.
Calling DVSA
DVSA customer services
Telephone: 0300 200 1122 (select option 2 and follow the prompts)
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Find out about call charges
Be realistic about when you call. If learner 2 calls after 4pm, there may not be time to complete the swap that day.
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 will not notify learner 1 that learner 2 did not call.
It’s your responsibility to agree with the other learner 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 tell learner 2 if the swap cannot go ahead for this reason when they call. The process will need to restart with a new call from learner 1.
Updating your contact details, such as your address, email address or phone number, will not affect a swap request that’s already in progress.
If you want to swap with someone else instead
If learner 1 calls again before learner 2 has completed their call, and asks to swap with a different learner, this request will be declined.
The existing swap request must be completed, or allowed to expire, before a new swap can be requested.
If you want to withdraw your consent
If learner 1 wants to withdraw their consent to the swap after making the first call, they can call DVSA customer services again to do this.
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:
- learner 2 does not call before the swap request expires
- either test is changed after learner 1’s call
- the details given during either call do not match
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
You will each receive an email confirming your new booking details after the swap is completed.
You will keep:
- your booking reference number
- your payment details
- any special requirements you added to your booking