Driving test swaps have changed. NGPass Driving Academy explains what Nottingham learners should check before exchanging appointments.Driving test swaps changed on 1 October 2026. If you have a practical car test booked in Nottingham and want to exchange appointments with another learner, you now need to follow DVSA’s updated telephone process.
Perhaps an earlier appointment would suit your progress. Alternatively, you may want more time to prepare before taking your test at Colwick or Chilwell. Either way, check the rules and speak to your instructor before agreeing to a swap.
This guide from NGPass Driving Academy explains how driving test swaps work, what to prepare before calling and how to decide whether a different appointment makes sense for you.
Guidance checked: . These rules concern practical car driving tests in England, Scotland and Wales.
Driving test swaps: the essential points
- Both learners must already have a test booked and want to exchange their exact appointments.
- Each learner must have at least one of their two permitted booking changes remaining.
- You must request the swap at least 10 full working days before the earlier test.
- The booking types and test-centre eligibility rules must match.
- Both learners must call DVSA separately on the same day.
- DVSA recommends the second learner calls by 4pm.
- Each learner receives a confirmation email after a successful swap.
Before making any arrangements: read the official DVSA driving test swap guidance, which contains the complete eligibility conditions and current process.
What is the difference between swapping and changing a driving test?
A driving test swap involves two learners exchanging appointments they already hold. You take the other learner’s date, time and test centre, and they take yours.
For example, imagine you have a later appointment and another learner has an earlier one. You feel ready to take your test, while the other learner wants extra preparation time. A swap may suit both of you, provided the bookings meet every DVSA requirement.
Changing your test is different: you look for another available appointment through the booking service. If you do not have another learner to exchange with, use the official service for changing a driving test appointment.
A completed swap counts as one of the two changes allowed on your car driving test booking.
What changed on 1 October 2026?
Learners no longer need to be available at the same time to arrange a swap. Instead, one learner calls DVSA to request it and the other makes a separate call that day to confirm it.
This gives you more flexibility around work, college and other commitments. However, both of you still need to coordinate your calls: the first call alone does not complete the exchange.
Step 1: agree who will call first
Check that you both want the exact date, time and centre attached to the other booking. Decide which learner will begin the request and choose a day when you can both contact DVSA.
Step 2: the first learner requests the swap
The first learner calls DVSA, completes security checks, agrees to a legal declaration and provides the details of both bookings. DVSA records the request.
Step 3: the second learner calls that day
The second learner calls separately, completes their own checks and declaration, and confirms the booking details. DVSA can then complete the swap.
Plan the second call for no later than 4pm. This is DVSA’s recommendation to allow enough time before its phone lines close. Calling after 4pm risks the swap not being completed that day.
If the second learner does not call by the end of the day, the request expires. The process must then restart with a new first call.
DVSA telephone number and opening hours
Telephone: 0300 200 1122
Menu: select option 2 and follow the prompts
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Swaps cannot be completed online, by email or through webchat. Each learner must arrange their own swap; your instructor cannot complete it on your behalf.
Who can swap a driving test?
Finding someone who wants your appointment is only the starting point. Both bookings must satisfy the eligibility rules.
You both need a booking change remaining
Each learner must have at least one of their two permitted changes available. If either person has already used both changes, the swap cannot proceed.
The earlier test must be far enough away
You must request the swap at least 10 full working days before the earlier of the two tests.
For this notice period, Monday to Saturday count as working days. Sundays and public holidays do not. This is different from DVSA’s telephone opening hours, which run Monday to Friday.
Check the earlier appointment carefully. If your own test is several months away but the other learner’s test is approaching, the earlier date determines whether there is enough notice.
Your booking types must match
- Standard weekday tests costing £62 can swap with other bookings in that category.
- Evening, weekend and bank holiday tests costing £75 can swap with the same category.
- Tests allowing extra time for a disability, health condition or learning difficulty must match the same type.
- Extended tests for disqualified drivers must match the relevant extended-test category: £124 weekday bookings or £150 evening, weekend and bank holiday bookings.
Both bookings must meet the location rules
The other learner’s test must be at your current test centre, one of the three nearest centres permitted by DVSA, or the centre where you originally booked.
The location rule must work for both learners. Do not assume a swap is eligible simply because two centres are in or near Nottingham.
Use DVSA’s test-centre eligibility list to check the permitted locations.
What should you have ready before calling DVSA?
Each learner should prepare:
- Their own driving licence number.
- Their own driving test booking reference.
- The other learner’s driving test booking reference.
- The date, time and test centre for both appointments.
- Details of any previous driving tests they have taken.
- Details of the payment card used for their booking, where required.
The payment-card requirement does not apply if your instructor booked your test before the rules changed on 12 May 2026.
Keep the information somewhere you can check during the call. Reading out the wrong appointment time or booking reference can complicate the request.
Protect your personal information
You need to exchange booking references and agree the appointment details. You should not give another learner your driving licence number, theory test certificate number, address, phone number, email address or payment-card details.
DVSA states that it will never ask for your payment card’s full number or security code to arrange a swap.
What can stop a driving test swap going ahead?
A request can fail if either learner does not pass the security checks, does not consent, supplies details that do not match or no longer meets the eligibility requirements.
Changing either test’s date, time or centre after the first call also invalidates the request. Updating contact details does not invalidate an existing request.
If the swap cannot be completed, the exchange does not happen. Do not assume you have secured the other appointment simply because the first learner has called.
Should you swap a test at Colwick or Chilwell?
For Nottingham learners, a suitable test date needs to fit your preparation, your instructor’s availability and the practical arrangements for the day.
If you are considering a different location, read our guides to Colwick Driving Test Centre and Chilwell Driving Test Centre.
Local practice can help you feel more comfortable, but your preparation should develop skills you can use on unfamiliar roads too. The aim is to read the road, choose suitable positions and speeds, and make safe decisions independently.
Check instructor and car availability first
Before agreeing to a new appointment, discuss:
- Whether your current driving standard supports the proposed date.
- Whether your instructor and the tuition car are available.
- How much preparation time remains.
- Whether changing centre would affect your lesson plan.
- Travel time and arrangements before the test.
A free space in your diary does not necessarily mean the tuition car is available. Make this check before completing the swap.
Already learning with NGPass Driving Academy? Message us on WhatsApp about the proposed appointment so we can discuss readiness and availability.
Is an earlier driving test the right choice?
It is understandable to want an earlier date, particularly when a driving licence would make work, education or family life easier. However, the date should reflect the standard of your driving.
Ask yourself whether you can maintain safe observations, plan ahead and make decisions without regular help. Think about your recent lessons as a whole, rather than judging readiness from one particularly good drive.
DVSA’s Ready to Pass? campaign provides useful guidance on driving skills, mock tests and managing nerves.
Use a mock test to identify what needs work
A mock driving test in Nottingham can help you understand how you drive when you take more responsibility and receive fewer prompts.
Use the feedback to identify specific improvements. For example, you might need more consistent mirror checks before changing speed or better planning when approaching a busy junction. A clear practice goal is more useful than simply hoping another lesson will make you ready.
A mock test cannot guarantee your real test result, but it can support a more informed discussion about timing.
Would a later appointment help?
Moving later may be sensible if you still need regular support, have had a break from lessons or cannot fit enough preparation around other commitments.
If you choose extra time, give it a purpose. Agree what you will practise and how you and your instructor will assess progress.
Our driving test preparation in Nottingham focuses on the skills and decisions you need to drive safely and independently.
What happens after a successful driving test swap?
Both learners receive an email confirming their new booking details after the swap is completed.
You exchange the appointments’ dates, times and test centres. You keep your own booking reference, payment details and any special requirements attached to your booking.
Check the confirmation carefully and tell your instructor promptly. Update your diary and agree any changes needed to your lessons or test-day arrangements.
Frequently asked questions about driving test swaps
Can I swap my driving test online?
No. A swap with another learner must be arranged by phone through DVSA. Looking for a different available appointment online is a separate process.
Does a swap count as one of my two booking changes?
Yes. Each learner uses one permitted change when the swap is completed.
Can my driving instructor arrange the swap for me?
No. Your instructor can discuss readiness and availability, but each learner must contact DVSA personally.
Can I swap a Colwick test for a Chilwell test?
Yes, provided both learners meet all the other DVSA swap requirements. Nottingham (Colwick) and Nottingham (Chilwell) appear on each other’s permitted nearest-centre lists.
DVSA’s three listed alternative centres are:
- From Nottingham (Colwick): Nottingham (Chilwell), Loughborough and Ashfield.
- From Nottingham (Chilwell): Nottingham (Colwick), Derby (Alvaston) and Loughborough.
These lists do not guarantee a swap: the location rule must be met for both learners. For example, Colwick lists Loughborough, but Loughborough does not list Colwick. That pairing would need another applicable location allowance, such as returning to the learner’s original booking centre.
Swaps at the same centre may also qualify. Check both bookings against the official DVSA centre list and the full swap eligibility rules before agreeing. Centre lists checked on 2 October 2026.
What if the second learner cannot call until tomorrow?
The request does not carry over. Both calls must happen on the same day. If the request expires, you must begin the process again.
Will I receive an email confirming the swap?
Yes. DVSA’s guidance updated on 1 October 2026 says each learner receives an email confirming the new booking details after a completed swap.
Plan your next step with NGPass Driving Academy
A driving test swap can help when your circumstances change. The useful question is whether the new appointment fits your preparation and gives you a practical plan for test day.
NGPass Driving Academy provides automatic driving lessons in Nottingham, with support for learners preparing for Colwick and Chilwell.
Whether you need to work on specific skills or discuss a proposed appointment, start with a conversation about your current driving and your next steps.
Discuss automatic driving lessons on WhatsApp
We can help you assess your preparation and check instructor availability. You remain responsible for arranging any test swap directly with DVSA.
Official guidance and useful resources
- DVSA: swapping your driving test with another learner
- GOV.UK: change your driving test appointment
- DVSA: check permitted test centres
- DVSA: Ready to Pass?
Booking procedures can change. Check the current GOV.UK guidance before making arrangements. This article is independent guidance from NGPass Driving Academy.