Beginners

First Time Using Swappy? Complete Beginner's Guide to Your First Test Swap

Never done a test swap before? This guide walks you through every step from signing up to completing your first swap — no prior knowledge needed.

First time driving test swap guide

Step 1: Create Your Free Account

Go to swappy.uk and click "Create Account". You'll need your email address. The 7-day free trial starts automatically — no card details required. Your account is ready in under a minute.

Step 2: List Your Test

Click "List Your Test" and enter your test details: centre name, date, time, test type (weekday/evening/weekend). Then set your preferences — what dates you'd ideally want, which centres you could travel to. This creates your listing visible to other Swappy users.

Step 3: Browse and Match

The free trial lets you browse 1 test centre's listings. Premium lets you browse 5 centres simultaneously. Browse the listings and look for anyone who has what you want — the right centre, an earlier date, and a time that suits you.

Step 4: Send a Proposal

When you find a good match, click "Propose Swap". Add a note with a suggested call time to make the DVSA change together. Your match will get a notification and can accept, decline, or counter-propose.

Step 5: Agree Details and Call DVSA

Once accepted, agree the DVSA call time in Swappy's messaging. On the day, both of you call DVSA (or use Swappy's 3-way bridge on Premium) and each update your own booking. Done!

The process takes 20–30 minutes from start to finish on call day
DVSA can be reached on 0300 200 1122, Mon–Fri 8am–4pm
Keep your booking reference and licence number handy
Swappy will guide you through each step with prompts

Start Your First Swap — It's Free

7 days free, no card. Most first-time users find a match within 2 weeks.

Start Free 7-Day Trial