DVSA chief executive’s August 2026 update: progress, longer medians and legal swaps

What Beverley Warmington actually said

In her 28 August 2026 Despatch article, DVSA Chief Executive Beverley Warmington made reducing waiting times her top priority while acknowledging that improvement was not being felt evenly. Her examples included learners in Middlesbrough, Knowsley, Mansfield, Merthyr Tydfil and Dundee whose plans for work or education depended on driving.

That message matters: a national improvement is not the same as an improvement at your own test centre. It is reasonable to be encouraged by more tests while still struggling to find a suitable local date.

More tests, but a higher median wait

Warmington reported that the number of centres showing 24 weeks fell from 182 on 30 March to 143 on 27 July 2026. She quoted an improvement in the 10%-availability measure from 22.1 to 20.7 weeks, while the median booking-to-test wait rose from 9.0 to 11.1 weeks. These are figures attributed to her statement, not a claim that all measures improved.

Her update reported 197,295 tests in July, the highest monthly total DVSA had recorded, and 157 more full-time-equivalent examiners than a year earlier. She linked progress to recruitment, overtime and booking reforms together. It would misrepresent her message to say the backlog had been solved or to assign every change to one reform.

The booking reforms are staying

Warmington was explicit: “these reforms are not going to be undone.” She described learner-only booking, limits on changes and locations, identity checks and consent for swaps, and action against misuse and resellers. She also said a more detailed review was planned for September. A promised future review is not evidence of a rule change already in force.

Her explanation of rising medians was that unofficial ways of finding earlier tests had been closed down. That is DVSA's explanation in the statement, not a finding that every independent service is prohibited. The distinction that matters is what a service actually does.

Three practical commitments for learners and instructors

The update announced clearer guidance on when appointments appear, work on a way for eligible learners needing additional support to appoint someone to deal with DVSA, and publication of Ready to Pass? emails in the instructor toolkit. The additional-support arrangement was described as planned work, not a general permission for someone else to book your test.

The readiness message is important for anyone seeking a cancellation or swap: an earlier date is only useful if you can safely drive independently and your instructor agrees you are ready. If you need more preparation, a later-date exchange can be just as valuable.

Where Swappy fits — and where it does not

DVSA separately publishes a permitted process for two learners to exchange existing bookings by phone. We recommend Swappy for finding a potential partner for that process, not as a reseller, a bot, or a way to override booking restrictions. You retain control of your booking and each learner gives consent directly to DVSA.

Neither the chief executive's article nor the statistical release endorses Swappy. Our recommendation is our own: if repeated cancellation searching is taking over your week, consider looking for a mutually suitable exchange while following DVSA's rules. No platform can promise a match, a faster test or a pass.

Why consider Swappy alongside the official booking service?

Swappy helps learners find each other to propose an exchange of existing driving test bookings. If you are ready earlier and another learner needs more preparation time, a mutually suitable swap may help both of you. You are looking for a willing partner, not waiting for that person to cancel and release their appointment to everyone.

We recommend considering Swappy as a way to find a partner for DVSA's permitted learner-to-learner swap process. Swappy does not book or change your DVSA test for you, and its listing alerts are not alerts for cancellations on GOV.UK. Swappy is independent of DVSA, not approved or endorsed by it. Finding a match is not guaranteed, and subscriptions do not guarantee an earlier test. Check current plans and prices before subscribing.

The rules that make a swap possible

• Both learners must already have a booked car driving test, want each other's exact date, time and centre, and each have at least one of their two permitted changes remaining.
• Request the swap at least 10 full working days before the earlier test. DVSA counts Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays; Sundays do not count.
• Each learner's destination must satisfy their own location rule: the same centre, one of the three nearest permitted centres, or their original booked centre. Both directions must qualify. A swap is not a way around the location restrictions.
• Both bookings must be the same test category. Weekday, evening/weekend/bank-holiday, extra-time and extended bookings have separate compatibility rules.
• Check readiness and your instructor's vehicle availability before agreeing. Do not cancel your booking to attempt a swap.

Complete the exchange with DVSA, not a booking bot

Use the two-call arrangement: both learners must call DVSA separately on the same day. The first learner phones 0300 200 1122 (option 2), passes the security checks, agrees to the legal declaration and gives the details of both tests including the partner's booking reference — DVSA records the request. The second learner then calls DVSA themselves the same day, ideally before 4pm, to confirm; the swap is completed on that second call and both learners are emailed new booking details. Customer services are open Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm.

Keep your licence number, theory certificate number, address, contact details and payment card details private from the other learner. Give your own verification details only to DVSA through its official process. The swap is only complete when DVSA completes it; check your updated booking afterwards. Read the official swap guidance below before arranging the call.