Swap your driving test date in Birmingham
Five test centres sit within a few miles of each other here, which is more choice than almost anywhere in the country. Whether you can use it depends on which one you booked.
Birmingham has more driving test centres packed into a small area than any other city outside London. Garretts Green, Kings Heath, Kingstanding, Shirley and South Yardley are all within a short drive of one another, with Wednesbury just up the road.
On paper that is very good news for swapping. In practice it depends entirely on which centre your test is booked at, because DVSA decides which centres you may move between and the list is not what most people expect.
SwapTest works out the answer for you. You tell us the test you already hold, we look through the tests other learners have listed with us, and we only show you a swap where DVSA will actually allow both of you to move. Nothing is cancelled, nothing is bought or sold, and we never search the DVSA booking system.
How swapping works
- List the test you already haveYour centre, your date and time. Nothing is cancelled and nothing changes yet.
- We check who else has listedWe look through the tests other learners have listed with us, at your centre and the three centres DVSA lets you move to. We never search the DVSA booking system.
- You both agreeOnly then do you see each other’s contact details. Names stay hidden until that point.
- You both ring DVSAEach of you calls 0300 200 1122 on the same day: one of you requests the swap and the other confirms it. DVSA will not change your test on somebody else’s say so. There is no charge.
The full process, including what to have ready for the call, is in our step-by-step guide to swapping a driving test.
Test centres in Birmingham and the Black Country
This is the part worth knowing before you get your hopes up. The Birmingham centres are not all connected to each other, and a few of the links only work one way, which means no swap is possible.
Garretts Green, Shirley and South Yardley form the well connected middle. Any of those three can swap with the other two. Kings Heath joins Shirley and South Yardley but not Garretts Green, even though Garretts Green appears on the Kings Heath list, because the move has to be allowed in both directions.
Kingstanding is the awkward one. It sits north of the others and can only pair with Garretts Green and Wednesbury. If you are at Kingstanding and hoping for South Yardley, DVSA will not allow it, however close the two look on a map. Redditch is similar from the other side: Redditch learners can move into Birmingham, but Birmingham learners cannot move out to Redditch.
The table below is the definitive version, taken straight from the DVSA list.
| Your centre | You can move to |
|---|---|
| Garretts Green | South Yardley, Shirley, Kingstanding |
| Kings Heath | Shirley, South Yardley, Garretts Green (one way) |
| Kingstanding | Wednesbury, Garretts Green, South Yardley (one way) |
| Shirley | Kings Heath, South Yardley, Garretts Green |
| South Yardley | Garretts Green, Shirley, Kings Heath |
| Wednesbury | Wolverhampton, Kingstanding, Dudley |
Pick your centre above to start listing your test. Where a centre is marked one way, DVSA lets you move there but does not let them move to you, so a swap between the two is not possible. You can also move back to the centre you first booked at, even if it is not on this list.
Before you swap
You need 10 full working days. Counted before the earlier of the two tests, with Monday to Saturday counting and Sundays and bank holidays not. Leave it later than that and you lose the test fee, so we stop offering a swap once the window shuts.
Three other rules decide whether a swap will actually work: how many times a test may be changed, why both tests have to be the same type, and what changed when DVSA blocked the cancellation-checking apps. All four are explained on our rules page, alongside every test centre in the country and what it can swap with.
Common questions
Which Birmingham test centres can swap with each other?
Garretts Green, Shirley and South Yardley can all swap with each other. Kings Heath can swap with Shirley and South Yardley. Kingstanding can only swap with Garretts Green and Wednesbury. The rule is that each of you has to be allowed to move to the other person's centre, so a link that only works one way is no good to anybody.
I am at Kingstanding. Why can I not swap with South Yardley?
Because the permission only runs one way. South Yardley is on the list of centres you can move to from Kingstanding, but Kingstanding is not on the list for South Yardley. A swap needs both people to be able to move, so DVSA would refuse it. From Kingstanding your realistic options are Garretts Green and Wednesbury.
Can I swap between Birmingham and Coventry or Redditch?
Not usually. Coventry pairs with Nuneaton, Hinckley and Warwick rather than Birmingham. Redditch can move into Birmingham but Birmingham cannot move out to Redditch, so a swap between the two will not work. The one exception is if Redditch or Coventry is the centre you originally booked at, because DVSA always lets you move back to that.
How long does it take to arrange a swap?
The matching part is usually quick if somebody suitable has listed. After that you have 2 days to agree between you, then the DVSA call takes about ten minutes each. The thing that catches people out is the notice period, not the paperwork.
What happens if the other person never replies?
The match expires after 2 days and both tests go straight back into the pool, so your own test is never at risk while you wait. Keep an eye on your inbox once you have listed, because a missed email is the most common reason a good swap falls through.
Do I need to tell my driving instructor?
You do not have to, but it is worth doing before you agree. Your instructor may be booked with somebody else on the new date, and if you use their car for the test that matters more than the date itself.
Swap your Birmingham test
18 people are already waiting to swap in Birmingham and the Black Country.
Swap your testSwapTest is not affiliated with DVSA. Rules quoted here come from gov.uk/change-driving-test and were last checked in July 2026. Always confirm with DVSA before relying on them.