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East Midlands

Swap your driving test at Derby (Alvaston)

Somebody holding a Derby (Alvaston) slot wants a date they can't get. Somebody else wants theirs. DVSA will swap the two of you over the phone. They just won't introduce you.

51.8% of car tests at Derby (Alvaston) end in a pass, 1.8 points above the national average of 50%. Within East Midlands it ranks 11th of 20. It runs roughly 156 car tests a week, so there is a steady population of learners holding a slot here.

holding a slot at Derby (Alvaston)
learners want a slot here
want to move earlier
want to move later

Which way the board is moving

A swap needs someone who wants the opposite of you. A centre with movement in both directions is a centre where swaps actually happen.

0 want earlier0 want later

Pass rate at Derby (Alvaston)

Above average
51.8%
passed here, Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 (8,086 tests)
50%
national average, same period
+0.5
points up on last year (51.3%)

Official DVSA figures (dataset DRT122A). A low pass rate does not make your test harder to swap: it often means more learners trying to move, which is exactly what a swap needs.

Where a swap could take you

Every centre Derby (Alvaston) can legally swap with, and how each one does on the DVSA pass-rate table. Of these, Burton on Trent has the highest rate at 54.7%.

CentreDistancePass rate vs here
Nottingham (Chilwell)about 11 miles49.9% -1.9
Loughboroughabout 17 miles42.3% -9.5
Burton on Trentabout 18 miles54.7% +2.9

Pass rates are DVSA figures for April 2025 to March 2026 and describe the centre, not you.

Centres you can swap with from Derby (Alvaston)

DVSA only allows a swap where both tests are at the same centre, or within each other's three nearest. That last word matters: a centre counts if it is one of Derby (Alvaston)'s three nearest or if Derby (Alvaston) is one of its three. Everywhere not on this list is off the table however keen you both are. The list and distances below are DVSA's own published ones (driving distance, avoiding motorways).

CentreDistanceOn the board
Nottingham (Chilwell)about 11 miles0
Loughboroughabout 17 miles0
Burton on Trentabout 18 miles0

The four rules, applied here

  1. You both need a change left

    Two changes per car test, and a swap spends one of them.

  2. 10 working days' notice

    To whichever of the two tests is first. Sundays and bank holidays do not count.

  3. Centres near each other

    Derby (Alvaston)'s own three nearest are Nottingham (Chilwell), Loughborough, Burton on Trent.

  4. Same test type

    Weekday with weekday; evening and weekend tests only with each other.

The rules in full
Know the roads first

Driving around Derby (Alvaston) before test day

Nobody can give you the examiner's route. DVSA stopped publishing routes in 2010 and four tests in five are now led by a sat nav the examiner sets up, so there is no sequence to learn. What is worth knowing is the roads — which roundabout, which multi-lane junction, where the limit changes. Instructors film those, and watching them is the cheapest practice there is.

Find Derby (Alvaston) route videos

We link rather than embed here, because we only put a video on the page once somebody has actually watched it. This search is aimed at Derby (Alvaston) specifically.

Swapping at Derby (Alvaston): questions

Can I swap a test at Derby (Alvaston) for one at another centre?

Only if the other centre is the same one, or within each other's three nearest. That works in both directions. From Derby (Alvaston) the full list is Nottingham (Chilwell), Loughborough, Burton on Trent. Anywhere else would be refused on the call.

What is the pass rate at Derby (Alvaston)?

51.8% of car tests at Derby (Alvaston) ended in a pass between April 2025 and March 2026, from 8,086 tests. The national average over the same period was 50%, so Derby (Alvaston) is 1.8 points above it, ranking 163rd of 314 centres in Great Britain. These are DVSA's own published figures and they describe the centre, not you.

Which nearby centre has a better pass rate than Derby (Alvaston)?

Of the centres you can legally move a Derby (Alvaston) test to, Burton on Trent has the highest pass rate at 54.7%, against 51.8% here. That is a difference in the centre, not a promise about your test, and a swap has to suit the other learner too.

How long does it take to find a swap at Derby (Alvaston)?

It depends on how many learners hold a slot here and whether any want the opposite of what you want. DVSA runs about 156 car tests a week at Derby (Alvaston), so the pool of people holding a slot is reasonable. The live count is at the top of this page, and a three-way chain often resolves it faster than waiting for a perfect pair.

Does swapping at Derby (Alvaston) cost anything?

No. You exchange slots rather than rebooking, so you keep your original booking reference and payment. Matching here is free, and DVSA does the swap on the phone at no charge.

How much notice do I need?

At least 10 working days before whichever of the two tests comes first. Sundays and bank holidays do not count towards that, so the real deadline is earlier than the calendar suggests.

Can my instructor arrange it for me?

No. Since 12 May 2026 only the learner taking the test can book or manage it, and it is against the law for anyone to book a car test for someone else. Your instructor can sit with you while you call.

Your Derby (Alvaston) date is somebody's dream date

Somewhere there is a learner holding the slot you want, who wants the one you are stuck with. Put yours on the board and we will find them, then email you the moment they appear. Free, no card, no fee if it works.

Swaps only work if both people are on the board, so passing this to a classmate or your instructor's group chat genuinely helps you too.