Scotland

Swap your driving test at Duns

Somebody holding a Duns 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.

Duns has one of the highest car pass rates in Great Britain: 70.2%, 10th out of 314 centres. Within Scotland it ranks 10th of 74. It is a small centre by national standards, at roughly 3 car tests a week, so swaps here depend on catching the right person rather than on volume. The rate has moved noticeably too: down 4 points on the year before (74.2%).

See swaps at Duns How a swap works

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holding a slot at Duns

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learners want a slot here

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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 Duns

Above average

70.2%

passed here, Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 (171 tests)

50%

national average, same period

-4.0

points down on last year (74.2%)

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 Duns can legally swap with, and how each one does on the DVSA pass-rate table. Duns has the highest pass rate of this group, so a swap here is about the date, not the odds.

Centre	Distance	Pass rate vs here
Kelso	about 13 miles	59.2% -11
Berwick-On-Tweed	about 16 miles	53.9% -16.3
Haddington	about 24 miles	57.5% -12.7
Galashiels	about 27 miles	47.4% -22.8
Hawick	about 39 miles	64.3% -5.9

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

Slots listed at Duns

What is on the board right now. Every one belongs to a real learner.

Match me against these

Centres you can swap with from Duns

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 Duns's three nearest or if Duns 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).

Centre	Distance	On the board
Kelso	about 13 miles	0
Berwick-On-Tweed	about 16 miles	0
Haddington	about 24 miles	0
Galashiels	about 27 miles	0
Hawick	about 39 miles	0

The four rules, applied here

You both need a change left
Two changes per car test, and a swap spends one of them.
10 working days' notice
To whichever of the two tests is first. Sundays and bank holidays do not count.
Centres near each other
Duns's own three nearest are Kelso, Berwick-On-Tweed, Haddington. The rule works both ways, so Galashiels and Hawick also qualify, because Duns is among theirs.
Same test type
Weekday with weekday; evening and weekend tests only with each other.

The rules in full

Know the roads first

Duns test routes on video

Examiners at Duns work from a set of local routes, and instructors film them. Watching the junctions and roundabouts before test day is the cheapest practice there is, whether you end up swapping or not.

Find Duns 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 Duns specifically.

Watch Duns test routes on YouTube

Swapping at Duns: questions

Can I swap a test at Duns 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 Duns the full list is Kelso, Berwick-On-Tweed, Haddington, Galashiels, Hawick. Anywhere else would be refused on the call.

What is the pass rate at Duns?

70.2% of car tests at Duns ended in a pass between April 2025 and March 2026, from 171 tests. The national average over the same period was 50%, so Duns is 20.2 points above it, ranking 10th of 314 centres in Great Britain. These are DVSA's own published figures and they describe the centre, not you.

How long does it take to find a swap at Duns?

It depends on how many learners hold a slot here and whether any want the opposite of what you want. DVSA runs about 3 car tests a week at Duns, so the pool of people holding a slot is small, and patience matters more here. 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 Duns 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 Duns 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.

List my Duns slot free

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.