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South-east England

Swap your driving test at Southampton (Maybush)

Somebody holding a Southampton (Maybush) 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.

Southampton (Maybush) sits almost exactly on the national average, with 50.3% of car tests passed against 50% across Great Britain. Within South-east England it ranks 22nd of 29. It runs roughly 202 car tests a week, so there is a steady population of learners holding a slot here. The rate has moved noticeably too: up 3.2 points on the year before (47.1%).

holding a slot at Southampton (Maybush)
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 Southampton (Maybush)

About average
50.3%
passed here, Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 (10,480 tests)
50%
national average, same period
+3.2
points up on last year (47.1%)

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 Southampton (Maybush) can legally swap with, and how each one does on the DVSA pass-rate table. Of these, Lee On The Solent has the highest rate at 63.2%.

CentreDistancePass rate vs here
Winchesterabout 13 miles52.2% +1.9
Lee On The Solentabout 19 miles63.2% +12.9
Portsmouthabout 21 miles52.8% +2.5
Salisburyabout 21 miles48.5% -1.8
Newport (Isle of Wight)about 22 miles54.1% +3.8
Pooleabout 33 miles53.4% +3.1

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

Centres you can swap with from Southampton (Maybush)

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 Southampton (Maybush)'s three nearest or if Southampton (Maybush) 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
Winchesterabout 13 miles0
Lee On The Solentabout 19 miles0
Portsmouthabout 21 miles0
Salisburyabout 21 miles0
Newport (Isle of Wight)about 22 miles0
Pooleabout 33 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

    Southampton (Maybush)'s own three nearest are Winchester, Lee On The Solent, Portsmouth. The rule works both ways, so Salisbury and Newport (Isle of Wight) and Poole also qualify, because Southampton (Maybush) is among theirs.

  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 Southampton (Maybush) 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 Southampton (Maybush) 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 Southampton (Maybush) specifically.

Swapping at Southampton (Maybush): questions

Can I swap a test at Southampton (Maybush) 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 Southampton (Maybush) the full list is Winchester, Lee On The Solent, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Newport (Isle of Wight), Poole. Anywhere else would be refused on the call.

What is the pass rate at Southampton (Maybush)?

50.3% of car tests at Southampton (Maybush) ended in a pass between April 2025 and March 2026, from 10,480 tests. The national average over the same period was 50%, so Southampton (Maybush) is right about average, ranking 201st 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 Southampton (Maybush)?

Of the centres you can legally move a Southampton (Maybush) test to, Lee On The Solent has the highest pass rate at 63.2%, against 50.3% 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 Southampton (Maybush)?

It depends on how many learners hold a slot here and whether any want the opposite of what you want. DVSA runs about 202 car tests a week at Southampton (Maybush), 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 Southampton (Maybush) 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 Southampton (Maybush) 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.