ADVICE - HOW MANY HOURS WILL IT TAKE, AND CHOOSING YOUR INSTRUCTOR
" HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE ?"
This is the most common question asked and there is no definitive answer.
It will depend on many things, for example, how often you have your lessons, how much private practice you can get, your aptitude and motivation for learning. No two individuals are the same, therefore no two learning processes will be the same. You have to be honest with yourself, if you are having to ask your instructor how to deal with something then you are not ready for your test, in other words you are not ready to drive on your own.
The DSA state that it takes, on average, 45 - 50 hours professional tuition, plus 20 - 25 hours private practice to become test standard. Please remember though that test standard is a minimum driving requirement.
The real question you should be asking is " How long will it take before I have an accident ? "
When I instruct clients I teach them how to drive SAFELY for life and not just to get through a driving test. If you are only looking to scrape through a driving test then you have come to the wrong person.To me the driving test is just a little something extra you have to do before gaining your full driver's licence. I
From my experience the best way to learn is to have consistent regular lessons. I would suggest as a minimum at least two 2 hour lessons a week. Of course it is your choice and you may choose to take a one hour lesson once a week, however please note the learning process will be longer and in the long term it will end up costing you a lot more money. On the other hand you may want to learn to drive in a short space of time so you could take lessons every day spread out over a couple of weeks. Getting private practice in between lessons is also a great help.
CHOOSING AN INSTRUCTOR
Although I understand that price is an important factor when choosing an instructor, it should really be at the bottom of the list when trying to make a decision.You should also consider some other key points too. It is not sensible to base your decision on price alone. Make some other considerations such as the examples as shown below.
Will you get on ?
You are going to be spending a lot of time with your instructor so it is important that you can get on with him / her. Ask for a home visit, which gives you a chance to meet and have a chat.
Will your instructor be honest ?
Will he/she give you honest assessments of your driving or just tell you what you want to hear?
Do they provide a structured learning programme ?
Where you and your instructor know what you have achieved and what your next learning goals are.
Is your Instructor quailified ?
Has he/she been approved by the Driving Standards Agency to provide tuition ?
Can he/she provide feedback from previous clients ?
Remember ! The cheapest is not always the best, as the saying goes, 'You get what you pay for'.
Learn to drive for life, not just to scrape through a test.
