Ten top tips
Follow our ten top tips to help you pass first time
- 1: Don't assume the cheapest lessons are the best. Concentrate on getting great value for your money. You should get a discount for block booking. Ask about offers on post-test tuition for motorway driving.
- 2: Check out how long a 'lesson' really is. Some driving schools offer lessons that are less than an hour long, or pick up and drop off other pupils on your lesson time.
- 3: Make sure your instructor has a green badge in the windscreen to prove they are a fully qualified Driving Standards Agency instructor. A pink licence means the instructor is a trainee and has no formal qualifications to teach you to drive.
- 4: Check that the car you'll drive has dual controls and is in good condition. Is there a spare car available in case of breakdown?
- 5: Check that the instructor can help with your theory test, and buy a good theory book or CD-ROM to help you practise.
- 6: Make sure your instructor keeps a record of your progress and follows the official Driving Standards Agency syllabus.
- 7: Apply for your theory test as soon as you start your lessons.
- 8: Agree with your instructor when to apply for your practical test (remember you need to pass your theory and hazard perception tests first).
- 9: Take at least an hour a week, preferably two, of regular lessons with a qualified instructor. They will advise you on how much tuition you should need.
- 10: Make sure your tuition car is available for a final lesson immediately before your test