You can save both time and money by making sure the course you choose suits your needs and abilities. Keep reading this article and find out what choices you have when choosing a course of driving lessons.
What are the options?
Hourly Tuition
What is it? This is the traditional and most popular method of learning to drive. A qualified instructor would give you a one-to-one in-car tuition that usually lasts for one hour, once or twice a week. The training period would continue for as long as you and your instructor consider necessary.
Advantages: Using this method, you will be given as much time as you need to get to grips with driving and will have plenty of opportunities to practice your road skills with family and friends in between lessons. This method affords great flexibility to those with hectic lifestyles as lessons can be scheduled to fit with your own timetable.
Disadvantages: Not always the most time and cost-efficient way of learning to drive. It is important to keep sessions regular so as not to slip back. Faster methods exist for those in a hurry to pass their driving test.
Suits: Total beginners, cautious learners and/or those with busy, demanding lives who can afford to take their time learning to drive.
Home-based Intensive Driving Course
What is it? An intensive course is an accelerated version of the traditional ‘weekly lesson’ method. The learner receives multiple hour-long sessions within a short space of time and is exposed to intensive driving.
Advantages: Tends to be the fastest, most cost-effective method for confident drivers with previous experience of the roads. Many such courses include a practical driving test as part of the package.
Disadvantages: This is a high-pressure style of course which can increase the risk of failure. Students do not have as much opportunity to consolidate their learning in between lessons and tend to clock up fewer hours behind the wheel in total. A less-rounded training can sometimes result from the pressure to achieve a pass in a short space of time. Learners must be free to dedicate a considerable amount of their time to driving for the duration of the course. Many instructors require students to have passed their theory test before embarking on this type of training, leaving them free to concentrate on practical driving.
Suits: Confident drivers and people who respond well to pressure; those in a particular hurry to obtain a driving license. You can visit https://www.intensive-driving-school.co.uk for more information on everything you need to pass your driving test. They offer affordable courses that suits all driving skills.
Intensive Residential Course
What is it? This is the most intensive form of tuition available to learner drivers. Residential training camps offer you the chance to eat, sleep and drink driving for a period of several days, with the aim of successfully completing your test at the end of your stay.
Advantages: Residential courses give learners a rare and valuable opportunity to learn to drive on unfamiliar roads and in unfamiliar conditions. Most packages promise stays in nice hotels and courses are available throughout the UK, meaning you can enjoy a holiday in a location of your choice at the same time as learning to drive.
Disadvantages: Training camps are high pressure environments and, as with home-based intensive courses, you will normally be required to have passed your theory test in advance. You must also be ready and able to take time off school or work in order to attend. The cost of the course will be increased by charges for bed and board.
Suits: Those with the time and money to spare who are able to cope with high-pressure teaching techniques.
How do I select a specific driving school ?
Chances are there are numerous driving instructors operating in your area. Before you book a course of lessons, gauge the suitability of potential driving schools by asking the following kinds of questions:
- How long have you been qualified as a driving instructor?
- Do you offer instruction by both males and females?
- Are all your instructors fully qualified?
- How long does each lesson last?
- What kind of cars do you use?
- Do your training cars have dual controls?
- How old are your training cars?
- Will I be driving the same car every lesson?
- Can I be picked up and dropped off at home / school / work?
- Do you offer lessons at weekends
- How much do lessons cost? (Be aware that the cheapest schools are rarely the best)
- Do you offer discounts for block bookings?
- Which test centre do you use?
- What is your pass rate?