Want to book your first driving lesson but have no idea what to ask? We share 5 of the most important questions you should ask before booking your first driving lesson.

1. How long have you be teaching people to drive?

It isn’t a rude question to ask. It’s a great way of opening up the conversation and showing the driving instructor that you are a well informed potential student. EVERY driving instructor wants a student like that! You may prefer to be taught by someone relatively new because you feel they’ll be fresher in their approach, or you may prefer someone with huge amounts of experience.

2. What’s your favourite part of being a driving instructor?

This may seem like an interview question because it is. That’s what you’re doing, you’re interviewing people for the job of being your driving instructor! You want a driving instructor who respects this and knows EXACTLY what they love about doing what they do. Someone passionate for teaching is going to be a much better coach than someone who just sees it as a job that they happen to be doing.

3. What’s your pass rate amongst your students?

With this question, it isn’t so much about wanting an instructor with a 100% pass rate (they don’t exist because 100% students don’t exist), but more about figuring out whether this is a driving instructor that cares enough to know what their rate is. A good instructor will know what their pass rate is, a great instructor will be able to talk proudly about their pass rate.

4. Why should I choose you over the other driving instructors, especially cheaper ones?

You want a driving instructor who is confident about why YOU should choose them over anybody else. A driving instructor who refuses to haggle over prices is a driving instructor who is in high demand so don’t take it personally if they don’t. They don’t need to give you the price YOU want because they can get another student to pay the price that THEY want. This question also gives the driving instructor the ability to give you any extra information, for example, they may say you should choose them because they see teaching as a collaborative process or they have a high pass rate etc.

5. What’s your teaching method?

This question arguably is the most important. The driving instructor’s teaching method must be aligned with the best way in which you learn. Some people learn best by being dictated to, some will learn only if they feel like it’s a partnership. Some like to learn as they go whilst others want to know everything and the specifics before attempting something new. A driving instructor’s teaching method is what will decide whether or not you learn quickly and successfully. It will be the difference between looking forward to driving lessons and dreading them. It isn’t price or deals that decide the outcome. So pay attention to the answer to this question.

Remember, your driving instructor will usually be somebody that you spend at least 35 hours with over a period of several months to a year!

This is an important relationship that will define your skills and confidence in driving for the rest of your life.

Do not take this decision lightly. Don’t let price dictate who you choose. This is your choice.

Another important tip is to make sure you have approximately 3 to 5 separate lessons before committing to a block booking.

Only commit when you have 100% faith in your instructor and they have 100% faith in you.

Once you’ve found your driving instructor, it’s really important that you trust in their judgement to get you through to passing your driving test.

Something to bear in mind particularly with weekend lessons is that drinking alcohol the night before your lesson could have an effect.

Alcohol stays in your system for longer than you probably realise, and if you drink 3 glasses of wine at 11 pm on a Friday night, you won’t be fit to take your driving lesson at 9 am on Saturday morning – so plan your evenings wisely!

If you absolutely have to cancel your lesson; give your instructor plenty of warning, and be aware of the knock-on effect missing lessons could have on your overall learning.

Remember – it’s only one hour towards a successful 2020 pass!

What if I’m thinking of cancelling my driving lessons?

So you’ve had a busy day at college, it’s dark and cold outside, and you’ve got a driving lesson booked for in 20 minutes.

The temptation to cancel may be strong, but if it’s your goal to pass your driving test, maybe you should think twice before cancelling driving lessons!

Test waiting times have reached 4 months in some areas and to account for this your instructor will likely have a set learning plan in place for you to pass the test you’ve booked.

If you cancel or fail to turn up for crucial lessons you will fall behind and end up underprepared on the date of your driving test (and a resit is £62 + the price of your lessons leading up to and on the day – ouch!).

Our advice is simple: Get the right driving instructor and stick to the plan!!

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