Driving lessons and exam on a budget

iolanthe07

The old rule of thumb when I took my test (1963!) was an hour's instruction for each year of your life, the assumption being that the older you are the more difficult it is to learn.

DCFC79

Car_54 wrote: »

The HC costs about £2.50. If the OP can't afford that, then maybe driving isn't for them!


But DVSA also recommend "Know Your Traffic Signs" and "Driving - The Essential Skills", and can base theory questions on them.

But why buy something that can be had for free.
After all this is a moneysaving website, if the OP wants to buy a copy then up to them.

Goudy

First off, find a driving instructor.
They'll be plenty in your area, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding one that a friend or neighbour recommends.

Arrange an introductory lesson so you can both get a handle on each other, after this both of you can discuss a plan going forward and you can work out the possible costs from this.

If you don't get a good feeling with them, move on to another. You'll waste far too much money and time continuing with someone you can't stand, intimidates or belittles you than what another introductory lesson will cost.

What you need to look for in an instructor is if they are motivating you to drive, it's sad to say some will drag the process out if their books are empty.
Self motivation is vital, so judge them on that, if they are as motivated as you to pass, you shouldn't go wrong.

Lessons can be had in dribs and drabs, I believe it's around £30 a hour, which you'd need to find, probably once a week, how many weeks? That'll depend mainly on you and your instructor (which is why it's important to find the right one)

There are lots of free online resources for the theory part of the test that you can use and there must be drivers in your family that can help you with some of the under bonnet identification checks that are required and testing you on road signs, speed limits and the rest of the highway code.

Practicing with a friend or relative isn't always a good idea.
No matter how good the other driver is, it's quite different sitting on the other side of the car with a learner in the drivers seat and not everyone takes to it.

I've done it with my sister and son and I can safely say it wasn't successful both times!
I've been driving 20 thousand or so miles every year for 30 years and we all found it very stressful.
If it's possible, try it but don't been tempted to think this may the answer, it usually isn't.

Oddly, I helped the same sister with her A2 bike licence, that went a lot better as we didn't have to share the same vehicle!

TomokoAdhami

According to the Driving Standards Agency, the average driving cost in the United Kingdom is around £24. As it is important to take driving lessons of a minimum of 47 hours, then this cost would become £1,080. However, it also depends on where do you live, and I noticed that London is a little expensive regarding driving lessons and probably you would have to go with a £30 hourly rate. 

Withal, if you want to save some money then better to buy them in bulk and pick a discount or sale offer. The use of driving lessons gift vouchers like this could also be a fine option, especially when you are willing to gift anyone willing to learn driving. On the contrary, if I address your question about driving test cost, then it would be £23 for a theoretical test and £62 for driving test when you conduct it on weekdays and £75 for bank holidays. Moreover, the provisional license cost is £34. For more details, you can also visit the official website of government here https://www.gov.uk/driving-test-cost. 

williamgriffin

TomokoAdhami said:

According to the Driving Standards Agency, the average driving cost in the United Kingdom is around £24. As it is important to take driving lessons of minimum of 47 hours, then this cost would become £1,080. However, it also depends on where do you live, and I noticed that London is a little expensive regarding driving lessons and probably you would have to go with a £30 hourly rate. 

Withal, if you want to save some money then better to buy them in bulk and pick a discount or sale offer. The use of driving lessons gift vouchers like this could also be a fine option, especially when you are willing to gift anyone willing to learn driving. On the contrary, if I address your question about driving test cost, then it would be £23 for a theoretical test and £62 for driving test when you conduct it on weekdays and £75 for bank holidays. Moreover, the provincial license cost is £34. For more details, you can also visit the official website of government here https://www.gov.uk/driving-test-cost. 

Well done, the OP only asked 18 months ago. 

building_with_lego

Spam reported.

knightstyle

The cheapest way to learn is with a friend, relative with a small car. 
Do you intend buying a car as soon as you pass the test?  If so how about buying one now and practice as much as you can with friend/relative?
that is what i did many years ago, in fact I didn't have any lessons before booking my test then just 3 in the days before the test. I passed first time doing that.

Car_54

knightstyle said:

The cheapest way to learn is with a friend, relative with a small car. 
Do you intend buying a car as soon as you pass the test?  If so how about buying one now and practice as much as you can with friend/relative?
that is what i did many years ago, in fact I didn't have any lessons before booking my test then just 3 in the days before the test. I passed first time doing that.

I too passed my test "many years ago", with just 4 lessons. But things have changed.

The problem with "learning" from a friend or relative is that they usually pass on what they were taught (or what they vaguely remember) many years ago, together with bad habits they've acquired since and a total ignorance of current test requirements.

Lots of practice by all means, but some professional lessons are needed from the start.

Also, in my time as a driving instructor, I found that buying a car before the test often served only to apply more pressure to pass quickly, which is the last thing a learner needs. A big lump of metal in the driveway, reminding them daily of what it was costing