Frequently asked questions

A valid UK provisional driving licence, and eyesight good enough to read a number plate from 20 metres — glasses or contact lenses are fine. Bring your licence to every lesson; your instructor has to check it.

You can apply for a provisional licence at 15 years and 9 months, and start driving a car on the road from your 17th birthday.

A manual licence lets you drive both, so it keeps your options open. Automatic is usually quicker to learn because there is no clutch or gear work to master, which suits people who find coordination stressful or want to pass sooner. If you pass in an automatic and later want a manual licence, you take the practical test again in a manual car.

DVSA figures suggest around 45 hours of professional tuition plus 22 hours of private practice on average, but the range is wide. Your instructor will give you an honest estimate after a couple of lessons rather than a number designed to sound appealing.

Yes, door-to-door pick-up and drop-off is included within our coverage area, at no extra cost.

Two parts, both taken in the same sitting. First, 50 multiple-choice questions in 57 minutes, with a pass mark of 43. Then hazard perception: 14 video clips containing 15 developing hazards, scored out of 75 with a pass mark of 44. You have to pass both parts — a strong score in one will not rescue a fail in the other.

The DVSA theory test for cars costs £23 when booked directly on GOV.UK. Book it there rather than through a third-party site — resellers charge more for the same appointment.

Yes, and it is free. We run mock tests in the real DVSA format, plus hazard perception clips scored the same way the examiner scores them. Create an account and your instructor can see your progress, so lessons focus on what you actually get wrong.

The car practical test costs £62 on weekdays and £75 in the evening, at weekends or on bank holidays, booked directly on GOV.UK.

No, and no one else can either. Since 12 May 2026 only the learner named on the licence may book, change or cancel a DVSA practical test. Third-party booking services, cancellation-sniping bots and driving instructors are all banned from doing it on your behalf. What we can do is alert you when our instructors spot a cancellation at your test centre, so you can book it yourself straight away.

Since 31 March 2026 you can change a practical test booking twice. After that you have to cancel and rebook, and normal notice rules apply for a refund.

Only to one of your three nearest test centres, under rules that came into force on 9 June 2026. You can no longer move a test across the country to whichever centre has the earliest slot.

Up to 15 driving faults, commonly called minors. Sixteen or more is a fail, as is any single serious or dangerous fault regardless of how few minors you have.

No. You can pay lesson by lesson. Packages are available at a lower hourly rate if you prefer, but they are optional and must be used within 6 months.

Give at least 48 hours notice and you can rearrange free of charge. Inside 48 hours the lesson may be charged, because your instructor has held that slot and usually cannot fill it.