Ive been having lessons (every week) since March/April, im gettin sooooooooooooooooooo bored i just wanna get my own car and drive, am i the only one who has had lessons for this long? (i aint even put in for my theory yet) !! :huh:

I had lessons from Sept 1995 to June 1996 when I passed at first attempt, I was ready for test after about 7 or 8 months, but had to wait as there was a long waiting list as it was just before the theory test was introduced and everyone was trying to get through first! (I missed theory by 23 days!!!!).
Some of us just need longer than others, and some instructors like to make sure you really can pass your test when they put you in for it rather than just hoping you'll manage!!

When I was taking lessons I was told that on average people need one lesson for every year of their life. I was 17, had lessons for 4 1/2 months and passed first time, so it seems like it was right for me!

Didn't have to do the theory though - phew!

Joey

I passed quite quickly - took me a couple of months, but I did have a lot of lessons - about 40 I think.

I was having at least an hour a day, not one of those intensive week long courses, but still fairly hard going - but it was good because you didn't forget what you'd learned from week to week.

Pricey way of doing it too though. You have to find all the money in one go.

I'm glad I did it the way I did. I would have got bored too, doing it over a period of months.

It took me about 35 minutes to pass my driving test. :clap: :hihi:

5 tests and a couple of years.

I failed my first test on undue hesitancy, then three on failure to have control of the car - took the instructor and me ages to work I'd been riding the clutch.

I learned more in the months and years AFTER I passed my test about driving than I did whilst being taught - experience. However, that was only possible because I'd been taught the basics well.

Passed in 1988, I think, and so far no points, one minor ding on a roundabout on no claims on my insurance.

Joe

cbt and 2 days lessons to pass my motorcycle test first time with 3 minors :)

50 lessons and 6 months

still can't drive

lol

It is a shame that people don't separate tuition.

Firstly, you need to learn how to operate the machine in a coordinated manner. You have to be able to control the car.
That should all be done off the public roads.

After mastering that, you should undergo tuition on the public roads and learn how to drive safely and how to pass the test.

For a lot of people (certainly not all) it is difficult to learn how to drive safely because they are still struggling to operate the machine!

I suppose that this is too sensible to be adopted in this world!

I have been learning since November and had about 35 lessons. I have my test in 2 weeks. I was told it took between 30 and 40 lessons but my friends just passed and had 20 lessons and my other friend passed with about 16 hours tuituion so i guess its down to personal experience! I think that driving shouldnt be rushed and that u should take your test when you feel ready.

When you get in the drivers seat do you think you could drive anywhere in the country in any situation and feel comfortable and in control? I think when the answer to that is yes then you will start to be ready.

ive been having lessons since december and havent even put in for my test yet. in my defence though i did stop having lessons for about 3 months in march due to not being able to fit behind a wheel my bely was so huge (jkin.. i think)

10 weeks (10 lessons). Make sure you're taking all the extra lessons because you need them, not because the instructor is trying to fleece you!

It wont hurt to get a second opinion.

It took me about 2 years to pass although i did have a gap in between. I passed on my second test, which isnt bad. Im glad i had more lessons (too many to remember) rather than fail my test a number of times.

Originally posted by floyd77
10 weeks (10 lessons). Make sure you're taking all the extra lessons because you need them, not because the instructor is trying to fleece you!

It wont hurt to get a second opinion.

i was wondering about that the other day.. do u think the instructor will tell me when he thinks i should book my test or am i just supposed to guess when im ready..? ..that way i will probably be having lessons with him forever!

Originally posted by SatanInHeels
i was wondering about that the other day.. do u think the instructor will tell me when he thinks i should book my test or am i just supposed to guess when im ready..? ..that way i will probably be having lessons with him forever!

In the end i rang my instructor and said look i am putting in for my test i am just letting you no, because since july she has been telling me i can put in for my test if i just do this or this or i pass this mock test and it went on forever. I guess you and your instructor hav to come to a mutual about it

I had approx 30 lessons in th space of 9 months, passed my test 1st time. Had a really strict driving instructer which i think helped me.

I was 25, had 19 lessons and passed first time. Helped that i didn't suffer from driving test nerves in the slightest, think of it this way, if your instructor puts you in for your test you're good enough to pass.

Also if anyone needs a confidence booster come and watch the woman across the road from me drive. She puts the wrong indicators on to pull in and set off ALL the time, she's had 4 or 5 accidents in 3 years and her car has more bumps than Jordans bra. She passed 1st time after around 30 lessons :confused:

It does prove that passing your test doesn't make you a good driver!

I followed the family tradition. My Mum, brothers and sister all passed 1st time so I had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, there wasn't a theory test at that time (phew!). I must have had about 40 lessons but it paid off.

It's my nephews turn now. Hope he can keep the good run going. No pressure though! Won't mention it till he's passed.

11months of 1 lesson a week, couldnt afford to do it any other way.

I am dyscalculic and have a bit of trouble coordination so my husband who was a driving instructor at the time thought I would be better off learning an automatic first (get some road sense without having to learn gears). I had 15 lessons and passed the automatic test first time. Rode a motorbike for a couple of years after that then hubby announced it was time for me to learn a manual, so I had a further 18 lessons and passed that first time too.

I did have a go at the motorbike test but failed that and never retook it.

11 weeks at 3/4 hours a week and passed first time :)

think i was taking lessons for about
a year, took me 6 attempts at the
theory, but passed the practical first time:thumbsup:

July 2004 to April 2005 I had lessons, sometimes once a week and sometimes twice a week.

In the weeks leading up to my test it was 3 a week ;)

Passed first time

10 weeks, 11 lessons 1 test - first time, in the snow. :o

To be honest I passed my theroy before I even took a lesson, but no awareness test back then. Wouuld put in for that ASAP as not really related to driving just need stopping distances etc I used AA pss book.

Passed my driving test on second attempt but wasn't really ready for first you will kno when you are

Originally posted by D2J
11 weeks at 3/4 hours a week and passed first time :)
Just to clarify that this is 3 to 4 hours a week, not 'three quarters' of an hour a week.

Originally posted by Miss Gobby
Ive been having lessons (every week) since March/April, im gettin sooooooooooooooooooo bored i just wanna get my own car and drive, am i the only one who has had lessons for this long?
The average number of hours tuition most people take is between 30 and 40, although some people have a natural aptitude for driving and pick it up much quicker. The Driving Standards Agency (the people who conduct the Tests) recommend at least 45, with over 20 hours of private tuition. If you've only been learning since March/April, you'll have had about 20 (?) lessons - still some way to go.

Originally posted by franc1987
I have been learning since November and had about 35 lessons. I have my test in 2 weeks. I was told it took between 30 and 40 lessons but my friends just passed and had 20 lessons and my other friend passed with about 16 hours tuituion so i guess its down to personal experience! I think that driving shouldnt be rushed and that u should take your test when you feel ready.

When you get in the drivers seat do you think you could drive anywhere in the country in any situation and feel comfortable and in control? I think when the answer to that is yes then you will start to be ready.

This is the best advice so far on this thread. An awful lot of people think that getting a driving licence is a 'right' when you get to 17 - its not, its a privilege and should be thought of as such. It takes a lot of hard work. Thats why there are so many accidents - because people do not adequately prepare for their test, its not seen as a skill for life - but something that you must/just do as quickly as possible!!

If you can't drive for an hour (ie the whole of your driving lesson) without your instructor giving you any guidance (no matter how trivial), then you're not ready for your test.

Originally posted by floyd77
10 weeks (10 lessons). Make sure you're taking all the extra lessons because you need them, not because the instructor is trying to fleece you!

It wont hurt to get a second opinion.
But you're a biker aren't you, floyd77. Which came first - bike or car? I'll guess at bike which means that you already had a good deal of roadsense and just had to learn the controls of the car. I'll also hazard a guess that you had access to a car for private practice? And possibly each lesson was longer than 1 hour?
10 weeks (10 lessons).
Maybe it doesn't tell, as most of these sorts of tales don't, the whole story!

No reputable driving instructor is going to keep you on any longer than is necessary - for a start, he/she doesn't have to (there is plenty of work out there) and secondly, as well as undergoing a tough training and examination schedule before being allowed to teach, we are regularly checked by the DSA to ensure that our standards are maintained.

Finally, I picked this up on another thread
Originally posted by janny
God its gone up to £19/ £20!!!

I was taking mine about 2 years ago and I was payin £12/£13!

£20 Bleedinhell!
All I can say to this is that you got it cheap even two years ago. This annoys me intensely - on other threads there are quotes of £20 an hour to learn to play the piano and no-one raises an eyebrow! Why should learning to drive be done on the cheap? You're learning a skill that could one day save your life - not just a hobby! I'd like to bet that our underlying costs are much higher than those of a piano teacher as well!

As I said earlier, the over-riding criteria is
If you can't drive for an hour (ie the whole of your driving lesson) without your instructor giving you any guidance (no matter how trivial), then you're not ready for your test.

I started the week after my 17th Birthday (Nov 03) and passed Nov 04. I was ready in Aug 04, but had to wait donkeys years for a test!! :o

I had an hours lesson a week, amost every week... But with illness/exams/holidays, I sometimes missed a week. I reckon I had 40 hours alltogether, but no help at home... IE I wasn't allowed to drive Daddy's car etc...

I passed the theory first time too, with full marks... Passed the driving test first time with 7 minors :D (First one in the family to pass first time) :clap:

Passed my car test in 1991, after three lessons in the two days prior to the test.
Passed my bike test in 1985, even though I didn't listen to the examiner properly and passed him on the wrong side of the dual-carriageway at Handsworth...

Originally posted by Saxon

But you're a biker aren't you, floyd77. Which came first - bike or car? I'll guess at bike which means that you already had a good deal of roadsense and just had to learn the controls of the car. I'll also hazard a guess that you had access to a car for private practice? And possibly each lesson was longer than 1 hour?

I should probably elaborate - I was 17, and had 10 1 hour lessons with a proper instructor (the AA), but did go out a lot with mum and dad etc, so probably had at least another couple of hours in a car per week.
I had originally booked a block of 20 lessons with the instructor, but he was very good and after about 6 weeks said I wouldnt need 20, and suggested I go for the test after 10 (no theory test back then)

The point I was trying to make was that I had a friend who had been taking 1 2hr lesson a week for over a year and his instructor kept telling him he wasnt ready for his test (much to my amusement:hihi: ) but he swore blind he was ready for the test. I got him in contact with my instructor who he went out with for an hour, when my instructor told him he was being fleeced and should ditch his instuctor straight away. He did so, booked his test and had a 2 hour lesson with my instructor and passed first time.

So, there are dodgy instuctors out there - just as there are dodgy everythings out there so just keep your wits about you.

Car came first btw Saxon, only had the bike a couple of years.

passed first time after one lesson and borrowed the car for the test at handsworth

I've been having lessons since October last year, with 1 hour lessons once a week.
My test is in a couple of weeks time, and by then I will have had 50 lessons.
My first 10 lessons were really slow and I was hopeless. But my driving seems to vary each week, I'll have a good week, then the next I'll be rubbish, and I'm not too optimistic for my test. But I guess if I wasn't ready, my instructor wouldn't have let me do my test..

It's much easier if you can have a car to practice in, rather than just using the Instructor's. I passed first time, but spent hours and hours in my own car as well as having proper lessons for around 7 months.

When I took my test, the examiner told me to take him to my car, and I couldn't remember where it was. Worse, I couldn't remember what it was! Spent a few happy moments with the examiner, hunting for the darned thing. We found it in the end, but by that time, I was near hysterical. Beats me how I passed!

Took me a couple of years before I finally went for the test, but much of the time I could not afford the lessons. Think I only passed because I was more afraid of my wife than I was of the test itself - which is pretty amazing in itself.

Passed first time - luckily.

I love driving now.

Dragon

Yeah well i think ive had....around 25 lessons upto now, and it aint bludy cheap is it? lol....just wondering, about your theory and practical tests, do you tell the insructor you think your ready for them, or do they tell you when they think you are ready, and do they put you in for the tests or do you have to organise it yourself, just i think im about ready to do my theory now!!

My driving instructor told me when to put in for my theory and when I passed that (second time round cos of the trick questions) he then told me to put in for my practical test.

Surprising thing is that the actual driving test only seemed to take 5 minutes - I was so busy thinking about all the terrible mistakes I was making and the fact my wife would probably kill me if I failed ;)

Nah! She was great. I got a well done card and everything from her.

psssst! I really was scared that if I failed she would leave me ;)
But don't tell anyone.

Dragon

my test lasted about 15 minutes. Took 8 lessons, and a mock test and passed first time. This was nearly 20 years ago (eh? what happened, it was 1987 a minute ago?)

My test was approx 45 minutes.

11 two hour lessons.

Period 11 weeks.

Passed first time 1991.

Originally posted by MissGobby
Yeah well i think ive had....around 25 lessons upto now, and it aint bludy cheap is it? lol....just wondering, about your theory and practical tests, do you tell the insructor you think your ready for them, or do they tell you when they think you are ready, and do they put you in for the tests or do you have to organise it yourself, just i think im about ready to do my theory now!!

As far as theory test is concerned, go for it when you think you're ready.

As far as practical is concerned, go with your instructor's advice. Don't forget he can with-hold the use of his/her car if they don't think you'll be up to standard by the date of your test. Suggest a mock test takes place with the instructor acting as examiner.

Passed first time 1991.passed first time.....was nearly 20 years ago Passed my car test in 1991Passed in 1988
Seems like 1991 was a popular year!! But when replying to this post, remember that even in the 15/20 years since then, traffic has increased massively and you need more lessons to cope with it.

As I said earlier
If you can't drive for an hour (ie the whole of your driving lesson) without your instructor giving you any guidance (no matter how trivial), then you're not ready for your test.

Oh guess what...test today, no luck (but I am not in double figures yet......)

Passed within 4 weeks of my 17th birthday. lasted 18 months before getting banned.

Note to new drivers: Even if you are careful, try to remember, on the odd occsions you may feel the urge to welly it, don't. On the (very few) occasions I chose to do it, I got caught.

Its not worth it.

Joel

Aww, Saxon, I was really hoping that you were going to answer the question in the topic... ;)

For myself, I honestly can't remember how long it took me but at about a fiver a lesson IIRC, I know It didn't take any longer than I could help, that was a big chunk out of my wages each week!

And in reference to what's been said about the cost of lessons, in purchasing power compared to today, how much was a fiver worth in 1961? Probably more than twenty pounds is now!

Originally posted by Pseudonym
Aww, Saxon, I was really hoping that you were going to answer the question in the topic... ;)


Ok. My original driving test was in 1976, started in March on my 17th birthday, passed first time in September 1976. Lessons were (IIRC) £3 an hour.

As for my driving test when qualifying to be a driving instructor, also passed this first time with 2 minors in one hour's driving.

Thanks for answering that Saxon, please excuse my curiosity!;)

I'm puzzled though, it seems that my lessons can't possibly have been a fiver an hour if yours, some 15 years later, were only 3 pounds... Must be my memory playing tricks!

I can't remember how many lessons I had, I know that there were none available before my first test on a motorbike and that although I stalled the vehicle on each occasion, I evidently followed the correct procedure to recover from the errors, as I passed both tests first time... Much to my surprise! :)

Nine lessons was all I had - put in for the test after 7.

But then again I am a bloke and they usually find hand/eye/foot co-ordination tasks a lot easier.

Past first time in '92!