You’ve got your provisional license, maybe you’ve already passed your theory test (or you’re taking that alongside driving lessons…) now you need to stay the course and get that driving experience under your belt until you are ready to take your practical test.

• For details on what comes before driving lessons start please see our article ‘Before you hit the road – everything you need to know’.
• If you haven’t yet selected an instructor please see our article ‘How do I choose a Driving Instructor?’

How long does it take to learn to drive?

How many driving lessons you will need will depend on a number of factors:

• Your age – according to statistics, the younger you are the quicker you will develop those essential driving skills.
• Your gender – in 2019/20 a greater percentage of men passed their practical test than women, although this was reversed for the theory test. (Source: Dept. of Transport, Statistical Report, 24th June 2020).
• Your focus during lessons – make sure you get a good night’s sleep before any driving lesson and wear sensible footwear.
• Your existing knowledge of The Highway Code – get a head start by studying in advance; essential if you are working on your theory test alongside your practical lessons.

Emerging Left Intensive Driving School’s Grade A instructors will be able to give you an initial assessment lesson to estimate roughly how many lessons you will need to learn to drive. As you progress, your tailor-made plan will be flexible enough to adapt as you go – with regular progress reports so you will know exactly how you are doing on your learning to drive journey.

How often should I have a driving lesson?

The more often you can have lessons the better, it’s the continuity that’s so important. Ideally lessons should be two hours long. At Emerging Left Intensive Driving School, we specialize in intensive courses; personalized to suit you. Our station-to-station pick up service and door-to-door service all help make driving lessons a part of your everyday life.

Any additional experience you can get with a friend or relative will also help, although there is no comparison to a professional instructor. You will also need to bear in mind the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) guidelines, make sure ‘L’ plates are displayed and of course confirm the relevant insurance on the car you want to practice in.

What kind of driving experience is best?

You will start learning to drive on quiet local roads. As time goes on and your confidence grows, a good instructor will give you varied driving experience on the roads near you; a great instructor will take you to several different locations, driving at different speeds, in different weathers. The more varied the experience, the better – driving when it’s getting dark, in the rain – all these things will make you a more adaptable, confident driver for life.

How will I know if I am ready for my practical driving test?

There is no point putting in for your test until your instructor is confident you are ready. At Emerging Left Intensive Driving School, we want you to pass first time, with as few faults as possible. Remember Emerging Left Intensive Driving School will book and arrange your practical test for you for FREE and we know all the Test Centres (and their possible routes) in London and Hertfordshire inside out.

The Practical Test

For information on the test itself and what happens both before and afterwards please see our article ‘Taking the test’.

If you have any queries on how you can get started on your learning to drive journey please do contact us. Our experienced Grade A instructors are ready to help.