If you have already driven before and you want to know the answers to some common questions about our famous assessment lesson, then read on.
Our assessment is designed to answer those all-important questions you probably have about your driving:
- How many driving lessons do you need?
- How much will it cost?
- When can I book my driving test?
- Am I ready for a driving test?
Here we will explain what is an assessment driving lesson and how it can be adjusted to your needs.
What happens in a 2-hour assessment lesson?
You will be greeted by a driveJohnson’s instructor on the day of your first lesson and they will be aware if you have previously driven in the past. Before they ask you to drive away, they will ask you some questions about your previous experience to gauge where they should start your lesson.
They will ask you about your strengths and weaknesses and your preferred learning style. Once they have established your driving level they will then start an assessment drive. They will give you directions and usually ask you questions about what is happening on the road.
During the assessment drive, they may give you some safety critical pointers should you need them. If you are coping well with the route, they may make it more challenging and they might try to find any gaps in your knowledge. If you are struggling, they will most likely adjust the route so that you can cope with the roads, junctions and hazards.
After 20-30 minutes, most instructors will ask you to stop the car safely by the side of the road and then discuss your current driving level with you. Your instructor will go through your strengths and weaknesses and together you can agree on what to cover in the remaining lesson.
What if you drive very badly on the assessment drive?
Don’t worry, that’s quite normal. It takes time to get used to someone new. Also, it’s not always easy to change cars, so your instructor will bear these factors in mind. As they do assessment lessons every week, they often see nerves can be a problem and that’s fine.
After the initial feedback, your instructor will be looking to see how you respond in the remaining lesson time. Many learners start to settle halfway through and the feedback at the end of the assessment is often different to the first 20-30 minutes.
I don’t have a driving test coming up: is it worth doing an assessment lesson?
Yes, it’s always worth doing an assessment lesson if you have had more than 10 hours of driver training. The only time we would recommend not starting with an assessment lesson is if you still need lots of instruction on how to move off, how to stop and how to do the MSPSL routine smoothly approaching junctions. If you still need lots of help on how to change gear and wherever it’s safe to go at a T-Junction, then it’s worth doing a standard 2-hour lesson and this lesson will be tailored to your needs.
I have a test coming up: can I do a mock test in the assessment lesson?
Your driveJohnson’s instructor may not start with a mock test straight away as they will need to see you drive and make sure you are comfortable with the way they teach and how to control the car.
Assuming you are driving well and it’s mostly safe, then it would be fair to assume that they will do some type of mock test with you.
What types of mock driving tests do you offer?
Depending on your level, you may not benefit from a full 35-40 minute mock test. If you are at the early stage of doing mock tests, then it could just be a mini mock test for 10-15 minutes then a review of your performance. Visit our what is a mock driving test page for more information.
Who might be suited to an assessment driving lesson with driveJohnson’s?
The assessment lesson doesn’t just have to be for pupils wanting to book a driving test or with a test coming up; it can also be tailored for any of the circumstances below and more.
- You don’t get along with your current instructor or you struggle to understand his/her style of teaching.
- Your instructor is very critical of your driving and you would like to see if you prefer a more positive instructor.
- You feel like your current instructor is holding you back.
- You feel like you need a more reliable instructor but you want to see if driveJohnson’s teaches in a way that suits you.
Will I cover the manoeuvres during the assessment lesson?
You are the paying customer so we want to cover all your concerns in the lesson. Be sure to mention at the beginning of the session if you have any concerns about your manoeuvres and we are sure your instructor will cover these in the lesson where possible. If you don’t mention any weaknesses in your manoeuvres then your instructor may not cover this in the first meeting with you. The driving test is 35-40 minutes long and there is only 1 manoeuvre; this will take approximately 3-4 minutes out of your test time. So the main thing for your instructor to assess will be your general driving and knowledge of test route areas, which take a lot longer to grasp. If you are struggling with your manoeuvres right now then we recommend you check out our driving manoeuvres page.
What should you do now?
If you like the sounds of how we do things at driveJohnson’s and you think an assessment lesson is what you need, then we recommend that you find the nearest area to you that we cover below to see prices.
