As a driving instructor, one of the most common questions I get asked is: “How many driving lessons do I need?”
Some instructors forget what it is like to be a really keen learner wanting to pass as soon as possible, so they often come out with something sarcastic like “How long is a piece of string?” Obviously, an answer like that doesn’t motivate and may even put you off trying. At driveJohnson’s, we can give you those answers you want to know after your first two-hour driving lesson. We believe it’s important to let the pupil know what their driving level is and what they need to do to get to test standard (you can view the DVSA’s guidance on how to check you are test-ready here).
How many hours of driving lessons do I need?
Below is a table released by the DVSA several years ago. This is all we have from the DVSA to give you an indication of how many driving lessons you will need.
However, what we can tell you is that between January 2018 and December 2018, driveJohnson’s kept a record of the average number of lessons a pupil took with us, which was 28 driving tuition hours with no private practice. By 2024, this had reduced to 26 hours, which is less than half the national average of 57 hours! Therefore, you can be assured that we can help you pass your driving test quickly.
How many lessons to pass a manual driving test?
The amount of driving lessons you need varies from person to person and can be affected by personal circumstances, such as:
- Your confidence
- Your coordination
- Bad driving experiences that have impacted you
- How observant you are, and whether you pick up on hazards
- The amount you practice
- How consistent your lessons are (we would always recommend establishing a consistent, regular lesson plan with your instructor)
- Whether you have had lessons previously
With manual lessons, the above can particularly come into play, especially coordination and practice, as there is a lot more to remember than in an automatic car. This is why many learners choose to learn in an automatic versus a manual car. In either type of vehicle, your brain and body are learning a new skill, and at first, this will be tricky, so the more you can practice and be consistent with lessons, the easier it will be.
How many driving lessons do I need for automatic learning?
People tend to need fewer driving lessons when learning in an automatic. This is because the car shifts gears without you needing to use the clutch or choose the gears yourself. You therefore don’t need to master clutch control or manually changing gears, which can save you time.
One of our learners, Jo Chapman, who is taking driving lessons in Oxford, explained the difference she experienced.
“My dad had been trying to teach me himself in a manual, and I just couldn’t get my head around the gears, the clutch, and everything I needed to move together. It was stressing me out, but I needed to pass. Anyway, long story short, spoke to someone in the Bookings Team at driveJohnson’s and they suggested automatic. My automatic instructor was lovely, and his car was so much easier to learn in because I had less to remember. Just put it in drive and that’s it!”
Why does it take so long to pass a driving test?
There are many driving schools out there that contribute to the above table of averages by not being very good. You have to take into consideration that there are a lot of instructors who have been doing it for years, some who are great teachers, and some who have completely lost interest and are seeing out the last few years before they retire. Obviously, the latter are not going to be as enthusiastic or responsive as they were 10-20 years ago.
There are also a lot of cowboys and online booking agents making a quick buck, but with no long-term interest in your progression. We recently came across a driving school that had 3 instructors, all of whom were dragging out their lessons and advising their learners that they weren’t test-ready when they were, just so they could keep earning more money from them. As a learner, you may not realise that it’s your instructor, not you, who is responsible for you taking so long.
Try our assessment lesson to find out how many lessons you need
No matter what level you are driving at, we will tailor your assessment lesson to your current driving ability, so it won’t be a case of going over old subjects and wasting time. Once we can see that you’re capable, we will continue to help you progress and challenge you in different areas of driving.
Whatever you don’t know, we will show you and see how quickly you pick things up. In 2 hours, we will teach you while monitoring your progress. At the end of your lesson, we will tell you how many hours you will need to get to test standard.
Our instructors conducting assessment lessons are all grade A, which is the highest grade possible for a driving instructor. Their judgment is usually good because of their experience, so you can expect their quote of how many hours you need to be pretty accurate. We offer assessment lessons on a nationwide basis, so whether you’re looking for a driving school in Manchester, down south in areas such as Bournemouth, or anywhere in between, we’re here to help. Simply give us a call on 0330 124 4877 to get booked in.
Top tip
During your first few lessons, whoever you choose to learn to drive with, ask your instructor roughly how many driving lessons you need. Don’t be afraid or put off if they can’t give you a rough estimate.
It can be tricky for instructors to give you an exact answer, but what they can do is say something along the lines of, “Assuming you turn up for your lessons consistently, in good health (not tired, drained or unwell), following my after-lesson advice (be it reading up on things etc.), I would estimate you be at a test standard in around 30-40 hours.” By giving you this explanation and range, the instructor is managing your expectations.
Final thoughts on how many driving lessons you need to pass
Learning to drive is a two-way relationship; if an instructor and pupil are working at 80-100% together, that will mean better progress than the instructor working 80-100% and the pupil working at 40% because they are tired or unwell. We have a great example of a pupil who was taking her driving lessons in Stevenage, and she passed in 18 hours of driving lessons from a beginner level, because she was consistent in her lessons, watched driving tutorial videos, read the driving manual back to front, and even used to come to her instructor’s lessons with questions. Now that’s someone who wants to learn and pass fast!
Ultimately, how quickly you pass your test comes down to not just your instructor’s teaching but your mindset, dedication, and hard work. Everyone is different – some may take longer than average, whilst others may pass in 20 hours or less, like the pupil from Stevenage. What matters most is staying consistent, trying hard, and persevering, even if you suffer setbacks. If you treat your driving lessons as a partnership with your instructor and take an active role in your learning, you’ll give yourself the best chance of passing quickly.
Written by Anthony Johnson
Grade A - 51/51
ORDIT Registered Trainer
