The DSA who conduct the full UK licence test does not require you to use a driving school to prepare, neither do they specify that you need a minimum number of lessons with a qualified approved driving instructor or to even use their school car which has dual controls before you are eligible to go on a test, infact there is nothing that will be checked apart from your provisional licence to confirm your identity and that you are able to sign an insurance declaration that your car is insured for the test.
So why do you need a driving school to learn to drive and prepare for the full UK licence practical road test?
Driving Schools know what is required by the DSA
Your approved DSA registred instructor (ADI) will know every single thing required by you not only to pass the driving test, but to be a safe driver and live a long life after getting your full UK driving licence.
Any learner driver can download the test syllabus from the DSA Website, not all do, but even those that do, will not know from the document the fine details that the DSA examiner will be marking you on while out on the road in the car (driving school car or not).
Many people who learn to drive a car in the UK without the help of a Driving School Instructor fail their full driving licence tests because they have left out some safety aspects which they consider to be minor (eg failing to use a handbrake to secure a car while stopped at a pedestrian crossing), and would not be marked on.
The DSA test requires a high driving skill standard, and only an approved instructor from a school can teach you these finer details that will allow you to pass the test first time or on your next attempt. Whether you believe in what is required or not, just being able to drive a car from A to B (as is the case with many foreign licence holders) will not get you that highly coveted pass certificate.
Using a Driving School also means that you won't be breaking the law because you will be supervised by the right person, the school car will be fully insured, taxed and be road worthy, something you can say if you are taking driving lessons with a family or friends car. Another thing that you benefit from if you are using a driving school for your lessons is your safety is pretty much guranteed. Your instructor is highly trained, experienced and the knowledge gained from teaching many varied learner drivers over the years will mean that her or she could easily predict what you would do in certain situations and can prevent these either by using a question to prompt you or taking corrective action by using the steering or dual controls on the their side of the car, a luxury not available on a non driving school car!
Finally if you are taking your first driving lesson, you can relax in the knowledge that the dual controls on the ADI's car will keep even the most nervous pupil safe.
Not all driving schools are very expensive
While learning to drive a car and preparing for the driving test with a professional driving instructor from a school is not cheap, it doesn't have to be very expensive especially if you make your choice after considerable research, take advice and recommedations from friends or family who have used ADIs to pass their test, and you are prepared to work very hard to achieve your driving dream. One word of advice don't just go for the cheapest driving lessons in your area, you could end up paying more in the long run if you are not trained properly and have developed bad habits which could fail you and you then have to change instructors who then has to carry out remidial work with you. No matter what driving age or experience you have, unless you have been taught the DSA way, you don't have much a chance of being among the 40% pass rate of the current test.
As I've mentioned, there are quite a few reasons why you should consider using a driving school to learn to drive and pass the UK driving test, but at the end of the day, the choice is yours and if you've taken the time to read this article, I hope you make the right one by going with a DSA registered ADI.
