Choosing the Right Driving Instructor

DVSA advises learners to look for an instructor who is reliable, punctual and has a car that suits their needs. It also suggests finding someone who adapts their teaching to the way you learn and focuses on helping you become a safe driver rather than simply teaching you how to pass the test.

You can ask an instructor how they approach lessons, how they will keep you informed about your progress and what their arrangements are for things such as cancellations.

GOV.UK also provides a service for finding approved driving instructors. It is useful, although not every qualified instructor appears in the search because ADIs can choose whether to be listed.

Find driving schools, lessons and instructors on GOV.UK

Before comparing instructors, it can help to think about what matters to you.

If you are completely new to driving, you may simply want someone who can introduce things at a pace you are comfortable with. If you have already had lessons, you might have a better idea of what has and has not worked for you in the past.

There may also be practical considerations. You might need lessons at particular times, want to learn in a manual or automatic car, or need an instructor who covers your home, workplace, college or another convenient location.

You may have other things you would like your instructor to know. Perhaps you are nervous about starting, have had a difficult experience with driving before, are neurodivergent, or know that certain ways of explaining things tend to help you.

You do not need to work out exactly how you should be taught before contacting an instructor. Knowing what is important to you simply gives you somewhere useful to start the conversation.

If possible, speak to the person who will actually be teaching you.

You do not need a long list of questions or a formal interview. A normal conversation can tell you quite a lot.

Explain where you are starting from and what you are looking for. If you have driven before, tell them roughly what experience you have. If something about learning to drive is worrying you, you can mention it. You can also ask about availability, lesson length, prices, cancellations and how they normally approach someone's first few lessons.

Pay attention to the conversation itself as well as the answers. Do you feel able to ask questions? Do they listen to what you are telling them? Are they clear about what they can offer?

You may be spending many hours in a car together, so being able to communicate comfortably is important.

Reviews can be useful when choosing an instructor, but the overall rating only tells you so much.

The comments people leave are often more helpful. Look for recurring themes in what previous learners say about the instructor. They might mention reliability, patience, clear explanations, adapting lessons when somebody struggled or helping learners become more confident and independent.

Reviews can also give you an idea of the type of learners an instructor regularly works with.

A large number of positive reviews does not guarantee that an instructor will be the right person for you, just as a newer instructor having fewer reviews does not tell you that they will be unsuitable. Treat reviews as one useful source of information rather than the whole decision.

A recommendation from somebody you trust can be particularly useful because you can ask them questions.

Rather than only asking whether their instructor was good, find out what they were actually like to learn with. Did they explain things clearly? What happened when something was difficult? Did lessons feel organised? Did they turn up reliably? Did your friend or family member feel they understood how they were progressing?

It is also worth remembering that people are different. An instructor who worked brilliantly with your friend may not necessarily be the best match for you.

Recommendations are a good starting point, not an obligation to use the same person.

Anyone charging you for driving lessons must be legally entitled to provide them.

A fully qualified Approved Driving Instructor, usually shortened to ADI, displays a green badge in the windscreen.

A trainee driving instructor working under a trainee licence displays a pink badge. You may also see trainee instructors referred to as PDIs. A trainee instructor can legally charge for driving lessons while gaining experience towards the final part of the ADI qualification process.

Before receiving a trainee licence, they must have passed the ADI Part 1 theory test and Part 2 driving ability test and completed the required instructor training. They then continue developing their teaching experience before taking the Part 3 instructional ability test.

Choosing between them does not need to be a simple decision between qualified and trainee. An experienced ADI may have many years of teaching behind them, while a trainee instructor may be relatively new to the profession but receiving regular training and support as they develop.

The important thing is that the person is legally entitled to teach for payment and that you are comfortable with the instructor and the training you are receiving.

Read more about becoming a driving instructor

Driving instructors set their own prices, so costs vary between instructors and areas.

Price is understandably part of choosing who to learn with, particularly because learning to drive can become a significant expense. When comparing prices, make sure you know how long the lesson lasts and whether there are different arrangements for things such as block bookings, cancellations or using the instructor's car for your practical test.

The cheapest hourly rate does not necessarily mean the lowest overall cost of learning to drive, because the number of lessons somebody needs varies considerably. Equally, a higher price does not automatically mean better instruction.

Price is one part of the decision alongside availability, reliability, the instructor's approach and whether you feel you are making useful progress.

You do not have to decide whether an instructor is perfect during your first lesson.

Learning to drive can feel unfamiliar, and you are also getting to know somebody new while trying to operate a car and process a lot of information. It may take a little time for both of you to work out how best to communicate and work together.

As lessons continue, you should start to have a clearer idea of what you are developing and how you are progressing. You should feel able to ask questions, say when something does not make sense and discuss anything you are finding difficult.

Your instructor should also be learning about you. As they understand more about what you already know, where you need support and how you respond to different approaches, your lessons can develop with you.

Feeling comfortable with an instructor does not mean every lesson should feel easy.

Learning involves doing things you cannot yet do confidently. As you improve, your instructor will need to introduce more complicated situations, give you greater responsibility and sometimes allow you enough space to make decisions that do not go perfectly.

There is a difference between being challenged and feeling that you cannot speak up.

You should be able to say when you do not understand something, when you need an explanation or when something has become overwhelming. Your instructor can then decide with you what would be useful next while still helping you work towards safe, independent driving.

Progress is not always measured by how many new subjects you have covered.

As your driving develops, you may notice that you need fewer prompts, recognise situations earlier, make more decisions for yourself and can deal with roads or situations that previously required much more help.

You should also have some idea of what you are currently working on and what still needs development. If you are unsure, ask your instructor.

There will be lessons where progress feels obvious and others where something is more difficult than expected. One difficult lesson does not necessarily mean that either you or the instructor is doing something wrong.

Over time, however, you should be developing greater understanding, ability and independence rather than simply accumulating lesson hours.

You can change driving instructor.

That does not necessarily mean your previous instructor was a bad instructor. Sometimes the way two people communicate or work together simply is not a particularly good match.

If something is not working, it is usually worth talking about it first. Your instructor may not realise that an explanation is not making sense to you, that you would like more information about your progress or that something about the lessons is making you uncomfortable.

A good conversation may solve the problem.

If you have given the relationship a reasonable chance and still do not feel that you are learning effectively, it is perfectly reasonable to try another instructor. You are paying for professional tuition and may be spending a considerable amount of time learning, so finding an instructor you can work productively with matters.

Instruct IQ has individual profiles for our instructors because we think it is useful to know something about the person you may be learning with.

You can see which instructors cover your area, read about them and contact the appropriate instructor directly. The profiles are there to help you make an informed choice rather than suggesting that one instructor will suit everybody.

Whichever instructor you choose, the important thing is that you feel able to work together and that your lessons are helping you develop towards safe, responsible and independent driving.

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