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Sometimes you have an idea in the back of your mind, a niggle that won’t go away that is demanding your attention.  You see a learner car go by and you think, I could do that, I could teach, I wonder what is involved?  Well, today I hope to enlighten you!

If you have been following my blog then you will know that I talk straight, and before I go on I want to make one thing very clear.  Contrary to popular belief and various campaigns from other schools, I want to realistically talk about how much you could earn as a driving instructor.  It is true that you could take home 30K, however, be warned, that is not your wage.  From that 30k you need to take out car hire/purchase, insurances, maintanance, professional indemnity, franchise payments if you choose to go under a school, bank charges, accountancy fees, as well as keeping on track with your Continuous Professional Development  and of course fuel.  I could go on, but I think you get the general idea. Those who succeed in the driving school industry, after they have passed the exams of course, do so because they love the job, not because of a stunning financial reward.

Being self-employed, which most driving instructors are, can create other problems.  Your hours may well be erratic  With lessons in the day, in the evening and at weekends.  Many potential pupils can not fit in to a diary that is rigidly nine to five. You need to be flexible.

If I have not put you off, and I really hope I have not, because it is a fantastic job, where you get to meet so many interesting people, then please read on.

Before you commit both your money and your time to a driving instructor training course, and there are many out there to choose from, let me tell you what is involved.  I can not cover all the details in this blog, so after reading this, if you want more information then do not hesitate to call me and I will be happy to discuss your options. We have been offering driving instructor traning for the  past ten years and we have fantastic pass results for an exam that is notoriously difficult to pass.

So who can be an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI)? Firstly you need to hold a full UK, European Union or European Economic Area unrestricted car driving licience and you need to have had the said licience for at least four years, and that in those four years you have not been disqualified from driving during that time. If you have a disability the process is slightly different.  It is compulsory to have an enhanced Criminal Record Check and this will be reasessed every four years. Find up to date information from this link.

To become qualified you need to take and pass three exams.

Part One:  The Theory Test.

Yes, I am afraid you will need to know your highway code inside out and back to front!

Part Two:  Driving Ability Assesment.

This is like an extended driving test that you took when you first passed your test. This test lasts about an hour and covers ALL of the manouvres. You may even have to drive on a motorway depending on where you take your test. You will only be successful at this stage if you commit no more than 6 driving faults with none of them being serious or dangerous.

Part Three:  Test of Instructional ability.

Here your examiner will roll play a learner and will mark you on your teaching ability. The exam is broken into two parts, one where the examiner pretends to be a learner at a pretty basic level of driving, and the second part where the examiner pretends to be a learner who is close to test standard, or may have even passed the test. You have to pick the level of instruction correctly and demonstrate a good level of communication and knowledge throughout.

You have only three chances at parts two and three exams, if you fail more than three times then I am afraid you have to wait another two years from the date you passed the theory (part one) test before you can try again.  I will be honest with you, the exams are not easy, in fact the national qualification pass rate for 2009-10 was a staggering low 34%.

However, it can be done, with the right instruction and the will to succeed.  It is not impossible, unless you allow it to be.

At Belt Up School Of Motoring we go that extra mile to help you achieve your career goals and we have experienced instructor trainers who know the industry very well.  Call today to arrange an informal interview to discuss your options.  Our prices are extremely competitive and you can be assured that will do everything we can to help you gain that green badge and help you on the road to a fantastically rewarding new career.

Today I am going to talk about Intensive lessons. You know, the ones where you you learn to drive in a week!

An intensive course is a valuable tool if you need to pass your test by a certain deadline. Or, if you are like many of our pupils who chose the intensive route, are unable to do a regular lesson every week.

Now, let me talk plainly, we do offer intensive courses, we like doing them but, they are hard work, for you the pupil I mean, not the instructor. The first thing to bear in mind when booking your intensive lessons is whether you will be able to cope with long hours in the car without a break. Have you ever been a passenger in a car for, lets say a trip from Bath to London, and back again, in the same day? It is incredibly tiring. Now do that everyday for a week. Yawn!!  If you think you can cope with this, and many do, then lets get driving intensively. However, if you think you may struggle but really need to get that test passed, then why not do a semi intensive with us instead. Still intense, just over a slightly longer time, I am talking weeks not months!

The other thing to think about, and this is a negative to the intensive course, is the road experience you will get. Now, let me explain. When you have regular lessons every week you get to drive in different weather conditions. Dazzling sun, rain maybe fog, depending on the season, snow, ice. If you are lucky enough to learn at the right time you may even get to experience all of them. All of which adds up to valuable road experience. It is unlikely you would ever experience all types of weather conditions in one week. And we don’t have access to a weather machine. Sorry.

But, saying all this, intensive lessons have their uses and it is a great achievement if, at the end of the week, you are a full licence holder. Wonderful.

Now, what I like to hear, when clients call up asking about our intensive courses is that they have passed their theory test. This means we can book up the practical test and work towards it straight away. But do not worry if you have not, for we offer a full intensive course package. This package is great, because it covers both the theory and the practical test. Why not call and find out more today? Our intensive course costs are incredibly competitive.

Come on, the road is long and I know you want to get on it and drive. Pick up the phone and lets get you driving.

‘How long will it take to pass my test?’

I am asked this question so often, I think it needs addressing. Of course you want to know how long, and lets be honest, how much money you are going to need to spend, to become a full licence holder. The Driving Standards Agency recommend an average of 45 hours of professional tuition with around 20 hours of private practice. That sounds a lot doesn’t it? Well, not really, you are learning a fabulous new skill after all and you want to be a competent safe driver don’t you?  You also, I am assuming, really want to pass your driving test first time. Right?

Now, not everyone takes 45 hours of professional tuition to pass their test. Some take considerably less, and others, a little bit more. It depends on the pupil and as much as I would love to have the power of fortune telling, I can not tell you, over the phone, just how many hours you are going to need!!

I can promise two things though, at Belt Up School of Motoring, if you are test standard then we will take you. Likewise, if you are not ready, we will not take you for test. It is as simple as that. We want you to be confident that you can pass and that you know the skills needed to pass. You could, perhaps take a ‘mock test’ with our lead instructor. This is an option for all of our pupils, and although you may find yourself paying for an extra hour on top of your normal lessons for the experience, this is considerably less than paying the DSA £62 for a test plus your instructors fees just for having the experience of taking a driving test.

Now on to the tests.

Lets look at the theory test first. Now in order to book your practical test you must have passed the theory. At Belt Up School of Motoring we always advise that you book up your theory test as soon as you feel confident to do so. There is nothing more frustrating than finding you are driving at test standard, but being unable to take your practical test because you have not done your theory. It is also incredibly useful for your practical driving to know your highway code, and surprise surprise, the highway code is very important. So learn it!!!

Have a look at this link. This explains all about the theory test.

So, you have passed your theory and are now looking to take your practical test. I have enclosed another link for you to look at. It explains everything you need to know about the practical test and what to expect on the big day.