Driving, like any other skill, takes time for the brain to learn the co-ordination required so that all the movements become smooth and natural. For some people this is best achieved with a semi-intensive driving course; 2 hours a couple of times a week spread over several weeks. However, some people need to pass a driving test quickly, perhaps for work reasons and do not have the time to spread the lessons over several weeks. For these people, we have the intensive course.

The intensive course is for people who need to pass quickly.

If you are a complete beginner the  DSA recomends around 45 hours of professional driving lessons, plus several hours of private practice to be ready for a test. Even though you might think you can do it in less, such a strategy rarely works and what usually happens is you have fewer lessons, fail first time, take some more lessons and end up passing after the expected 40-45 hours but by then you have already paid for at least one test fee. So do think carefully before considering a programme of lessons less than 40 hrs.

Will it suit me?

The Intensive Courses do not suit everyone,  this will be discussed on the assessment lesson. It suits those that work long hours and can't get a regular evening or weekend gap in their schedule, and can easily take a week off work, for example, students on holiday from University.

It suits those that learn well by getting lots of information fed to them over a short period of time. It doesn't necessarily suit those that are more nervous or timid, and need time to take in the information and skills that they are learning, maybe weekly lessons would suit you better.

If you have some driving experience, book an assessment (2 hrs at our hourly rate) and we will see how far advanced you are and how many additional driving lessons you will need to complete your training.

How is the course carried out?

Depending on the timescale that we have, we will decide together the number of hours per day that will be taken. For example, if the pupil has a week off of work, and doesn't have a driving test booked yet, we can do 2 two-hour sessions a day, giving us 20 hours of tuition over the Monday to Friday period, any additional time can be then spaced out towards the driving test. If you have a test booked we would plan the course to finish a few days before your test, just in case we need a few additional hours of practice.  Longer courses, 30 or 40 hours may need to be done over a period of two weeks if the pupil has a test booked. It all depends on your learning capabilities, & everyone is different, so we have to decide what is best for you after a 2 hour assessment lesson.

The first few hours will give us both an indication of whether you are suited to the intensive driving course or not. If you can master the basics of turning right & left & T junctions in the first 5-8hrs and you can take the pace then we should have no problems in the hours to come, & be able to complete the intensive course on time.

Please note that if you have not made sufficient progress in the first 20 hours, and we consider your driving has not reached the required standard then we may advise you to postpone your test appointment. If you do not postpone your appointment, and do not reach the required standard we reserve the right to withdraw the use of our car for the test in the interest of road safety and we will not be responsible for any loss of test fee incurred by you.

How much does it cost?

That depends entirely on the number of hours required. This is discussed at the end of the assessment lesson.

You can then either block-book a set of lessons, or if you wish, you can “pay-as-you-go”
The assessment lesson lasts two hours, please see the price page for the current prices.

All courses are charged at our normal hourly rates.

We do not charge a "premium" rate for intensive courses, everyone who learns with us pays the same prices.

The intensive course does not include the driving test fees. We can book your driving test if you wish, but you will need to add the test fee onto your lesson fees.

Do you guarantee a pass?

No-one can guarantee you a pass. Apart from anything else, it depends on your performance on the day of the test. Those that advertise a guaranteed pass, are normally only offering to pay for another test should you fail (check the small print). However there are usually other conditions that apply, like passing a mock test prior to taking the test. Should you fail the mock, you don't take the real practical test, and lose your test fee. Normally this additional test fee is calculated into the initial cost of the course, and if you fail, you've already paid for the next test anyway. If you pass first time, the instructor takes the pre-paid second test fee as a bonus.

We only charge for the hours of tuition you actually have, so you will know that if you do well, you wont be paying someone’s “bonus”

If you want any more information, please either phone for a chat (numbers on the booking & contact page), or email us at :  colinsdrivingschool@yahoo.com or use the contact form here

If you dont live in the Birmingham area, why not use the oportunity to visit Birmingham for a few days, take your intensive driving lessons while you are here, & sample one of europes most improved city's while you are not having your driving lessons. The new Bull Ring shopping centre is well worth a visit.