School of Motoring

Q What areas do you cover?

Pow School of Motoring covers the following areas of Bristol:

BS5 (Easton, St George and Whitehall)

BS15 (Hanham and Kingswood)
BS16 (Downend, Fishponds and Frenchay)
BS30 (Bitton, Cadbury Heath, Warmley and Wick)
BS32 (Almondsbury and Bradley Stoke)
BS34 (Filton, Little Stoke, Patchway and Stoke Gifford)
BS36 (Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne)
 

 

Other areas may be available upon request.

 

Q Whose car do I take my driving test in?

Your driving instructor's car. On the basis that they deem you to be of test standard, you will take the car that you have learnt to drive in. This means that you will probably be picked up, and allowed to  practise 1 hour prior to your driving test. You will drive to the test centre, and undertake your test with the Examiner.

 

Q When can I apply for my licence?

 From the age of 16 you can apply for a provisional UK Driving licence.

 

Q When can I start to drive?

You are only allowed to drive on the road from your 17th Birthday.

 

Q How long will it take me to pass my test?

The DSA state that an average 17 year old will require a minimum of 50 hours professional teaching, plus a minimum of 15 hours private help. This equates to a minimum of 65 hours in total.

However as you get older it is advisable to allow an additional 2 hours for every year of your age plus the 15 hour private minimum. This figure can vary as everyone learns at their own pace.

 

Q What should I expect from my driving lessons?

Lessons will have a focus and an objective will be set by your instructor, with the aim of each of your lessons to become independant on that objective.

Some topics may take more than one lesson to become confident and independent with, but you will see an improvement by the end of the lesson.

 

Q What If I want to learn in an automatic?

If you take and pass your test in an Automatic car, you can only drive an Automatic once qualified. (If you pass in a manual car you can drive either type of vehicle). Therefore, it is recommended that you pass your test driving a manual car, if possible.

 

Q How long are driving lessons?

The majority of our lessons are based on a 2 hour period. It has been proven that an individual will learn quicker and require fewer lessons than they would learning at the rate of 1 hour a week. This will work out financially cheaper taking 2 hour lessons as opposed to 1 hour a week. 

The learning cycle based on 2 hour weekly lesson and progressing at a steady rate should take between 4-6 months. If learning with only 1 hour a week then the average learner will take nearly 12 months to reach test standard.

 

Q What is the Driving Test?

There are two parts to the driving test, part 1 is a hazard perception and theory, and part 2 a practical driving test. The Theory Test (Part 1) is made up of two parts; the multiple-choice part and the hazard perception part. Both tests are taken on a computer at your local theory test center using the mouse and a touch screen monitor to answer. You will need to correctly answer 43 out of 50 questions to pass the multiple choice test and score at least 44 out of a possible 75 in the hazard perception test. You need to pass both tests at the same time to successfully pass the Part 1. The fee for this test is £23.00. This can be booked on line by clicking here.

 

Q What is the Practical driving test?

This is the final part. It can only be taken after you have passed Part 1 and have a theory test pass number. This is where all the training and practice of your driving is assessed by the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) examiners. The fee for this test is £62 (weekdays). This can be booked online by clicking here.

The test will last approx 35 minutes where you will demonstrate your ability to drive safely and keep control of your vehicle, have care and consideration for other road users, keep control of your vehicle. You are allowed to make up to 15 driver errors,(Minor Faults). 16 driver errors will result in a fail. A serious or dangerous fault, or 4 faults in any specific area is a test fail.

 

Q What if I fail my practical driving test?

You can apply for a new driving test immediately, but current ruling means you cannot take this test for 10 working days. This now includes Saturdays; this time limit is to enable any faults to be corrected.