Learn to drive

Start your driving lessons here...

Before you get behind the wheel you'll need to be 17 and have a valid provisional licence.

To get your provisional licence you can apply online, or complete a D1 form from the post office and send it to the DVLA (DVLNI in Northern Ireland) with your proof of identity and a passport-sized photo.

Choose us for driving tuition you can trust

We're the only national driving school exclusively using fully qualified instructors. The green badge in the windscreen of your AA Driving School car assures you that your instructor is a fully qualified expert.

You'll get:

• great discount offers on lessons
• a brand new Ford tuition car
• one-to-one tuition with no pick-ups en route
• Pass Plus support after you pass your test

Tried, trusted and recommended

More pupils pass first time with the AA than with other national driving schools.*

* Based on an AA Driving School survey of 2,000 motorists aged 17 to 30 years old in May 2010, more young people passed their test first time when they learned with the AA than those who learned with schools such as Red.

Instructors you can trust

You're in good hands with our instructors. All AA driving instructors display a green Driving Standards Agency (DSA) badge in their windscreen to prove that they're fully qualified to teach you. The green badge means that they've completed an average of 12 to 18 months of training and passed an exam testing their ability to teach learner drivers.

Some driving schools place learners with a trainee instructor (with a pink DSA badge) and still charge full lesson rates without revealing that the instructor isn't fully qualified.

Get the best possible tuition

AA instructors work to a strict code of conduct to help you get the best possible tuition.

This guarantees that your instructor:

• is fully qualified
• uses an AA driver development card to track your progress
• adapts your tuition for you
• gives you a full lesson of one-to-one tuition
• does not smoke or use a mobile phone during your lessons
• does not carry passengers during your lesson

Save money on your lessons

Telephone offer – driving lessons from £10.50

Your first two hours of learner lessons will be discounted to half price when purchased by phone in one transaction with a valid debit or credit card.

Call us now on 0800 980 1834

We will confirm lesson prices when you call, as these vary according to instructor and postcode. Standard lesson prices apply after this initial purchase. If you pay with a credit card, we will charge a handling fee of 1.8% including VAT; there is no handling charge for debit cards. This offer is for new customers only and cannot be combined with any other offer or used for the purpose of taking a DSA practical or mock test. Lessons are subject to instructor availability. AA driving instructors are self-employed franchisees and all contracts for the provision of tuition are between the pupil and the instructor. We reserve the right to amend, change or withdraw this offer at any time.

Online offers

5% off block bookings of five hours
Available on all block bookings of five hours, with participating instructors only. This is not available with any other offer, but may be used more than once.

Save £36
As family of an AA member, AA insurance customer or employee of one of our business partners, you'll receive £3 off per hour for block bookings of 12 lessons. This will save you £36 per booking of 12 hours. This offer is only valid for your initial booking, and not available in conjunction with any other offer.

Get your 11th lesson free
If you book 10 hours of driving lessons, you'll receive a free lesson, plus an additional £2 off per hour. Note that the free lesson is only available on your first booking.

£2 off per hour on six or more hours
Get £2 off per hour on block bookings of six hours or more – not available in conjunction with any other offer, but may be used more than once.

Counting the cost

The exact price you pay for lessons will depend on your instructor and how many lessons you need, but these average costs should give you an idea:

• the average AA lesson price is £24
• an average learner will need 47* lessons to pass their test
• a theory test is currently £31
• the cost of your practical test depends on the time and day. A weekday test is £62; tests held in the evening, weekend or bank holiday will set you back £75
• in Northern Ireland a theory test is £30, a weekday test is £45.50 and the evening and weekend price is £62.50

How to save

Be sure you get the best tuition available with a fully qualified instructor. You could learn more quickly, which will help to bring the cost down.

By booking lessons in advance you can take advantage of some great discounts, and best of all you'll get a full refund if you don't need to use them all. Book your AA lessons in advance and you can save £2 an hour.

Two-hour lessons could help you learn more quickly, as you'll have more time in each lesson to get to grips with new topics and go over recent manoeuvres.

* Driving Standards Agency figures, 2012

Learn in a new Ford car

All of our instructors teach in either a fantastic Ford Focus or Ford Fiesta. Either car will help you to feel confident, cool and comfortable while you learn to drive.

All our cars have:

• 1.6-litre engine (Ford Focus) or 1.4-litre engine (Ford Fiesta)
• five doors
• power steering
• dual controls
• driver's airbag
• heated front and back windscreens
• electric wing mirror adjuster
• fog lamps
• seat height adjuster
• pollen filters
• electric windows

Both models are fully air conditioned with plenty of leg and head room, and the Focus comes with a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

About the theory test

Before you can apply for your practical test you need to pass the theory test, which is made up of two parts: multiple-choice questions and a hazard perception section.

Test costs

The theory test currently costs £31 - this covers both parts of the test.

Booking your test

You need a valid provisional driving licence to take your theory test. Once you've got that, you can book your theory and hazard perception tests online, or by phone on 0870 0101 372.

The theory test

The first part of your theory test is a multiple-choice section designed to test your understanding of the rules of the road, including signs, road markings and appropriate reactions to situations. You'll have 57 minutes to answer 50 questions, and need to correctly answer 43 or more to pass.

Questions are chosen at random from a bank of over 1,000 possibilities, and you will be given some questions in the form of a case study. During the test you’ll have the option to skip questions and return to them later.

The hazard perception test

For this you'll watch a series of 14 one-minute video clips, each showing potential hazards involving road conditions, pedestrians or road users. You respond to each hazard by clicking the mouse button. There are 15 hazards to identify and you can score up to 5 points on each one, depending on how quickly you identify them. You need to score 44 out of 75 to pass.

Be prepared

For both sections of the test you'll need to study The Highway Code. Or you can order our learn to drive books and CDs, or practise on our iPhone apps.

Prepare for your practical test

In your practical test you'll have about 40 minutes to demonstrate everything you've learned in your driving lessons. Before you start the practical test the examiner will ask you to read the number plate of a parked vehicle to check your eyesight, so remember to wear glasses or contact lenses if you need them.

You'll then be asked two vehicle safety check questions known as the 'show me, tell me' section. You'll get one fault if you give the wrong answer to one or both questions.

During your test

The practical driving test is designed to show that you can drive competently and safely in a variety of situations. You'll be asked to do two of the three reversing manoeuvres you've practised with your instructor, and possibly make an emergency stop.

In a 10 minute independent driving section you'll be expected to show that you can make safe decisions without prompting. Don't worry if you get lost, it's not a test of your navigation skills!

You can find out more about the practical test here.

To pass your practical test you need to complete the test with no serious or dangerous faults and with 15 or fewer minor errors.

Test costs

A weekday practical test costs £62. Evening, weekend and bank holiday tests cost £75.

Don't forget to budget for a final lesson if you want one, and the cost of booking the instructor and car for the duration of the test.

Once you've passed

After you've passed your test you're ready to drive alone, but as a new driver you'll benefit from more experience. The Pass Plus scheme will give you more confidence in areas that may not have been covered during lessons. It consists of six modules, including motorway driving, driving in town and at night. And remember that completing the Pass Plus course successfully means you'll be able to claim a discount on your car insurance.

Update your skills in two hours

This in-car course will help you brush up your knowledge so you can coach your learner more effectively.

The course offers:

• a two-hour, in-car session with an approved AA driving instructor
• bespoke workbook to cover the course syllabus, including 'practice sessions' and 'how to coach the learner'
• guidance in how to complement the learner's formal lessons
• increased confidence that you're making efficient use of the driving practice time

Driving Standards Agency (DSA) recommendations

The DSA recommends that you undergo driving skills training before you accompany a learner, so our course is an ideal way to refresh your skills and ensure that you and your learner get the best out of your practice sessions.

More information 

Talk to one of our advisers to find out more about this course – call 0800 316 2724.