If you want to train to become a driving instructor, you need to be 21 or over and have held a full driving licence for at least three and a half years. If you have more than five points on your licence, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) may reject your application, so this is something to consider at the very start.

As the AA driving school is the only national driving school to use only fully qualified instructors, you'll also need to complete your full Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) training before starting your AA franchise.

Get your qualifications

The ADI qualification exam has three parts: a computer-based theory test, a practical driving ability test, and a practical instruction ability test.

You must pass all three parts, in order, within a period of two years. If you don't complete them all within that time, you'll need to start again from scratch. You can take the theory test as many times as you need to, but you'll only have three attempts at each of the practical tests within those two years.

Make sure you've got what it takes

It's not just about formal qualifications. To be a great driving instructor, you need to know how to motivate your pupils to do their best. You'll have excellent communication skills and be able to keep a cool head under pressure – even when someone is driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic!

Our instructor training questionnaire will help you decide if you've got what it takes.

Get in touch

Our instructor advisers will take you through all the details of the AA training courses and help you complete your application. Give them a call on 0800 316 0331.