How quickly can I get my license?

IceBus

IceBus

IceBus

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Slightly out of the ordinary question here, but I'm hoping you guys can offer some advice.

I've just moved back home from the USA, and will be here for a couple of months (basically until I start my next job). Due to financial constraints (and the crazy car insurance prices in Northern Ireland) I never learned to drive when I was 17.

Obviously now I've got a bit of disposable cash and a bit of time on my hands I want to go for it and learn ASAP.

How long would it take me to get up to a safe standard to be able to take and pass my test?

I can drive in the evenings as much as possible with somebody else with a license in the car, and I should be able to afford a good amount of lessons and in fact wouldn't be averse to doing an hour of lessons a day and more on weekends. I've driven a bit before, just in a car park learning to change gears etc., so I'm not starting from absolute zero and I've already got my provisional good to go.

What do you guys think? How long would it take? I might only have a month or so before heading off, but it could also be 2-3 months.

Any advice is much appreciated!
 
Two of my colleagues (brothers) passed in a fortnight (IIRC) using a crash course in Blackpool.

I don't entirely agree that its the best way, but probably better than just walking into the test centre and taking it with no training at all.
 
As long as you get your theory test out of the way you can just do an intensive course and sit the test whenever you're ready. Test bookings can take ages also.
 
Not really doable in a month, you'll be looking at a couple of weeks to do theory test, then a fair few weeks wait to do practical.
With a decent instructor you're looking at 10-15 hours, probably less, considering you're experienced already but learning in a short period of time.

I'd say 2 months is doable depending on waiting lists for tests.

Wouldn't recommend the intensive courses, I know a few people who did them and they're god awful drivers. If they're not bricking it at doing the speed limit, they're not paying enough attention to whats going on. They're scared of dual carriageways and motorways, terrible.
 
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What's wrong with the crash courses? At the end of the day you'll be doing the same amount of hours driving as you would in two weeks instead of 1 a week for X amount of weeks.
 
My mate did the exact same as you, he took the theory, then a 2 day intensive with the test on the second days afternoon, passed with flying colours :)

ags
 
I think it's interesting that you can do all of this in 2 days.
I presume you get a full licence if you pass with no restrictions?
 
The theory test is easy and you should be able to take it within a week.

However, the practical test can take a lot longer. I know someone who has just booked their practical and they've got to wait over 6 weeks!
 
Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate the advice. I'm going to go ahead and start learning, and get cracking on the theory part of things, as well as some easy car park maneuver stuff.

Any general tips for learning, or things you wish people had told you? (other than don't crash obviously lol).
 
IceBus said:
Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate the advice. I'm going to go ahead and start learning, and get cracking on the theory part of things, as well as some easy car park maneuver stuff.

Any general tips for learning, or things you wish people had told you? (other than don't crash obviously lol).
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Just get as much practice as possible out on the roads, you'll learn very quickly.
Stick to the speed limits, keep checking your mirrors and be aware of your surroundings, learn what all the traffic signs mean and take notice of them - they're pretty self explanatory anyway.
Don't get frustrated if you do something wrong, learn from it.

Get the "Driving Test Success ALL Tests 2009/2010 Edition (PC)" CD-ROM, it's probably the best one out there and the layout and questions are very similar/identical to the theory test.
It also has some useful videos about the practical test and it's only £4.99. If you practice on that CD for an hour or two everyday you'll have no problems passing your theory.
I suggest you start practising now and think about booking your theory soon, it feels good to get it out of the way and it'll also help you with the practical side of driving too.

The CD-ROM also has some hazard perception clips to practice with; don't forget that you can click multiple times when you see a hazard, a lot of people don't realise that and they end up missing the hazard altogether.
If you click excessively then it might think that you're cheating, but it's perfectly OK to click 6 or 7 times throughout a clip as long as it's not in very quick succession. When I did the hazard perception I clicked about 3 times per hazard. I'd click when I saw a hazard, then when I saw it developing. For example, one of the clips shown in the test was a car reversing out of a driveway, across the pavement and partly into the road. I clicked as soon as I saw the car with it's reverse lights on, then I clicked again when it started moving backwards over the pavement, then again when it reversed into the road. That way you'll be sure that you will get some points, even if it's not the maximum.

Good luck
 
I thought I'd bump this with a bit of an update.

Well, I'm just back from sitting my theory test. I was planning to take it this Friday, but spots were all booked up until April 14th. I checked the 'change my booking' yesterday afternoon, in the hopes of a cancellation for some time next week - and got a cancellation for this morning!

So with around 3 days of learning under my belt, and judicious use of online Hazard perception mocks and the brilliant iPhone app "UK Car Driving Theory Test" (only costs £1.79!) I passed with flying colours.

I got 49/50 in the theory (damn you question about documents needed tax disc renewal) and 61/75 in hazard perception. I was a bit disappointed in the hazard perception score, as I thought I identified everything in good time (and I really don't believe I only scored 2/5 on two of the tests) but I guess I was maybe clicking too early when the hazards were 'developing'.

Anyway, that hurdle is over - now time to book my practical (apparently it can be 4-6 weeks wait) and get some lessons on the go. I've been driving around 1-1.5hrs every night for the last week, and I'm going to venture out onto the roads soon. I've mainly be practicing on the grounds of a big local hospital in the early evening, with loads of mini-roundabouts, hills and parking spots.

I've got my gear changes down, 3 point turn in a very narrow road (just about room for two cars to squeeze through), reversing around a corner and I'm working on parallel parking (into a space, without other cars at the minute!).

I'm pretty optimistic I can get this done within a month and a half if I continue at this pace and feel like I'm safe. Thanks for all the advice and encouragement so far!
 
One think i'll say to you, don't panic, make a decision, stick with it.

The most useful advice anyones ever given me, no mind going "Should I brake or should I boot it" kept me out of a lot of accidents.
 
Crash course is the way forward here, it's like playing a computer game, if you play 1 hour a week, you'll improve slowly, if you play for 6 or 7 hours a day, you'll be awesome :D

No respawns though
 
I get around said:
One think i'll say to you, don't panic, make a decision, stick with it.

The most useful advice anyones ever given me, no mind going "Should I brake or should I boot it" kept me out of a lot of accidents.
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Seem to recall reading somewhere that this sort of thing is a major cause of accidents, as you say, make a decision and stick with it, even if it means you have to turn around later and backtrack.
 
Thanks guys. Annoyingly it won't let me book my practical as it still says I haven't passed my theory (grrr). I'm guessing it might take a day for their system to catch up.

I'll keep you update you on my journey into motoring :)
 
IceBus said:
Thanks guys. Annoyingly it won't let me book my practical as it still says I haven't passed my theory (grrr). I'm guessing it might take a day for their system to catch up.
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It does say that on your Theory certificate :p takes a working day to update.

I passed my test on the 23rd of March and the earliest I could book was May 6th :(
 
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It does say that on your Theory certificate :p takes a working day to update.

I passed my test on the 23rd of March and the earliest I could book was May 6th :(
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The trick is to CONSTANTLY check the website for new dates if you are in a rash. I was scheduled to take my test in June when I had to reschedule it as it was the closest date at that time. Anyway, one night in April I happened to check the website and saw that there was LOADS of available dates at the same test centre as little as 4 days away :eek:.

I have a feeling that they may hold dates back?
 
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