[RJ555]

Learning has been a HUGE expense so far for me. I'd estimate by the time I get my licence I'd have spent £800-1200 (too scared to do the math), admittedly £120 was for not canceling tests quick enough. It is a scary amount though, and not looking forward to booking my next test (£60+ examiner fees for two-hours so £100+).

It certainly adds to the pressure of passing, and If i do fail the next test I'd be in a bit of a dilemma, spend a mound more and hope for the best or give up for a few years till I have more money.

Please, please, please tell me I'm not the only one.

[Runninground]

Why did you cancel the test? IDK how much the test costs, but you wasted £120. You could have done the test to get a feel for it. Then you're likely to be less worried next time

Also, I wouldn't wait a few more years cause you will have to redo your theory, take some lessons to make sure you can remember what you learnt and possibly learn some more, then do the test again.

[RJ555]

(Original post by Runninground)
Why did you cancel the test? IDK how much the test costs, but you wasted £120. You could have done the test to get a feel for it. Then you're likely to be less worried next time

Also, I wouldn't wait a few more years cause you will have to redo your theory, take some lessons to make sure you can remember what you learnt and possibly learn some more, then do the test again.

Driving instructor couldn't make it, stupidly left it beyond the 3 day cancellation (was late by an hour both times), so that is solely my fault. I was trying for cancellations to get the retest quicker but yeh, it backfired badly.

I've had one test last year (one major, four minors) then circumstances outside my control (long appeal on health grounds) prevented me from driving up until a month ago, so its essentially like starting all over again.

[Behindtheleakycaul]

I don't even want to think about how much money I've spent, I've been driving for two years at £22 per week and I've had my first test yesterday...I dread to do the maths but I can guess it's a lot haha

[Svenjamin]

~£1,000 sounds about right. Including provisional, driving lessons (£18 an hour), theory and practical I'm looking at £873, but that's if I pass first time.

I've just been adding up costs out of curiosity though. Best not to think about how much you're spending, it'll only make you more nervous on the test.

[affinity89]

I agree - worrying about the amount you've spent will put extra pressure on you when test day arrives and thus make you more nervous.

I spent:
£360 on 20 lessons.
Around £100 for the theory and practical test.

Can't remember how much the provisional was as I bought that over 5 years ago [for the first 4.5 years, it was used purely as ID for clubs lol].

[Hevinha]

Nope, I must have spent close to £2000 when all said and done,had a bad instructor the 1st time and stayed with him far too long..

[Koji88]

I think mine has come to around £1,500.00 in total. Not counted in the Starbucks tea in the morning before every lesson, lol.

Fee for the provisional driving license
Theory test learning material
Theory test
2x practical test
45 to 50 lessons with an instructor - I don't have anyone to drive privately with, so I had to rely on the lessons with him!
Since I was not picked up at home, I had some travel costs to get to the instructor too.

Still cheaper than in my home country, though. (The average costs there are around £2,100.00.)

[Lamps08]

Try get your own car to practice in. There's only so much you learn in your driving lessons. I would say 20 lessons is enough to learn everything, and maybe another 20 for added confidence. After 40 lessons it's a waste of money.

I failed 3 times, had around 50-60 lessons before getting my own car for a month and passing on the 4th test. The main reason I felt I passed was because I found the clutch alot easier to use on my own car, so my attention wasn't always on finding the biting point and I didn't have any nerves with the car which allowed me to be more comfortable with my surroundings.

[Koji88]

(Original post by Lamps08)
Try get your own car to practice in. There's only so much you learn in your driving lessons. I would say 20 lessons is enough to learn everything, and maybe another 20 for added confidence. After 40 lessons it's a waste of money.

I failed 3 times, had around 50-60 lessons before getting my own car for a month and passing on the 4th test. The main reason I felt I passed was because I found the clutch alot easier to use on my own car, so my attention wasn't always on finding the biting point and I didn't have any nerves with the car which allowed me to be more comfortable with my surroundings.

You basically say different things in both paragraphs.

You obviously needed those 50+ lessons AND had practice privately - so it wasn't a waste of money. Additionally, you could only get it done with your own car and while I accept that it's normal to get accustomed to how different cars work, it shouldn't massively affect your driving, as you might need to drive other cars at some point.

It wasn't enough for me, not only because I had not chance to practice privately, but between the first test and the second test, with only around 10+ additional lessons, I gained the necessary confidence and self-consciousness to drive without thinking about the MSPSL routine or changing gears, as it all went naturally. Due to that, I could focus more as to what was going on around me, use the mirrors without being distracted and having a better level of awareness and anticipation.

Basically, when you take the test, you should be at a level that you can drive around yourself safely and whether it takes you 20 hours or 70 hours with an instructor doesn't matter - it's not about just getting the process done asap and with as little money as possible, every driver has also a responsibility to its environment.

[Lamps08]

(Original post by Koji88)
You basically say different things in both paragraphs.

You obviously needed those 50+ lessons AND had practice privately - so it wasn't a waste of money. Additionally, you could only get it done with your own car and while I accept that it's normal to get accustomed to how different cars work, it shouldn't massively affect your driving, as you might need to drive other cars at some point.

It wasn't enough for me, not only because I had not chance to practice privately, but between the first test and the second test, with only around 10+ additional lessons, I gained the necessary confidence and self-consciousness to drive without thinking about the MSPSL routine or changing gears, as it all went naturally. Due to that, I could focus more as to what was going on around me, use the mirrors without being distracted and having a better level of awareness and anticipation.

Basically, when you take the test, you should be at a level that you can drive around yourself safely and whether it takes you 20 hours or 70 hours with an instructor doesn't matter - it's not about just getting the process done asap and with as little money as possible, every driver has also a responsibility to its environment.

1) Please enlighten me, (you're wrong btw) If you are referring to how many lessons I recommend compared to the amount I actually had, then you still don't have a point. How the hell do you know whether or not I needed those lessons? I know very well all those extra lessons did very little to help me pass MY test. Also it had nothing to do with getting accustomed to my car, another very bad assumption you make, fool. I simply found my car easier to drive due to the clutch which was an instantaneous process. The simple point I made was that imo it only takes 20 lessons to learn the technicalities of driving and 20 more to be confident. The reason I took so many lessons was because I didn't feel confident with the clutch in my instructors car. I learnt nothing more about how to drive from around my 20th lesson. You understand now??

2) Your final paragraph has absolutely no relevance to OP's thread. It is definately about getting the process done as efficiently as possible when as stated in the OP, money is a large concern, and I quote ''adds further pressure on passing''. Now please, get back in the kitchen and make me that dessert

[Koji88]

(Original post by Lamps08)
1) Please enlighten me [Some lame excuses and bla bla...]

It's not possible to discuss with people like you, so I leave it.

However, money pressure doesn't change that when you're a driver, you're responsible to be as safe, legal and convenient as possible - having a fluke at a driving test doesn't provide that.
The driving process in the UK is too easy anyway and it's cheap, as can be seen by your excuses and questions by drivers who are just about to take their test - or have already passed it.

Of course you want to be efficient, but there's no point in rushing - if you're not ready, you're not, period.

And if you try to distract from your pretty low reply, then at least do it right - "Make me a sandwich, woman."

And save answer on that one, I'm going to ignore it anyway.

[humming]

Don't really want to do the maths but passing makes it all worthwhile

P.S. Hey Lamps08, if you can't argue your cause properly then pipe down with gender remarks - makes it obvious that your a douche.

[Lamps08]

(Original post by Koji88)
It's not possible to discuss with people like you, so I leave it.

However, money pressure doesn't change that when you're a driver, you're responsible to be as safe, legal and convenient as possible - having a fluke at a driving test doesn't provide that.
The driving process in the UK is too easy anyway and it's cheap, as can be seen by your excuses and questions by drivers who are just about to take their test - or have already passed it.

Of course you want to be efficient, but there's no point in rushing - if you're not ready, you're not, period.

And if you try to distract from your pretty low reply, then at least do it right - "Make me a sandwich, woman."

And save answer on that one, I'm going to ignore it anyway.

Where did I say the opposite, lol? Just said that if the OP is feeling pressure by the expense, than surely reducing that will help. Logic, that's all that is.

I don't care about your country and how expensive it's driving tests are, and i doubt the OP does either. Plz don't increase your post count any further, Ta.

[M4LLY]

I spent £500ish quid

[Lamps08]

(Original post by humming)
Don't really want to do the maths but passing makes it all worthwhile

P.S. Hey Lamps08, if you can't argue your cause properly then pipe down with gender remarks - makes it obvious that your a douche.

Again plz enlighten me...

[hellohihey]

Lessons- £21 x 35= £735
Insurance as a learner= £300 (approx)
Theory test £33 x 2= £66
Driving test £75 x5= £375
Car for tests £40 x2= £80

Hope that makes you feel better


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[Red Lightning]

[Kim-x]

I'd guess I spent close to £3,500. 1 theory test and 2 practical tests so hardly any of it went on test fees.

[Donette93]

my provisional was 50 pounds
my theory was 31 pounds, i passed first time
It has taken me nearly two years since doing my theory to pass ...so the lessons (with various companies the AA,Red and another unknown company) = at least 2000 pounds
ive taken 6 practical tests ... practical tests cost 62 pounds each = 372
hiring the car for the practical tests cost me 80 pounds one time,60 pounds another time, 50 the third time and 46 the last three times = 236

Im too annoyed at myself to actually add up the figures but yeah thats a hell of a lot of money