Should I do an Intensive driving course?

I am a fully qualified driving instructor in Edinburgh with over 15 years experience. I often have drivers come to me for lessons after doing Intensive courses with other driving schools. So here are a few things to consider before deciding if an Intensive driving course is the best way for you to learn.

After a failed attempt at an Intensive course some learners still require a number of lessons to be ready for test. I also have customers that require lessons after passing because they don't feel confident to drive on their own.

Intensive driving courses or crash courses are not easy and are certainly not for everyone. They require a lot of hard work, concentration and can be very demanding both mentally and physically.

You are potentially doing 6 to 12 months of driving lessons in a couple of weeks with a driving test at the end. If you allow the pressure to build it could have an adverse affect on your progress. So make sure you get a good sleep the night before each lesson, have a relaxed approach and just take each day as it comes.

Before booking be fair in your assessment of your driving abilities and capacity to learn and be honest in your description of them to your instructor. Bare in mind an intensive driving course is a big commitment for them as well. The conditions attached to the course will most certainly restrict its cancellation, with a refund only given at the discretion of the instructor or driving school. Don’t forget to ask about the terms and conditions.

When doing a condensed course it is often geared more towards passing the test and may not take on as wide a variety of road types.

Learn quick, forget quick! If you don't intend on driving straight after you have passed and consolidate what you have learnt, you are more likely to forget what you have learnt.

There may be conditions attached to the course that mean your instructor won't have to let you use their car for the test if they don't think you are ready, even if you have paid for the test as part of the course.

Having said all that, if you don't have access to a car to practice while taking lessons or have a timeline for work etc, an intensive course can be a great way off learning. It's just worth being aware of some of the pitfalls, because once you start, it is unlikely you will be able to cancel without loosing your money.

Good luck whatever you decide!