Not sure how many hours you need for an intensive driving course? Start with an assessment lesson. Your instructor will see where your driving is now, what you already do well and what still needs some work. From there, we can recommend a course that suits your current ability, so you are not booking more or fewer hours than you actually need.
Not sure whether an instructor is right for you? Start with our £29 Tester Lesson. You’ll get a full one-hour private lesson to meet your instructor, experience their teaching style and decide whether you would feel comfortable continuing with them.
Or call us: 07529 208063
The assessment gives us a clear picture of your current driving before we recommend an intensive course. We look at where you are now, what still needs work and which course is likely to suit you best.
Find the right intensive course
We assess your current level before recommending the number of hours.
Learners with driving experience
Particularly useful if you have already taken lessons and want to progress faster.
Manual or automatic
Your assessment can be arranged in the type of car you plan to learn in.
One to one assessment
Your instructor focuses on your driving and the areas that matter most.
South London
Available across our local teaching areas, subject to instructor availability.
Get an honest course recommendation
We recommend what we believe you need rather than automatically suggesting the biggest package.
Start with the option that suits where you are now. If you are unsure how many intensive driving hours you need, the assessment is the best place to begin.
£80 for 2 hours
A two-hour assessment of your current driving followed by clear feedback and a recommendation for the course or lesson plan that suits your level.
£29 for 1 hour
Meet your instructor, experience their teaching style and see whether you feel comfortable continuing before booking more lessons.
£380 for 10 hours
Designed for learners with previous driving experience who want focused lessons and faster progress over a shorter period.
An intensive driving course assessment is a lesson that helps us understand your current driving before we recommend a course. You will drive with an instructor in normal road conditions, so they can see what you are already comfortable with and what still needs some work.
We look at more than how many lessons you have taken before. Your instructor will pay attention to things such as your car control, observations, planning, confidence and how you deal with everyday situations like junctions and roundabouts.
Once we understand your current level, we can give you a much more realistic idea of the course that may suit you. This can be especially useful if you have already had lessons, changed instructors, taken a break from driving or previously failed a practical test.
Two learners can have the same number of previous lessons and still be at very different stages. One person may be comfortable with most everyday driving, while another may still need more practice with observations, junctions, roundabouts or independent driving.
This is why we do not like to recommend an intensive course based only on how many hours you have already completed. We would rather see how you drive now and then give you advice based on your current ability.
In our experience, this gives learners a much clearer idea of what they actually need. It can also help you avoid booking a course that is too short, or paying for more hours than are really necessary.
Our aim is to recommend the course that makes sense for you, not simply the biggest package available.
We are not looking for a perfect drive. We want to understand how you manage the situations you are likely to face during normal lessons and where you may need more practice. Your instructor will look at the whole drive rather than judging you on one small mistake.
How comfortably you control the car, including steering, moving off, stopping and using the controls.
How you use your mirrors, check your surroundings and respond to what is happening around you.
How you approach, position the car, make decisions and deal with different traffic situations.
Whether you are looking ahead, spotting possible problems and giving yourself enough time to react.
How you choose a suitable speed and position the car safely for the road and traffic conditions.
How independently you make decisions and which situations still make you hesitate or feel unsure.
You do not need to be good at everything on this list. Finding the areas you struggle with is part of the reason for having the assessment. Once we know where you are now, we can plan your intensive driving lessons around what you actually need to improve.
The assessment is simple. We first learn a little about your previous driving experience, then your instructor watches how you manage normal road situations. By the end of the lesson, we should have a much clearer picture of the areas you already handle well and what still needs practice.
The answer depends on what we see during your drive. Some learners are already close to test standard and mainly need focused practice, while others need more time to build consistency. Your instructor will explain where you are now and what they believe is the most sensible next step.
| Your Current Situation | What We May Recommend |
|---|---|
| You already drive independently and only have a few areas left to improve | Our 10-hour Fast Track Course may be suitable |
| You have previous experience but still need regular help with several driving skills | More lesson time may give you a better chance to improve without rushing |
| You have had a long break and are unsure of your current standard | We can focus first on rebuilding consistency and confidence |
| You have failed a practical test and need help with specific problem areas | Focused lessons can be planned around the faults and situations that need attention |
| You are not yet ready for intensive training | We may recommend building your basic skills first before moving into a faster course |
These are examples, not fixed rules. We would rather recommend the amount of training that suits your current driving than put every learner into the same package. You can also view our 10-hour Fast Track Driving Course to see how that option works.
There is no set number that works for every learner. The right amount of training depends on where your driving is now and how much work is still needed before you are ready for your practical test.
This is exactly why we use the assessment. Instead of choosing a course from the number of hours alone, we can see your driving first and recommend a more realistic option.
Intensive lessons can help you make progress in a shorter period, but they are not automatically the best choice for every learner. Your experience, confidence and availability all matter.
If we do not think an intensive course is the right option for you yet, we will tell you. The assessment is there to help us recommend what makes sense for your driving, rather than forcing you into a course.
That is completely fine. You do not need to start again just because you are changing instructor or driving school.
During the assessment, we look at the level you are at now. It does not matter whether you learned with another instructor, took a long break or have already attempted your practical test.
We simply work out what you are already comfortable with and where you still need support then recommend the next step from there.
We believe the right intensive course starts with understanding the learner first. That is why we assess your current driving before telling you how many hours to book.
We see how you drive now before suggesting a course.
We will not automatically recommend the biggest package.
Your training focuses on the areas that actually need improvement.
Assessment and intensive training are available in both options.
If we believe you need fewer hours, we will tell you. If you need more time, we will explain why. Our recommendation should make sense for your driving, not just for the package we want to sell.
We cover a wide range of areas to make learning to drive convenient and stress-free. Find a location near you and get started today.
Start with an intensive driving assessment. We will look at your current driving, explain what needs more work and recommend the course that suits your level. We will always give you honest advice about the hours we think you actually need.
An intensive driving course assessment is a lesson used to understand your current driving level before we recommend a course. Your instructor will see what you already do well, where you need more practice and how much support you currently need.
Previous lesson hours do not always tell us your current driving level. An assessment lets us see your driving first, so we can recommend a course based on your ability rather than guessing how many hours you need.
No. There is no pass or fail. You should drive as you normally would so your instructor can get a realistic picture of your current ability.
Your instructor may look at car control, observations, junctions, roundabouts, positioning, speed, planning, awareness and decision making. What you cover will depend on your current experience.
You do not need to prepare as if you were taking a driving test. However, it can help to think about any areas you find difficult and tell your instructor about your previous driving experience at the start.
There is no set number for every learner. It depends on your current driving standard, previous experience, confidence, consistency and the areas you still need to improve. This is one of the main reasons we recommend an assessment first.
Yes. It does not matter where you had your previous lessons. We assess the level you are at now and recommend the next step from there.
Yes. An assessment can be particularly useful after an unsuccessful practical test. Your instructor can look at your current driving and identify the areas that may need more focused practice before you try again.
Yes. If you have not driven for some time, the assessment can help establish how much you remember and which skills need refreshing before you begin intensive training.
Intensive learning is not always the best starting point for a complete beginner. Some learners benefit from building the basic skills first. We would rather recommend the learning approach that suits you than put you into an intensive course simply because you asked for one.
We will tell you. The purpose of the assessment is to recommend what we genuinely think you need, not to automatically put you into the biggest course available.
Your instructor will explain why and suggest a more suitable way forward. You may benefit from more regular driving lessons first and move to intensive training once your driving is more consistent.
Yes. Smart Driving School offers both manual and automatic options, subject to instructor availability in your area.
We cover areas across South and South West London, including Morden, Wimbledon, Sutton, Mitcham, Cheam and Worcester Park. Availability depends on the instructor and your location.
Your instructor will explain what they noticed during your drive and which areas still need work. We can then recommend a suitable next step, which may include an intensive course, focused preparation or further lessons before moving into intensive training.
Smart Driving School helps South London learners find their perfect instructor. Our £10 tester lesson gives you a full hour to try our DVSA-approved instructors – if it's not the right fit, we refund your money, no questions asked. Serving 28+ areas across South London including Wimbledon, Sutton, Morden and Mitcham with flexible times and home pickup. Find your perfect instructor risk-free.
