“What should I know when choosing a driving school?”
“In the end, what kind of driving school is better?”
I think there are many people who have decided to apply to a driving school, but there are so many that they don't know how to choose.
It's only natural to be cautious since you're paying a hefty price for the training, and you don't want to regret it since it's a once-in-a-lifetime driving school experience.

So, what should you focus on when deciding which driving school is right for you?
We will explain in an easy-to-understand manner the points to consider when choosing the driving school that suits you from among the many driving schools available.
Please choose a driving school with no regrets and enjoy your driving school life to the fullest.

Two types of driving schools that you should know before choosing a driving school

Did you know that there are actually two types of driving schools in Japan?
Generally speaking, when it comes to driving schools,
This refers to designated driving schools (commonly known as accredited schools), but apart from that, there are also designated driving schools (commonly referred to as non-accredited schools).

Official school

The big difference is that at an accredited school, you can obtain a provisional license within the driving school, and if you complete the training after obtaining a provisional license and graduate, you will be issued a document called a ``certificate of graduation.''
If you have this, you will be exempted from the skill test (test for driving a car) at the driver's license exam center, and you will be able to obtain a license as long as you pass the written test.

Unofficial school

On the other hand, at non-accredited schools, you only have to practice. There are no exemptions from the test, and you must take the test at a driver's license examination center both when obtaining a provisional license and when obtaining a subsequent license.
Of course, if you just look at the price, non-accredited schools are overwhelmingly cheaper, but that only shows the amount if everything goes smoothly. In fact, I often hear stories of people not being able to pass the exam and the cost of the training increasing every time they take additional training.

The exam at the exam center is very difficult.

It's the same exam, so it's the same, right? You may think so, but it's very different.

It is generally said that exams at exam centers are much more difficult than exams at driving schools.
If it is a designated driving school, the skill test will be held within the driving school, so even if you fail, they will give you various advice on what went wrong and what you should have done to help you pass.

On the other hand, it is the Public Safety Commission that conducts the tests at the test center, or simply the police.
If you fail, the test will be canceled at that point even if you haven't run all the way to the end, and it is rare that you will receive specific instructions or advice like you would at a driving school.

2.1％

Do you know what number this is?
This is the percentage of people who obtained a regular driver's license in 2016 who did not graduate from a designated driving school, according to statistical data released by the police.
*Quoted from the 2017 Police White Paper statistical data (https://www.npa.go.jp/hakusyo/h29/data.html)

Conversely, 97.9% of those who obtained a regular car license graduated from a designated driving school.
Furthermore, this mere 2.1% naturally includes people who already know how to drive, but lost their license due to forgetting to renew it or having it revoked, so they re-acquired it. I think it's easy to understand how low the test passing rate at the test center is.

Therefore, we strongly recommend that those who are obtaining their license for the first time attend a designated driving school.

Clarify your ideal form of teaching

About the shortest number of days

If you have decided to attend a designated driving school, the main thing you should know is that the number of hours of training that you must take in order to obtain a license and the number of hours Driving Lessons that you can do per day are stipulated by law.
about it. Therefore, if you go to a designated driving school, the amount of training you have to take is actually the same for all driving schools nationwide.

You often see advertisements on trains with claims like ``Get your driver's license in just 16 days!'', but that's not the case.
"He has superlative techniques for teaching lessons, so you can study extremely efficiently and get your license in a short amount of time!"
Not that, but simply
“From the start of your training to your graduation, we have a plan that will fill your daily training to the maximum legal limit, so you can get your license quickly!”
It's just that.

Strictly speaking, the minimum number of days when packed to the maximum legal limit may vary by up to 3 days depending on the interpretation of the law in each prefecture and the closing days of driving schools, but the difference is not that big. there is no. If you have a regular driver's license, it will take 15 to 18 days.
*By the way, even if it is 18 days, there will be two school holidays in between, so the actual number of days you will receive training will be 16 days.

In addition, the training items and time required to complete the course are exactly the same for both the commuting style, where students attend the school, and the training camp style, where they study every day while staying overnight.
Generally, when cramming into a short period of time, options such as "priority reservation" or "speed plan" are added, so the training fee will be higher than if you take your time and acquire it slowly. (Exceptionally, off-season Driving Camp are often cheaper than obtaining them slowly by commuting to school.)

If you can take two weeks off during periods other than major holidays such as spring break and summer vacation, you can do it quickly and cheaply by going to an off-season training camp, but I don't think there are many people like that.

Organizing your teaching style

So, first of all, there are two main parts.

• Even if the training fee is high, should you pack it in a short period of time and take it quickly?
• Keep tuition fees low and take your time even if it takes time.

Let's decide which one.

Advantages and disadvantages of each teaching style

Here's a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each:

I think there are many driving schools that offer short-term plans such as training camps or commuting if you want to take the course quickly, or regular plans for commuting if you want to take the course more slowly. Of course, we offer not only extreme plans, but also various plans depending on the driving school.

Choose your lesson plan!

Plan names vary depending on the driving school, but I think the following four plans are the main plans.

If you want to acquire at your own pace, choose the regular plan.

In the past, college students are busier than working adults, and their days are full of hard work such as classes, studying, part-time jobs, club activities, seminars, research labs, internships, and job hunting.
However, if you find it more convenient to adjust your academic schedule and personal life, we recommend commuting. Especially if you have a route from your home to the university, or if your home, part-time job, or university is nearby, commuting to and from the driving school may be less of a burden.

An important point to keep in mind when choosing a driving school is how far in advance you can book lessons. It depends on the time of year, but if reservations are only open up to two weeks or one month in advance, there will inevitably be a concentration of reservations from current students during that time, so it may be difficult to make reservations that suit your convenience. there is.
Priorities vary from person to person, but if you have to prioritize your academic schedule and part-time job, you may have a hard time reserving lessons if they come second or third.

Also, as mentioned above, it is easy to forget the intervals between driving sessions, so you tend to fail the skill training course. If there is something like a peace of mind pack that doesn't incur additional charges no matter how many times you try again, it would be a good idea to subscribe.

If you can spend 2 weeks just to get your driver's license, try Driving Camp

On the other hand, if you can use your summer or spring vacation to dedicate two weeks to obtaining your driver's license, we definitely recommend Driving Camp. It is said that about 20% of university students obtain Driving Camp, and going to a local area with your friends to get your driver's license will be a memory that will last a lifetime.

I can't schedule an appointment for two whole weeks, but I want to schedule it soon! If you are interested, here is a short-term plan for commuting to school.

Although it is not as long as a training camp, many driving schools have short-term plans that can be completed in about a month. Since you will be commuting from home instead of staying overnight, you will be able to lead a normal daily life that does not change except for the driving school hours.
However, in the case of short-term plans, there are many cases in which lessons are booked all at once until graduation, so if things suddenly become inconvenient, you may be charged a cancellation fee if you cancel lessons.
The amount can be ridiculous if you make a lot of reservations, so please be sure to understand the cancellation policy.

Even short-term plans for commuting require too much time! However, the regular plan is way too slow! Priority reservation plan for those who

The Priority Reservation Plan is not as packed as a short-term plan, but it is easier to make reservations than the regular plan.
For example, at a driving school where the regular plan allows you to reserve only 2 hours at a time, when you take the 2-hour lesson and try to make the next reservation, you will be told that the next available reservation is 3 weeks away. This often happens.
If this is the case, it will take a considerable amount of time to complete all the classes, right?

The form changes depending on the driving school, but ``In the normal plan, you can only make reservations for 2 hours, but you will be able to make reservations for 10 hours'' or ``You will be able to make reservations for the period up to obtaining your provisional license at once, not until graduation like a short-term plan.'' Although the plan is not as time-restrictive as the short-term plan, it is designed so that you can make reservations sooner than the regular plan.

The most important thing when choosing a plan! Number of classes taken at the driving school and schedule for obtaining license

Now, we will explain the number of classes to take at a driving school and the shortest and longest schedule for obtaining a license, which are most important when choosing a plan.

Schedule from entering driving school to obtaining license

The above steps from STEP 1 to STEP 15 are the process to obtain a driver's license.

Maximum number of lessons per day and shortest graduation schedule

The first stage of in-house training is limited to a maximum of two hours per day.
Stage 2 road training is limited to a maximum of 3 hours per day.
Therefore, if you ride for the maximum number of times per day compared to the default number of times, the shortest schedule is 15 days for an MT license, 13 days for an AT license, and the shortest schedule is for Final Driving Test.
*The academic lessons depend on the academic schedule, but there is no set maximum number of study periods per day.
*The interpretation of the law differs depending on the prefecture. In reality, the mainstream is 16 days for MT and 14 days for AT.

Super important! Various deadlines

Next, the longest schedule is 9 months for STEP 3 to STEP 11, and 3 months from the end of STEP 10 until passing STEP 11.

These are referred to as the ``training deadline'' and ``certification deadline,'' respectively, and if the training is not completed within the 9-month training deadline, or if Final Driving Test (which is conducted by actually driving) is completed within the 3-month certification deadline. Unfortunately, if you fail to pass the graduation exam, all of your training will be invalidated and you will have to start over from the beginning.

Even if you want to get a cheaper price with the regular plan, please be aware that if you take your time too slowly and do not complete your training by this deadline, you will be charged a higher tuition fee again.

If you have obtained a provisional license, you can start from stage 2, but provisional licenses also have an expiration date of 6 months from the date of acquisition, so be careful not to let them expire.

summary

How was it? Did you have a clear image of the driving school/plan that suits you?

Once you have decided on the type of training you want, all you need to do is compare the distance from your home, transportation, and cost.
If you live far from home and don't have a transportation service, use the schedule above as a reference to estimate the number of times you will go to the driving school, and don't forget to add the transportation fee to the cost.

Please refer to this article to find the perfect driving school for you!