What should you know when choosing a driving school?
"So, what kind of school is best?"
Many people have decided to apply to a driving school, but are worried because there are so many to choose from and they don't know how to choose.
Since you'll be paying a high tuition fee, it's only natural to be careful, and you don't want to regret your decision at this once-in-a-lifetime driving school.

So what should you look for when deciding which school is right for you?
We will clearly explain the points to consider when choosing a driving school that suits you from the many driving schools available.
Choose a driving school that you won't regret and enjoy your driving school life to the fullest.

When choosing a driving school, you should first know about the two types of driving schools.

First of all, did you know that there are actually two types of driving schools in Japan?
Generally speaking, a driving school is
This refers to designated driving schools (commonly known as accredited schools), but there are also notified driving schools (commonly known as unaccredited schools).

Official school

The main difference is that at accredited schools, you can obtain a provisional license on-site, and if you complete the training after obtaining the provisional license and graduate, you will be issued a document called a "graduation certificate."
If you have this, you will be exempt from the practical test (the test to drive a car) at the driver's license testing center, and you can obtain a license as long as you pass the theory (written) test.

Unofficial school

In contrast, non-certified schools only allow you to practice. You are not exempt from the test, and you must take the test at a driver's license testing center when obtaining a provisional license and for any subsequent license acquisitions.
Of course, if you look at the simple price, non-certified schools are overwhelmingly cheaper, but that is only the price if everything goes smoothly. I often hear stories of people failing the exam and having to take additional lessons, resulting in the tuition fees increasing.

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 tests at testing centers are much more difficult than tests at driving schools.
If you go to a designated driving school, the practical test will be conducted on-site at the school, so even if you fail, they will give you various advice on what you did wrong and what you should have done to help you pass.

On the other hand, the tests at testing centers are conducted by the Public Safety Commission, or to put it simply, the police.
If you fail, the test will be stopped at that point even if you haven't completed the drive, and it is rare for you to receive specific feedback or advice like you would at a driving school.

2.1％

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

Conversely, 97.9% of people who obtain a regular driver's license have graduated from a designated driving school.
Furthermore, this small percentage of 2.1% naturally includes people who already know how to drive but lost their license due to forgetting to renew or having their license revoked. I think it is easy to understand how low the pass rate at the testing center is.

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

Identify your ideal teaching style

About the shortest number of days

If you have decided to attend a designated driving school, the most important thing you should know is that "the number of hours of training you must take to obtain a license, and the number of hours of Driving Lessons you can take per day, are regulated by law."
Therefore, the number of hours of training you must take if you are going to a designated driving school is actually the same at all driving schools across the country.

I often see advertisements on trains and other places with slogans like "You can get your driver's license in just 16 days!", but I don't really care about those.
"Because he has superb techniques for teaching, you can study extremely efficiently and get your license in a short time!"
That is not the case, but simply
"From the start of your lessons until graduation, we have a plan that packs your daily lessons to the maximum extent permitted by law, so you can get your license quickly!"
That's all.

Regarding the minimum number of days required if you are packed to the maximum extent of the legal limit, strictly speaking, there is a difference of up to 3 days depending on the interpretation of the law in each prefecture and the days when driving schools are closed, but the difference is not that large. For a regular driver's license, it is 15 to 18 days.
*Note: Even if the duration is 18 days, there will be two school holidays, so the actual number of days you will receive lessons is 16 days.

In addition, the course content and hours you must complete are exactly the same whether you attend a commuting course or a training camp where you stay overnight and take lessons every day.
Generally, if you cram everything into a short period of time, you will have to add options such as "priority reservations" or "speed plans," so the tuition fees will be higher than if you take your time and get your Driving Camp are often cheaper than taking your time and going 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 a 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.

The days of "college students having free time" are over, and college students are now busier than working adults, with busy days filled with classes, studying, part-time jobs, clubs and extracurricular activities, seminars and labs, internships, job hunting, and more.
In that case, if it is convenient for you to adjust your school schedule and private life, we recommend commuting to school. In particular, if the driving school is located near your home, part-time job, or university, commuting to school may be less of a burden.

When choosing a driving school, it is important to pay attention to how far in advance you can make a reservation. Depending on the time of year, if reservations are only open for two weeks or a month in advance, current students will inevitably make reservations during that time, so it may be difficult to make a reservation that suits your schedule.
Priorities vary from person to person, but if you absolutely have to prioritize your school schedule or part-time work, and lesson reservations are a second or third priority, you may have a hard time scheduling lessons.

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 not as long as a training camp, many driving schools offer short-term plans that can be completed in about a month. Since you commute from home instead of staying overnight, you can continue with your daily life as usual except when you are at the driving school.
However, with short-term plans, all the lessons you need until graduation are often booked at once, so if something suddenly changes and you have to cancel your lesson, you may be charged a cancellation fee.
If you use the service frequently, the cost can become quite significant, so 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 the short-term plan, but it is easier to make reservations than the regular plan.
For example, at a driving school where the regular plan only allows you to reserve two lessons at a time, when you take those two lessons and then try to make your next reservation, you often find yourself being told that the next available reservation is three weeks away.
Does this mean it will take a long time to complete all the classes?

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! The number of lessons you will take at the driving school and the schedule for obtaining your 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

Level 1 in-house training is limited to a maximum of two hours per day.
Stage 2 road training is limited to a maximum of three hours per day.
Therefore, if you drive for the maximum number of hours set in the standard schedule in one day, the shortest schedule for the graduation test is 15 days for a manual transmission license and Final Driving Test days for an automatic transmission license.
*Theoretical lessons will depend on the academic schedule, but there is no maximum number of lessons that can be taken per day.
*The interpretation of the law differs depending on the prefecture. In reality, the most common format 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 have to do is compare the distance from your home, transportation options, and cost.
If you live far away from home and don't have a transportation service, use the schedule above as a reference to estimate how many times you will need to go to the driving school, and don't forget to add transportation costs to the cost.

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