When obtaining a driver's license, if you want to graduate from a driving school in the shortest possible time, we recommend using a license training camp. At the license training camp, you will receive academic and Driving Lessons in a short-term intensive manner, so you can obtain your graduation qualification in just a few days to a few weeks.

However, there are various types of licenses, and the number of days it takes to obtain the same license varies depending on the person. Therefore, in this article, we will explain in an easy-to-understand manner why there is a difference in the length of training camp, and how to graduate in the shortest possible time.

We also introduce the general study schedule and what to do if the period is extended, so please read this if you are worried about the training camp period due to school, work, or budget constraints.

Reasons for differences in duration of license training camps

First, we will explain the main reasons why the length of license training camp varies from person to person.

Differences in the types of licenses to obtain

Depending on the license you obtain, the training time required during the training camp will vary, so the schedule will vary. For example, even if it is the same regular car, an AT-only license and an MT license require 1.5 to 2 days more training time because the MT license requires more training time.

Additionally, if you have other licenses such as a moped or small license, your training time will be shortened, so you will be able to graduate earlier than others.

In addition, the license training camp can accommodate most licenses, including regular cars (AT only/MT), Regular Motorcycle and Heavy Motorcycle, large and large special vehicles, medium-sized vehicles, and second-class licenses. There are also training camps for people who only have provisional licenses and for those who are paper drivers.

For mopeds and small special vehicles, there is no Driving Lessons and there is no license training camp as the license can be obtained in as little as one day.

Differences in license training camp schedules

The schedule for license training camps differs depending on the driving school, so the time it takes to obtain a license will also vary. For example, at many driver's license training camps, the aim is to obtain a driver's license in the shortest possible time, so you will receive training all day long.

However, some driving schools intentionally allow students to take one or two days off a week, allowing them to enjoy leisure activities such as sightseeing around the facility on Saturdays and Sundays. For this reason, there are many people who choose to take part in long-distance license training camps as part of their graduation trip.

If you want to get your license and enjoy sightseeing at the same time, you should choose a plan that includes weekly holidays, and if you want to concentrate on your studies and graduate in the shortest possible time, you should choose a plan that does not have any days off.

Differences in when to apply for license training camp

Depending on when you start the license training camp, the training camp period may be longer than usual. For example, during the year-end and New Year holidays, driving schools will be closed and students will not be able to study. Therefore, there are plans that set the period longer so that students can go home temporarily during school closures, and plans that allow them to spend New Year's Eve at a training camp facility.

If you are considering a license training camp over the winter break, consider whether or not you will go home temporarily.

personal reasons

Due to personal circumstances, we may end up exceeding the originally planned schedule. For example, you may be injured or sick during a license training camp and need medical treatment, or you may not be able to pass the exam and your stay may be postponed.

It is not uncommon for about 10-20% of students to stay overnight during training camp because they are unable to pass the exam.

In addition, at the training camp, there is free time and free time, so there is some leeway in the schedule, so if you overslept and missed one academic session, for example, it is possible to catch up. However, since the same class is not always scheduled in the most recent schedule, one absence may affect the schedule for several days.

What is the minimum period for a driver's license training camp?

As mentioned above, the minimum time required for graduation at a license training camp varies depending on the type of license. Therefore, we will highlight the regular car driving license and motorcycle driving license, which many people aim to obtain, and explain the study time.

When obtaining a regular car driving license

For regular driver's licenses, the minimum training camp period is 14 days (AT only). Also, in the case of a MT license, it will take at least 16 days.

The MT license requires 3 more hours of driving Driving Lessons than the AT-only license, so it takes that much longer. The number of hours of Driving Lessons that can be received per day is limited by law, so it is actually 1.5 days longer than an AT limited license.

Also, regardless of whether you have an AT-only license or a MT license, if the driving school has holidays, it will take longer. For example, if you have one holiday a week, the minimum time with an AT-only license will be around 16 days instead of 14 days. Also, please note that there are many cases where students are sent home for a short period of time during the year-end and New Year holidays, and classes begin again after the new year, so please check in advance.

When obtaining a motorcycle driving license

For motorcycle driving licenses, the number of days varies depending on what type of license you want to get or whether you have another driving license. Generally, it takes 6 to 9 days for Regular Motorcycle and 16 days for Heavy Motorcycle.

Also, for example, if you already have Regular Motorcycle license, you will be completely exempt from the theory training to obtain Heavy Motorcycle license, and the training time will be shortened. Therefore, the shortest training period is 5 nights and 6 days, so you can obtain your license. Even if you have a regular car license instead of a motorcycle, you will only need to take one theory training class, which can be significantly shortened.

License training camp schedule

Here we will explain the basic schedule for obtaining a regular car license.

1st stage

Training begins on the first day of the camp. On the first day, after the entrance procedures and entrance ceremony, there is usually an orientation and an aptitude test. All formalities are completed in the morning, and lessons begin in the afternoon.

The first stage is the period until you obtain a provisional license, which is 1 to 6 days in the case of an AT-only license. In terms of lesson time, academic lessons are for 9 periods. Driving Lessons is available for 15 hours or more for MT licenses and 12 hours or more for AT-only licenses, and you can receive up to 2 hours of training per day in both cases.

It is common to study from 8:00 to 19:30 every day. However, compared to the second stage, your schedule is relatively flexible, and you may have a few hours between classes, so you have a lot of free time.

Once you have completed the first stage of training, you will take a Karimenkyo Written Test test. If you pass this, you will receive a provisional license and will be able to Driving Lessons on public roads.

2nd stage

Once you have obtained your provisional license, you will enter the second stage. The second stage is from day 6 to day 14 (day 16 for MT). The training time will be longer than in the first stage, with 16 periods of academic training, MT 19th period and above, and AT 16th period and above of Driving Lessons. In the first stage, Driving Lessons was limited to two periods per day, but in the second stage, you will be able to receive training for up to three periods per day.

In the academic training, you will mainly learn driving skills, knowledge about safety, and first aid. In addition, during Driving Lessons will be able to drive on public roads, and will gain hands-on experience driving on expressways and overtaking.

Once you have successfully completed all the lessons, you will be eligible to take Final Driving Test. If you pass Final Driving Test by completing questions such as actual driving, parallel parking, or turning, you will be able to pass and graduate.

Please note that what you can obtain at the driving school is only a graduation qualification (exemption from the driving skill test at the driver's license center), not a driver's license. After graduation, students can obtain a driver's license by visiting the driver's license center of the prefecture where they have their residence card and passing the written exam.

Main reasons for extending your driving license training camp

We will pick up and explain three common reasons for staying overnight.

I couldn't keep up with the class

Many students extend their stay because they simply cannot pass Final Driving Test and cannot graduate in one attempt. The passing rate for Final Driving Test is around 80-90%, which means that 10-20% of people will fail.

In this case, you will have to stay longer and repeat the exam until you graduate. The details will be explained later, but if it is not convenient for you, you can give up on graduating and go home.

missed class

If you are unavoidably absent from classes due to illness, injury, or temporary home leave due to family circumstances, you may not be able to complete the required credits and the period until graduation may be extended.

Also, if you are infected with the new coronavirus, for example, it will be difficult to receive medical treatment in a facility, so you will have to go home or be isolated or hospitalized.

Even if you have enough knowledge to pass the exam, you will not be allowed to take the exam if you have not completed the specified study time. Therefore, absenteeism from academic lectures, especially those with fixed timetables, is fatal to students' ability to graduate in the shortest possible time.

I failed the provisional license exam three times.

If you fail the written test three times when trying to get a provisional driver's license, you will not be able to graduate and will be forced to go home. This is the same at any driving school.

In order to get a provisional driver's license, you need to get more than 90% of the 50 questions right, so you can only get up to 5 questions wrong. The written test is basically memorization questions with many trick questions, so if you don't check carefully, you will fail. If you are not confident in your memorization ability, make sure to study thoroughly beforehand.

What to do if you can't graduate from a driving school

If you are unable to graduate from the license training camp in the shortest possible time, you have several options, whether to continue training or give up. Therefore, we will explain the main ways to deal with it.

Stay overnight and study at the same driving school

As a way to reduce costs and obtain your license in the shortest possible time, we recommend extending your stay and continuing to study at the same driving school or training camp facility.

The percentage of students who fail to graduate from training camp is 10-20%, which is not unusual. There are many driving schools that allow you to extend your stay as part of your plan at no additional charge, or even offer an extended stay guarantee. By using this system, you will be able to obtain your license efficiently.

However, for students and working adults, extending your stay may affect your studies or work. Make sure you have plenty of time in your schedule to participate, or consider other options as described below.

Go home and enroll in a different driving school

You can also return home after completing the training camp and re-enter another driving school. If you have completed the first stage, you can start on the second stage, and the price will be discounted accordingly, so it will be cheaper than starting from scratch.

However, a provisional license is only valid for 6 months, so if you do not enroll or graduate within the expiry date, you will incur additional costs.

Also, if you end up not being able to get a provisional driver's license, you will have to start all over again. It can cost as little as 200,000 yen to as much as 400,000 yen to get a driver's license, so if you are having trouble raising the money, it may be better to reschedule.

Additional fees for extending your license training camp stay

If you are unable to graduate, there is usually an additional charge for extending your stay. We will explain the rules for late night charges.

Pay for the extra night

If it is decided to extend the stay, a fee will be charged depending on the number of extended nights. Depending on the plan, type of accommodation, grade, etc., the average price is 3,000 to 10,000 yen per night.

Also, depending on the plan, transportation costs to and from the program may not be included and must be paid for at your own expense. In that case, please be aware that extending your stay may result in cancellation costs for return Shinkansen, airplane, night bus tickets, etc., and price changes due to schedule changes. In addition, small burdens such as coin laundry charges and snacks at convenience stores are likely to increase.

If you are covered by the extended night guarantee, there will be no additional charges.

Depending on your training camp plan, there is an ``extension guarantee'' that will not incur additional charges even if you extend your stay, so if you are worried, take advantage of this. However, the maximum amount and period of extended night guarantees vary depending on each driving school and plan.

For example, there are generous plans that guarantee your stay until you graduate, and there are also plans that allow you to stay for three days for free. Just in case, please check the details of the extended stay guarantee before applying.

In particular, if you are likely to use the extended stay guarantee, such as ``I'm not good at studying and don't have confidence that I can graduate in one go'' or ``I often get sick when my environment changes'', then I'd recommend not only the price but also the extended stay guarantee. It is important to choose a driving school and plan while comparing the contents. If you have an extended stay guarantee, you will feel more relaxed during the exam because you will know that even if you fail, you will have an extended stay guarantee.

Q&A regarding the duration of the driving school training camp

Finally, we will answer some frequently asked questions about the period of license training camp.

What is the maximum period of license training camp?

The theoretical maximum length of training at a license training camp is nine months. Regardless of whether it is a training camp or commuting, academic/ Driving Lessons has a validity period of ``9 months after the first training at the driving school.'' In other words, if you do not graduate within 9 months of entering the school and starting the training camp, no matter how much you study, it will be invalidated.

However, it costs around 3,000 to 10,000 yen per night to extend the stay, and because of the student's school and work commitments, it is highly unlikely that they will actually stay at a training camp for as long as nine months. Many driving schools also have separate deadlines such as ``You can only stay for up to one month.''

Can I decide the period of license training camp by myself?

Basically, you cannot decide the period of license training camp by yourself.

The driving school organizes academic subjects and Driving Lessons. Just as junior high school and high school timetables are set, the schedule for driver's license training camps is also set in advance. If you want to study at your own convenience, we recommend commuting to a school that offers a high degree of freedom.

The minimum period for a driver's license training camp is 14 days.

At the license training camp, you can obtain a regular driver's license in as little as 14 days if you have an AT-only license. Even if you fail an exam or take a recuperation period due to injury or illness, you may be able to extend your stay depending on the situation. Theoretically, you can study for about 9 months, but there is often a charge for extending your stay, and you also have school and work commitments, so in reality, you should aim to get it in about 1 month.

10-20% of people fail the license training camp and are forced to stay longer. If you are not confident, apply with plenty of time in your schedule and choose a training camp plan that guarantees an extended stay if necessary.