The Complete Guide to Become a Driving Instructor with Driverstation
Thinking about becoming a driving instructor? Whether you’ve just started looking into it or you’re already comparing providers, this guide walks you through everything: what the DVSA requires at each stage and how Driverstation supports you through it.
Why Become a Driving Instructor?
It’s a career that genuinely works around your life. You set your own hours, you’re your own boss, and most full-time instructors earn £39,000–£40,000+ a year. You also get the satisfaction of helping people reach a real milestone: passing their driving test.
The demand is there too; the DVSA has been urgently recruiting examiners, and the shortage of instructors means learners are waiting months for lessons. If you qualify now, you’re stepping into a market where work is ready and waiting.
Before You Start: Eligibility
Before anything else, make sure you meet the DVSA’s basic requirements:
- You must be at least 21 years old
- You must have held a full UK driving licence for at least 3 years
- You must be a “fit and proper person” – the DVSA looks at your criminal record and your driving record, including penalty points
- You’ll need a new Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to start your application, even if you already have one
- You’ll need to register with the DVSA and obtain your Personal Reference Number (PRN)
You can check the full requirements on the DVSA’s eligibility page. Once you’ve ticked those boxes, you’re ready to start training.
How the Driverstation Course Works
The course follows the three DVSA tests: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Each Part has online lessons you work through at your own pace, with a short reflection to send after some of them. Your trainer reads your reflections and gives feedback.
A Part is finished when you’ve worked through all its lessons and sent all its reflections. Training for the next Part, including in-car and online sessions, can be booked once the previous Part is finished. Part 2 opens no sooner than 14 working days after your first payment.
Part 1: The Theory Test
What the DVSA requires:
The Part 1 test has two sections. First, a multiple-choice exam with 100 questions across four bands. You need to score at least 85% overall and get a minimum of 20 correct answers in each band. Second, a hazard perception test where you need to score at least 57 out of 75.
Once you pass Part 1, you have 2 years to pass Parts 2 and 3. If you don’t, you have to start the whole process again.
How Driverstation prepares you:
Our Part 1 course covers everything you need to know, including access to third-party theory and hazard perception practice software so you can test yourself before the real thing. You study at your own pace, online, around your existing schedule.
Part 2: The Driving Ability Test
What the DVSA requires:
Part 2 assesses your own driving to a high standard. You’re allowed up to 6 driving faults, but no serious or dangerous faults. You have a maximum of 3 attempts; if you fail all three, you have to retake Part 1, and you can’t take it again until 2 years after you first passed it.
How Driverstation prepares you:
Our Part 2 course includes 8 hours of in-car training and assessment, plus video tutorials showing you exactly what’s expected during the test. In-car training is 1:1 or 2:1. You’ll know the standard required and have the practice behind you to meet it.
Part 3: The Teaching Test
What the DVSA requires:
Part 3 is the final and most challenging step. An examiner watches you give a client-centred driving lesson to one of your pupils for about 45 minutes. They’re looking at your lesson planning, your risk management, and your teaching and learning strategies. You have 3 attempts, all within 2 years of passing Part 1.
How Driverstation prepares you:
Our Part 3 course includes online materials you study at your own pace, plus 40 hours of training: 30 hours in-car and 10 hours of live online sessions. The in-car training is 1:1 or 2:1, in your trainer’s area or a place you agree. We focus on building your confidence with real teaching techniques, not just getting you through the test.
Choosing Your Route
When you enrol with Driverstation, you choose between two routes. There’s no pressure either way; it comes down to what suits your situation and cash flow. If you start on the Standalone Route, you can ask to move to the Franchise Pathway later, and what you’ve already paid counts towards it.
Standalone Route
A clean, one-off payment of £1,499. You get full access to all three course parts – online materials, DVSA test practice, and the training hours for Parts 2 and 3 (8 in-car hours for Part 2; 30 in-car and 10 online hours for Part 3). Pay once, train, qualify, and manage your own journey from there. No ongoing contract, no ongoing fees, no extras. Once your training hours are delivered, the agreement ends – which suits a lot of people just fine.
The Standalone Route doesn’t include trainee licence training, group or 1-1 support, pupils passed to you, or the materials pack. Failed test attempts don’t add extra hours.
Franchise Pathway
Designed for the trainee licence period, which is the stage most people find hardest. Rather than a single large upfront payment, you pay a deposit when you enrol and then weekly payments over a 24-week contract. You choose how much you put down:
| Option | Deposit | Then weekly × 24 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low upfront | £499 | £110/week | £3,139 |
| Mid upfront | £799 | £100/week | £3,199 |
| High upfront | £1,099 | £86/week | £3,163 |
Weekly payments don’t start when you enrol. The 24-week contract starts on your trainee licence start date, and the first weekly payment is normally taken 7 days after that. Payments are by Direct Debit.
The franchise pathway includes everything in the standalone route, plus:
- Trainee licence training: 12 in-car hours and 12 online hours. That’s the 20 hours of DVSA extra training (8 in-car, 12 online, covering every topic in the DVSA training programme) in the first 12 weeks of your licence, plus a 4-hour in-car session in the week before your Part 3 test
- An extra 1-hour online session and 4-hour in-car session after each failed Part 3 attempt
- Weekly group support sessions shared with other franchise PDIs
- 1-1 support from your trainer when you need it
- Pupils passed to you directly by Driverstation, at no extra charge (we can’t guarantee a set number, and you should be happy to travel up to 20 miles from home)
- A materials pack including your branded rooftop sign and diagram book
You’ll need your own dual-control car for teaching, under 10 years old and with fewer than 90,000 miles.
On the Franchise Pathway you sign three documents as you go: the Terms and Conditions when you enrol, a Trainee Licence Agreement before your Part 3 training is booked, and the 24-week Contract when you apply for your trainee licence.
Once you qualify, you’re free to leave once your weekly payments are finished, or by paying the rest in one go – no exit fee, no long-term commitment. If you haven’t qualified by the end of the 24 weeks and want to carry on, we can offer a further 24-week contract.
If you choose to stay after qualifying, we offer a simple rolling monthly arrangement with no minimum term and 30 days’ notice either way.
What Stays the Same Regardless of Route
- The same core training for everyone: the same Part 1, 2 and 3 course and the same Part 2 and Part 3 training hours, whichever route you choose
- Feedback from your trainer on your reflections and sessions
- Transparent pricing: every cost is explained upfront and tied directly to training, support, or materials
- No hidden fees and no surprise charges at any stage
- A 14-day cooling-off period after you sign. If you’ve already had training in that time, it’s charged at £35 an hour and taken off your refund
How Long Does It Take?
The process takes most people between 6 and 12 months, depending on how much time they can commit each week. You don’t need to leave your current job – the training is designed to fit around your life.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re ready to take the next step, or just want to ask a few questions first, head over to our instructor training page and get in touch. We’ll talk you through which route makes sense for your situation and what the next steps look like.
- Read the DVSA official guide
- Read how to pass the ADI tests.
