How many driving lessons will I need?

How many hours instruction will you need?

Updated June 2025

The average number of hours instruction with a driving instructor that people need before they can pass their driving test is 45.1

Research also shows that people who combine their driving lessons with private practice are 50% more likely to pass the driving test and most people have 22 hours of private practice with friends or family in-between their driving lessons.

But those numbers are just an average.

You might need more than the average if:

  • You live in a city or if you live on the outskirts of a city;
  • If you don't have driving lessons regularly every week;
  • If you take lessons around 3:30pm or 5pm (more congestion, slower learning);
  • You don't do a little homework between lessons;
  • You pick up bad habits from friends or relatives.

Another important factor that affects the number of hours instruction someone might need to pass their driving test is how old they are.

The DSA (now the DVSA - Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency), published the results of a study that looked at how more than 48,000 new drivers had learned to drive, their age and their experience of driving after they passed their test.2

The aims of the study were:
  1. to investigate how people learn to drive, including the number of hours of tuition they needed;
  2. to explore new drivers’ experiences and attitudes to driving and
  3. to identify their level of accident involvement over time.

The number of hours of professional tuition that pupils needed, on average, to pass their test are shown below.

Age Very quick learner Average
17-19 26-29 35-40
20 27-30 37-42
22 28-32 39-45
24 29-34 42-48
26 30-35 44-50
28 31-37 46-54
30 32-39 50-56
32 33-40 52-58
34 34-42 54-62
36 35-43 56-65
38 36-45 58-68
40 37-47 60-70
42 38-50 64-74
44 39-52 66-78
46 40-54 70-82
48 41-55 72-86
50 42-57 76-90
52 43-58 78-93
54 44-59 80-95
56 45-60 82-97
58 46-62 84-102
60 47-68 88-108

If you read the full report by the way, there are some interesting findings regarding new drivers' experiences after they pass their driving test.

Top tips! You'll learn faster and pass your test more quickly if:

  • You take two or three lessons a week;
  • You practice between lessons.

But most important of all, pick a local instructor with good reviews!

References

1. https://readytopass.campaign.gov.uk/driving-skills/track-progress-learning/ , June 2025

2. DSA, Cohort II: A Study of Learner and New Drivers, Volume 1 – Main Report, 2006