[eat more curry]

For a while I've thinking of becoming a driving instructor, and last week I called the DITC and got an interview. I went along and did an aptitude test and interview. The next day the man who conducted interview called me back and told me I had the highest ever score for the aptitude test, and wanted me to start training. But the training has got to be paid for up-front, and it made me wonder whether they tell everyone that they've got a 100% just to make them feel special.

So, has anyone got any experience and advice?

Paul

[Dorset_Clive]

I haven't got any experience, but it sounds a bit suspect to me, but then I'm a very cynical person (equally, I've rarely been proved wrong in things like this - much to my wife's disgust!).

I think some of the key questions to ask is how long will it take to pay back the training fees? Or there any "hidden extras" - course materials costing £'000s, etc? What are the long term business prospects like in your area? If there are loads of driving instructors operating, that will keep fees you can charge down. What happens if you fail a test - do they charge you again to retake/retrain?

It could be worth pitching up at the local driving test centre and talk to the instructors who are waiting for their students on test - see what they think.

I'm pretty sure there was something about being a driving instructor on the Advanced Driving UK forum.

[eat more curry]

Thanks for the reply Clive

The training requires £1300 to be paid, three exams, and a guaranteed work afterwards.

Thinking back to the questions, they weren't easy questions like they have in the theory exams, and I was told that the average is 50%, and that they take people on with 70%.

I have been thinking about becoming a driving instructor for quite a while, as (just like yourself) I see so many examples of awful and thoughtless driving going on. Last year an acquaintance of mine got killed in an accident, he most definitely would have survived had he been wearing his seatbelt. It got me thinking about how some instructors will give their students as much of their common sense as possible, and some can't be bothered.

I would love to teach driving from the point of view that my own students may be more thoughtful on the road, and that seemed to impress the interviewer.

I kind of think that I should do it just for the sake of being qualified to teach with the backing of the big driving schools, but I don't know for sure at the moment. I'll keep you posted.

Paul

[IrishRover]

But the training has got to be paid for up-front, and it made me wonder whether they tell everyone that they've got a 100% just to make them feel special.

Yeah that screams bull alright.