FAQS

We offer courses ranging from 10 – 50 hours. You can choose which course is suitable for you by clicking here. We recommend all candidates to follow the DVSA’s guide of 45 hours of professional & 22 hours of private practice to become test standard. If you’re still unsure, please phone a member of staff and they will be able to assist you on 0330 223 2127.

It comes down to the hours you have already done, and how recent they are. - Around 5 to 10 hours: Gold 35. This is our most popular course. - 10 to 20 hours: Silver 30. - 20 to 25 hours: Silver 25. - 25 to 35 hours: Silver 20. - 35 hours or more, and you have sat a test before: Bronze 15. - 35 hours or more, with a test already booked: Bronze 10, for a final sharpen before the day. Coming back after a long break is different. If you drove years ago and it honestly feels like starting again, do not count those old hours. Treat yourself as a beginner and look at Gold 40, or Gold 45 if you would like extra time to rebuild confidence. If you are between two, call us on 0330 223 2127. We would rather put you on the right course than the cheapest one, and hours can be adjusted once you start, agreed with your instructor.

Of course! We often have candidates who are in employment or in education. If you’re employed, most candidates tend to book time off work with their employer after receiving dates from their instructor. If you’re in education (School, College, Sixth form or University), depending on your timetable, some learners may have free times during the week, where they could use this time for sessions. Some learners, only attend education part time. In some scenarios, where you are in education full time, you would look at half terms or study weeks as time to do sessions. Note: When you book, you’ll have an opportunity to inform us of dates you can / cannot do. This would be on the form you would fill out when booking.

Yes. If you’re brand new to driving, then you’re coming into driving with a blank canvas. Your driving instructor can then tailor the sessions in a way that best suits your learning style and pace.

Of course! You can book as early as you wish. If you’re yet to turn 17, and you decide to book early, we can only carry out our service once we have a copy of your provisional. We will be able to start allocating you an instructor before you turn 17, and start the process of booking your theory test.

Yes. Once your deposit is paid, we will ask you to send us a clear photo of your provisional driving licence. This is a standard check we carry out on every learner to confirm you are eligible to start lessons before an instructor is allocated to you.

This part isn't something LPOD Academy can process. Provisional licence applications, renewals and address changes are handled directly by the DVLA, and you can apply or manage this online at gov.uk. As soon as your provisional is sorted, get back in touch and we will get your course booked and your instructor allocated.

We don't set our own age cut off beyond holding a valid provisional licence, so we work with learners from 17 year olds just starting out through to much older learners coming back to driving. The legal minimum age to hold a provisional licence and start learning is set by the DVLA, so check gov.uk for the exact rules for your situation.

Yes. We regularly work with learners who already have experience driving abroad, and your instructor will take that background into account when building your course. UK road layouts, signs and driving on the left can all feel different at first, so tell us where your experience was gained and we will recommend a suitable course length to help you settle into UK conditions with confidence.

If you already hold a full licence and have some experience in the transmission you're switching to, for example moving from automatic to manual, a shorter course such as our Silver 25 is often recommended, since the focus is on building control and confidence rather than starting from scratch. Tell us your postcode, current experience and test status and we will recommend the right course length for you.

We take this into account when recommending your course length. For example, if you'd benefit from extra time or a slower pace, a longer course such as Gold 40 or Gold 45 gives more room for that. Let us know any relevant details when you enquire so your instructor is aware, and your allocated instructor will also assess your individual needs directly once you start lessons. For anything related to medical fitness to drive, the DVLA holds the official rules, so it's worth checking directly with them too.

No. All practical driving tests in the UK are conducted in English or Welsh only, and there is no option to have a translator present during the test itself. If English isn't your first language, it's worth building extra practice time into your course so you're confident with the instructions the examiner will use.

Deposits, balances, invoices and what happens if your plans change.

There are two payments, not one. You pay your deposit when you book. That is £18 for every hour you book, so £180 up to £900 depending on the course size, and it secures your place and your dates. The balance is your instructor fee and it is not due until 7 days before your training starts. That gap is the main way people spread the cost. If you need longer, say so before your dates are set. We can often start your training a little later, so the balance falls after a pay day rather than before it. And if you can only pay part of the balance in time, speak to your instructor early rather than late. Payment terms are between you and your instructor, and some will agree an arrangement with you. Nothing is guaranteed, so please ask rather than assume.

Your deposit is £18 for every hour you book. That is the whole rule, and it is the same wherever you live in the UK. - Bronze 10 (10 hours): £180 - Bronze 15 (15 hours): £270 - Silver 20 (20 hours): £360 - Silver 25 (25 hours): £450 - Silver 30 (30 hours): £540 - Gold 35 (35 hours): £630 - Gold 40 (40 hours): £720 - Gold 45 (45 hours): £810 - Platinum 50 (50 hours): £900 The rest of your cost is your instructor fee, and that part is not the same everywhere. Instructor rates vary by area, and automatic costs a little more per hour than manual. So there is no single national total we could put on this page that would be honest for everyone. To see your own number, enter your postcode and pick manual or automatic on our price page or in the booking system. You get the deposit, the balance and your overall total for your own postcode, before you pay anything and before you enter any card details. Your balance is confirmed before training begins, it never changes after that, and it is due 7 days before your training starts.

You can move the deadline, but you cannot move past it. The balance is always due 7 days before training begins, so the way to buy yourself time is to start training later. Tell us on your booking form that you only want lessons from a certain date onwards, and we will plan your dates around it. Plenty of people do this so the balance falls after their pay day. It costs nothing and it is far better than telling us the week before.

Your balance is due 7 days before your training begins. You pay it to your allocated instructor directly, normally by bank transfer. Payment instructions come to you once your dates are confirmed. Ask your instructor for a receipt at the time of payment and they will provide one. The figure never moves. Your balance is confirmed before training begins and it does not change after that, so the number you agree is the number you pay. If you are not going to make it in time, tell us before your dates are set rather than the week before. We can usually start your training a little later so the balance lands after a pay day. Leaving it late is the one thing that causes a course to be postponed.

All questions regarding cancellation terms of our booking, can be found on our terms and conditions here.

If you are unable to pay your allocated driving instructor no later than 7 days before the agreed start date, we will need to postpone your course until payment can be arranged or you if you can only pay a portion, then contacting your instructor to negotiate payment terms, would be best. If you feel you won’t be able to commit to the remaining balance entirely please do let us know immediately. We may be able to assist and create a tailored plan that works for you. Please understand that our instructors are self-employed and a late notice cancellation can disrupt our instructor’s livelihoods.

Yes. When you book, you'll receive an invoice for your deposit, and once that's paid a receipt is emailed to you. When you pay your remaining balance to your instructor, ask them for a receipt at the time of payment too, they will be able to provide one.

Once you're happy with your quote, we send you a secure invoice link through our booking system, which you pay online with a card. This is the only way to pay your deposit, and it is paid directly to LPOD Academy to secure your course dates.

How instructors are matched, vetted and what to do if something isn't right.

If you find something isn't quite right, whether that's at the start or partway through your course, please contact our dedicated team straight away and we will listen to your concerns properly. As every circumstance is different, we have been able to reallocate learners to new instructors, adjust the hours you do, or contact the instructor on your behalf to clear something up. We continually evaluate all our instructors on behaviour and quality of teaching, to make sure they follow our brand values, the DVSA’s code of conduct, and put your interests first. As part of our process we may need to contact the instructor to find out more, but we will always tell you before this happens.

If you had bad experiences in the past, then we can assure you that our instructors are vetted for quality and professionalism before they get allocated to any of our candidates. All driving instructors are bound by the DVSA’s code of conduct which ensures that instructors maintain high standards when they are teaching. And we always assess the past and current experiences to ensure that if a particular instructor is not upholding our standards, the DVSA’s code of conduct then we will stop working with that instructor. If you ever find, that the current instructor isn’t being professional or not acting according to established codes and principles, please get in touch and we will look to investigate any concerns further.

Two things, and the second one is the part most schools will not tell you about. First, every instructor we work with is a DVSA-approved driving instructor (ADI) who follows the DVSA Code of Conduct. That is the legal floor, and plenty of schools stop there. Second, we pay them full market rates. Some course providers run an auction and hand the job to whichever instructor bids lowest, and the learner finds out what that means once they are in the car. We do not do that. Because of it, experienced instructors choose to work with us and stay with you from your first hour through to test day. A properly paid instructor turns up prepared, stays patient, and tells you honestly when you are ready. Better paid instructor, better taught learner. If your instructor turns out not to be the right fit, call us on 0330 223 2127 and we will look at it.

Should your instructor’s car experience a breakdown, rest assured, your driving instructor will promptly offer you an alternative set of dates for your sessions. Although it is rare and indeed inconvenient when a tuition vehicle encounters mechanical issues, we prioritise swiftly rescheduling any impacted training to the earliest possible date. We have measures in place so that if disruptions occur, we can swiftly move your booking on.

All our courses are conducted by the same instructor from the start to the end. If circumstances change, we will work with you to find an alternative solution. In some cases, candidates may take themselves to test in their own vehicle.

If your driving instructor has not turned up to your course, please send us an email to customercare@lpodacademy.co.uk as soon as you can. If this happens – we apologise in advance and will take the necessary steps to resolve the matter.

Yes. When you pay the remaining balance to your driving instructor, you can request a copy from your instructor & receive a receipt at the time of payment. Typical payment methods include bank transfer.

We aim to allocate your instructor as quickly as we can, usually within the first couple of weeks of booking, often sooner. Once you're matched, we email to confirm this and pass on your instructor's contact details. If allocation is taking a little longer in your area, we will keep you updated rather than leave you wondering.

Yes. As soon as you're matched, we send you your instructor's phone number and email address in the same message that confirms the match, so you can arrange your lesson times directly with them.

We always note your preference and try to prioritise it where we can. It isn't guaranteed, since it depends on instructor availability in your specific area, and in some areas we may not have a choice of both. Let us know your preference when you enquire and we will do our best to match it.

Yes. If a particular instructor pairing genuinely isn't working, reallocation to a different instructor is the standard way we put things right. Get in touch and tell us what's happened, we may ask you to put this in writing so we can look into it properly, and we will then look at reallocating you where appropriate. Your course hours and booking stay valid throughout this process.

How scheduling, sessions and rebooking work day to day.

Everyone can state their preferred dates of their course on their booking. We have a calendar right before you book, where you can specify the specific start date you want your course to begin from.

In most cases yes. When you book, let us know the dates you have booked off with work. If the time booked off work is fast approaching, then it may be difficult to align all or a portion of your hours within the specified time frame. For best practice, ensure the time booked off is with plenty of notice. If you still need reassurance, please feel free to outreach to us at info@lpodacademy.co.uk

We understand intensive training can be demanding, that's why our instructors are trained to provide supportive, paced learning tailored to your comfort, and we offer guidance to help you manage the learning process. If you find the training is becoming too much to handle at any point, contact your instructor or us and we can look at reducing the intensity, spreading your sessions out more, or adjusting the pace. It's important we know if a course feels like too much midway through, getting in touch is always the best first step.

Yes, all courses can be tweaked and optimised to meet your specific needs. All instructors will get to know you and how you learn, then they will adapt their sessions to meet your ability, learning pace and strengths/weaknesses. You can specify on your booking and to your instructor, that you want to put more emphasis on a particular area of driving, you may want to take a slower learning pace (semi-intensive) and much more. The role of your instructor is to ensure you are a safe, competent driver and that you are ready for test. Along the process, you can specify that if you require more attention in certain areas, then you are free to request this.

Training runs seven days a week, between 6am and 7pm. Sessions are 2 to 6 hours, back to back or spread over weeks, built around your job, your college timetable and your energy. Some sessions can start earlier or finish later by arrangement with your instructor. Weekends are popular with learners who work, and they are no problem.

No. We do not sell rigid one-week blocks, and we think they fail most of the people they are sold to. People burn out, miss a day they cannot get back, and sit a test they were not ready for. We call our way of doing it the Flexi approach. Your hours are built around your life instead of a timetable someone else set. Sessions run from 2 to 6 hours, any day of the week, between 6am and 7pm. Take them back to back, or spread them over weeks, or do a bit of both. Most learners do a big block of hours first and keep the last few back for the week before their test, so they walk in sharp rather than rusty. Need more hours, or fewer? Talk to your instructor and your course can be adjusted as you go, so you are never locked into the guess you made at booking.

We cover 95% of the UK, across England, Wales and Scotland. Most instructors provide home pickup, though in a few places you may need to travel into a local town or city for your training. See the areas we cover: https://www.lpodacademy.co.uk/areas-we-cover/

In the majority of cases, yes. However, if you’re based in a remote village or outside the instructor’s service area, we may ask you to travel into a local town / city, potentially, at a train station, bus station or a public place. Sometimes, a lot of course hours get eaten up by home pickup / drop-off. To best maximise the course, if you can get yourself into the town/city where your local test centre is, this will be far more beneficial for you.

If you’re midway through your course & your instructor deems you need more hours, then you can add more hours! When doing so, please bear in mind, that it may be too short notice to add more hours if a test date is beyond the last date to cancel or your instructor may not have availability within the same time you’re doing your lessons.

If your instructor thinks you will be ready in fewer hours than you booked, say so and talk it through with them. Hours can be adjusted as you go, case by case, agreed between you and your instructor. If you pass with hours in hand, those hours do not have to go to waste. Plenty of learners put them towards extra training such as Pass Plus or motorway lessons. And if your test does not go your way, you already have hours ready for the retest. It can go the other way too. If your instructor thinks you need more time than you booked, the hours you have left may not be enough, and that is a conversation worth having early rather than late.

You can expect to have breaks during your course. The breaks will vary but they are generally given at the halfway point of a training session. Your driving instructor will clarify how breaks are given during your course upon request.

Should your availability change, we offer easy rescheduling options for your course. It would be a simple case of informing your instructor of the changes you need to make and they can amend the schedule accordingly.

There's no fixed validity countdown on your course, your hours are agreed with your instructor when you book and we work to keep things flexible if your circumstances change. If delays crop up, for example theory test timing or test date availability, get in touch with us or your instructor and we'll look at your options together to make sure you can use the hours you've paid for.

Let us and your instructor know as early as you can. Learners regularly need to adjust their training and test dates around things like work commitments, leave being approved late, or family circumstances, and your instructor will do their best to rework the schedule with you. Just bear in mind your course has an overall validity period, so a long break can eat into the time you have to use your hours, raise it early so it can be planned around rather than discovered late.

Yes, you have a 14 day cooling-off period from booking in which you can cancel. If you'd like your instructor allocated straight away rather than waiting, just let us know, this doesn't remove your right to cancel within the 14 days, but if you cancel after we've started delivering the service, we may charge for the part already provided.

Booking, studying for and passing your theory test.

Yes. We book your theory test for you and the DVSA fee is included, £60 all in. Add it when you book and we will get you the earliest slot we can find, so you can sit it before your course starts. Our online theory training is part of every course either way, and you do not need a theory pass before you book a course. Your practical test is different. Since 12 May 2026, only you can book it with the DVSA. Once you have passed your theory, you get test date support: guidance on which centres and times give you the best chance, help with the DVSA booking rules, and your final hours scheduled around the date you secure. If you want us watching for earlier dates as well, Test Alerts + Booking Strategy is an optional £50 add-on.

You don't need to pass your theory test before booking your course, in fact most learners book before they've passed. Booking early gives us more time to match you with an instructor and get you the dates you want, and our online theory training is part of every course, so you can start studying the day you book. What you do need is to pass your theory test before you can book a practical test, that's a DVSA rule and applies everywhere, not just with LPOD. So it's worth getting your theory done early in your course. We can book the theory test itself for you as an add-on, the DVSA fee is included, £60 all in.

Not to worry, plenty of learners need a second attempt. You can book your resit yourself in a couple of minutes at https://www.gov.uk/book-theory-test. If you would rather we booked it for you, that is available as an add-on and the DVSA fee is included, £60 all in. Just let us know and we will get you the earliest slot we can find.

Yes. Every course gives you free access to our online theory training, which is perfect if you need help with revision and studying. It covers all 14 theory topics, hazard perception training and case study training, so you're fully prepared whether or not you choose to have us book the test itself.

The theory test is divided into two parts: a multiple-choice section and a hazard perception section. You’ll face 50 multiple choice questions in the first part, needing at least 43 correct answers to pass. And the hazard perception is scored out of 75 and you need 44 to pass. It’s important to also focus on hazard spotting, a crucial part of the theory test.

Hazard perception is a crucial part of the theory test, following the multiple-choice questions. It includes video clips featuring various driving hazards. Adequate preparation for this part of the test is essential for success.

To excel in your theory test, adopting effective revision strategies is crucial. Here are enhanced guidelines to ensure you’re thoroughly prepared: - Structured Revision Schedule: Begin your preparation early to avoid cramming. Allocate consistent daily or weekly time slots for study to cover all the material well before your test date. - Identify Weaknesses: Pay extra attention to topics where you feel less confident. Utilise online resources or apps that track your performance. - Aim High: While the pass mark is 43 out of 50 questions, aiming higher in your practice tests can provide a cushion and boost your confidence. - Utilise Varied Study Materials: Include official handbooks, online resources, and interactive apps. - Engage with Case Studies: Practice with these types of questions to improve your ability to apply knowledge practically. - Hazard Perception Mastery: Practice hazard spotting, timing your responses as soon as a hazard starts to develop. - Review Mistakes: Go through each incorrect answer to understand your mistakes. - Rest and Relaxation: Ensure you’re well-rested before the test day. By adopting these strategies, you’ll be well prepared for your theory test and develop a deeper understanding of safe driving practices.

How test date support works, and what happens around test day.

Nobody can promise a date the DVSA has not released, so here is exactly what happens. Your instructor can hold a few hours of your course back until a date comes up, so you are not using all your hours before you have a test to use them for. We tell you which test centres near you are worth trying, and which days and times tend to come up. Sitting your test at a nearby centre rather than the obvious one often saves weeks. If you have the Test Alerts + Booking Strategy add-on, we keep sending you alerts when earlier slots may appear, and we can widen those alerts to cover other centres you can reach. It is an optional £50 add-on you can choose when you book. You make every booking yourself through the official DVSA service. We do not scan, monitor or automate the DVSA system, and we do not swap tests between candidates. All of that became illegal on 12 May 2026 and it can get a test cancelled with no refund. Your DVSA account stays yours at all times. If every option is exhausted, you can finish your training with your instructor and sit your test when your date comes round.

First, it's not the end of the road. Plenty of people pass second time, and you already have the hours and habits behind you, so a retest usually needs far fewer lessons to get you back to test standard than starting from scratch. Since 12 May 2026, only you can book, change and pay for a practical test with the DVSA, and that applies to every driving school in the country. You can rebook directly at https://www.gov.uk/book-driving-test. What we do is help you pick a sensible date and centre, and extra tuition hours before your retest can be arranged with your instructor. If you want alerts for earlier dates and the full booking-strategy guide, Test Alerts + Booking Strategy is an optional £50 add-on you can choose when you book.

Test dates are in short supply in a lot of areas, so this is worth planning for rather than worrying about. We tell you which centres to try. Some centres near you release dates far sooner than others, and your instructor knows the local picture. Widening your search by a few miles often saves weeks. We tell you which days and times to aim for. Some slots are far easier to get than others. We move your hours to fit the date you get. Your instructor holds hours back so you are sharp on the day rather than out of practice. That is the whole point of the Flexi approach. Want us watching for earlier dates as well? Test Alerts + Booking Strategy is an optional £50 add-on you can choose when you book. We flag when earlier slots may appear and give you the step by step on how and when to search. Only you can make the booking with the DVSA. No bots, no scanning software, no account access.

On some occasions, your local test centre may have to call off your test due to bad weather or any other circumstance. The DVSA will contact you directly with a rescheduled date, because the booking is in your name. Let your instructor know as soon as you hear, and we'll work your remaining hours around it. You can claim reasonable out-of-pocket expenses from the DVSA if the cancellation was their fault.

As close as we can make it. Once you have booked your own test date, your instructor plans your lessons backwards from it, so your training peaks right before test day. You secure the date, we build the course around it. If dates at your local centre are hard to come by, we will tell you which nearby centres are worth trying and which times tend to come up, and we will keep in touch while you search.

No, and it is not ours to book. Since 12 May 2026, only you can book your own practical test with the DVSA, so we do not book it for your last training day or for any other date. We do not scan, monitor or automate the DVSA system to do it for you either, because that is illegal. What we do is build your course around the date you get. Once you have booked, your instructor plans your lessons to build towards it, so your last days of training line up with test day as closely as possible, and we make sure the date works for your instructor's diary too. Landing a test on the exact last day of a course is not always possible anyway. What the DVSA has on offer depends on waiting times in your area, how much availability you have, and things nobody controls like bad weather and examiner strikes. You also need to have passed your theory before you can book a practical at all. If you have not booked yet and you want us watching for earlier dates, Test Alerts + Booking Strategy is an optional £50 add-on you can choose when you book.

No, and by law it cannot. Since 12 May 2026, only you can book, change, pay for and manage your practical test with the DVSA. That is the same for every driving school in the country. What your course does include is test date support: guidance on which test centres and times give you the best chance, help with the DVSA booking rules, and your final hours scheduled around the date you secure. Your DVSA account stays yours at all times. If you want us watching for earlier dates as well, Test Alerts + Booking Strategy is an optional £50 add-on you can choose when you book. We flag when earlier slots may appear, and you make the booking. No bots, no scanning software, no account access. Your theory test is different. We can book that one for you and the DVSA fee is included, £60 all in.

An intensive course puts your hours into a short space of time and concentrates them on the things you find hardest, so you improve quickly instead of forgetting last week's lesson. We build those hours around your life rather than around a fixed block. Sessions run from 2 to 6 hours, any day of the week, between 6am and 7pm, back to back or spread out. That is what we call the Flexi approach. Most learners take a big block of hours early and keep the last few back for the week before their test, so they walk in sharp. You book the test date yourself with the DVSA, and your course is planned around it.

86% of LPOD Academy learners pass first time (based on learners who completed a full course and sat their test), helped by taking the test while their skills are freshest. However, it varies based on the learner’s ability, experience, and instructor quality and other factors that contribute to the success of a candidate.

If possible, practicing with friends and family is a good way to get some extra practice in. Knowing the area of where your test is based at and becoming familiar with tricky junctions are all good tips!

Absolutely. Whether using your instructor’s vehicle or your own, familiarise yourself with it thoroughly. It’s ideal to have spent a good amount of time in the car you intend to take to test.

Learn from common mistakes others make during the test, visit the test centre before your test day for familiarity, and prepare thoroughly, including mental and physical readiness.

Straight answers to the most common myths about intensive courses.

Intensive courses get you there faster. Your training is condensed into weeks rather than spread over months, so what you learned on Monday is still fresh on Thursday. Weekly lessons can take the best part of a year to reach 45 hours, which is roughly what a new driver needs, and there is more chance of your instructor moving on partway through. You book your practical test yourself with the DVSA either way. What an intensive course changes is the timing: you sit it while your driving is at its sharpest.

Intensive courses offer immersive learning. Several hours per day driving helps reinforce skills and build confidence more rapidly. Weekly lessons are too spread out, and each session often requires 10+ minutes to recap the previous week, eating into valuable learning time.

Most intensive courses offer flexible schedules, catering to the student’s availability. They can be tailored for weekends or evenings, and can also be done as semi-intensive (a less “intensive” version of the course).

At LPOD Academy, 86% of learners pass first time (based on learners who completed a full course and sat their test). Intensive courses mean you take your test while your skills are freshest, which is a big part of why.

An intensive course can be more cost effective. With weekly lessons, there’s a risk of instructor changes that can delay progress.

Intensive courses have been becoming more and popular as time goes on. The results speak for themselves, so yes you can become a good driver within a short space of time. Intensive courses are ideal for learners who just want to get on the road quickly and purely focus on learning to drive. However, not all candidates would be suitable to an intensive course. If you find yourself needing space and time to learn, then opting for an intensive may not always be the best option.

Intensive courses can suit most people, but they’re not for everyone. Sometimes, candidates use one or two of their course hours with their instructor to get a “feel” with how they are going to progress. This is ideal when you may not know exactly your driving level. Then from this, the instructor will have a good sense of your driving ability.

No course can guarantee a pass, and anyone who tells you otherwise isn't being straight with you, success always depends on your own preparation and readiness on the day. What intensive training does do is put you in the car more often over a shorter period, which many learners find builds confidence and skill faster than spacing lessons out. Intensive courses aren't riskier than weekly lessons either, more time behind the wheel in a focused period tends to build safer habits, not worse ones. And they are fully recognised and accepted by the DVSA, delivered by the same DVSA-approved instructors (ADIs) who teach weekly lessons, just on a condensed schedule.

Intensive courses work for all types of learners, from complete beginners through to experienced drivers brushing up before a test, not just one group. That said, they're genuinely not right for everyone. Personal schedules, stress levels and how you learn best are all worth thinking about before you book, if you know you need lots of space and time between sessions to absorb things, a more spread out course may suit you better.

They're not a shortcut, you cover the same DVSA syllabus and need the same level of skill and knowledge to pass, just delivered on a condensed timetable rather than spaced over months. If anything, intensive learners often get as much or more time behind the wheel than those doing regular hourly lessons, since there's less time lost to briefing and debriefing at the start and end of every session. And because training happens close to test day, pass rates on intensive courses are often higher, not lower, thanks to the recency and consistency of the practice.

Cost depends on the hours you book and your postcode rather than the course being ‘intensive’ or not, and weekly lessons often carry hidden costs of their own, such as instructor changes, cancellations and disruption that intensive courses avoid. On test waiting times, the delay comes down to DVSA availability in your area rather than the course type, being flexible on centre and travelling a little further for your test often gets you a date sooner, whichever kind of course you're on.

How to reach us, and what happens if something needs sorting out.

Call us on 0330 223 2127, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. For general enquiries and new quotes, email info@lpodacademy.co.uk. If you've already booked and need support with your course, email customercare@lpodacademy.co.uk. For a formal complaint, email complaints@lpodacademy.co.uk. You can also reply to any message thread you already have open with us.

Our phone lines are open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm, and training itself is delivered 7 days a week. Most straightforward booking and course enquiries are answered within a couple of working days. If your enquiry is urgent, for example an upcoming test or lessons that haven't been booked in, say so clearly in your message and we will prioritise it.

First, try contacting your instructor directly by phone and message, most scheduling issues get sorted fastest that way. If you've tried this and are still not getting a response, tell us directly, including how many times and by what method you've tried to reach them, and we will follow up with your instructor on your behalf. If contact still can't be established, let us know and we will look at reallocating you to another instructor. Please don't wait weeks before flagging this, the sooner you tell us, the sooner we can act.

Get in touch with us in writing (email or message) with as much detail as possible, including dates, times and what happened, and ask us to send you our formal complaint form. Once we receive your completed form, we log it as a formal complaint and a member of our Customer Care team follows up with you to begin the process. We take a neutral position and gather both your account and, where relevant, your instructor's account before reaching a conclusion. We aim to give you an outcome within two weeks of receiving the completed form, and if we need longer we will tell you why.

Alongside our own complaints process, if your concern is about an ADI's professional conduct, you're also able to complain to the DVSA directly, and we can support you with this. If this applies to your situation, we will give you your instructor's ADI number, which you'll need for the complaint, and we would ask you to forward us any confirmation you receive from the DVSA so we can follow up on our end too.

This depends on the specific circumstances and is decided as part of our complaints process, so we can't confirm a refund or compensation without looking into what's happened first. Our booking guarantee covers one specific situation clearly: if no suitable dates can be arranged with an instructor, your deposit is refunded. For anything else, tell us what happened and complete the complaint form so it can be properly investigated, and we will work with you towards a fair outcome.