Question 1

Do I need my learner’s permit before my first lesson?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You need a current South Australian learner’s permit before you can drive with an instructor. Bring it to every lesson.

Question 2

I’m really nervous. Is that a problem?

Accepted Answer

No. Most first-time learners are. Early lessons start on quiet streets and move at your pace. The aim is that you feel calm and in control before anything gets harder.

Question 3

Automatic or manual: which should I learn?

Accepted Answer

Automatic lessons are in Stacey’s car. Manual lessons cost the same but are taught in your own manual vehicle, so you would need access to one that is registered, roadworthy and insured. If you’re not sure which suits you, ask when you call.

Question 4

How long is a lesson and what does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Lessons are 60 or 90 minutes. A 60-minute lesson is $115 and a 90-minute lesson is $170. Five-lesson packages bring that down: $555 for five 60-minute lessons and $750 for five 90-minute lessons. Manual lessons are the same price, taught in your own manual car.

Question 5

Do you pick up from home or school?

Accepted Answer

Say where you’d like to start from when you book and Stacey will tell you what she can arrange.

Question 6

Can a parent sit in on a lesson?

Accepted Answer

Ask when you book. Plenty of parents like to sit in on a first lesson, and Stacey is happy to talk it through.

Question 7

Do you sign off my logbook hours?

Accepted Answer

Every lesson counts towards your logbook hours. Everything you need to pass your assessment is set out in your driving companion book, and Stacey breaks each procedure down and works through it with you until you are meeting the standard. Bring the logbook to every lesson.

Question 8

Can I do CBT&A with you, or do I need to sit the VORT?

Accepted Answer

Stacey teaches test preparation for the Vehicle On Road Test. She does not offer Competency Based Training and Assessment, so she will prepare you for the VORT and you sit that one practical test with a government examiner at the end of it.

Question 9

How many supervised hours do I need before my test?

Accepted Answer

The requirement is set by the South Australian Government and can change, so check the current figure on the SA licensing pages. Every lesson with Stacey goes into your logbook towards it.

Question 10

Can I sit my driving test in Stacey’s car?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sitting the test in the car you have been learning in is one less unfamiliar thing on the day. The test day package is $440: that is the $240 examiner’s fee, which Stacey can organise and pay directly when the test is booked, plus $200 for the use of her car and an hour’s warm-up lesson beforehand.

Question 11

I hold an overseas or interstate licence. Can you help?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If you have to sit a practical driving assessment here because you are converting a licence from another country or another state, lessons focus on South Australian road rules and on what the assessor is looking for. The same applies if you have been asked to sit an assessment because of a medical condition, or if you are simply out of practice and want your confidence back.

Question 12

Can I buy lessons as a gift?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Lessons and packages can be bought as a gift voucher, so you can pay for them and the learner books the lessons in when it suits them.

Question 13

Do you cover my suburb?

Accepted Answer

Lessons cover Adelaide’s north-eastern suburbs. See the Areas We Cover page, or call to check, nearby suburbs can often be arranged.

Questions learners (and parents) ask