Driving lessons can be expensive, and the longer it takes to learn and pass your test the more lessons you need. The average learner in the UK has 45 hours worth of driving tuition. And with lessons costing around £24 an hour passing your driving test can cost in excess of a thousand pounds. Here are some top tips for passing your driving test and hopefully saving some money on lessons, to put towards the car insurance instead!

It’s important that you are comfortable with the instructor you chose. You need someone who will give you confidence in your new skill, especially if you are a nervous driver. If your instructor is making you nervous, or not available when you need lessons, find a new one. Personal recommendations can be a great place to start, as well as an instructor with experience.

An intensive course of lessons can be more effective than a lesson once a week. It helps build your confidence and develop your skills. It may seem like an expensive outlay, but in the end you could have less lessons, making it more cost effective.

Get out there between lessons and practice, practice, practice! Again make sure the person in the passenger seat makes you feel comfortable. The last thing you need when learning to drive is a nervous passenger! Remember your passenger must be 21 or over and have held a full UK driving license for 3 years or more.

Although you won’t know the exact route of your test, it’s really important to familiarise yourself with the roads around the test centre as this is where your test will take place. Chances are you already generally know the area since it's likely to be fairly local to where you live, but take the time to understand the roads that you might come up against. So if for example you live in Newcastle, your driving lessons Heaton will familiarise you with any one way streets, particularly difficult roundabouts or roads where it's tricky to merge making you more likely to get them right. Familiar roads and surroundings will give you more confidence on the day.

Know your highway code. There’s no passing your test without it. So find time to hit the books and swot up. Don’t forget those stopping distances! Although you will have passed your theory test, you still need to know the highway code every time you get behind the wheel.

Once your instructor feels you are ready for your test, it can be a long wait to get a test date. You can sign up for a driving test cancellation to hopefully get a test earlier, and save money on all those lessons in between.

It may sound silly, but it’s amazing what you can forget under pressure, including your left from your right! A discrete little L drawn on your wrist could make all the difference in a moment of panic and mind blank.

Most importantly, on the day stay calm. If you make a mistake, move past it and don’t let it knock your confidence. Ask the test instructor to repeat anything you don’t understand. And if you don’t pass the first time, just remember the saying “all the best drivers pass second time!”

Good luck, and have fun shopping for your car.