The Official Guide to Learning to Drive by Driving Standards Agency, 0115526080, Lowest Book Price Finder

Customer Reviews:

Test Infomation From the People who set the Test

I cannot believe the ratings people are giving this book and mostly because they bought the wrong one. Yes, I agree the titles are confusing but if you read the book synopsis it tells you what this book is.
I am a driving instuctor with 15 years experience and I recomend this book to all my clients/pupils. It is the only official book that covers the entire driving test syllabus. The national average pass rate for the practical test is only 43% - you have more chance of failing than passing. The reason for this is that MOST (and the pass rate reflects this) are not ready for the test. This book helps you understand what the examiner is going to test you for, how you will be marked and the faults you need to avoid. This is essential information for any learner driver.Would you take any other test without knowing how it will be marked and what is expected of you? Todays driving test is of a very high standard and you need to be ready for that.
Buy this book, when you pass 1st time (because you understand the test) you can always do a friend a BIG favour and pass it on to them!

There's no real point to this book

Don't buy this book thinking it's something else, which is what I did. This book is only about the test itself and what you're likely to be marked on in the test. It does not give any help with actually learning to drive - which is what you'd expect from the title. For that you need a different book that's also published by the DSA and to which they constantly refer to in the text here. Why they could just combine the two into a single volume, I do not know.

Here's a hint, buy the other book (essential skills, I think it's called) and get your driving instructor to teach you what's in this book and save yourslef some money.

The Best Advice You Can Get? Then I'm Scared!!!

The back of this book contains the phrase, "The Best Advice You Can Get". Well if the lack of information in this book is anything to go by then I'm absolutely terrified!

The book gives no pracitcal information whatsoever on the subject of driving but rather sets out to glibly repeat the driving sylabus in a convoluted and unnecessary manner.

All of the actual "information" could probably have fitted neatly into a 10 page brochure but then the DSA wouldn't have had anything to sell - so instead they've stretched it out to approx 100 pages (with pointless and unhelpful illustrations) and LOTS of advertisements for their other (which so far as I can see are equally pointless) products.

Learning to drive is expensive enough without being ripped off by the people who are supposed to be there to set an example. Avoid this book and look for something more practical.

The DSA Should Be Ashamed

This book package is full of the most basic, non-specific (to the subject of driving) information you can get, which is all available free if you look on the web.

First, the DVD... it's chapter driven, meaning you have to keep clicking play after watching a very amateurish clip of some guy explaining the obvious. So you can't just sit back and soak up the information. The few clips you do get of actual driving show nothing more than someone sat in a car (no idea what they're doing with the controls). Plus at the end they thought they'd show you the presenter getting his driving test result (which is pointless and completely un-informative). There is no actual footage of a complete driving test in progress (which is what the packaging would have you believe)

Now, the books... They also give you basic information, such as "make sure you drive in the correct position on the road" without bothering to tell you what specifically the DSA considers to be "correct"! It must have been written by someone who thinks the average IQ of the British population is sub 60.

All in all it seems as if the DSA, when publishing this, was more interested making money by trading on its positition as an authority than in improving driving standards. There's nothing of use here whatsoever.

A great way to start

I had my very first ever driving lesson last week and went straight out and bought this book
I am sure it will come in very handy as I progress through my lessons.

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