--- title: "Automatic Driving Lessons | Cost & Hours | Fast Track" description: "Automatic driving lessons with DVSA-approved instructors. How many lessons you need, what an automatic driving licence lets you drive, and what it costs." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk/#organization", "name": "Fast Track Driving Lessons", "url": "https://fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk/", "email": "info@fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk", "areaServed": "GB", "description": "Intensive driving courses and driving lessons across the UK with DVSA-approved instructors." }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk/#website", "url": "https://fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk/", "name": "Fast Track Driving Lessons", "publisher": { "@id": "https://fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk/#organization" }, "potentialAction": { "@type": "SearchAction", "target": { "@type": "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate": "https://fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk/search?q={search_term_string}" }, "query-input": "required name=search_term_string" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many automatic driving lessons do I need to pass?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Most complete beginners reach test standard in roughly 20 to 30 hours of automatic tuition, against a DVSA national average of about 45 hours for manual. Private practice between lessons brings that down further." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How much are automatic driving lessons?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "We charge the same hourly rate for automatic and manual tuition, and courses are priced by the hour with no booking fee. Because automatic courses tend to be shorter, most learners pay less in total than they would for manual." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are automatic driving lessons easier than manual?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Easier to start, not easier to pass. You skip clutch control, stalling and gear changes, so you progress faster in the early hours — but the test, the syllabus and the examiner's marking are exactly the same." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What can I drive with an automatic licence?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Any automatic car, including almost all electric and hybrid vehicles. You cannot drive a manual car until you pass a further practical test in one." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I upgrade from an automatic licence to a manual licence?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. You take a full practical driving test in a manual car. Your theory test pass does not need repeating if it is still valid, and most people take a short block of manual lessons first to get used to the clutch." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the automatic driving test different?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Same routes, same manoeuvres, same twenty minutes of independent driving, same marking sheet. The only difference is the car you turn up in, and the restriction that appears on the licence afterwards." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Driving lessons", "item": "https://fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk/driving-lessons" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Automatic driving lessons" } ] } ] --- Get an exclusive 15% off - Offer ends next week! [![Fast Track Driving Lessons](/assets/fasttrack-logo-360-B6kGRO06.png)](/) [Log in](/theory/account)[Get me driving](/course-recommender)Menu [Our Courses & Prices](/courses) [Driving Lessons](/driving-lessons) [Areas We Cover](/driving-lessons-in) [Learner Hub](/learn) [Theory Test](/theory) 1. [Home](/) 2. / [Driving lessons](/driving-lessons) 3. / Automatic driving lessons Driving lessons # Automatic driving lessons With no clutch and no gears, automatic learners typically reach test standard faster. The trade-off is a licence restricted to automatic cars. ## What to expect ### Faster to test standard Most automatic learners need around a quarter fewer hours than the equivalent manual course. ### Easier in traffic Stop-start city driving is far less tiring, which suits nervous learners and commuters. ### Licence restriction An automatic pass covers automatic cars only. You can upgrade later by taking a manual test. Usually suits ### 25 hours Confident Starter Learners with a handful of lessons who want a clear run to test. £1,530.69 [See the course](/courses/25-hour-course) ## What automatic driving lessons are like Take away the clutch pedal and the gear lever and you remove the single biggest source of early-lesson stress. There are two pedals, a selector with P, R, N and D, and everything else is the same driving lesson anyone else takes. That does not make the test easier. You still need mirror discipline, junction planning, roundabout observation, the manoeuvres and twenty minutes of independent driving on sat nav. What changes is that all of your attention is available for those things from lesson one, rather than being spent on your left foot. Because of that, most automatic learners reach test standard in noticeably fewer hours than the equivalent manual learner — typically around a quarter fewer in our experience. ## The automatic driving licence: what it does and does not cover If you pass your test in an automatic car, the DVSA issues a category B auto licence. It lets you drive any automatic car — including almost every electric and hybrid vehicle on sale — but it does not let you drive a manual. There is no upgrade course and no top-up test. To remove the restriction you take a full practical driving test again in a manual car. You do not need to retake the theory test, and you can keep driving automatics in the meantime. This matters less every year. New petrol and diesel car sales are being phased out, most electric cars are single-speed automatics, and an increasing share of hire and company fleets are automatic. It still matters if you might drive a van for work or borrow an older family car. ## Who automatic lessons suit best Nervous learners, and anyone who has tried manual lessons before and stalled their confidence along with the engine. Removing the clutch removes the thing most people are afraid of. City drivers. Stop-start traffic in an automatic is a completely different experience, and if your daily driving is urban you may never want a manual again. Learners with a physical condition affecting the left leg or hip, and older learners returning to driving. And anyone on a deadline — a new job, a house move, a caring responsibility — where fewer hours to test standard is the deciding factor. ## Cost: is automatic more expensive? Per hour, our automatic and manual rates are identical. Some driving schools charge a premium for automatic tuition because automatic dual-control cars cost more to buy and insure; we do not. Total course cost usually comes out lower for automatic learners, because the course is shorter. A learner who would have needed 30 manual hours often finishes on around 25 automatic hours. The practical test fee is the same either way — £62 on a weekday, £75 evenings, weekends and bank holidays, paid to the DVSA. ## What's included either way - A DVSA-approved instructor with a verified green badge - Dual-control car, fully insured for learner drivers - Pick-up and drop-off at home, work or college - Free access to our theory test practice hub ## Common questions ### How many automatic driving lessons do I need to pass? Most complete beginners reach test standard in roughly 20 to 30 hours of automatic tuition, against a DVSA national average of about 45 hours for manual. Private practice between lessons brings that down further. ### How much are automatic driving lessons? We charge the same hourly rate for automatic and manual tuition, and courses are priced by the hour with no booking fee. Because automatic courses tend to be shorter, most learners pay less in total than they would for manual. ### Are automatic driving lessons easier than manual? Easier to start, not easier to pass. You skip clutch control, stalling and gear changes, so you progress faster in the early hours — but the test, the syllabus and the examiner's marking are exactly the same. ### What can I drive with an automatic licence? Any automatic car, including almost all electric and hybrid vehicles. You cannot drive a manual car until you pass a further practical test in one. ### Can I upgrade from an automatic licence to a manual licence? Yes. You take a full practical driving test in a manual car. Your theory test pass does not need repeating if it is still valid, and most people take a short block of manual lessons first to get used to the clutch. ### Is the automatic driving test different? No. Same routes, same manoeuvres, same twenty minutes of independent driving, same marking sheet. The only difference is the car you turn up in, and the restriction that appears on the licence afterwards. ## Other lesson types [ Manual driving lessons A full licence that covers every car on the road. ](/driving-lessons/manual)[ Beginner driving lessons Never driven before? This is where everyone starts. ](/driving-lessons/beginners)[ Refresher driving lessons Passed a while ago, or had a long break? Get your confidence back. ](/driving-lessons/refresher)[ Semi-intensive driving lessons Intensive structure, spread over weeks instead of days. ](/driving-lessons/semi-intensive) ## Not sure how many hours you need? Answer four quick questions and we will recommend a course based on your experience, not a sales target. [Get my recommendation](/course-recommender) [![Fast Track Driving Lessons](/assets/fasttrack-logo-360-B6kGRO06.png)](/) All instructors are DVSA-approved and badge-checked. ## Courses - [All courses & prices](/courses) - [Course recommender](/course-recommender) - [Pricing & payment](/pricing) - [How it works](/how-it-works) ## Driving lessons - [Manual lessons](/driving-lessons/manual) - [Automatic lessons](/driving-lessons/automatic) - [Beginner lessons](/driving-lessons/beginners) - [Refresher lessons](/driving-lessons/refresher) ## Learners - [Free theory practice](/theory) - [Pass guarantee](/test-pass-guarantee) - [Your first lesson](/driving-lessons/first-driving-lesson) - [Find an instructor](/search) - [Areas we cover](/driving-lessons-in) - [Driving test centres](/driving-test-centres) ## Learner Hub - [All guides](/learn) - [Manoeuvres](/learn/manoeuvres) - [Practical test](/learn/practical-test) - [Theory test guides](/learn/theory-test) - [Rules of the road](/learn/rules-of-the-road) ## Company - [About us](/about) - [FAQs](/faqs) - [Offers & discounts](/discounts) - [Work with us](/work-with-us) - [Ways to pay](/ways-to-pay) - [Contact us](/contact) ## Company information Fast Track Driving Lessons is a trading name of MH Cancellations Ltd. Registered in England & Wales, company number 11921914. ## Registered office Suite 9, Silk House, Park Green, Macclesfield, England, SK11 7QJ ## Contact [info@fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk](mailto:info@fasttrackdrivinglessons.co.uk) We reply to all enquiries within 24 hours. Independent of the DVSA and DVLA. - [Privacy policy](/privacy-policy) - [Cookie policy](/cookie-policy) - [Terms and conditions](/terms) - [Refund policy](/refund-policy) - [Cancellation policy](/cancellation-policy) - [Accessibility](/accessibility) - [Complaints](/complaints) Cookie settings© 2026 Fast Track Driving Lessons. All rights reserved. ## Cookies on this site We use essential cookies to make the site work. We would also like to set optional analytics cookies to see which guides help learners most. Nothing optional runs until you agree. See our [cookie policy](/cookie-policy). Accept allReject optionalManage cookies