Frequently asked questions

CBT&A is the logbook method. You work through 30 competency tasks and your Authorised Examiner signs each one off as you demonstrate it, so there is no pass or fail moment. The VORT is a single assessed drive after 75 logged supervised hours, where you need 90 percent or better and no road law breaches. CBT&A suits people who do not perform well under test pressure. The VORT suits confident drivers who would rather get it done in one sitting.

Both. Most learners now choose automatic, which is completely reasonable. Be aware that if you are assessed in an automatic, your licence carries an automatic-only condition until you complete a manual assessment.

The CBD and inner suburbs, the northern suburbs, the western suburbs, the eastern suburbs and the southern suburbs as far as Marion. Send a message with your suburb and you will get a straight answer.

Usually yes, within the service areas. Say where you need to be picked up from when you message and it gets sorted before the first lesson.

Nobody can answer that honestly before seeing you drive. After the first assessment lesson you will get a realistic estimate rather than a number designed to sound appealing.

The quickest way is the WhatsApp booking form on this site, which sends Gopi your training path, transmission, suburb and preferred timing in one message. Calling or texting 0423 457 296 works just as well.

Seven days a week, closing at 8:00pm. Early morning and evening slots are often available, which helps if you are working or studying full time.

Yes. Adelaide Confident Driving Academy is the new trading name for Adelaide Driver Training Academy SA. Same instructor, same experience, same phone number. Only the name and the website have changed.

Indicative pricing is published on the pricing page rather than hidden behind an enquiry form. CBT&A lessons start from $180 for 90 minutes and VORT preparation from $110 for 60 minutes. Final pricing depends on your location and how many sessions you need.

Those are done online through Service SA, but Gopi can point you at the right practice resources and talk through the parts people commonly get wrong. The official links are in the footer of every page.

It depends entirely on where you start. Someone with a lot of supervised hours behind them might complete the 30 tasks in a handful of lessons. A genuine beginner should expect considerably more. Gopi gives you a realistic estimate after the first assessment drive rather than quoting a number that sounds good on a website.

No. The 75 hour supervised driving requirement applies to the VORT pathway. CBT&A learners work through the competency tasks instead. Check your current conditions on mylicence.sa.gov.au, since requirements do change.

Yes. Plenty of people come across after a failed VORT, or after realising that a single timed test is not how they perform best. Nothing you have already done is wasted.

Yes, and it is the pathway most overseas drivers choose. See the overseas licence conversion page for how that works.

Your examiner debriefs you on why, and you get a copy of the marking sheet detailing your performance. If you hold a learner's permit you must wait at least 14 days before attempting another VORT.

You need 90 percent or more across the general drive, plus successful demonstration of the five slow-speed manoeuvres, and no road law breaches. A breach terminates the test immediately regardless of how well the rest went.

Gopi's training vehicle has dual brake controls, which a student's personal vehicle does not. That protects you during the test and means there is no risk of being turned away on a roadworthiness or tyre issue on the day. You get an hour of practice in it first, so the biting point and controls are already familiar before the test starts.

Book the mock test first. It answers the question far better than a guess does.

It depends on your country of issue and your licence class. Some are recognised for direct conversion, others require assessment. Service SA publishes the current list, and Gopi can talk you through where you sit before you book anything.

There are timeframes attached to overseas licences in South Australia and they vary with your visa status. Check mylicence.sa.gov.au for your situation, because getting this wrong can leave you driving unlicensed without realising.

You work through the competencies, but an experienced driver typically moves through them considerably faster than a first-time learner.

Yes. Note that if you are assessed in an automatic, your SA licence carries an automatic-only condition.

It is extremely common and it is not a problem. Say so at the start of the first lesson and the pace gets set accordingly. Nothing gets sprung on you.

Also common, unfortunately. Several of the reviews on this site are from people who came across after that exact situation.

If you are anxious, automatic removes a whole layer of things to think about, and it is what most learners choose now. The trade-off is that an automatic-only licence restricts what you can legally drive later.

Then you get extra time on it. That is the entire point of one-to-one lessons.

Often one or two. Sometimes more if it has been a very long break. You will get a straight answer after the first drive rather than a package sold to you upfront.

No. It comes back faster than you would think, especially with someone calm in the passenger seat.

Yes, as long as it is roadworthy and appropriately insured. For some people that is exactly the right call, since the car is part of what feels unfamiliar.

Very understandable, and a common reason people book. The pace is yours to set.