For future instructors
In-house training that doesn't just get you through the ADI tests. We coach you into a genuinely good instructor and help you set up your own brand - so you finish ready to earn, not just qualified.
The route
Becoming an approved driving instructor (ADI) means passing three DVSA tests. Here's what each involves, roughly how long it takes with us, and - the question everyone asks - when you can start earning.
Multiple-choice theory and a hazard perception test, both to a higher standard than the learner tests. You revise, then sit them together at a DVSA centre.
Prep time
About 2-4 weeks of revision
Test wait
Test slots from ~4 weeks in some areas; up to ~2 months in others
An advanced test of your driving: an eyesight check, vehicle-safety questions, set manoeuvres and independent driving - well above the standard of the learner test. Our training combines in-person and online practice, plus plenty of your own guided driving.
Prep time
About 2 months of practice with us
Test wait
Usually 4-6 months for a slot (sometimes ~3). With intensive training and checking the DVSA site regularly for cancellations, we've had trainees pass within a month. Don't worry about the location - many of our instructors pass at an unfamiliar test centre.
You teach a real pupil for about an hour while an examiner marks 17 skills across three areas. Score 0-3 on each (51 max); you need 31 to pass - and it's an automatic fail if risk management scores 7 or less. It's the hardest part: the pass rate is lower and there's a lot to learn, so we recommend teaching real pupils with us for at least 3 months first.
Prep time
At least 3 months teaching pupils with us
Test wait
Around 3-6 months for a slot - but you keep earning on your trainee licence the whole time
What's marked
Once you pass Part 1, you must pass Part 2 and Part 3 within two years, with up to three attempts at each - otherwise you start again from Part 1. We plan your journey around that window from day one.
Many instructors train with us from Part 2 or Part 3 rather than the beginning - that's fine. Starting with us from Part 1 just gives the smoothest, best-planned run.
Why it's a good time
This isn't hype - it's the shape of the market right now, and it is especially true in London.
There are around 43,000 approved instructors today (DVSA, 2025), down from roughly 46,000 a decade ago - while demand for lessons hasn't fallen. A capable, qualified instructor is rarely short of pupils, and in London the shortage is sharper still.
With real training and a recognised brand behind you, you can sit above the local going rate instead of competing on price. Good instructors in London are at the top of the range.
A large number of London learners want to be taught in their first language, and very few instructors can. If you can, you're offering something people actively search for - and can charge accordingly.
You set your own hours and days, so you can work around the school run, other commitments, or a quieter season. Shaping your own week is one of the job's genuine perks.
We train our instructors in-house, and we don't stop at teaching you how to teach. We coach you into a genuinely good instructor - the calm, structured, learner-first way TOFU is known for - and we help you set up your own brand, so you finish ready to build a business, not just holding a badge.
The three DVSA qualifying tests are the milestones: Part 1 (theory and hazard perception), Part 2 (an advanced test of your own driving), and Part 3 (a test of your ability to teach). We take you through all three - and past them.
Our training is a mix by design: in-car sessions, real teaching practice with feedback, theory and hazard-perception prep, honest mock tests, and one-to-one mentoring. We keep it varied, real and genuinely enjoyable - which also happens to be what makes it stick and makes passing easier.
No test has guarantees, but the mock tests and mentoring exist for one reason: to get you genuinely ready before you sit each part, not just hopeful.
Everyone's different, and we move at the pace that gets you ready rather than a fixed timetable. Many people go from "I'm thinking about it" to passing Part 2 - the point you can start earning on a trainee licence - in around six months. We've also had people do the whole thing in under two months.
The trainee (PDI) licence is the key: once you pass Part 2 you can teach paid lessons under it while you finish training for Part 3, so you're earning well before you're fully qualified.
You'll need to meet the DVSA's eligibility requirements to become an instructor - broadly, being at least 21, having held a full car licence for a few years, a clean-enough driving record, and passing an enhanced DBS check. We check your eligibility with you before you start, and the DVSA's own guidance is the final word.
Training is tailored to you - where you're starting from and how fast you want to go - so there's no one-size price. Tell us your situation and we'll give you a clear, personalised quote, with no obligation.
When you pass, there's a franchise waiting: pupils, the TOFU brand, and booking and admin support from day one - so you start earning properly straight away instead of building from nothing.
Why TOFU
Most schools hand new instructors a junior trainer and a workbook. We're led by a head of instruction with 27+ years behind the wheel and in the classroom - and here's how training with TOFU actually works, written as answers to what people ask us most.
Pass Part 2 and we sponsor your trainee licence, so you teach paid lessons while preparing for Part 3 - income starts during training, not after it.
“Will I actually get work?” Yes - our franchise fills your diary, so you spend your hours teaching and earning instead of hunting for pupils.
You get three attempts at each test within two years of passing Part 1. We plan your route around that clock from day one, so a setback is a delay - not a restart.
We design our training with university lecturers and refine it every year - built for both a quicker pass and genuinely good teaching.
Our head of instruction has 27+ years teaching and training drivers: the DVSA standards known inside out, a real feel for how the tests and the market have changed, and having seen exactly what makes instructors succeed or struggle. Most schools lean on junior staff - you get that senior experience, kept calm, casual and genuinely fun.
Genuine one-to-one, in-person instructor training - not group webinars or a self-study pack you work through alone.
You learn to teach real learners in real traffic - which is exactly what the job, and the Part 3 test, actually measure.
“What's the catch?” There isn't one: reasonable, clearly-stated training fees, and no hidden per-pupil lesson charges once you're teaching.
A London-based school founded by Hongkongers, training in English, Cantonese or Mandarin - and past trainees build their careers with us.
You don't have to talk to the office first. Our instructors are our best advocates - ask us to put you in touch with one, and hear what training with TOFU is really like.
Explore more
Related reading
Ask us about the ADI route and how we mentor you through all three parts.
