I definitely went off the Yelp reviews to find a driving school for my child and let's just say that I'm disappointed with the service my child has received from this driving. Apparently we weren't the only ones with the instructor running super late for lessons. All 3 sessions that my child had, the instructor was 10-15 minutes late. To top it off, my child said that the instructor was constantly on the phone during their last 2 sessions. Isn't that illegal to do? Also, my child wasn't taught how to park a car nor was taught how to drive on the freeway. I'm super disappointed that I've wasted my hard earned money as we had to spend a few additional hundred dollars to sign up for another driving school. Hey at least the second school we signed my child up for, they actually taught us how to park and drive on the freeway! I honestly don't know how this school received this many positive reviews, that's unless something happened to those negative reviews. Anyhow, I may have to bring this issue to the BBB just because I didn't like the fact that my child was trying to learn how to drive and I felt like the instructor didn't care and would rather talk on the phone! Shame on you! read more

ARS Driving School is the best. My driving instructor Ms Anika was so knowledgeable and kind. I highly recommend ARS Driving School

I found ARS Driving School on Yelp after my daughter passed her written driving test. After looking at other schools and talking to Anika; we opted to sign up for Package D which included 3 two hour driving lessons + a three hour DMV driving test slot which was coordinated and scheduled by ARS. Breaking it down: Outstanding customer service from the office and the instructor. Competitive pricing. Clean, mechanically sound car with passenger brake and gas pedal. One on one instruction (only one student in the car at a time). Superior instructor that makes learning to drive approachable while ensuring that the required knowledge is gained. Excellent in-person and email communication with instructor to outline areas for improvement and keep parents up-to-date. I have two more children that will need driving lessons; Anika and ARS will get that business without a doubt. All of the 5 Star reviews are very well deserved! Cheers! read more

This review is long due but better late than never. I passed my driving test after completing 3 lessons with Anika as my instructor. I had selected the package that included the lessons as well as a car for the actual drive test. What I loved the most about my lessons with Anika is her methodical approach towards teaching someone how to be a safe driver. After every lesson, she provided me with handwritten review notes regarding my driving for that day as well as helpful pointers on elements of driving that I could improve on. Her explanations were precise, constructive and extremely informative. I believe this was an important factor in helping instill confidence in my driving abilities & ultimately led me to ace the test! Thank you Anika & the entire team at ARS Driving School! read more

Cleared my driving test today :) I picked up this driving school for 3 reasons: 1. ARS had great reviews here on Yelp. 2. Their website had enough details and good plans to choose from. 3. Making payments with them was easy, you can do it online. I went with Package D which gives 3 lessons & DMV drive test. My instructor was Anika Stevens. These are the things I loved with ARS: 1. Ms. Stevens is the best driving instructor I have ever seen. For every session, they will guide us through the prep works. Will draw and explain about various driving rules and tips including the reasoning behind it. 2. When you are in the lesson and is driving, they will keep on repeating various tips, rules, techniques etc. This helps students to learn the basics very well. 3. After every session, they will give you detailed feedback and this is super helpful. 4. I made loads of mistakes every time. Ms. Stevens was super cool all the time and never made me feel uncomfortable. 5. Even after passing the test, Ms. Stevens gave me more tips and general guidelines which can be used while driving, renting, buying a car or getting a car insurance. read more

Before you pick this driving school, read all the reviews. Have you noticed it's all from Anika as their instructor? Of course, same instructor then you will pass and bam!! they gave this school five star... Unfortunately, when I signed up my son with them, I was very disappointed with the instructor they sent to my son.....And guess what, you need to have a car of your own for outside practice lesson. I'm giving you guys ahead up that if you have no car to practice outside lesson, forget about picking this driving school. You are going to fail instantly. And how are you suppose to get a car if you don't know how to drive yet. Lame isn't it? I felt bad for my son. They didn't even help him to feel confident with his lesson and maybe because of the incompetent and lame instructors he had. I wasted my money with this school with the instructor they sent to my son was an incompetent one. If the reviews says, Anika, they should have sent this freaking Anika person instead of somebody else. If I can give your driving school no star, I could. NO STAR. I won't recommend this school to anyone at all. Don't waste your money here and remember that you need a car of your own for outside practice, if you don't, you are going to fail.I WASTED MY MONEY which i could've used it for son's college tuition fee instead and he would just sacrifice taking the bus going to school. I'm going to fight in getting refund from this school. If i'm going to hire a lawyer, I will have to hire one so I can sue them for wasting my money. read more

I passed my driving test today on the first attempt! It was great choosing ARS Driving school with Anika as my instructor. With all three driving appointments, Anika was super kind and knowledgeable. Ready to assist, correct, and answer any of my questions that came up. She is someone who is easy to talk to and makes you feel confident behind the wheel. It can be hard trying to pick the "best" driving school. Although, with ARS the process was easy, wonderful, and reliable! Everything was well communicated with myself and my family, explaining all the steps for a driver to pass the driving test with no problems. Thanks so much again! read more

Took my DMV behind the wheel test this morning and I passed it on the first try! Thanks too Anika for walking me thru the things that the DMV instructor will observe! With the help of ARS Driving school, I'm now an official California driver! :-) read more

I was able to pass the driving test in my first attempt. It was only because of lessons from ARS driving school. I never drove a car before joining the school. I was so nervous. I don't even know how to move the car or control. After getting lessons from Anika, I was able to drive and pass the test in my first attempt itself. I am happy and thankful. read more

I have been waiting to write this review. Today i passed my drive test on my 1st attempt. Anika was my instructor, probably the best in bay area! She was very patient, to the point, no nonsense, humorous, highly energetic and expressive. She will boost your confidence the moment you clip your belt ! What i LOVED about ARS is that they are super methodical. Anika emailed me some notes and videos before the 1st class to prepare me. The 1st day when she arrived she allowed about 15-20 mins to teach me a few important things before i began driving. They will also examine you on your 2nd and 3rd class and email you a feedback after the sessions. I had given my DMV - written test 3 times before, passed all the times... but never had the courage to drive an actual car! Anika very patiently answered my doubts each time and totally threw my fear out ! --- This might be irrelevant to yelp but i have to say this. I found ARS on yelp after a bad experience with a different (highly rated) tutor in the area. I wish I had considered ARS the very 1st time! Thankyou ARS ! I am now a licensed driver :) read more

A great exciting experience for my daughter... she was very excited and texted me once the 1st instruction was complete and said she feels so much more comfortable. Her instructor was Anika and my daughter says she was cool! Thank you Anika and ARS for a great experience. read more

When I contacted ARS Driving, my permit was about to expire in a month, and I hadn't practiced or mastered driving yet. They helpfully squeezed all three lessons and my driving test into one month. Contacting them was very easy and convenient as well. They always pick up the phone and respond to emails promptly. Anika explains everything really well and is just an amazing teacher and person in general. She teaches you what to do in every situation on the road, especially on turns. At the end of every lesson, she sends you notes so you can review what you learned. She also goes over the testing process and testing area (roads, speed limits, etc.) so you know exactly what to expect on the test. Before, I thought I was the world's worst driver but now I feel a lot more confident and safe when driving.Thanks to her help, today I passed my driving test with only one error :D ARS Driving is an excellent school! read more

Anika was very nice and very helpful. An overall great instructor and experience and I passed my drivers test first try! She answered all my questions and made me feel comfortable behind the wheel! read more

My daughter had Anika as her instructor. She is an amazing instructor. She is not only very patient and guides you through all the rules but also provides reasoning behind the rules. My daughter said that since Anika is friendly and calm, it helped her be calm and not anxious since she was a first time driver. Anika comes on time and is pleasant even when you are driving your very first time and mess up. Best thing is the she drills down safe driving practices during the lesson and it helps you have peace of mind for your child being on the road. Could not have hoped for a better instructor. Highly recommend her, specially for the first timers. read more

I can only recommend Anika and her team at ARS with full stars. From the beginning, I felt valued as a customer: someone always picked up the phone, 7 days a week, prices and packages were explained up front, expectations were clearly laid out. As an instructor, Anika met me where I was, as a beginning driver. She patiently and calmly instructed me, always making sure to go over techniques that I didn't understand at the first go around. If she saw I wasn't grasping the idea, she'd try to explain it in other ways until I finally got it. Additionally, her instruction was always geared towards the goal in mind, here, the behind the wheel dmv test, and she made sure my techniques met the level of acceptance for the drive test. I especially found her follow-up emails with notes and reminders helpful between lessons and during my own time. One thing I'd like to mention is that the first lesson did not include a lot of driving on the road (although I did drive a little) and, rather, a larger chunk of time was dedicated to explanation of road rules. This was a good thing. Anika really clarified the concepts from the written test and gave a lot more information than what my spouse or friends would tell me about driving--I guess if you don't have a drive test to take, you might not think of all the little details all the time. After the first lesson, successive lessons were all on the road and I could put all the points from day one into practice. This made me a less anxious and more confident driver. After four well-spaced out lessons and some driving practice in between, I took my behind the wheel test through the drive test package. Anika felt I was ready and I felt that I could give it a fair shot. And I did pass, albeit with some errors (I am a nervous test taker). I don't think I could have passed were it not for Anika's calm instruction. Driving was something I had put off my entire life because I had no need of it when living in NYC, and because I have horrible vision in my left eye. It really sometimes takes a third party to help build objectivity and confidence, enough to pass the test and get me out my own door in a car. I couldn't have asked for better guidance than with Anika and ARS. Thank you! read more

Highly recommend to take their class!! My instructor was Anika, and she taught me with her patience and humor how to drive, following Californian DMV rules. There are so many tips to drive safe and you can't find out all of them by just watching YouTube or reading the drivers handbook. I took 3 classes and one hour class before the driving exam. All of them were really helpful. If I made some critical mistakes during class, Anika immediately pointed them out and texted me later what I should pay attention more while I was practicing out of the class. read more

I came across ARS Driving through yelp and based on the reviews, I decided to go ahead with them. My instructor was Anika and she has been so helpful and patient through out the entire process. On my first class, she spent some time going over important points and provided notes to better prepare myself. She is very methodical and her techniques really helped me, not just pass the driving test, but also become a confident driver. She also provided feedback after each session which was very useful. Highly recommend! read more

ARS was amazing. Anika is a great instructor. She is kind and personable. Her instructions were super helpful in making me a better driver and helping me pass the test! I would recommend ARS and Anika to anyone looking for driving lessons. read more

After failing a test for first time in my life (behind the wheels test) and feeling horrible considering that i had 18 years of driving experience in my country, my husband looked for the best help for me and he found ARS driving school. Is one of the best things that he could ever do for me!: yes i felt in love with him once more haha! Anika gave me the best lessons ever to be applied in every single driving situation and specifically to be able to pass the driving test. Because when you think that you know everything, definitely you don't!!!! I got my self-confidence back again and i got lessons for life. Driving is a life subject, is not only "just to drive". Thank you Anika for your patience and for being so clear! Thank you for adapting so well to my not fluent english!!! You are a beautiful person and the best teacher so far! Ill be thankful for my life time!!! read more

I passed my driving test in my first attempt! Anika was my instructor. She was extremely patient during all my lessons, instructions were very clear and the feedback notes at the end of each class really helped a lot. Taught me all the necessary things to pass the test and I feel a lot more confident to drive after taking her classes. read more

After purchasing a package of 3 driving lessons for my daughter, I am appreciative of ARS and especially grateful for Anika's thoughtfully personalized instruction, awareness of learning styles combined with direct communication of her detailed knowledge of driving rules. Kind, patient, and committed to instruction toward successful outcomes, Anika is down to earth and non intimidating while also highly professional. My highly discriminating daughter enjoyed Anika's instruction. (There is a lot to be said for that, as she would not agree to getting in a car with just anyone) She is a walking driver's ed manual/encyclopedia with local experience enabling her to share driving suggestions for specific areas a local driver is likely to experience. This awareness was particularly helpful for my daughter, who passed her driving test on her first attempt. The ease of communication with ARS regarding options and scheduling, plus Anika's knowledge, excellent straightforward communication skills and the study info she provides perfectly suited my daughter. A week after earning her license she found both a car and full time job. I can not thank Anika enough for the significant support she provides toward independence; the reward of obtaining a driver's license. Hopefully my son will be a future student; I can not imagine anyone else coming close to meeting his high instructional standard. read more

Anika is a wonderful instructor. My daughter took 3 driving lessons with Anika who provided good feedback/notes for areas to watch out for at end of 2nd lesson and provided great guidance overall . My daughter is quite a confident driver, having passed her driving test just a week back at 1st attempt. I highly recommend Anika! read more

I highly recommend the ARS Driving School. The school is very organized and prompt with responses and booking classes. They're also one of the only schools in the area with an easy to use and functional website (huge advantage!) and a transparent pricing policy. My instructor, Anika, was not only a fantastic driving instructor, but also very friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. Not having any driving experience, Anika made me feel comfortable behind the wheel on day one and made sure I was prepared for my driving test, which I passed on my first try! After each session, Anika sent feedback via text/e-mail which helped me remember what I needed to focus on in-between our scheduled sessions. I used the school's car for my driving test, which I also highly recommend as you get picked up ahead of your scheduled test time to drive around and "warm up". If you need to learn to drive or brush up on basics ahead of a driving test don't look elsewhere - you will not be disappointed! read more

I failed all my drive tests last year. I almost gave up, I thought I needed some professional help to get myself a license. I found ARS Driving School at yelp. I read all the reviews and all of them are good. I enrolled, took the lessons from Anika herself, studied her notes and Jim just accompanied me to DMV this afternoon and guess what? I passed. I made the right decision and the right choice. ARS Driving School will teach you how to do things right. Thank you so much Anika and Jim. read more

Excellent service, very thorough and patient team. Thank your for helping me pass! I got the Package A and Package B during November and December 2020. read more

I asked for Anika based on yelp reviews. She was very professional and knowledgeable. She followed up each lesson with an evaluation and suggested exercises to improve driving. She was flexible and worked with my 17 yr old's school schedule. I would highly recommend her. BTW, my daughter was very comfortable with "Ms. Anika" and passed the first driving test she took at the DMV. read more

I CLEARED BEHIND THE WHEEL TEST IN FIRST ATTEMPT :) When I moved to USA, the speed of all vehicles used to scare me...I never thought I would ever be able to drive . I took the very first lesson with Anika and things started changing...She explains rules clearly on paper and then practically while driving she tells same rules multiple times. After every class she sends detailed feedback in email, so you can always refer to those notes.Whenever I sent the query Anika responded within few minutes(through email). Anika is extremely professional person and I will HIGHLY RECOMMEND her. read more

Definitely would recommend this driving school 10 out of 10 times. Help me improved my skills and confidence after just 3 lessons. I passed the drive test on my first time easily! read more

With the help of amazing Anika Stevens, I passed my drivers test!! She was patient, provided me with all the information I needed to pass the test, and was always ready to answer any question I had, whether it was during the lesson or via e-mail. She made me feel super comfortable as a beginner driver, and not once did she make me nervous- even if I had made a mistake! I recommend her to anyone who would like to learn all the basics of driving, as well as passing the test. Thank you so much Anika!!! read more

Relocating from Canada, I wanted to get behind the wheel instruction to prepare for the road test and I must say that Anika and her team have delivered the best value possible. I took four hours of instruction and the DMV test package and was able to pass on the first attempt. Anika is a thorough instructor, she takes time to review every aspects of driving in the Bay Area, and does it with patience, kindness and a great spirit. What I've learned is not simply to pass the DMV test but also to drive defensively while adapting to the particularities of the local road system. This is time and money well spent! read more

I would highly recommend this school. Anika is a fabulous instructor and Ruth is a great help with signing on and scheduling behind the wheel lessons is very easy. 3 of my son's took the course and 2 passed the first time ( one just past today.,,, yeah!!!) and I'm confident my other son will pass next Monday. I will definitely be using this school again for my 2 other kids. Thank you ARS driving school. read more

Highly recommend this driving school!!! My instructor was Anika. I had taken driving lessons from two instructors from other driving schools before, but was not comfortable with the way they taught. I actually got less and less confident in driving as I took more lessons. I almost gave up when I found ARS driving school on Yelp. I read so many positive comments that I decided to give it a try. Anika was so patient and detailed in her explanation of driving techniques. She sent me notes through e-mail after each lesson. She was also super encouraging and made driving seem so easy. I had three lessons with her and passed the driving test on my first try. I'm so glad that I chose ARS driving school! read more

I found ARS driving school from yelp after a horrible experience with another school so my mom and I decided to give this school a try. Initially scheduled a lesson for March 18 and no one showed up it turned out I was supposed to have made an account online and confirm said lesson. I didn't obviously,but they gave me a spot late March so I figured no problem at least they tried to fix it. Fast forward after the first lesson which was my first time driving around a lot of cars so I was pretty nervous. The lessons were paid for in FULL this was Package D- three two hour lessons and the DMV exam for $500. I was supposed to receive an email that had the notes the instructor had explained. A week later no email. So I send an email asking about the notes and that I never received them, ok seems fixed. The next month check the site to see that my next lesson would be in late April I check their website and confirm the appointment. Done. Not quite I receive a reminder email a couple days before the lesson and guess what no one shows up. So I send an email asking when my lesson is supposed to be and the response was in early June and this is in late April mind you what happened to May? My response was "My last lesson was in late March and I don't have access to a car on a daily basis so the farther the lessons are apart the less likely I would be able to retain the information. I would not be able to take a lesson in early June". Their response was that I should have scheduled the lessons online like the instructor said, which she didn't, so I send an email saying that there was a lesson scheduled back in April but apparently it never went through because they didn't show up. Then I receive an email saying that my next lesson is in early June about week later I receive another email that says that because they haven't received a response they're going to give my spot away,cancel my account and a refund. Now, I was worrying about how they would process a refund if I paid for the lessons in cash. My second lesson ended up being in early June now after reading a review on here it would seem that it isn't something common because most of these people seemed to have had a great experience with this school, good for you, but I'm in the minority here. DMV exam is in late July, again I don't know how my first lesson was in March, second in early June and last lesson in late July. To get to the point I did NOT pass my behind the wheel exam the examiner asked me if I had signed up with a driving school I told them yes and their answer surprised me, especially after telling them how much I paid for the lessons, that I had "wasted my money" and they felt kinda bad. Now I don't want to comment on this school's way of instruction because hey I failed the exam on the first attempt so what do I know about driving,but I'd be lying if I said that the way their scheduling website layout is set up was 'easy to use'. If this school could accommodate to someone else's schedule why couldn't they accommodate to mine? Unfortunately this entire experience only made me more anxious about driving and my only regret is not cancelling sooner and getting a refund. read more

They are not follow through, they were hard to reach after they took my money, they were deceptive in their assertions early on. No one said that after I paid $500 that if too many months went by, that I would not be afforded a credit. My child was not able to take the test due to other school stresses, we decided to wait until the school year was done. When we were ready, I called back, and no, they said my credit of $500 was gone. They referred me to a page on their website, that was never discussed. Don't use this company, they don't care about your money or your pocket book. All that I needed was the 4 hours of service that I paid for, I would have even paid more to "reopen" the file as they stated. But, no, they wanted me to pay all over again. Don't hire them, they are not worth it, and they have no empathy or compassion, they are cold people. read more

ARS Driving School is awesome. My son took his behind the wheel test and passed on his first try. Thanks to Anika for making him confident and walking thru the things that the DMV instructor would observe. Anika the instructor is not only a fantastic instructor but also very friendly, professional and knowledgeable. If you are looking for a driving school don't look any further, I highly recommend ARS driving school you will not be disappointed. Thank you very much Anika! read more

I came across ARS Driving through yelp, and decided to go with it for my 17 year old daughter. Anika teaches very thoroughly, and has an immense amount of knowledge about the driving test and driving in general. Anika registered for the test and brought my daughter to the dmv. My daughter passed her test in one try. Would highly recommend ARS. read more

I was a student and I am very happy with their services, my instructor was very nice and way always on time. They also did a very good job preparing me for my drive test and I was able to pass it my first try. read more

I have been terrified of driving my entire life. Annika helped me work through my fears. She was a patient and wonderful teacher who helped me develop both confidence and techniques. I also used her car for the drive test which was a big help and I passed on my first try. Would definitely recommend. read more

I highly recommend ARS driving school. I had never learned how to drive and only reluctantly decided to learn. Now I am so glad I did and particularly glad that I chose ARS. Anika is a great instructor. She helped me be calm and confident. After three lessons (and a few practice sessions in between with friends) I passed my driving test first try. The lessons with Anika were very thorough and progressed in a logical manner. After each lesson I received follow up notes that were helpful. I thought it was particularly great that during lessons we drove around streets near the DMV where my drive test would take place. On the day of my test we again drove around near the DMV and Anika then walked me through what would happen when exiting from and entering back into the DMV parking lot for the test. This made the test itself far less daunting than it could have been. For any new driver I definitely suggest taking the package with three lessons and using their car for the drive test. This makes the whole process of learning to drive and taking the test very smooth and straightforward. I also think one or more lessons with ARS driving school would be great for people from outside the U.S. who need to take the driving test for their California license. Anika knows the California road rules inside and out, and also knows how to prepare you for the DMV test. read more

wonderful driving school. my son passed after taking the test twice but the first time he failed, it was in los gatos and they are very difficult to pass with. we drove to coalinga and they were differently a small town feel they even came out to the car to tell us they could take us earlier. read more