I took the course at High School Driving Academy as a "mature" learner a few years ago. The reason…read morewhy I chose this school rather than another was mostly location: it's easy to get to the Dartmouth Sportsplex using transit whereas some of the other schools have fairly inaccessible locations for the theory part. The course consists of 25 hours of theory, usually comprising two subsequent weekends, and 10 driving lessons. The atmosphere of the theory part is a bit like back in high school, but I guess that's necessary given the audience. Apart from me only one or two other people were older than 18. The course is well taught though, and the materials used good. Peter and Janet, the two instructors of the theory part, and the owners of the company, are ex husband and wife. Interesting setup but it seemed to work. Peter is extremely obsessed with detail though, so he may be a bit challenging as a driving instructor. For the theory part he was great though. When you start taking the theory part you should already have your learner's licence -- otherwise you can't start booking driving lessons. An important organizational detail that is not really explained on the company website. It's a bit of an interesting situation since, in order to get a learner's licence, you have to pass the rules test and the signs test (as well as the vision test) -- so in a way you first have to pass the tests before you start learning the material in the course. Another reason to get your learner's licence as early as possible is that there is a three-month waiting period between getting your learner's licence and taking the road test (which you take after having taken the theory part as well as the driving lessons). For my driving lessons I had Gary Steed most of the time who is truly an excellent instructor. Meanwhile he started his own driving school though. The other instructors I had were good too. So overall it's a good driving school with nothing really to complain about. I passed my road test at the first attempt and have been accident-free ever since. I can recommend them.

From the owner: best driving school in halifaxread more

My experience with First Step Driving Training was a very positive one. the instructor Susan is an…read moreexcellent, very professional, yet approachable, instructor. she is a patient and a positive teacher that does a great job of pacing the lessons based on the individual's learning strengths and weaknesses. She doesn't just make you pass the road test, but ultimately, become a safe, confident driver.

Not impressed thus far with this company. They been around for years so I thought probably a…read morereputable company so I took my money and paid them for my sons driving classes. Classes were done but no driving yet because of Covid but if they didn't slack on getting some of the kids driving when things were still open. If things don't look brighter for my hard earned money spent to these people I will see that the media is aware and a small claims court will be considered. Get with it Tom or whoever is suppose to be scheduling the driving classes. You have a month then I'll start the ball rolling and I will do whatever I have to do to either get what I paid for or a refund for the whole. Totally disappointed!

Poor experiences with Young Drivers. The classroom portion was as expected, but ran into issues…read morewith the driving and dealing with Tom. Driving lessons that were scheduled were cancelled without notice (just didn't show up), when I called to ask I found out it was because my original license was expired, however I had already written my test again and received a new license. Instead of checking in, I was made to sit and wait for a lesson that I never had. Later I paid for additional driving lessons (2015), however didn't end up using them. I contacted Young Drivers in February to see if a refund was possible. They didn't have my information on file (unsure why...), but when I presented my receipts Tom replied that they would offer a refund up to 5 years later, and that he would mail a cheque or I could come in to pick up my refund. When the cheque didn't arrive, at first I thought the COVID pandemic may have played a part, and tried to contact Tom again. It's been 5 months and I haven't heard a word from him. I've called the office a few times to speak with a worker there, who insisted they can't offer a refund, despite the fact that Tom already agreed. I am now out $450 and can't get Tom to respond to my calls, messages left with the office, or numerous emails. Overpriced and terrible customer service.

I took both their defensive driving course and full driver education course, and in my opinion,…read morethey are the best driving school in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Thanks to Mr. Khatami, I passed my road test on the first try!

Ali goes above and beyond to make sure you not only pass your road test but drive safely. He is…read moreextremely patient and makes sure you understand everything.

I am very thankful to Abdul for all the hard work he has put during our classes to make sure that I…read morepass my road test, I appreciate his patience and ability to teach me how to drive within ten lessons without any driving experience before. My whole family is going to thru him and everybody is beyond satisfied. I recommend him to everyone, the best teacher in Halifax.

It is a good school. Three of my family obtained their driving licences after following the…read moretraining at C'EST.

I am 29 years old and I had so much fear around driving. I had so much support with Ha's driving…read moreschool. They really went above and beyond to help me. They even gave me a free lesson and paid for my second exam when I slipped on the first one. They were SO amazing, I cannot stress enough to go with them. I went to another driving school in Halifax when I was in high school and it was a very stressful experience. it stooped me from driving for many years. Ha's driving helped me overcome these fears, I am a happy driver now. Also Peter is so passionate about his work. He really cares to put good drivers on the road. Two thumbs up!

From the owner: At Ha's Driving School in Dartmouth, our instructors tailor your training to your learning style…read morewith one-on-one in-car lessons. Whether you are a high school student, new to the country or simply decided to get your driver's license later in life, our team of highly qualified instructors will take you through the process step-by-step at your own pace.

Horrible experience with this company-go elsewhere in HRM. I live in the neighborhood and saw their…read morecars, and I wanted to support a family owned, local business. I guess that doesn't matter to them. They were unreliable and uncommunicative. I asked for extra lessons for my daughter, I paid the invoice, and then emailed and called for 5 MONTHS to get her on the schedule with no response. Im talking ZERO. The only time they responded was when I asked for my money back. They were super quick to take my money, and get back to me when I wanted my money back. That's it. never even tried to make it right or apologize. I dont need an apology but I am pointing out they dont care about the people that sign up for their lessons. They also lied about when they sent my money back. When I asked again if they sent it, they said, "It should have went through" with the time stamp on the transfer one minute after my text. RIDICULOUS. This company is an absolute racket.

Poor communication, last minute cancellations, instructor didn't show up twice, instructor…read morecomplained that his car was breaking down (which left us nervous about our son driving it!), last minute instruction (our son was taught to parallel park the day before his driving test). Honestly, I can't recommend this company!