I failed the road test as I went by myself without going to any school and driven in the US as a tourist for 5+ years but realized I needed to know technical details. Jose was great teaching me in a 2 hour sessions driving around the city and the day of my road test Geno G was great. He had me drive around the DMV area so I was familiar with the roads and provided feedback where I went wrong and specially helping me master the Three point drive. I was confident this time during my road test and didn't feel as if I was appearing for exam. If you want to pass in your first attempt look no further and go to Nova driving school and Ask for Jose or Geno G both of them were great. read more

Nova Driving School - With the Master Geno G ! - Driving Schools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

After several years attempting to get my license, I decided to finally make it a priority and go to driving school to learn the proper rules of the road and not just the know-how of a friend. The staff was pretty good about scheduling my lessons. I only had a two week window before returning to school and the front desk person (wish I could recall her name), was really considerate about my time. I was assigned Martha who was very kind and helpful during the entire process. I was nervous getting back behind the wheel after several failed attempts, but Martha reassured me throughout that I was doing well and not be too hard on myself if I made a minor mistake. The day of the test, she was with me each step of the way and continued to reassure me. She even did a breathing exercise with me to calm me down, which I thought was very sweet of her. And in the end, I passed! Overall, I was satisfied with the training I received from Nova. I gave it four stars because I did occasionally feel that I was being given too many directions at once and wasn't always able to complete a task and not feel overwhelmed. read more

I had a one hour session with Luis before the road test, and I took the test in Nova's car. Definitely ask to prepare for the test with Luis! He explained everything so well, and we kept on practicing until he felt I was ready. I passed my test thanks to his help!! After the test he was very happy and supportive; it's always great to feel like your instructor is proud of you :) So, I definitely recommend that you practice with Luis! 10/10! read more

"You can never invest too much in yourself" a wise woman once told me. 5 years ago I decided it was finally time to invest in my own car but didn't have a drivers license. No one I knew felt comfortable enough to help refresh my driving skills so that's when I discovered Nova. I was a bit reluctant to pay for the lessons but remembered this was a lifetime investment so I took the chance. I signed up for 3 sessions, in which one included the driving test. My instructor for majority of my sessions were Javier, who was a delight to work with. Not going to lie, I was pretty embarrassed to been seen "learning" how to drive but after a couple of months I continuously seen the Nova car in my area! I'm happy that I was able to motivate others to reach out to professionals for help. Learning to drive can be nerve wrecking definitely with people who has little patience so again Nova driving school thank you. read more

Francisco was absolutely the best driving instructor I've ever had! I've been learning to drive on and off for 10 years. My lesson with Francisco was the only time I felt like things really "clicked" for me. Now I'm driving with way more confidence! Thanks, Francisco! read more

The customer service at Nova has really tanked over the pandemic. When my oldest son took driving lessons, you could schedule a session online or call to schedule easily. Now you can no longer schedule online (the calendar is always fully booked for months out), and if you try to call and speak with someone, you will be on hold for an hour or more, and often no one ever picks up. For people with busy lives, this just does not work. The only reason why I'm giving Nova two stars instead of one (or zero) is that my son's driving instructor, Mauricio, is excellent. Do, better, Nova! You're supposed to be making families' lives easier, not more stressful! Addendum: I received a call from the manager at Nova a few hours after posting the review above. He initially explained that they had been having some tech issues that day, but when I replied that this has occurred every time I've called within the past two months, no explanation was provided. He did apologize, give me his direct extension for future communication, and offer a free road test for my son for the inconvenience. I appreciate that he tried to make things better and am mollified, though I do stand behind my original review. Of note, I was able to reschedule my son's lessons quickly and efficiently once someone from Nova texted me (that they had tried to call me back and missed me), so I would recommend going this route (replying to text) if you call and cannot get through. I have adjusted my star rating up to 3 to account for my subsequent interaction with the folks at Nova. read more

STAY AWAY! I had the worst experience with this school. With my first lesson, my instructor Richie was texting and not paying attention to me and had me stop at Starbucks to "use the bathroom" but then he came back with coffee, and he had me stop at walgreens for who knows what, all during my paid time! And the second time he paid no attention to me and was on his phone the entire time! Now, I had never driven before in my life so I didn't know whether or not the lesson was okay until I called to change instructors. I called to complain and switch instructors and the woman who answers the phone yelled at me and basically acted like it was my fault, and finally after switching to Celeste, who was amazing (but late) I realized how little I knew and after 4 hours of driving I should have known something. Celeste herself was shocked at how little I knew and when I talked to the school about it they were annoyed and rude with me. Since I had prepaid for the entire package I had to continue the lessons because it was already charged and I just wanted my license. For one lesson with Celeste, the school was very rude and wouldn't let me schedule at a reasonable time, they wanted me to schedule early in case I took the license exam but I knew I wasn't ready. However, I was forced to take a lesson at 5 in the morning! I was barely awake after working all day the night before and I still had to go even though I told her over and over I wasn't ready to take the test and wouldn't. Later on, on the day of the test I went to get the paperwork and was finished and my instructor Irving (who I then changed to because he was the only one available) was nowhere to be found. I need my license to keep my job so I was very stressed and nervous. I could not find my instructor for a long time and called him multiple times and could not find him. When I finally did find him and got the keys, I was so upset and completely nervous that I couldn't really focus during the exam. I called yesterday to take more lessons because the schools in the area are so expensive and I can't afford much. I set up an appointment with Celeste because I had good experiences with her. She didn't show up!!! I'm assuming this is because I complained. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL!!! Overall, HORRIBLE customer service, very bad with making appointments, they DO NOT work around your schedule, very inconvenient and not worth the money. The instructors are not professional in any capacity. !!!And it's pretty fishy I may add that all these reviews are one day after the other, sure they're fake, keep that in mind!!! read more

I finally got my drivers license today at age 31 TMI but it's a load off. Thank you Geno for my lesson and some harsh criticism. Nova is a good school. I recommend Nova and they're prices are great! Thx again, this is going to change my work life and life completely!! read more

Nova Driving School - I have a license y'all - Driving Schools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have put off getting a drivers license for way too long. My youngest brother surpassed me about 5 years ago and kids I knew as babies are starting to drive! One day I decided to just do it already. I gave these guys a call to set up two lessons for the following week. My instructors were Jenny and Julian, both great with different styles of teaching. Jenny was the one with me when I took my driving test and i'm certain that her coaching beforehand helped me nail the test. Kudos to them both! So why only 3 stars? I'm torn...on the one hand my instructors were great but the customer service turned out to be quite horrible and completely unprofessional. The staff was disrespectful over the phone and they don't appear to have any sort of organization. I was very upset when I got off of the phone with them after being told they had no record of anyone in the office taking my information (though I had already had one lesson). I was also told that no males answer the phone though I spoke with a male to confirm my first class and discuss my payment options and he took my credit card information and set up my first lesson. I felt like I was being called a liar. Why would I make up a story like that? She put me down as a standby, fine. The next afternoon I got a call to say that they got me in after being reminded that I wasn't in initially and they were able to move some students around. Thanks for reminding me that YOU dropped the ball, not me! While setting up a pickup time, I was told that I had to go five blocks down from my house at 5:30 am due to strict rules regarding parameters. That would have been all well and good except for one thing. They took me for my driving test in NILES! You're telling me I can't be picked up at my house over west but still in the city and we're driving to Niles for the test? I was too sleepy to be livid. Summary (for those who think this review is a bit too long): Great instructors, crappy customer service, mission accomplished, i'm driving, watch out! read more

I've taken three lessons with Nova, with three different instructors. My first two experiences were the 2-hour lesson + road test package, where they give you a couple hours' practice then let you use the car for your test. Both times I'd say the customer service and instructors were okay. I had no trouble scheduling appointments, I received reminder emails and calls from the office, and the instructors showed up on time. And even though I hadn't driven in ten years, I got my license on the second try. So why just two stars? First, except for the first guy, the instructors I worked with weren't great at listening. I failed my first road test because I hadn't pulled to the right before making a right-hand turn at a normal 4-way intersection. I explained this to the instructor before my re-test, and he pulled out a pad and started explaining a left turn at a six-way, because he just assumed that's where I failed and hadn't listened to what I'd said. I explained again what had happened, he said okay, but then started drawing yet another kind of right turn. I had to do this (no kidding) four or five times before he understood; in fact, I'm not totally sure he understood why I failed the first test until we were making that turn again and I said "okay, here is where it happened". Second, I took a stick-shift lesson and had an awful experience. The instructor had a piece of paper onto which he'd drawn some diagrams and a "process" for shifting, and he kept coming back to it. He'd just tell me to "go two, two and a half" over and over again, and when I had trouble changing gears he seemed to assume I just wasn't paying attention to his diagram. I finally almost yelled at him to say I understood, I just was having trouble finding the 'sweet spot' on the clutch. He wasn't mean or cruel, but he just kept repeating the same stuff over and over again. Additionally, the stick-shift lessons are done on the city streets surrounding Nova's office, *including Western Ave and North Ave*. These are two of the biggest, wildest, scariest streets in the city. They make me nervous to drive on them even with an automatic. And not only was the lesson mostly on these roads, it seemed to be mostly left turns onto roads like these. It seems insane to subject first-time stick shift drivers to that. The instructor kept saying to ignore the roads and focus on the car, but that's really hard when there are two lanes of very unhappy oncoming traffic, used to driving like they're on the highway. I would instinctively put my right hand onto the steering wheel, and the guy would physically move it back to the gearshift, even after I'd just blown shifting into first to finish a left turn. There are plenty of residential streets around Nova's office, and even some parking lots. This was one of the most stressful driving experiences I've ever had and it doesn't seem necessary. So, bottom line: I think their regular lessons and road test service are okay. They seem to be one of the only driving schools in this part of town, and they do pick you up. But it's expensive, and I can't say I had a great experience any of the three times. But it's because of the last time that I'm never, ever going back. read more

I am originally from NYC and had never driven a car. Recently I got a job that requires me to do a lot of traveling, so I decided it was time to learn. I found out about Nova through yelp. I had Reggie as an instructor and he was EXCELLENT. Reggie looks and sounds very similar to Cliff Huxtable from the Cosby Show. I am a little bit of a shy person, so this made me feel very comfortable. In just 4 lessons, he prepped me for the road test and made me feel confident enough to go on the highway. I got my license on the first try after he prepped me. I highly recommend Reggie as an instructor if you choose Nova. He took me from no knowledge of anything about a car to proficient on the road test more quickly than I ever imagined was possible. read more

I was able to feel more confident about my driving abilities because they gave me honest feel back, they didn't tell me what I wanted to hear. I thought I could take one lesson after not having driven for years, Pedro pointed out some pretty important mistakes, so I decided to take a few more lessons with another instructor, it was just what I needed to feel more confident and actual drive the way I should, I passed and it was really an exciting day because I was so nervous but if you just pretend its your nova instructor instead of the examiner it helps read more

Nova does not even deserve a star. It shows up as one star here simply because Yelp requires me to give the school a star in order to submit the review. While the instructors were decent, the customer service was extremely terrible. Nova scheduled my driving lesson and my road test wrongly twice. I rescheduled my flights and woke up at 5:30 a.m. two times within a week for nothing. I plan to file complaints to the Better Business Bureau and the State Attorney General within this week. NOVA, YOU ARE FIRED! read more

I had my third lesson with Michele Edison at Nova Driving School! I had a very good experience with her as my instructor. I felt very comfortable driving and she gave me some really good tips on what to do on the road. I definitely recommend signing up to become a student at Nova if you need help learning how to drive and I also recommend requesting Michele as your driving instructor! read more

Honestly I did learn a lot and they did boost up my confidence driving. However,they're are not punctual at all and you get time chipped off. I paid for the 6 hours on the road which was split up into 2 hour sessions in 3 days. On day 1 my teacher was 7 minutes late and the session ended 15-17 minutes before my 2 hours was done which also included my feed back. Second session was the same thing with a different teacher he was about 5 minutes late and the session ended about 15 minutes early. For my final session the teacher was almost 15 minutes late but the class ended at the time it was intended too. So I basically lost out on an hour of my time that I had paid for. So end up spending money but don't get what your paying for in time. read more

While the instructors are excellent the customer service is horrible. On several occasions and despite numerous emails and phone calls NOVA insisted on reschedule directly withthe student and not through me. On several occasions I went to the Wesern Ave Blue Line to pick up the student to discuss the progress, only to find that the customer service people rescheduled. NOVA insisted that they offered to pick the student up as a courtesy, but in actuality, the instructor lived close to the student. I scheduled Western Avenue specifically to be included. Again. Instructorwise, A+. Service wise. Zilch. They could not grasp that I was not this students father or that I only interacted in a limited capacity. I understand 1 or 2 mistakes, but this is already 12 2hr courses in and still it hasn't registered. Sadly, I had to take the business elsewhere as the Dir of Operations wrote to tell me they were abandoning the student. It didn't register that on Monday I set the class for Western Avenue they changed it and could not afford me the basic decency of an update. This was the 5th time I went to the wrong place. On Tuesday the instructor did call me to update me that he requested a different pick up and drop off and I was really happy somone at NOVA FINALLY understood. Sadly, they feel differently. The other school, took down my name, office, home, cell, and tested a txt message. The owner said if I did not receive a call form the instructor where , or when or how the student would be or was doing to txt him immediately for resolution. I had high hopes and even left them a five star when I purchased the third set of lessons thinking they finally understood.....but the only respinsive person is the the money lady. Few places I review get 5 stars. It takes a lot. This is not to say that I did not have issues with the school. Their first instructor was not really all there. Their second instructor finished the remaining block with great professionalism, but withthe second block decided his schedule was more important than mine. After a bit of back and forth withthe office, the situation is resolved. In total I insisted that the student receive a min of 24 hrs behind the wheel. Of that total 2-4 hrs needed to be night driving and 2-4 hrs needed to be freeway driving. Before we purchase a car for the student , she will be asked to go back in Jan - Feb for winter lessons. Yes it is pricier than other places. Not by much. Yes their drivers can get weird about the schedule and you will need to be firm. However, the quality of instruction is quite good and the instructors I have seen (I did checkthem out before using them) are attentive and engaged withtheir pupils. They could use a little polishing on the perosnal touch office side of the street customer relations, but their product is good they are open long enough to accomodate schedules, will provide specialized training which is very key for me before I turn an 18 yr old loose on the world. read more

I was in a similar situation to Stephen D: I needed to get some time behind the wheel of a manual transmission vehicle because I had somehow gotten to my 30s without acquiring this important life skill. It had been on my list of things to do for a long time, but a pending trip across the pond finally made me act. I'm glad I did and I'm glad I found Nova. The experience (and my instructor, Irvink) was great. I was fairly certain I had a decent understand of how to drive stick, but never had the opportunity to get behind the wheel myself. I simply didn't have access to a manual transmission when I was a teenager learning to drive and I don't know that many people with manuals now. Let's face it: I'd feel bad asking a friend to wear out their clutch while I learned anyway. For this reason, I found Nova. $150 for a 2 hour stick shift lesson. It was well worth it. Irvink was great and was able to determine my current skill level (or lack thereof) fairly quickly and tailored the session to my needs. We spent a little time doing laps in (quiet) Humbolt Park so I could get comfortable with the clutch and getting from stopped into first. I wouldn't say I mastered it in the 2-hour lesson, but I was able to navigate regular neighborhood and city streets with confidence after about an hour on less-busy roads. The lesson also included some emphasis on what to do on hills and other good tips/tricks. Overall, the lesson was exactly what I needed and I'd be completely comfortable behind the wheel after just this 2 hour session. Again, I know I wouldn't be perfect at it, but I certainly feel like the lesson provided the fundamentals I'd need in order to master it on my own. read more

The actual driving lessons are good. My daughter especially liked Dion, who taught her two lessons. The customer service administration is completely disorganized and unhelpful. We received absolutely no information that we needed to start her lessons. We paid for a teen driving packet, and then couldn't register for lessons on their website. My daughter called them and was told that she didn't have the proper forms filled out. Then she had to call them twice to find out WHAT the "proper forms" were. After the third call they sent her an email with the forms that should've been sent to us in the first place. We were finally able to register two weeks and three phone calls after paying for the packet. The first three lessons were good, the fourth was a no show. The lesson after that was good. After her lessons, they never told us what we are supposed to do at the DMV to get her license. They said they had to send some files in and that it'll take a few weeks. A week later my daughter called them and they said they hadn't sent anything yet. They told her that they would send an email telling us what to do at the DMV. More than a month passed; still no email. My daughter called them yesterday and the lady said she would check. My daughter called the DMV today and they said they just received the files. Only took a month and a half and about five phone calls. read more

Instructor: Geno G. He can always give me confidence in driving in different ways. The first time I met Geno he drove me to a large parking site near Belmont and this was the first time I sat at the driver's seat. He taught me how to adjust the rear mirror, the seat and then steer the wheel to make left and right turns. Also, he taught me how to do perpendicular parking and back out on reverse. That afternoon he let me drove back to my place, which largely boosted my confidence in driving through the traffic since I know that he was sitting next to me and he talked to me on our way back in a manner such that I didn't feel anxious or nervous but meanwhile I was not distracted from the traffic. Geno is also patient in reminding me of the traffic rule every time I made small mistakes (sometimes the same one). In later classes, he drove me to local communities where the speed limit was low (15 mph) and I could practice more in terms of observing signs and signals and controlling the speed. I seldom made mistakes like forgetting to come to a complete stop when there was a sign which was shielded by the trees. Another example is that I should make a second stop when there is stop sign on my direction of traffic but not the direction in front of me (perpendicular to my direction). In order to let me have more real experience in driving, he always let me drive to our practice places from different routes so that I can see most of the signs on the road and experience more road conditions. While being a nice person, Geno is strict about traffic rules for green hands. We sometimes saw some drivers on the road who were cutting the corner such as not coming to a complete stop when there is a stop sign. He always reminded me to look left-right-left before I am back on gas so that I am at the stop sign for 3 seconds. He said that safety is the utmost important issue on the road and never tried to save my time for two or three seconds just by not coming to a full stop. Before the day of the road test, people from Nova Driving School called me to remind me of the date and time for my test the all the documents required to take the test. On the day of the road test, Geno came early to pick me up and drove me to the test center and made me practice more at the local community where the test would be taking place. In this way, I would not get nervous simply because I was not familiar with the roads. I am so glad that I get my driver's license now and can drive a car with my friends to explore the city and out of the state. I hope you will find Geno a great instructor! read more

I'd never driven on the streets, and only drove in a parking lot twice about 5 years ago. My first instructor, Marcello, was very unprofessional, impatient and acted very immature (despite his age). First lesson, he insisted I drive downtown on Michigan Ave during rush hour. Of course this was terrifying but his distracting, teasing remarks and the fact that he was texting for part of it, made things worse. I should have said something at this point but thought I was being sensitive and tried to stay open. However, the second lesson, he continued to make insulting remarks, text, and startled me by clapping loudly in my face while I was stopping at a traffic light, screaming "RED MEANS STOP!" At this point, this was the last straw. After I confronted him, he had a smirk on his face and was unapologetic. I soon realized that something was obviously wrong with this guy and I needed to prematurely end that lesson and get a new instructor. I filed a complaint to Nova and requested a new instructor. Due to the negative reviews for their customer service on yelp, I was anticipating another battle. Surprisingly, the customer service was very good. They were apologetic and offered another instructor. Martha, was my new instructor. She was very professional, patient and calm. Her teaching style allowed me to focus on one thing at a time, and she taught me at my own pace. When I made mistakes, we would pull over, she'd explain what she observed and explain why the mistake occurred. She made me feel very comfortable while driving, and I recommend her. I will say that if you are not Spanish speaking, and have a hard time understanding accents, you may have trouble. Both of my instructors had very thick accents, and I often had trouble following instruction because of it. I am giving Nova only 3 stars because of Marcello. Lucky for them they have instructors like Martha. If you plan to take driving lessons with Nova, I would advise you to look at the reviews, and request a specific instructor. If you don't, most likely you will get the instructor who isn't booked, and they probably don't have students for a reason. read more

Mirroring what many other reviewers have said, the enrollment process is a bit cumbersome and the cost isn't cheap, but the instruction was great and in the end I was happy I went with Nova. Five stars for the lesson and teacher, three for the other elements. I needed a driving school in order to take the Illinois road test. Though I had been a licensed driver for many years, I let my old (out of state) license expire after moving to Chicago, where I never drive. I didn't want to take the test cold, so signed up for the adult road test package, which included two hours of instructions before the test. Martha was my instructor and I thought she was fantastic. She was friendly and encouraging and shared tips to help make sure I was doing all the right things to pass. In addition to going through each potential road test route a few times, she talked me through the entire DMV test process so I knew what to expect from start to finish. She gave me some words of encouragement right before the test and seemed genuinely happy when I told her I passed. It was nice to have someone so pleasant and encouraging to help with something not very fun. read more

I needed my license in a week to get to a wedding. They were able to schedule me all my lessons at the last minute, and unlike most students, I had 4 instructors. I went from never having driven (I'm from NYC, and we don't even have driver's ed in high school) to a license in 4 lessons. Also learned about the highway. There was a misunderstanding with one of the instructors and we just weren't getting along, so they comped me a class and scheduled me another lesson. The instructors I really liked were Julian, Christina, and Irving. Each had their own style, but were patient and amicable. The one instructor I didn't get along with was constantly correcting me and that made me more anxious, nervous, and towards the end I made more errors than at the beginning. It's a funny thing, but their confidence and calmness is what makes it easier or harder to learn. Julian was my first instructor and halfway through, I was driving from Hollywood Beach up in Edgewater down to State and Lake in the loop taking small and medium streets. He took 10 minutes in the beginning to really run down things like pedal pressure using the tachometer and explaining how pressure works. Christina was my third teacher and new to teaching, but she was fantastic. We drove on medium and large streets. She kept me focus on my lesson when other drivers were acting bonkers on the larger streets. She also taught me parallel parking and I can knock one out in two moves. Irving was my last teacher and he got me on the highway. We started off with Lake Shore Drive and then took I90/94. He took his time to explain what would happen on the highway before we tackled it. Once we were there he explained clearly how to change lanes, merge, and take curves. We also practiced right before my road test. While I had a bad experience with my second teacher, I think it was mainly personality, so I won't lash out. Given my experience with 3 other teachers, I doubt Nova would hire him if he wasn't an excellent teacher with most students. I mention him because of how Nova handled my response. They asked questions about what was wrong. They talked to Julian to gauge my skill set - I think it's good they wanted to get a neutral opinion. Then they took the lead and offered up a solution that worked. Most businesses can make you happy, but it's really refreshing when a business has excellent resolution and customer service when things go wrong. Thanks Nova! read more

Learning how to drive in HS was pretty crazy for me and, now that I'm older, having my mother help me "learn" - which mainly involves her clinging to the car while screaming at me to brake (even though I'm nowhere near a stop sign or another car) - was a bit too much for her nerves. The next best option then was a driving school and I have to admit that I picked a winner! I chose the Adult Beginner Combo Package which includes 4 Adult driving lessons and the Adult Road Test (in which they take you to the DMV and you use their car to take the road test!). Martha was my instructor and I must say that she is the sweetest, most patient, professional, and knowledgeable woman and it was a great experience learning to drive. The cars that the school uses were also clean and in good condition. Martha gave me a lot of positive feed back, was always patient and had various explanations to help me understand every aspect of driving and what to do on the exam. At each lesson I was able to build up my driving skills and improve on things that were once tricky for me. By the time I took my road test I was pretty confident and passed! The kicker is that I did this ALL in just 4 Days! I knew it could be done, and with the help of Martha and Nova Driving School I was able to accomplish it! read more

Today I passed my road test thanks to my amazing instructor Julio! I couldn't be more happy! I didn't have much experience with driving, but Julio made it as easy as it can be for me. He was very patient, showed me everything that the road test covers and he's the nicest person ever. He was very accommodating so I was relaxed and ready. At 8:30am I was going back home with my drivers license. Thank you Julio, you're the best! read more

I'm a student of the Hyde Park Location and while I see a lot of negative reviews, let me just say that the instructors at this location may be some of the best. I initially started with the Ultimate beginners package +3 more days, I'm a total beginner at almost 40yrs old and needed complete guidance in how to operator a vehicle. I started with Jorge T., which may be one of the best instructors there. He made me feel completely comfortable with his wit and charm and I learned a lot from him. He was just cool! And apparently very popular from what another instructor told me. Speaking of said instructor, Mikayla A. is also a great teacher. I felt very confident after finishing about 2 lesson with her. Her approach was almost like a friend teaching you how to drive instead of a paid instructor at a facility. Yowceph H. was also good, I only had one lesson with him, but he mad me feel very confident, literally only after a few minutes behind the wheel. He pinpointed my psychological issue within being afraid of driving and I actually started facing it head on and fighting against it whenever I realized it. Now the actual road test and me passing it I'll have to give it to David B who I met up with at the DMV on the north side on Elston. He took the time out to willingly give me an extra hour of his time to help me practice before I took the test and thanks to him I passed and am now a licensed driver. He did an amazing job! Matter of fact, thanks to all of them(the entire company) I am now a licensed driver because they each helped me achieve something I thought that I couldn't. Yes, their methods were all different, but because of that I learned new and different techniques to apply to the road and I am proud of that! I'll combined everything I learned. Only reason I gave this business only four stars is because with the Ultimate package I did not learn how to parallel park nor did I really learn how to drive on the expressway(highway). I got the basics while driving on lake shore dr., but it just wasn't the same. I would've gave it a complete 5 stars if only I would've learned how to parallel park and gotten the experience of driving on the expressway here in Chicago read more

If you need to learn how to drive a stick shift, go here. . . A few weeks ago my car died and I needed to replace it. I shopped around and found a decent, late model, and low mileage car. I went to go look at it, and it was a stick shift. Realizing that used stick shift cars were significantly less expensive than automatics, I realized I had to learn how to drive one quickly. . . . That's where my story started. . . While I pride myself on my progressive values. . .I have to admit that I take pride in having manly skills. . .I can fix things around the house, change my own oil, and can shoot a gun. . . Thus, it was a source of quiet shame to me that my mother could drive a stick shift car, and I couldn't. There, I'm glad I got that off my chest. . . My mom is a wonderful woman, but she's also the most anxious driver you'll ever meet. She's tried to teach me how to drive a stick at several points over my 16+ years of driving a car. . .and each time has been a panic attack provoking, xanax requiring ordeal for the both of us. Bless her heart, but she is not the person to teach me. . . I shopped around, and I found that these guys offered stick shift lessons for the lowest price in town. Naturally, I signed up. . . My instructor; Angelo was super patient and a pretty funny guy too. What my mom had tried to teach me at several points over more than a decade, he taught me in about 2 hours. . . By the end of my lesson I was driving around the city like a pro (including stop and go traffic). I don't know how they are about teaching teens. . .but as an adult I'm glad I went there to learn how to drive a stick shift. While it might have been fun to sit through some of the old school driver's ed movies (do they even have those anymore?), I'm glad I was able to take care of this in an afternoon. Cheers! read more

Maria was great. Wonderful and very accommodating. Patient and very encouraging. From Mandy. read more

Service with an attitude and will cost you more than you think. I thought it is a better and more organized driving school so I didn't mind the little extra I paid for the classes comparing to the other driving schools. However, not only it is really hard to schedule during weekends and even early week days, they have hard policy to make you pay for your hard earned money. One of the instructors I had was really helpful and nice but the other one I had didn't know much about teaching at all, so keep your fingers crossed if you are going to try out a new instructor since that's the only availability in two weeks of their schedule. read more

I have had a HORRIBLE past week today with the Nova driving school. The permit process was fine. The instructor was polite and helped everyone pass the test with flying colors. However, the process became a lot more irritating when I began the road part. My instructor was Carlos who was EXTREMELY rude to me every single time I was in the car. I had never driven a car before and he was very impatient and angry with me damn near every step of the way. I finished my four lessons and did NOT feel ready for the road test. Do not pay them a cent of your money, people! They don't deserve it. Find a better school with better customer service. read more

I've put off getting my license for 17 years. Last year, I finally went to take my written test for permit and still decided to procrastinate. As time approached quickly for my permit expiration (March 19), I went into panic mode as I didn't want to re-take the written any time in the near future. After reading reviews on Yelp, I decided to try out Nova. I wasn't sure which package to get, as I'd done some driving previously (not quite legally). So I decided to pay as I went. Nova is so convenient -- they pick you up and drop you off for your lessons. I got Matt as my instructor. The guy is really outstanding. On time, super communicative, nice and patient. I immediately felt at ease with Matt. After 2 lessons, he said I was READY to go for it! Matt picked me up for the road test and we went over the course twice before I got in line to sign-up. Passed my first time out. Thanks, Nova and MATT!! read more

I had a great experience with Nova Driving School. My instructor was David Bonilla. Very patient, knowledgeable and a pleasant person. Thanks. read more

We had a terrible experience with Nova Driving school instructor today. The lady instructor seems to been picked from street. Her language was abusive & her behavior intolerant and un acceptable. With all that useless attitude shown during training and discouragement received, I lost my mental composure and failed the test. read more

I had Martha as my instructor and she successfully helped me to pass my test today. I cannot recommend her enough. I am a very nervous driver and she was patient and helped to repeat the things I needed to know over and over. If you are looking to be not just pass the test but also be able to drive independently later on, be sure to ask for her! My lessons were always at 6am and she always called on the dot. Staff was also extremely helpful in reminding you of the documents you need to bring, and with other scheduling help. Thank you again for helping me to pass the test! read more

I had a great learning experience at Nova! I found out about them after googling adult driving lessons in Chicago. I took the 6 hour adult driving course to prepare me for my drivers exam, which I have been procrastinating for years. Due to demanding time frame, I took classes with both Gino and Rosemary who both prepped me for the test in just 3 days. I was able to pass the driving test on my first try - all the Nova students who arrived that morning passed the test, so it was a nice way to start the week. Drivers are very friendly, personable and make you feel comfortable behind the wheel. I would recommend Nova to anyone who wants to start driving from beginner, intermediate or advanced. read more

I was considering this school for my teen but after witnessing one of their own driving next to me, it changed my mind. As an instructor I believe you should set an example at all times, especially if you're driving around in the car which clearly advertises your company. At first I thought it was a student driving but then I realized it was a gentleman driving, swerving into the other lane, almost swiping a car driving next to him and as I go around him I realize he's on his phone, not hands free, on his phone, which explains his driving. It really sets a bad example in my opinion, the car had #21 on the hood in case it helps, if any. read more

Ah, Nova, what can I say? I'm torn between the fairly awful organization of the place and the fact that - as promised - I got my license in four lessons. The latter matters more to me, though, so we'll go with a solid 3.5 stars. Let's start with the good parts. I had lessons with Javier, Francisco, and Marcello. Francisco was by far my favorite - not only was he a great teacher, but he also was fun to talk to. Let's be honest, it can be awkward to sit in a car with a complete stranger for two hours straight. I really enjoyed my lesson with Francisco because he gave me good guidance and also carried on a conversation well. I took my road test with Javier, and he was very knowledgeable about the test itself and showed me exactly what the route would be and how I could pass it. We drove through the route several times to practice and it helped me feel much more confident in the test itself. Now, for the bad things. I'm fairly sure that for every one of the four lessons I booked, I received a call from Nova asking if I could come in half an hour to an hour earlier or later because they hadn't accounted for the instructor's travel time between lessons or because they had double-booked the instructor. The people I talked to on the phone were all nice enough, but I feel that the organization of the company leaves something to be desired. Additionally (and this is a huge problem), I originally purchased a three-class package plus a road test, but after the first two lessons, I decided that a fourth lesson would help, so I paid for that separately. After the third lesson, I received a call from Nova telling me that they had no record that I'd paid for the first three lessons and that I would need to bring in my receipt to prove that I had. For the record, the three-lesson payment was over $300, and I managed to find my receipt, but I shudder to think of what might have happened if I hadn't. As it happens, when I showed up for the fourth lesson/road test, the receptionist told me that they had found the record. Which is great, I guess, but still somewhat unsettling. tl;dr: The instructors are great, and as promised, I passed my road test after four lessons and got my license (look out, world). If you're looking to take some driving classes and get your license, I'd recommend Nova because they get the job done - just be ready for some disorganization, and keep all of your receipts. read more

Francisco, Julian and Javiar were AMAZING! Not just saying this. I moved to Nashville and needed to learn how to drive for a tv sales job. Learned to drive quick! They are knowledgeable, patient and really willing to help. Friendly group of people too. Thanks guys! read more

Bought a credit a little over a year ago but haven't been able to go in due to crazy work schedule. No notice at all that it would expire in a year from either the sales lady who was pushing me to purchase, or the website. Called in to try to schedule, totally inflexible and cold/rude customer service. Hope you enjoy the free scammed money! read more

Poor customer service! The instructors are ridiculous/obnoxious/not serious.... Paid over $700 for someone to yell at me and not teach me anything. Waited for the instructor for an hour to show up on the day I was supposed to get my drivers license. He wasn't answering the phone and then drive like a maniac so we can pick someone else - I didn't get my last lesson because we were in a hurry. And the other person was more important to him than me. Horrible!!!!!! 1 star is too much! read more

Nova Driving School is A+ in my books. My wife, a licensed driver in another country, needed to take the driving test at the Secretary of State in order to get her license here in Illinois. After trying to teach her myself (which didn't go so well), I called around to a number of different driving schools to find the right fit. From the first conversation I had with the Nova people over the phone, to my wife's interaction with them during the lessons, our experience has been nothing less than outstanding. Nova is the closest driving school to where we live (Gold Coast). They give classes from early morning into the evening; they really work around your schedule. They even do pick-ups and drop-offs for the lesson (for a nominal fee). After only three lessons, my wife passed the driving test on the first try! I would recommend Nova to anyone - give them a call, you won't be disappointed. read more