tl,dr: Let my driver's license expire, needed a new one, plus a car to use for the driving test…read more Nova Driving School was fantastic. I moved back to Chicago after 14 years in SF and finally needed to get my license again, mainly so I could help my aging folks in Southern Indiana if I needed to. I don't own a car, and I didn't want to borrow one from friends, so I looked for a driving school that also provides a vehicle for the test. Nova kept coming up in the ads, searches, and on Reddit. But I still needed an instructional permit to drive for the driving test. I went to the downtown DMV, took the written and vision tests, and got my instructional permit. I bought Nova's "2HR BTW + ROAD TEST" package on their site, which included 2 hours with an instructor and the use of the car on the day of the DMV. Called a coordinator, and they got me set up for a Friday morning. I'd show up at 6am at the Elston DMV (closest to me), practice the route in their car, then take the driving test. I arrived at the DMV at 6 AM, where I met an instructor named Jamie. He provided an overview of the driving test, explaining what the examiners look for and what questions they might ask. After that, we switched sides, and I got behind the wheel for the first time in 20 years. I was relieved to find that everything came back to me. Jamie took me through the two variations of the route used for the test. The route was very short, consisting of about four to five turns. There was no parallel parking or interstate driving involved. (Please note that this is specific to the Elston DMV; other branches may have different procedures.) Another student arrived, so we picked him up, and I sat in the back while that student drove the route a few times. Then, two more students joined us, making it three in the back and one in the driver's seat, with the instructor in the front. Each of us drove the route 2-3 times, and we had the opportunity to ask questions. As my appointment time approached, I returned to the front seat and went for another round of the two main route variations. Got into the DMV showing my text confirmation of my appointment. They won't let you enter without revealing either the email or the text proof of your appointment. And this branch doesn't take walk-ins. Stood in the first line to get the paperwork reviewed. I went to the camera line to get a photo, then waited, went to a counter, had everything reviewed, filled out more paperwork, signed more things, went over to pay at the cashier, came back, and got my paperwork for my driving test. Went outside to wait to take the driving test. Note that you can't stay inside the building so dress warm if it's winter. The other guys had less complicated paperwork, so one was in line for the driving test. The other one was in front of me. Then I was next. But this is mixed in with all the different people taking the written test. I waited an hour for the car to come back from the other guy and then got in. The instructor drove me around to the back parking lot. He stepped out, I took the driver's side, and got in line, the line of cars. I waited about 40 minutes in the car in line to get my assigned examiner. They had about 4-5 working that day across 3 lines of vehicles. I was finally at the front; the examiner who was the same woman who had helped me with the paperwork got in. We went exactly the route that Nova had reviewed with me several times. At the end, you have to park in a wide test parking space, then after that you park in angled parking with the rest of the other cars, with completed driving tests, but awaiting results. I choked on the question about which way your wheels point if you are facing uphill/downhill, and which side of the road you are on. Overthinking myself. But still passed thankfully. Examiner gets up, out, and leaves, and goes on to another driving test. 10 minutes later, another person comes out with my temporary driver's license and hands it to me, and I'm done. The real one arrives in 2-3 weeks. The $245 fee was definitely worth it for having a car provided, receiving two hours of driving experience on the exact test routes, and having them handle the appointment scheduling. And Jamie the instructor was clear, patient, and at ease in explaining and repeating all things we needed to keep in mind. I procrastinated on this for a long time and felt foolish when I realized how simple and straightforward the process was. If you're in a similar situation, make getting a new driver's license one of your goals for 2026 and call Nova.

Do not book driving lessons with this company. They do not disclose that it is nearly impossible to…read morebook times to take your classes until after you have purchased the package. They are rude unhelpful.

All 3 of my kids worked with Central Driving Academy to get their drivers license. They were…read morehonestly amazing in every way. They are extremely organized, responsive, very personable, they will do what they can to accommodate to their students schedules, and most importantly, they are all incredible instructors. If they feel a child needs more support, they will ensure they receive it. I highly recommend this Academy! My kids all had a wonderful experience. It was an absolute pleasure working with them!

Whatever you do, do not go here and most definitely do not enroll your kids in their programs. The…read moreinstructors are extremely aggressive, even with students in the passenger seat. Today (7/25/25), an instructor from this company (who I believe is also the owner), removed the company placard from the top of the car, barreled down the middle of a parking lot lane, almost hit me purposely 3 separate times after harassing me, including backing up within a few inches of my car, brake checked me, stopped the car in an alley to block me from leaving, flipped me off with 2 hands while driving the car, and screamed the F word out the window several times--this is all with a what looked to be a young man in the passenger seat looking terrified, no older than 18 years old. It's been about 30 minutes since this incident and I genuinely wondering and concerned that this instructor was intoxicated because that is not how normal people behave...again, with a teenage student driver in the passenger seat.

An essential, and excellent, experience for first-time and experienced riders alike…read more I've always wanted to ride a motorcycle, but never felt quite ready to pull the trigger. After a year of sneaking rides on my wife's scooter, the time was finally right. Get your permit and sign up for a class at Ride. They'll start you out with the absolute basis, and take you through two, five hour days after which you'll feel confident in being able to pass the state test (another service they provide). I'll be heading back down to take that test soon, and am looking forward to starting my journey on two wheels, and almost certainly taking their intermediate class down the line. If you're lucky enough to get Jay and Paco, you'll be in good hands. They're each incredibly knowledgeable, excellent teachers with two very different styles, something I personally loved. You never have the opportunity to get too frustrated or anxious because you know you're in good hands and you're constantly building on skills you've learned in previous lessons. Highly recommend!

I'm a return customer! This place helped me get my motorcycle license in 2013, and I went back for…read morea refresher course recently. The instructors are knowledgable, friendly and funny. I felt safe, yet I had a blast. Def worth it if you want to get your motorcycle or scooter license.

The front desk lady is rude and unprofessional…read more The instructor is not good at explaining the rules or give you clear instructions. He is also very unprofessional . He even left the car in the middle of the class to talk with his contractor ( I saw other review mentioned the same issue too) or left before the class end. Not worth the money at all.

i signed up for the 10 hours adult lesson, just got my dl today. instructor li he was really great,…read morereally patient and thoughtful with the way he teach. overall great experience, highly recommended.

I just watched the state test video on Ride Chicago's YouTube channel in preparation for Day 2 of…read morethe basic motorcycle training class. Day 1 was fantastic. This was my very first time on a motorcycle. Henry and Natalie are great instructors. Sure, they know how to ride and instruct on skills. What they are really good at is developing relationships to aid in instruction. They learn your name, encourage and provide guidance in a way that keeps your head in the game. I highly recommend Ride Chicago.

I recently took the beginner MSF course with Ian, Jay, Ron and Kevin, and it was so much fun! They…read morewere so nice, extremely helpful and very patient with each of us, and definitely made it feel a lot less intimidating to get on a bike. I really appreciated all their help and had the best time, and definitely feel more confident riding! Thanks guys!! :)

Wanted to report that Michele Edison is AWESOME and got me where I needed to be to be road test…read moreready. I thankfully had some experience going in, but she really helped me consider things I hadn't before, and most importantly, corrected bad habits that I had learned along the way. I have obtained my license today and consider myself a success story for the driving school. The website is confusing at times, but the instructors are top quality. If you live around a location and are looking for a good driving school I would recommend it.

I've had a frustrating experience with this company. When I paid for an ultimate beginner package,…read moreI was expecting a series of lessons designed for a beginner driver. What I got was the ability to book lessons online with instructors who vary in experience, professionalism, and teaching ability. My first instructor cancelled an hour before the first lesson by text message - I was leaving work early to get there and just happened to check my phone - and tried to change the next lesson at the last minute. The lesson - during which I mainly sat in the passenger seat - ended 15 minutes early because she had to drive back to the school to meet another student whose lesson started exactly when mine ended. I requested more experienced instructors who did help me learn how to drive. But the schedule is very limited - I found instructors I liked, but was only able to book lessons a couple of weeks apart. Not great when learning a new skill, especially when you don't have your own car to practice with. You pay the whole $700 upfront, and it felt like the company had zero interest or incentive in actually helping me get a driver's license once I handed them my credit card. The good? I can now operate a motor vehicle. The bad? I'm out $700 with no driver's license to show for it, and I've heard nothing from this 'school' about the road test - the experience has been frustrating, like I was completely on my own to try to make it work.

Coach JW is the best drivijg coach person. someone give him a raise cuz he deserves it more than…read moreanyone epse

Gustavo was my behind the wheel instructor and he was amazing. Was very engaging through our 6…read moredrives and taught me everything there was to know about the road.

My friend and I took the 10-hour driving course plus the driving test package at Asia Driving…read moreSchool, and we both got our licenses on the first try! We started as complete beginners, and our instructor, Akif, was amazing. He was patient, encouraging, and quickly adapted to our different learning styles, which made learning to drive so much less intimidating. We went from two nervous rookie drivers to two very happy girls with licenses in hand. Thank you, Akif! Highly recommend Asia Driving School to anyone learning to drive.

Lizette was always helpful, understanding, informative, and easy to schedule appointments with…read more Before I took lessons, I was very scared to get behind a wheel, and for those reasons she was a perfect match. Throughout our lessons she helped me gain confidence and reduce stress and anxiety. I passed the drivers test on the first try, thank you Lizette!