Automatic Intensive Driving Courses in Birmingham
1-to-1 intensive lessons in an automatic car, with free pickup across Birmingham and a course planned around your practical test date.
Why learn to drive in an automatic?
An automatic car changes gear for you. There is no clutch pedal and no gear stick to move between gears, just a selector for drive, reverse, neutral and park. That removes one of the hardest parts of learning for many people, and it frees up your attention for the things that make you a safe driver: observation, planning, positioning and reading the road.
An automatic intensive course with 10DayDrive is the same 1-to-1, structured training as our manual courses, delivered in an automatic car. You learn in concentrated blocks over a short period, and the course is planned around your practical test date.
Who an automatic course suits
Automatic tuition is a good fit for a wide range of learners, including:
- Nervous drivers: without stalling, clutch control on hills or gear changes to worry about, many anxious learners find they settle in more quickly and build confidence sooner.
- Learners who want to focus on road skills: with the car handling the gears, you can concentrate on junctions, roundabouts, hazards and other road users from the start.
- People who will only drive automatics: if the car you plan to own, share or drive for work is an automatic, it can make sense to learn in one. Electric cars, for example, do not have a manual gearbox.
- Learners who have struggled with a manual: if clutch control has been holding you back, switching to an automatic can help you progress towards your test.
The automatic licence: what you need to know
It is important to understand what an automatic pass gives you before you choose. If you pass your practical test in an automatic car, your full licence lets you drive automatic cars only. To drive a manual car, you would need to pass a practical test in a manual.
If you pass in a manual, your licence covers both manual and automatic cars. So the right choice depends on what you expect to drive in future. If you are unsure, our team can talk it through with you before you book.
How an automatic intensive course works
Under DVSA rules, learners book and hold their own practical driving test. Once you have a test date, we plan your automatic course around it, so your lessons build towards the test rather than finishing weeks before it. Every course includes 2.5 hours reserved for test day, covering a warm-up lesson and use of your instructor’s automatic car for the test.
- Choose a course length that suits your experience, or start with a 60-minute driving assessment for £49 so an instructor can recommend the right number of hours.
- Select automatic when you check availability, and secure your dates with a deposit.
- Train 1-to-1 in an automatic car, with lessons scheduled close together so skills stay fresh.
- Finish with a warm-up lesson on test day and take your test in the car you have been learning in.
Automatic course lengths and prices
Automatic courses use the same course lengths and prices as the rest of our range. Refresher courses run from 5 to 20 hours, starting at £249. Intermediate courses for learners with some experience run from 25 to 35 hours, from £1,249. Beginner courses run from 40 to 50 hours, from £2,000.
Some learners find they need fewer hours in an automatic because there is less to learn about controlling the car, but everyone progresses at their own pace. The comparison table below shows every course, and an instructor can advise on the right length after an assessment.
Compare every manual and automatic option on our intensive driving courses page.
Course Comparison Table
| Hours | Price | Best For | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Hours2.5 hours of lessons + 2.5 hours for test day. | £249 | Nearly test ready | |
| 10 Hours | £499 | Nearly test ready | |
| 15 Hours | £749 | Nearly test ready | |
| 20 Hours | £999 | Nearly test ready | |
| 25 Hours | £1249 | Intermediate driver | |
| 30 Hours | £1499 | Some driving experience | |
| 35 Hours | £1749 | Basic skills, needing extensive practice | |
| 40 Hours | £2000 | Complete beginner | |
| 45 Hours | £2250 | Beginner needing extensive training | |
| 50 Hours | £2500 | Beginner needing thorough preparation |
Free pickup across Birmingham
Your instructor picks you up from home, college or work at no extra cost, so you can start each lesson on familiar local roads. We cover Birmingham and the surrounding West Midlands, including these areas:
- Sutton Coldfield
- Solihull
- Erdington
- Walsall
- Wolverhampton
- West Bromwich
- Handsworth
- Perry Barr
- Aston
- Small Heath
- Yardley
Not listed? See all areas we cover.
Preparing for your test
Our driving guides explain what to expect at local test centres and how to choose the right course.
Automatic Course FAQs
No. Passing your practical test in an automatic car gives you a licence for automatic cars only. To drive a manual car you would need to pass a practical test in a manual. A manual pass covers both manual and automatic cars.
Many learners find an automatic easier to pick up because there is no clutch or gear changing to master, which leaves more attention for observation and road skills. The practical test itself follows the same DVSA standard whichever car you use.
It depends on your experience. Our courses range from 5 to 20 hours for learners who are nearly test ready up to 40 to 50 hours for complete beginners. A 60-minute driving assessment for £49 lets an instructor recommend a suitable course.
Yes. Automatic and manual courses use the same course lengths and prices, starting from £249 for a 5-hour refresher. Full prices for every course are listed on our intensive driving courses page.
Yes. Automatic intensive courses include free pickup from home, college or work across Birmingham and the surrounding areas we cover, including Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.
Book Your Automatic Intensive Course
Secure your dates with a £199 deposit, or speak to our team about the right course for you.