Behind-the-Wheel Lessons for Bishop Alemany High Students

California requires two things before a teen can apply for a driver's license:

• Minimum 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a licensed driving school (this is what our lesson packages cover)
• Minimum 50 hours of supervised driving practice with a parent, guardian, or licensed instructor. At least 10 hours must be at night

The 50 hours can be tracked using our free California driving log. Individual or custom lessons with our instructors count toward this total.

Students who want more time with an instructor beyond their standard package can book individual or custom lessons at any point. These are a great option for:

• Extra practice on specific skills (freeway driving, parking, canyon roads)
• Logging additional hours toward the 50-hour DMV requirement
• Night driving practice with a licensed instructor (counts toward the required 10 nighttime hours)
• Building confidence before the DMV road test

Just ask about individual lesson options at sign-up, or anytime after your package is finished.

Practice what was covered in the most recent lesson before advancing to anything new.

• Quiet residential streets with minimal traffic
• Empty public parking lots (school or shopping center off-hours)
• Avoid jumping to busier roads or freeway until the instructor confirms the student is ready

Students who put in regular practice between lessons progress noticeably faster. Less time spent revisiting old material means more time learning new skills.

We typically recommend spacing lessons across the 6 months students hold their learner's permit. This allows time for real supervised practice between sessions, and helps each lesson build meaningfully on the last. That said, every family's schedule is different. We work around school, sports, and activities.

This is completely understandable and far more common than people assume. Families should never feel pressure to practice beyond their comfort level. Just wait for the next lesson. The instructor will check readiness and take it from there.

A targeted lesson 1-2 weeks before your scheduled test. Your instructor runs through DMV expectations, conducts a mock road test, identifies habits that could cost points, and builds confidence before test day.

If you have already booked your DMV appointment, share the location with us. We will work to practice nearby beforehand, within legal limits. Keep in mind that DMVs prohibit driving the actual test route during business hours, but our instructors know the roads around local DMV offices well and can prepare your student for similar driving conditions.

The refresher lesson works well on its own, and pairs naturally with the day-of test prep package below.

This is our most hands-off option for families. When you book the DMV Test Prep package, we work with you to find a DMV appointment that fits both your schedule and our instructor and vehicle availability. No DMV scheduling stress for you. If you're using this package, please don't book your own DMV slot separately, as we may not be available for that date.

On test day, we pick your student up about an hour before the appointment, warm up with focused practice near the DMV, then drive to the test in our licensed, insured, and test-ready vehicle. Our instructor checks the student in, makes sure all paperwork is in order, and provides last-minute tips and a confidence boost right before the examiner arrives.

Families don't need to bring their own car, figure out the drive to the DMV, or untangle paperwork. All of that is handled for you.

Home pick-up is the most popular option, and the most convenient for most families. The instructor arrives at your front door at the scheduled time, greets the student, and (when a parent is around) briefly goes over the lesson plan beforehand and shares progress notes at drop-off.

Mission Hills driving school lessons have a 15-minute arrival window to account for traffic. All lesson time is always taught in full from the moment the instructor arrives.

A convenient option on school days or after activities. Students can meet us at or near the N. Alemany Dr side of campus near the flagpole. Our vehicles have a large leaf logo on the side. The instructor will exit to greet your student when safe, or your student can approach and enter directly.

Pick-up and drop-off can sometimes be different locations. For example, picked up at Bishop Alemany High School and dropped at home.

Pick-up spot: Mission Hills

Each lesson is followed by a personal written assessment, emailed to both the student and parent. The report breaks down what was covered, how the student performed, and what to focus on before next time. If a parent is around at drop-off, your instructor will also walk through it in person for a few minutes.

Practice what your most recent lesson covered. The progress report will spell out specifics, but the general principle is simple: get comfortable with what you just learned before stepping up to anything more advanced.

• Quiet residential streets, good for Level 1 review
• Empty parking lots, good for parking, turning circles, and low-stakes maneuvering
• Main streets throughout Mission Hills once residential driving is solid

If a particular skill feels uncomfortable for you and your student to practice, it's okay to wait until the next lesson. Don't push into anything that feels unsafe.

You can choose between male and female instructors, and bios are available to read before booking. Vehicle preference is also yours to set: families pick between our Toyota Prius and Lexus SUV, each equipped with dual brake controls for instructor safety.

Instructor and vehicle preferences are accommodated based on availability and are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis at time of booking.

Meet all of our instructors

It is common for students to use both test prep options as a sequence: first a refresher lesson in the days before the road test to polish skills, then our full DMV Test Prep package on test day, when we coordinate the appointment, bring a licensed and insured vehicle, check the student in, and give a final confidence boost before the examiner arrives. Together they cover preparation and execution.

Book a DMV prep lesson