In 2017 there is a new TOP leader — Presto Driving School.
From the perspective of CSDD statistics, in 2017 the Presto brand was an undisputed leader:
- Theoretical training across all categories — ranked 1st for 7 months during the year, with 94% of students passing the exam on their first attempt during that period.
- Practical training in the most popular categories — A (motorcycles) and B (passenger cars) — ranked 1st in the driving exam in Riga for 6 months during the year, with an average first-attempt pass rate of 47% in category B and 62% in category A (even outperforming specialized motorcycle schools).
Presto’s CSDD results are on average 20% higher than the industry average, allowing students to significantly reduce the cost of final exam attempts.
We conclude that the service provided by Presto is at a high level:
- The only driving school in Latvia offering remote contract signing — a very modern solution. Clients save both time and money that would otherwise be spent visiting the school office to sign the contract.
- An electronic driving lesson booking system allows students to view the availability of all instructors. The school believes that access to multiple instructors directly affects the speed of training — more frequent practical lessons and greater psychological confidence (without dependence on one instructor and vehicle) help students learn faster and reduce the total cost of obtaining a licence.
- Each student receives a driving lesson logbook, allowing the instructor team to monitor the student’s learning progress.
- Convenient and inexpensive access to a medical certificate — the school acts as an operator in Riga for the largest network of medical commissions.
- Driver training courses in Latvian schools are very short — the educational articles prepared by Presto on its website provide useful additional learning material.
- Interest-free financing options — training funding up to €300. (Several driving schools offer similar options.)
After evaluating the training prices (which are at the market average level) and the services offered, we conclude that Presto’s price-to-quality ratio has no equivalent in Latvia. Students can also benefit from a promotion for diligent learners — if a driving licence is obtained within 3 months, the school reimburses the cost of the CSDD driving exam.
An analysis of the Presto Driving School contract revealed that it is fair and flexible — there are no penalties or restrictions if any of the five services offered by the school are purchased elsewhere. Clearly the school is confident in the value of its services.
If this school is located near you, it is undoubtedly the best choice.
DBS is a stable school whose place at the top of the rankings is beyond doubt. The contribution of Driving school DBS to public road safety is invaluable — its team continues to raise the overall culture of road use and driving through numerous activities, many of which took place in 2017:
- Regular safe-driving training throughout the year (including free winter driving training),
- Parking training sessions (in cooperation with EuroPark parking facilities),
- Cooperation with the Emergency Medical Service to improve the driving skills of service drivers in various (dangerous and extreme) situations,
- Free service days where drivers can check the functioning of their vehicle’s safety systems.
However, despite the school’s active work, its CSDD statistics are not particularly impressive: the average result in the theoretical exam has been 83%, while the driving exam result is 45%. Considering the school’s overall level and passionate dedication to driver training, the results might have been expected to be higher. We assume this can be explained by the fact that the school is often chosen by students who have previously faced difficulties understanding road traffic rules.
An analysis of the Driving school DBS contract revealed fair practice — it does not include any penalties or binding obligations to the school.
When comparing price and quality as well as the school’s actual performance in driver training, we conclude that the standard offer’s price level does not fully correspond to its results, whereas the specialized services (i.e., those designed for already licensed drivers) are of a high standard.
In any case, DBS remains a consistently popular school that is viewed positively by the public.
2017 was a successful year for Driving school Einšteins — it grew from the 4th to the 2nd largest driving school in Latvia by number of students. It is possible that this growth was largely influenced by the school’s 1st place ranking in the 2016 TOP, encouraging many students to choose this particular school.
This year as well, Einšteins maintained a consistently high level of theoretical training, statistically holding leading positions — on average ranking among Latvia’s TOP3, and during the year reaching 1st place for three months, with an average of 93.5% of students passing the exam on their first attempt.
However, it must be acknowledged that the school showed weak performance in category B practical training. In Riga, the results are statistically below the industry average, with noticeably lower percentages compared to the school’s branches in other Vidzeme cities. Considering that driving lessons make up up to 80% of the total cost of driver training, this is a significant factor in evaluating the school.
The biggest “red flag” was discovered in the Einšteins contract — the offered discount on theoretical training ties the student to the driving school by imposing penalty clauses and limiting the student’s legally established freedom to choose an instructor during the practical training process.
These two aspects were decisive in the loss of two positions in our TOP ranking. Even the 3rd place has been awarded with a considerable level of trust.
After evaluating Einšteins’ performance, we conclude that the school remains an excellent choice for training in Vidzeme; however, before starting training, its contract conditions should be carefully reviewed.
A newcomer to our ranking that came to our attention after receiving many positive reviews on our website. The school will soon celebrate 10 years of operation and provides driver training in several branches — Jēkabpils, Aizkraukle, Madona, Koknese, Viesīte, Zasa. The range of training categories is also comprehensive — A2, A, B, BE, C, CE, and D categories.
Autoprofs has good statistical results — 83% of students pass the theory exam on their first attempt. Although category B results, for a driving school outside Riga, could be slightly better (49% of students pass the driving exam on their first attempt), the results in other categories are at a good level.
The school’s service level stands out with several free options for its students:
- Students are provided access to a computer classroom to test their theoretical knowledge (online tests),
- Students can attend a specific topic again if it was not fully understood,
- Supportive instructors — consultations are available outside regular lesson hours.
Autoprofs also communicates actively with its students on social media, regularly sharing relevant information on its Facebook page.
Overall, we conclude that the school offers a good price-to-quality ratio. Autoprofs is a good choice if you live in one of the cities where its branches operate!
The TOP of the large Latvian driving schools concludes with another school outside Riga — Driving school DSI. It has been operating for 20 years and is the most popular choice among residents of Talsi. The school offers training in B/BE, C1 and A categories, as well as professional periodic training Code 95.
CSDD statistical data shows good results for the school — in category B, 60% of students successfully pass the driving exam on the first attempt, while in category A the result is 87%. Despite the high results in the practical exam part, the school’s theory indicator is unfortunately 75%, which is below the industry average.
Based on the driving school’s Facebook activity, we conclude that it actively follows developments in road safety culture and the driver training industry.
Overall, we conclude that DSI is a good choice for people living in Talsi; however, the school’s growth is directly dependent on improving its theory exam results.