The Berkeley driving school provided me with road test assistance at the Oakland Claremont DMV and the entire experience was amazing! Booking was easy, the pricing was fair and I received reminders. The best part was the amazing driving instructor, Amber Rose, who I went to the DMV with. She was patient, helped correct some mistakes I made during a quick drive with her before the behind the wheel test which helped me feel more confident and definitely helped getting my driver's licence. I totally recommend this driving school! read more

AmberRose at Berkeley driving school is a wonderful, wonderful teacher. She's great at teaching you not just how to pass the drive test but to truly become a safe and confident driver. And most of all she's kind and warm and a truly amazing person. I found it easy to book classes through their online system would absolutely recommend AmberRose and the Berkeley Driving School for aspiring drivers of any age. Seriously, just book your classes with them! read more

Yelp should release the "Not Recommended" reviews of Donald and Dee. People are missing good instructors because their ratings don't shine as brightly as other schools. I'm for one, skipped them, and for that, I had to go through different types of instructions that were not at all pleasant; An instructor who yelled and yelled, "I'm not gonna babysit you!" and took a smoking break for 20 minutes. Another one who came picking me up with a big dog in the passenger seat, took me to do personal errands, and more yelling. "I'm not gonna babysit you!" Seriously, same sentences. Little did they know, I was the one "babysitting" them, so that they would soften up and we could have a more normal lesson. And another one who agreed that yelling is not the way to teach nervous adults. But *sigh* he is the type that keeps reminding us of how great he is, and expects a Yelp review by the end of the first lesson, that when I showed up for the second lesson with no Yelp review (yet), he was all sullen and disdainful. I know that these things happened to people, but we don't leave bad reviews. But people do make efforts to appreciate good services, that's why you see a lot of Donald and Dee's great reviews are from people who probably made an account just to leave them appreciations, and let people know where to use their hard earned money to get driving instructions: On classes taught by respectful, reasonable, calm and collected, good-natured instructors. Who don't continuously dealing with their phones or eating smelly food during class. And who are on time. I also appreciate their efficient online appointment system. The admin, Annette, was super helpful. And Donald was such a great support during the road test. If you're an adult who is nervous of driving, go to Donald or Dee. You will master the skill a lot sooner, if you get the right instructor. read more

Dee and Donald are excellent teachers. I was forced to get a license at my job. I am over 40 and have been driving for over 20 years in a country where there are literally NO driving rules:- almost zero stop signs on the roads, no bike lanes, no yield signs, where pedestrians to respect cars, and where you just simply buy a drivers' license. So you can imagine how nervous I was to take these tests. So Dee and Donald were both amazing! Highly recommended. read more

Loved my experience with Berkeley Driving School! Donald is an amazing instructor. I've had multiple driving instructors in the past and he was by far the best. I took five lessons with him and passed the DMV test on my first try! Highly recommend, especially if you have driving anxiety. read more

I love Berkeley Driving School! I had 3 lessons with Dee Fong and I only have positive things to say about the instructor and my experience. Dee Fong is extremely professional, friendly, and skilled. He taught me so many invaluable driving tips. Before taking lessons here, I was very nervous about lane changes and freeway driving but now I feel much more confident. read more

I highly recommend BDS! And one of their instructions, Dee. I have terrible anxiety when I drive, and Dee resolved that quickly with his calm, cool, and collected demeanor. He's patient and even taught me how to parallel park and drive on the freeway. I finally got my license after 7 years? I tried when I was 16, but backed out due to fear. College didn't allow me to drive, so when I graduated I knew I had to call Berkeley Driving School. Thank you BDS! Excellent customer service as well from the owner. read more

I had Amber Rose as my driving instructor and she was great! So helpful and nice and helped me pass after only having my permit for a couple weeks! read more

Shelley is the best instructor I've had! She made me feel relaxed, I enjoyed driving and was never stressed. She also provided me with resources to improve my ability to drive, and I felt very supported throughout this experience. Very great instructor! read more

I requested instructor for senior adult. I was assigned Lule who would be good for 16 year old, but does not have demeanor for older adult. She has a route in el cerrito : my test is in oakland - waste of time. read more

I've failed my behind-the-wheel tests 7 times since I first started learning in 2005. Throughout the years, I've had a total of seven instructors, three were from Berkeley Driving School. With the help of Donald who is affiliated with BDS, who taught me a total of 6 hours and even took me to the DMV twice, I was not only able to finally pass the test three hours ago, but also conquer my fear of driving all together! What makes his method so different from the rest is that he keeps his cool, takes the time to explain what you did wrong, and always seems to have a positive outlook on everything. He definitely made me feel like he genuinely cares for his students. I'm actually waiting for him to let me know when we can have lessons again. This time, the freeway! read more

I want to share what a great experience both my daughter and I had with this company. Let me start with communication between the company and myself. The Administrator/owner, Annette was great with confirming our p/u and d/o time and location. Secondly, my daughters driving instructor, Dee was awesome. He really prepared her for her drivers test from driving on the freeway to parallel parking. Dee was always on time, polite and patience. Each time my daughter came back from a lesson she was confident enough to practice more behind the wheel driving. As a result after 3 lessons and many hours of practice behind the wheel, she successfully passed the test on her first try. I highly recommend Berkeley Driving School for the great price, instructor and owner. read more

Great! Two of my children have completed their training and gotten their driver's license with the school's help. If you have any questions, reach out to the owner, Annettte. She will return phone calls and answer questions. Donald, the driving instructor, is fantastic and very personable! read more

Big THANKS! My daughter had her first driving lesson today. Wow! We have practiced a few times on our own with ok results. My daughter came home today more confident than before and impressed with her teacher. They toured Berkeley ,Oakland and Alameda. My daughter is looking forward to her lesson next week and I think we will book a 3rd appointment just before her exam. Thanks again. read more

I called BDS to figure out which instructor would be a good fit. I set up a lesson with Dee Fong and within 2 hours I was much better at controlling my turns, more comfortable on the road and hitting the freeway. At the end, we settled on a practice / lesson schedule that made sense. I wasn't pushed to set up too many lessons, which made me feel like I was not being taken advantage of. We practiced in the area where my test would be, he showed me some of the tricker parts of decision making when driving and took me to the DMV for my road test. I passed! I would definitely recommend him as a good instructor and worth the time and money. read more

I had a horrible experience with driver instructer Lule - maybe she had a bad day or was hungry - she wasn't friendly at all, was always irritated when I made mistakes, kept grabbing the wheel constantly ( and I am not a beginner, it was my 4th lesson, I had three lessons before with Donald and it was just perfect - he was very patient, professional, made me feel confident on the road). read more

I think the Berkeley Driving School itself is probably fantastic but some of their instructors were not as good. Lule was not helpful in trying to becoming a better, more experienced driver. She would get mad at you if you messed up (your first time on the road) and would become frustrated if you did not understand something she had already said. She was serious, not friendly, and did not build confidence which is part of the teacher's job. Overall, not a great experience and won't go back. read more

I have been driving since I was 16 and handled a race car a couple of times... in Lebanon, a country with almost no traffic rules. When I came to the US, I was deemed a "horrible driver" by many and ended up taking the driver's test 4 times. Oops. Berkeley Driving School had the best rates available and was the logical choice. They guided me through every single test attempt and were always there for support. I tried three different instructors and they were all amazing, friendly, and encouraging. And when you're waiting for an hour in line for the test, these things count. What started as an embarrassing streak of failures ended up making a great story at parties. Cheers. read more

Tried calling multiple times this week. Called at least 3-4 times the past four days. Left message. Used their website to have them call me back. No response. They do have an online system that lets you book a driver, but requires payment. I'm wary of paying first before having my questions answered. Will revise review if they ever get back to me. read more

After reading the reviews on many other driving schools, I decided to go with Berkeley driving school because literally almost every review was for Donald. The online booking process was super easy. He was on time at picking me up. He made sure I knew the inside of the car before we took off. That was officially my first time driving and I can honestly say he's the reason why I lost my fear of driving. In a very nice way he told me the things I needed to work on, which were later confirmed by my mom (although she didn't say it as nice as Donald LOL). I bet all the instructors at Berkeley driving school are awesome, but Donald lived up to his reputation on yelp! 10/10 would recommend. read more

Donald is AMAZZZZIIINNNGG!!! I had fear of driving and it took me a job to force me to get my license. After seeing all of the good reviews here, I got my first lesson with Donald. He is very nice, gentle, and very knowledgeable! He is also honest, and will let you know where to improve, but in the nicest way possible. I always feel very comfortable driving with Donald. So a bit about my situation. I am 26 and just got my license, on my first try, with an almost perfect score! I got may lessons with Donald because I had no car to practice with and very little experience. He knows what to expect from the exam, and makes sure you are prepared for it. He will help you improve your driving, and teach you how to drive the right and safest way. A++! I had very minor issues with Berkeley Driving School. One was that not all the instructors are as good as Donald. Second was that the day of my test I requested the car I had been practicing the most with and didn't get it. PS: use their online system! Don't bother with phone calls. read more

The owner of Berkeley Driving School makes customer service a priority. The driver my daughter had was professional and could relate to her well. Berkeley Driving School doesn't keep drivers who don't reflect this high standard. I heartily recommend the Berkeley driving School for your teens! read more

I would just like to give a great review to Amber at BDS. She was AWESOME. She made me feel really comfortable and though I struggled with the idea of driving and getting my license, she believed in me and I got my license today on my first try! I will always recommend her to anyone that's looking to brush up on driving or get their license. She's awesome! read more

They never replied to my email inquiring about lessons. I guess they are not really interested in my business.

I had just one try left on my permit to pass my drive test and after reading all the great reviews of Berkeley Driving School's Donald on Yelp, I booked a class. I have an international driving license but this is my first time trying for a US license. Annette from BDS was very accommodating and despite Donald's full schedule she checked if he could squeeze me in and I was able to book a 2 hour class. Donald was clearly very experienced, really patient and was able to correct some driving habits that I didn't realize needed to be corrected. He constantly asks questions and makes sure you're super clear about the rules of the road. He takes the time to draw out different driving scenarios on his white board so you can visualise intersections and properly understand his explanations. I wish I had done a class with him before my first attempt! His class also made me realize that there's a real benefit from learning from a professional versus just getting driving advice from your friends and family, who are not trained to spot your errors in the same way. Highly recommend his class even for experienced drivers from other countries. He's direct with feedback, but also very encouraging and he made me feel much more confident. read more

Donald is the best, hands down! You want a calm instructor whom will tell you exactly what you need to work on in a nice matter, he's your guy. I believe I only had two sessions with Donald but it was well worth it. I didn't fail my first behind the wheel test but I passed on my second try! I couldn't have done it without the help of Donald. Thanks a lot. read more

I just passed my driving test (yay!). I had one lesson with Donald prior to scheduling my test. He was very helpful and friendly. He was knowledgeable and patient. He knew what to work on and easily recognized areas of driving where I needed improvement. Would recommend. Sole reason for 5 stars. I tried calling the office multiple times, and even left a message with name and number. They never got back to me or picked up. I suggest booking Donald online and don't worry about the office.. read more

I recently took three lessons with Donald in the month of July. My best advice is to take classes as consecutively as possible if you're a first time driver; you will get more confident and improve faster. Prior to starting classes, I had only driven once in my friend's car, all around South San Francisco and into the Outer Mission. My friend took me out on a Friday night--probably the worst time to head out for a first-time adult driver like me, but it was excellent real life practice and I definitely didn't do too shabby, save one wide turn into a narrow street that scared both of us a bit. My first class with Donald was really about getting used to the car itself (every car is different of course), learning hand-over-hand turns properly, and learning to parallel park (upon my own request. My two main items I wanted to get out of class were parallel parking and freeway driving). I was definitely jumpy, even though I had already driven in my friend's car fine, but at the end of class I was able to parallel park with ease. Second class was the next morning: I felt way more confident and my turns got better with practice and warming up around the neighbourhood. I learnt how to pull to the curb, back up, more parallel parking, and by the end of class I felt pretty confident with residential driving (I drove from Oakland to Berkeley and back). Third class was a whole week later, which meant warming up to drive was essential. Then after the warm-up, more practicing parking/backing up/pulling to curbs, we headed for the freeway! Freeways aren't on the driving test, but I wanted to understand the difference between freeway driving and residential driving. By the end of the three classes, I feel confident that I'll be able to pass the test. I know I just need to practice some more in my friend's car to get used to turn radius/pulling to curbs and backing up, but otherwise, Donald has prepared me well for driving, and I totally didn't expect to get this far (especially as an adult driver at age 27). Donald is also a very patient teacher: we would talk through mistakes, how to re-approach problems, and then we practiced to make sure I got it right. Thank you Donald and Berkeley Driving School! read more

First of all, Donald is an amazing driving instructor!!! MAHALO!!! I've had 3 lessons with him in the past 10 days. And the third (last) lesson was the actual behind-the-wheel test at the DMV in Oakland (Claremont). Today, I passed the test, thanks to him! It was my first try! I've had practiced driving with my friends and coworkers for a week before I started the lessons with Donald. Well, it means that I was pretty much a completely newbie when it comes to driving. I've acquired all the proper driving techniques from Donald, I must say. He always made me feel comfortable while driving and gave me great advices and tips. I'm so glad that I had him as my driving instructor. I do recommend Donald at Berkeley Driving School!!! read more

I realized that my permit expired this Fall so I signed up upon the Yelp reviews. I had a total of 3 lessons with Donald, each of which were not only extremely helpful but also engaging. Donald is very patient with new drivers and calmly discusses the mistakes afterwards. I also signed up for road test assistance as I didn't have my own car for the test; on the day of, I had a quick 1-hour review session with Dee right before the test and was able to get comfortable going into the test. I highly recommend using BDS's services if you don't have easy access to a car and need to get the test over with. read more

My son did the online driving course through BDS. Everything needed arrived in a packet and was very organized. We then hired the driver which was easy and convenient due to the online appointments. My son had 2 different drivers and liked them much. He went driving during rush hour several times. He always came home with tips. I would recommend this school for anyone learning to drive. The only negative was nothing to do with the company but with the process. The hours the parent puts into the day to day driving - they should get paid triple!!!!!! He was very prepared for the DMV driving test - I will update once we get his results. read more

took my driving test today for the first time and I passed. THANK YOU DONALD !!!!!!!! Great experience. I had 4 lessons, one with Dee Dee and three with Donald. Both were patient and gave practical tips and advice. In my last lesson with Donald, I practiced driving skills including those that tend to be on the test (turns, switching lanes, pulling over, parking, driving appropriate speed, and more). Also, Donald even got me to the point where I felt comfortable to practice on the highway. This was big for me, given my fear of driving, especially on the highway. Some other useful information: The instructors usually meet you at your home or place of convenience for lessons One could schedule driving lessons online Lessons usually last 2hrs Arrangements could be made for one to use the car they've been practicing with for driving test. read more

This is a very late but very much deserved review for Donald, who was a fantastic instructor. I had barely sat behind a wheel before and had only had one other lesson from another instructor, and he got me to pass the test after only a few lessons. The best thing about him was how calm and collected he was, unlike a previous instructor I had. Learning how to drive can be a daunting task by itself, so the last thing you want is an instructor who is anxious, distracted, or disdainful of your lack of knowledge or skills. Donald was none of those things--he was very encouraging and understanding, and overall he made learning how to drive a very pleasant experience and quickly raised my confidence--which I think is important, as nervous, scared drivers tend not to be the safest drivers. Thank you Donald! read more

Thanks so much to DONALD for his excellent, focused, and patient driving lessons. Donald arrives on time, knows the road test like the back of his hand and teaches to the test, stays focused and engaged throughout the lesson, and provides a summary of feedback at the end of each lesson. During lessons he is compassionate, funny, and cares about doing a good job -- characteristics that were crucial for me as an adult learner who was very nervous about driving. I am so stoked I got my license and I really cannot recommend him more highly. read more

Berkeley Driving School has given us two excellent driving instructors to me and my husband. Dee Fong and Donald are two excellent driving instructors who were so professional and have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in teaching our Californian driving rules with so much patience. Annette, the driving school administrator was really helpful in organizing the slots where needed. Myself and Ragu, we highly recommend Berkeley Driving School to anyone who likes to get their license with ease. read more

I passed my driving test this morning, on my first try! I moved to the US a year ago and didn't know how to drive at all! My instructor was Donald, I highly recommend him! He's GREAT, patient, friendly, gives great advice and will explain everything as many times as needed. I had a bad experience with a private instructor before finding Berkeley Driving School, but they are truly amazing. I'm sure all the instructors are awesome, but Donald is a 10! He went above and beyond my expectations! :) Thank you for being great, Donald! read more

I found this driving school on yelp, because it was near my house, has insanely reasonable rates, and could come pick me up and drop me off. Eric was my instructor, and he gave me so many helpful hints on how to change lanes, what to do when a crazy jaywalker runs in front of me, and what tips I needed to pass my road test. The lesson was two hours, which was great, and I drove everywhere! I feel so much more confident driving than I ever have before. Wahoo! read more

I love Berkeley Driving School. I did take the online driving course (in order to take the written part of the test) which I completed (and passed the test the 2nd time around). I finally decided to sign up and start taking driving lessons. I was very anxious before my 1st lesson and signed up to take a lesson with Dee Fong (who I ended up having a few more times). He instantly calmed my fears and was very helpful. I took a lesson with Lis Scott (who was very friendly, but I did not like her as much). My favorite driving instructor was Donald (who I ended up having many times because he was the most available and worked best for my schedule). He was very helpful and answered every question that I had. I loved the fact that I can sign up for the lessons online (for me it works because I do not always like talking on the phone). And I really liked that I could pay some of the amount online (to reserve a spot) and just wrote a check for the rest whenever he came to pick me up from my house. That is one of the other things I liked about Berkeley Driving School. They pick you up from your house (or whatever location you request) and then they will drop you back off at the same location (or you drop yourself off). They even took me to my DMV appointment for my behind the wheel test (which I passed the first time). Overall I had a wonderful experience with Berkeley Driving School and I passed my test (which was very exciting). I would highly recommend them to everybody. read more

While the driving school was certainly helpful enough in helping me get my permit, it's not amazing. I appreciate that they sent me the DMV form I needed along with my certificate of enrollment, but it's the behind the wheel training that's important. My lesson was two hours long, beginning in the Berkeley marina. As it was only my second time driving, I made a few mistakes. Every time I made a mistake, the instructor would accuse me of "not listening" to him, or "being on my own agenda", or "doing whatever I feel like doing". Besides being made quite uncomfortable and nervous by the instructor, I learned a lot about driving. It was the first time that I had ever driven out in traffic, and the instructor really made it seem like a privilege that he could yank out from under me at any time. Besides the weird vibes from the instructor, I am satisfied with the Berkeley Driving School. read more

My teenaged son took all three lessons from Berkeley Driving School with instructor Dee Fong Putthongvilai. Our son passed his driving test on the first try, and definitely had gotten some good guidance from Dee during his final lesson. My daughter just got her driver's permit, and there was no question in my mind that we would schedule her with Dee, as well. She just had her first lesson yesterday, and now she's ready to clock in her practice hours! Both of my kids say Dee is very mellow and patient, while still giving the necessary instruction and guidance. Since they are in the car together for two hours for each lesson, it's nice to know they had an instructor who was not stressing them out! I liked the fact that they will meet your child at your home or at school, and they have a small grace period to account for teenagers not always being where they are supposed to be. The one negative about the BDS experience had nothing to do with the instruction; when my son signed up last fall we went through a frustrating period of non-response after leaving a message with them, followed by my calling them again after a couple weeks, and then finally getting a call back. This is an issue that has happened not just to me, but other parents I know, as well. The good news is -- YOU CAN NOW SCHEDULE YOUR LESSONS ONLINE! No need to wait around for a phone call. Just choose your instructor and sign up using PayPal to place your deposit; you pay the difference by check to BDS and hand it to the instructor when they do the lesson. One note re scheduling: be sure you know which Dee you want to sign up with, because there are two Dee's and a Dee Dee as instructors. We definitely recommend Dee Fong Putthongvilai and the Berkeley Driving School. read more