Kudos to Berkeley Driving School for helping my daughter pass the DMV behind-the-wheel test on her first try. The service rates highly on the quality of the instruction, the convenience of at-home pick up and drop off, and the relatively reasonable price. My daughter was comfortable with the instructor and felt that he provided her with the appropriate amount of feedback and guidance. read more

I took a few lessons with Deedee, one of the instructors, and felt very well taken care of. Deedee taught me everything I needed to know to pass the behind the wheel test and also went with me to the DMV for the actual appointment. In addition to my great experience with Deedee, I also highly recommend Annette, the owner. Every interaction I had with her was very professional and friendly. read more

I didn't know what to expect when i scheduled my first driving lesson. I was picked up from my house, which was great! My instructor was Donald. He was amazing, always giving feedback and encouragement throughout the lessons. I ended up booking all my 3 lessons with him, since i felt like he understood the areas i needed improvements on.after my third lesson i booked a final lesson with him so he could accompanied me to get my drivers license. I am thrilled to say that those lessons paid off. I got my license on my first try! I highly recommend this driving school! I also recommend to make an appointment online rather than phone call, since it's much easier. read more

They assisted me to the behind the wheels test, and everything went perfectly. Reliable and friendly service. Highly recommended.

I have used their service twice. The first time was a 2-hour lesson. I was not very impressed with the service that time. But the second time was really . They helped arrange a road test assistant appointment although the time didn't match the instructor's schedule at first. And my instructor this time (Dee) was awesome. He was very dedicated and nice. read more

I booked a lesson with Donald on April 25th, 2016. Donald was brilliant! He was on time, polite, helpful, engaging, full of very useful information and very patient. He got me over my fear of driving on the highway by orienting me before we went on the highway, patiently guiding me the whole way through and taking break to assess how things went before going back. It was easily the best driving lesson I've had so far. I highly recommend Donald! read more

So, despite the owner's nasty response to my original review I'm still going to give them 3 stars (instead of 1) because of the driving instructor. He was awesome. He got along well with my son and my son requested him for the last lesson he had just a couple of days ago. Once the scheduling thing was worked out. read more

I called Berkeley Driving School a week ahead of my Driving Test Appointment at the El Cerrito DMV. Annette came and picked me up at the exact time we had discussed. We drove around for about an hour before the test, and she critiqued my driving performance. I have been driving my whole life, but recently had spent some years outside of the US. She was very helpful and insightful in regards to what is on the test and how best to drive for the test. All in all a very painless experience, I learned a lot, and going to the DMV with Annette actually made going to the DMV fun. read more

I grew up in a city with lots of public transport and friends that drove, so I never got a license until now. Now, living in the US and being 31 I thought it was about time. So far I had two-2h lessons and both were great. The first one was with me behind the wheel the first time. My instructor made me feel save and even when he had to correct my wheel a little bit, I never got scared. He just said 'I got you' and I didn't need to panic. He gave me lots of advise of what to look for on the road and to remember to check my mirrors and my surroundings. When you are only starting to drive, remembering everything is overwhelming and it's good to have a calm reminder. He taught me how to parallel park and with his advice I even managed on the first try. During the second lesson, we went on the Freeway for a little bit and I was really happy to do that with an instructor next to me. I will recommend the Berkeley Driving School to everybody that needs to take a road test. I'm sure I will be a cautious and calm driver in the future because of how I started driving with this school. read more

Overall I am very satisfied with my driving experience. I had a couple sessions with Dee and one more with Donald before going to the driving test. Dee is really helpful on teaching me a lot of tips no just for the test, but for real life driving skills. He encouraged me a lot when I made mistakes and made the whole studying very enjoyable. Donald is also awesome, He gave me a lot of information about the test, and get me familiar with his car before going to the test. He even showed up early on my test day to give me some extra warm up practice before the I went to DMV. As a result, I passed in my first try. I definitely recommend this driving school and especially these two instructors. Plus their price is also great! read more

As a confused parent (DMV site not so helpful in concisely laying out permitting, provisional lic. requirements, etc.), Annette and her website clarified the permit-to-license process for us. Good email coordination as well, which is my preference. My daughter had excellent lessons and rapport with Eric and passed her driving test on the first try. Now if only BDS offered worried-parent-training classes! read more

I just want to say thank you thank you thank you to the Berkeley Driving School team for all of their help. I signed up my little sister to take a few driving lessons and she had a great time. My sister is a bit introverted, but the Berkeley Driving School team had the patience of the world with her. And best of all, my sister was able to take driving lessons on her days off, Sundays. Now my sister is more confident and ready to take her last driving lesson before going to the DMV and taking her driving test. The instructors are very nice and patient. This is an excellent driving school for people of all ages, no matter what your needs are, the Berkeley Driving School team will do everything they can to accommodate you. Again, I can't emphasize enough how much I appreciate all of their help. I highly recommend the Berkeley Driving School. read more

I had a fantastic experience with Berkeley driving school, specifically with Dee Fong and his cousin, Donald as my instructors. They were always punctual, very courteous and extremely patient when it came to teaching something for the first time or explaining how to do something better. Donald in particular, made sure that worked on my weak areas a number of times before the actual test. That coupled with plenty of encouragement and his easy-going nature, made the learning process very pleasant. With their guidance, I was able to pass the drivers' test in the first go itself. I highly recommend going with Donald or Dee Fong as your instructor! read more

Found Berkeley Driving School through Yelp and took 4 lessons plus the Road Test Assistance, all with Donald. It was very easy to book an appointment using their online booking system. You simply pay a deposit before hand and they show up at the location of your choice. For the Road Test Assistance, I had to call the office to make an appointment. I simply left a message on their answering machine. Annette got back to me later the same day and confirmed my booking for the Road Test Assistance. I also sent an email, but would recommend calling over emails for communicating with BDS. In terms of the actual lessons, Donald was awesome! He was very easy to talk to and never made me do anything I was uncomfortable with doing. He taught me how to parallel park the very first lesson, and that was pretty exciting. He was very patient and gave lots of good advice. He took me on a lot of the same roads that they use for the DMV I was taking my test at, and that was SUPER helpful. Donald was very receptive to questions and is just a very friendly guy. He was also very honest about my driving skills, and with his help I was able to pass the test in 2 and a half weeks! read more

I had my instructor cancel with less than 10 minutes before the start of the lesson due to mechanical failure. I have taken time off work for this lesson. it is ENTIRELY the responsibility of the instructor to maintain their vehicle and get regular services and when something does go wrong, there should be a contingency vehicle available. I have lost time and money and will not be using this 'professional' school in future. read more

My daughter used the service to prepare for her driving test. Rick, the driving instructor was kind, patient and supportive. Jenoa the instructor who took her to the test was also kind, patient and supportive. Thanks to the instructors, my daughter passed the test and she is very excited. Annette was very patient and outlined the entire process.. Many thanks, 5 Stars! read more

I used their services for my drive test. Arranged to meet an hour before the test to get used to the car and re-learn anything I had forgotten. I ended up spending about 130 bucks for a little over 2 hours, extremely reasonable. The car was quite new and was perfect for the test. I was accompanied by Jenoa, who was very friendly and helped give me crash course and review before the test. Needless to say, I passed! Aw, yeah! read more

I've been attempting to get a license off and on since 2012 and now that I'm taking the test again next week I thought I better have a driving lesson to make sure I'm ready. I had Rick for a driving instructor and he was great. He took me through everything that I could expect on the test and gave me a lot of good pointers. We even ended up on the freeway which was something I never expected! He was clear and patient which worked great for someone like me who has a lot of anxiety in these situations. Hopefully I'll pass the test, after my lesson today I definitely feel more confident about my driving. read more

After failing my first driving test in S.Francisco in April, I scheduled another exam at Oakland Claremont for June. I decided that this time I needed to pass and looked for a driving school that would allow me to practice and be familiar with the exam routes. I booked two, 2hr- practice lessons with Berkeley Driving School and couldn't be happier. Both my instructors D and Lule were very professional and patient. They told me what I needed to improve on my driving and we drove through several streets that were potentially part of the exam route. They were also very supportive, since I would get nervous when I made mistakes. I am happy to say I passed the driving test and I strongly recommend using this school to practice your driving. Thank you to both instructors and to Annette who was very responsive to all schedule and pick up locations changes I made; since I wanted to practice in my car. read more

My teenage son had a great experience with BDS. His teacher D was nice, helpful, and taught him a lot. My son is taking the DMV driving test in two days and feels completely confident because of all the tips D gave him. I have been driving with my son since his lessons and he is safe, patient, and quite knowledgeable. BDS had a great deal to do with this. We also had a conflict come up with our schedule that was our fault completely. D was so kind about rescheduling and really made an effort to help us out. Two of the main reasons I return/recommend a business is because of terrific customer service and because I get what I expected to get if not more. Thank you BDS for being great in both of these areas. read more

I am above 30 and till 2 months ago I was scared of driving. DONALD&DEE put myself at ease and helped me gain confidence in my driving skills in no time. I own them a lot and I would suggest to take a couple of classes with both as they are truly complementary. Donald will enable you to nail the test (I got an almost perfect score on my first try) whereas Dee will prepare you for freeway driving and other threatening situations. Thanks D&D and thanks Berkeley Driving School for the excellent service! read more

The driving class was ok, I suppose. A little light on material. A little heavy on "free time". Meanwhile, trying to schedule an appointment for behind-the-wheel instruction was kafkaesque. The scheduler was abusive, and in the end refused to schedule training for my son at any time, ever! The driving instructors might be functional, but I think there might be a problem in the front office. Caveat Emptor. read more

I would like to recommend Donald as a driving school teacher. He taught my teenage daughter how to drive and she thought he was fantastic. From a parent's perspective he made me feel that my daughter was safe and I appreciated the time he took to talk to me. It was a stressful feeling having my daughter drive away for the first time, and Donald made me feel completely comfortable. read more

Excellent school! Booked easily online and my driver was at my door the date of the lesson. Donald is a great teacher and show me a lot of tips and useful things. Passed the dmv test easily and after a few lessons I felt confident to drive on my own. Totally recommended! read more

My teenage son took 2 3-hr. lessons from the Berkley Driving School, based upon recommendations from his high school friends. Both the instructor and the owner were professional and courteous. My son thought his instructor, Deedee, was excellent. read more

I had a great experience with Berkeley Driving School. When I left a message to the office I received a prompt call back. The owner, Annette, is very kind and professional. I scheduled a series of driving classes to prepare for the behind the wheel test. In the last twenty years I drove very little and I was nervous and a bit scared. My instructor was Ini Udosen and was absolutely great: a great teacher, patient, kind and pleasant to be with. I passed the test at the first try with no problems. I greatly recommend this business. read more

Everything went great my 16 year old son had driving schedule for Monday, Saturday and Sunday with Dee for 2 days and Donald for the last one. He took his test today and passed with only 2 errors. My son said that the classes help him so much and he doesn't think he would have passed without them. Thanks everyone from Berkeley Driving School read more

The owner, Annette, was very courteous and was prompt about getting back to you via phone and confirming appointments. The driving instructor I had, Deedee, was very friendly, down to earth and professional. She helped me to successfully pass my test and also passed on some numbers of local, reliable mechanics and gave me advice about buying a used car. The price of the lessons was reasonable...actually a bit cheaper than other schools I researched...and as I passed my driving test in the first try and I'll get an insurance discount for having completed 6 hours of lessons, well worth the money. I would definitely recommend the Berkeley Driving School! read more

Im an adult from NY who needed a few lessons just so I could practice for my drive test. After failing twice, I turned to Berkeley Driving for just 3 lessons and passed my DMV drive test. My instructor was Eric. Really cool guy, who is all business when needed, but fun and relaxing if you're doing a good job behind the wheel. Rates are great for the quality of instruction. The owner is soooo cool! Very accommodating. read more

I just had my 4th teenager take on-line driver's ed and driver's training from Berkeley Driving School. I had taken my other kids to other schools because we are new to the area. The support staff was great, first of all. They returned my calls immediately, and answered all my questions. They prepared us for all the DMV visits, and were always courteous and helpful. The driving instructors were also very professional. They arrived on time, picked up my son at our home, and gave him very good advice on his driving. As a parent, I highly recommend this school. read more

Great school! I had three driving lessons with Dee Dee (who is just awesome:) and I passed my test today (yay!). Thank you, Dee Dee and Berkeley Driving School!! read more

I took in-car driving lessons with several instructors (Rick, Deedee, Eric) from the Berkeley Driving School who all were very knowledgeable and good teachers. They are also very friendly, and although driving initially made me nervous, I relaxed quickly. (Deedee and Eric in particular are a joy to chat with while driving.) When I went to my driving test Eric knew exactly what to do and waited patiently with me for hours (...what do you expect, it's a DMV). And I passed my test! In all, one of the best experiences I've had with any business. read more

I can't even rate service becasue I was NEVER able to get in contact with someone. They clearly are not interested in doing business. I called many times over a few weeks and never had a live person answer the phone. Futhermore, their automated message states that "all calls received before 4pm will be returned on the same business day". Not one of my calls was returned let alone on the same business day... The only reason I kept trying is becasue they are one of only a few schools in the area that provied stick-shift lessons. Otherwise the first non-response would have been a deal breaker. read more

Took the online course! Best thing I've ever done. It was quick, easy and very informational! I really encourage you to take the online class. Oh did I mention the class is on $25 DOLLARS!!! read more

Very professional. Donald is THE BEST. Thanks to Berkeley Driving School, I passed my behind-the-wheel test on the first try. Well worth the money! read more

Great school for anyone learning how to drive or trying to become a better driver. I had lessons with both Laurie and Donald and was able to pass the DMV Behind the Wheel test on my first try. Laurie was great at helping me ease into driving basics and develop control of the car and Donald was great at preparing me with skills for the actual exams. Both instructors were very friendly and fostered a safe and amiable environment inside the car. I would highly recommend Berkeley Driving School to anyone looking to learn how to drive! read more

I really enjoyed the driving classes. Though slightly expensive, they are worth the price. Among the teachers I had, the best one was Donald. He was great at teaching me to drive, but also made me feel comfortable and confident. He's also very easy-going and enjoyable to talk to, and knows all the tricky parts of the driving exam. I would highly recommend him! read more

My experience was great. I took three lessons in total all with Donald as he was recommended to me by my friend. He was super understanding and easy to talk to and made me feel at ease. Every time i made a mistake he simply talked me through it and told me what i could do to improve. I highly recommend Donald if you are going to use Berkelely driving school though I've heard Dee is pretty good too. read more

I've had four driving lessons so far, three with Donald and one with Dee Dee. Although their teaching styles are different, they're both excellent instructors and they've really helped me get comfortable being on the road. I would highly recommend this school. read more

Alameda County Independent Living Skills Program has been using BDS to provide behind the wheel training for our foster youth emancipating fromt the foster care system for several years now. We have been very pleased with the service we have received from the owner, Annette Gagnon, and her staff. We continue to use them almost monthly. Keep up the good work, Annette. read more