Driving with Ellen Ellen's response time is immediate, as are her lessons. I was able to begin driving a day after contacting her. She is very accommodating, and provides excellent exploration of commonly used routes, roads, and areas around the road test locations. I found myself ahead of the curve throughout the road test - as I was driving on the streets Ellen had taken me down previously. Ellen also reviews road scenarios, showcasing optimal strategy, and what to do if the situation doesn't pan out as planned. She will draw these scenarios out, and offer you the question of what best to do. And how next time you may better approach such difficulties. Ellen is very receptive to questions - and I was unable to ask her one she did not have an answer to. She too keeps you keen with questions. Asking you all manner of rules regarding the area you are driving in. I found it a great way to associate the law of the road, with an aspect of being there, and actually abiding it. After each lesson, Ellen made a convenience of pick-up and drop-off. Always assuring I was nearby the most convenient line of transit. All in all, Driving with Ellen was an excellent experience, which no doubt caused the success of my road test on the first attempt. Thank you Ellen! Sincerely, Jaxson read more

Previously, I had faced failure twice in my driving tests, which led me to switch to a new instructor named Ellen. Ellen's patience and dedication in explaining the various risks associated with driving were remarkable. She made sure to provide clear guidance on reference points, ensuring I understood them thoroughly. The learning experience under her guidance was not only comfortable but also highly practical. Initially, I felt overwhelmed and unsure about making the right decisions while driving. However, Ellen's expertise and teaching style helped me build confidence gradually. I now possess a much deeper understanding of how to handle different scenarios behind the wheel. I am immensely grateful for the positive impact Ellen had on my driving skills and overall mindset. With her guidance, I transformed from an anxious learner to a more confident driver, equipped with the knowledge and skills to navigate the road safely. I am truly grateful for the invaluable learning experience she provided. read more

I just passed my road test today for the first time and it was all because of Ellen. I had a fear about driving for many, many years and went through 4 instructors before I met Ellen. Once I met her, I knew she was the perfect instructor to help me get over that fear and build my confidence to be a safe and competent driver. I notice that experienced drivers can not explain driving tips because it's become so instinctual and natural for them. This can be very frustrating for someone wanting to learn how to drive but Ellen has the magic ability to explain these things very well. She's very positive too and will acknowledge when you do something right and safe. That built my confidence so much and I wanted to learn and practice with her even more. Please choose Ellen as your instructor. She is amazing and I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to learn how to drive. Thank you Ellen for all of your guidance, encouragement and positive energy! read more

I took the refresher course (1.5 hrs) before my class 5 road test and passed with a clean sheet. On the same day, my sister passed her class 7 road test after taking lessons with her. I am confident with my driving skills but nerves kick in when I'm being observed or tested. Ellen made me feel comfortable with her calm and cool-aunt-like presence. She is quick to point out things you can improve on without making you feel incompetent. She is also very familiar with the roads around point grey and what the examiner is looking for during the road test. I definitely recommend driving with Ellen! :) P.S. I was running low on washer fluid to the point where the warning light on the dashboard was lit. Ellen was worried that the examiner might think of the vehicle as "unsafe to use" so she offered to fill it up. (Yes, she had an unopened container of washer fluid in her trunk.) read more

Ellen was highly recommended to me by a good friend of mine whom recently passed her road test. Thanks for the referral and Ellen, I passed my Class 5 road test today on my first attempt! My impressions of taking her lessons are: a) the car is clean, safe, and highly equipped for learning. b) Ellen is very responsive to all my questions and c) she points out all the things I should look out for when I am driving so I can too be a good driver. Ellen is a very calm, patient and encouraging coach. (I know I have made her worry a couple of times, but she remained calm and explained a better way to handle the situation at that moment without making me feel defeated). She's also very experienced and knowledgeable. I highly recommend taking driving lessons with Ellen: whether you are looking to brush up on your skills or build a strong foundation! Thank you Ellen! read more

Great learning experience overall and a great atmosphere! Thank you, Hellen! Hellen is a brilliant driving instructor, very patient, supportive and full of driving tips. I felt like I made progress every lesson and she always focussed on things I had struggled - quality of teaching was significantly better than my previous experiences with other instructors. Not only does she teach you how to drive safely on the road. she'll also give you tips on good driving techniques. I didn't practice for two years and she doesn't blame me, so my skill was nothing, but she was very patient and motivated me. she helped me a lot. I learned so much in a short time ( one week) and I passed my road test. Feeling proud to be one of her student. I highly recommend her driving school to every person out there who is willing to obtain their license. read more

I am new to BC and only need to take the class 5 road test (and the knowledge test). I have tried different instructors and took three 90-minute lessons with Ellen. While most instructors are good, I particularly like Ellen's classes because of two reasons: 1. She is efficient in scheduling her lessons. You will always get a reply from her within a few hours. I waited for two days for a reply from another driving school. 2. She really gives you chances to drive and experiment unless there will really be a crash. Some instructors just stop you all the time and you do not feel like you are driving the car. Other than her key strengths above, of course, she is very patient, explains my problems clearly, knows the assessment criteria of ICBC well and provides useful tips to be a safe driver in BC. read more

Passed my Class 5 road test the first time with Ellen's help. She was able to book me in for a learning session and warm up with the use of her car for the driving test with less than 2 weeks notice. She gives good instructions and is very knowledgeable about the routes taken by the ICBC driving examiners. I already had a fair bit of driving experience in another country, and she did a great job picking apart my driving and pointing out all the things that I need to watch out for driving here in Vancouver. Every tricky intersection and most of the roads I ended up being examined on in the Point Grey area Ellen had already shown me, which was definitely a great help! Really glad I found her services for the driving test. read more

Took the N test, and passed it on the first try. Great instructor, gives detailed and constructive feedback. Depending on where you are taking the test, she will also show you common tricky areas, and get you ready with all the maneuvers that will be tested. We also practiced in downtown and west broadway area, where there are a lot of one ways, busy intersections etc., which was very helpful and trains you to be in situations that you may not necessarily be tested on, but will encounter when driving on your own. Overall she has made me a safer and more confident driver, and would recommend her to anyone starting from ground zero, or looking to brush up before their exam. read more

I read reviews of Ellen here when I was looking for a driving instructor who can teach me from scratch how to drive safely and effectively in BC. I was just few days after arriving in Vancouver. I needed a BC driving license before expiration of 90 days of driving with my home country license. In just 8 sessions with Ellen, I was confident enough to go for a class 5 road test. I immediately booked a test in Burnaby, purchased refreshing sessions from her and I passed the test at my first attempt. She is punctual, convenient, affordable and excellent communicator. I really recommend her for you, of course if you really know what you want from a driving instructor. read more

Ellen was great and helped me pass my class 5 road test at Point Grey. I'd been driving for a while and hadn't passed the class 5 after a couple of attempts, so I asked Ellen to help with some lessons. Ellen was able to fit in 3 lessons at short notice before my scheduled test and helped me improve all the areas that needed work on. I was able to to do the lessons in the same car which I used for the test which really helped. Ellen provided great feedback including diagrams and demonstrations during the lessons and I was able to pass my test with only 1 minor infraction which was a big improvement over my previous attempts. Thanks Ellen! read more

Drive With Ellen has my highest recommendation. She gave me and my son, first time left hand drivers, an excellent intensive course. Ellen is so patient and methodical, covered in 1.5 hours everything we needed to know. She taught us by driving on examination routes from Downtown to West Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby, covering Canadian rules and regulations, exactly how to handle different case scenarios, even gently polishing up our driving technique. We felt at ease and confident driving to and around Banff. Ellen kept in contact with us during our trip, providing extra support. We are so grateful to Ellen, highest recommendation! read more

I passed my road test from the first time, yeeiiii I really enjoyed getting my road test practice with Ellen, she knows many mistakes that students usually fall into. Being funny, helps ease up the tension. Besides she gave me confidence before the test, and stood by my side till the end of the test. I can tell she really cares about her students. But be aware, if you are Ellen's student, you need to get used to her accent, but she really doesn't gave you a chance to misunderstand. She would ask you to stop the car slowly and start drawing the whole situation till you clearly get it.. read more

I met Ellen as an instructor to help me pass my class 7 road test (to get my Novice licence). She was always considerate of the time proposals to ensure the convenience of both of us. Living in North Vancouver, her commitment was so commendable as she came all the way to Vancouver Point Grey to help me familiarize the surroundings for my road test at Macdonald's ICBC. Even though she demands perfection at times and will always look for ways for me to improve, I thoroughly enjoyed it because I think it not only prepared for my road test, but also just being a drive in general. read more

Ellen is very kind and patient, as well as a very good driving instructor. She prepared me very well for my test and I was very well aware of the area, things to look out for, and all the things I needed to pass my road test. During the lessons, she provides very good instruct and calmy corrects any mistakes. She was able to take me across the city so I could get to know different areas and work on new skills. She let me reschedule my exams and was very accommodating to my schedule. I was able to get practice with her before my exam and passed very easily to get my N. read more

I strongly recommend taking lessons with Ellen. I have been driving in Mexico for more than 13 years, still I felt that needed some help with the Canadian way of driving, it was worth it. Ellen took me through the do's and don'ts of driving here and correct some of the bad practices I have from driving in Mexico. I can confidently say that Ellen was a big factor to succeed in my road test. She was punctual, and profesional all the time. My personal opinion is that the money invested was worth to get my license. Thanks for the profesional job Ellen. read more

I have recently moved to Canada with driving experience from Europe. I took refresher package (few lessons + warmup) from Ellen to get myself familiar about the driving rules in BC. I found Ellen's lesson extremely useful, she pointed out the areas I need to improve and really made me well prepared for the road test. I passed in the first attempt. I found Ellen's tips extremely useful and she was really focused on all areas I was tested on the actual road test. I would recommend Ellen to any one, who wants to succeed in road test. read more

I'm so lucky to have Ellen to be my class 7 driving instructor! She has rich experience in teaching new drivers like me. Although she has a lot of students on hand, she always makes time for my weekly practice sessions. Her lessons were never stressful (we laughed a lot!) and Ellen gave me a lot of useful driving tips throughout the classes. With her encouragement and advice, I become more confident in driving! Thank you Ellen for your support and amazing lessons! I will definitely come back when I have my class 5 test. read more

Was pretty nervous going into my road test as I had previously been practicing in Burnaby and switched to North Van just a month before the date. Took 6-8 lessons with Ellen over the course of a few weeks and passed! Ellen helped me to build up my general driving skills rather than just focusing on narrow situations likely to come up during the test. She also taught me how to correct and recover from mistakes, which was an area I was previously weak in. Would recommend Ellen to anyone taking a road test in North Van. read more