We are incredibly grateful for Keku's Driving Academy and especially for Scott Keku. Years ago, we purchased their driving course for our daughter when she was still in high school. The program included both a classroom component and a behind-the-wheel component. At the time, she was able to complete the classroom portion, which helped her successfully obtain her learner's permit. Unfortunately, due to timing and life transitions, she never had the opportunity to use the hands-on driving portion before graduating high school and moving on to college. Fast forward a few years--my daughter has been struggling to pass her driving exam, so I reached out to Scott to explain our situation and simply ask if there was any way he might be willing to help. Scott went above and beyond anything we expected. He graciously offered my daughter a complimentary driving session, even though years had passed since we originally purchased the course. During that session, Scott was outstanding. He took my daughter through the actual exam route, explained exactly what examiners look for, and gave her clear, practical feedback on what she needs to improve. He even ran the lesson as if it were a real driving test--playing the role of the examiner and scoring her--so she could truly understand the expectations and feel prepared. His knowledge of the DMV testing process is impressive, and his ability to explain things calmly and clearly made a huge difference in my daughter's confidence. Scott is the definition of a true professional: compassionate, patient, extremely knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in helping students succeed. My daughter walked away from that session feeling informed, empowered, and confident that she now has the tools she needs to pass her driving exam. We are so thankful for Scott's kindness and generosity, and we cannot recommend Keku's Driving Academy highly enough. If you have a child who needs to learn the rules of the road, build confidence behind the wheel, and be truly prepared for their driving test, this is the driving school you want. Mahalo, Scott--you made a real difference for our family. read more

After 40 years of not driving, I knew lessons were going to be key so I reached out to all the different driving schools and Keku's was the most responsive, by far. They're flexible and they had me scheduled quickly and were patient with my nervousness, but also great at bolstering my confidence. Jimmy was a great instructor and fun to chat with during lessons (1.5 hours in a car is a lot of driving!). Passed the road test on the first try! On a complete sidenote, they're also both just super nice. When we were there for my road test (I was using their car), another person taking their road test found out that someone stole the safety inspection sticker, which meant they couldn't use her car. Jimmy offered to let her use their company car, which def saved the day! read more

Keku's Driving goes above and beyond to help students and answer all the parents questions about their programs. I can't tell you how many times I called and Scott was so helpful and kind. I would recommend this business time and time again!!!! read more

Our boy passed his road test on the first try at Kapahulu. #iykyk this area is chaotic at the best of times, let alone at 3pm on a weekday, which was the best opportunity we could find to schedule his test. His success was due in no small part to everything he learned at Keku's. Thanks again. read more

I found Keku's Driving Academy in an employee forum and they came highly recommended and I encouraged my adult niece to get lessons from them since my anxiety and patience prevented me from teaching her myself. She was able to get a weekend lesson from Jimmy right away and I am so glad she got Jimmy. In addition to learning all the safety and technical things she needed to know Jimmy really helped her with her confidence on the road as she is quite the overthinker. He was patient even when she didn't pass the first time, and I won't go into detail about the second road test (Jimmy and Scott both know what went down in Kapolei, LOL) but I would be remiss not to mention how grateful we are for both Jimmy and Scott for being such great advocates for their students, especially in a DMV environment. Niece is finally a safe, licensed driver thanks to you. And we will continue to recommend you all to our friends and family. See you again in 3 years when it's the next kid's turn to learn! read more

As an adult learner who had lessons with several driving schools and instructors, I can confidently say that Chuck is by far the best. I took only two refresher lessons with him and passed my test. He's calm, patient, and always arrived early for our sessions. His tips and suggestions were practical and incredibly helpful. Most importantly, he was honest--he told me I only needed two lessons before the test, and he didn't try to get me into booking more, unlike other schools I tried. Even though I found Keku's Driving Academy on my own without a recommendation, I'm so glad I did--Chuck is truly a fantastic instructor! read more

Scott and Chuck provided excellent guidance and techniques that assisted my wife in passing with only one mistake after several attempts at her road test prior to coming to Keku's. They were extremely accommodating as well, the only mistake I made was not contacting them sooner. If you or someone you know needs help passing their road test, definitely hit them up!! read more

Update! My son passed his driving test. Thanks to Keku driving school! Mahalo Scott and wife we appreciate it. * I just wanted to add. Scott took my son driving around the area where the test was gonna be held. After those days were over. i myself took my son around the same area. And kept on making sure he didnt forget anything. It worked!! read more

Keku's Driving Academy - Keku - Driving Schools Near Me - Mililani, Hawaii

Totally recommend! Today I'm so happy to say I passed my road test and thanks to Scott.. so glad I was able to have lessons with him. My experience with Scott was awesome.. very fast with contacting you back about scheduling. He gets back to you within that day you contact him (usually after hours or when he has time between teaching his student drivers) I only had lessons with him for THREE DAYS and I'm glad I did. He doesn't scold you, he teaches you. You could be driving and don't think you made a mistake but he catches it right away. He literally will TELL YOU EVERYTHING that the testing people will be looking at. So please apply and remember. Also parallel parking! He has such a great technique for parallel!! I honestly learned my parallel my 2nd and 3rd lesson and was all over the place but according to the testing lady she said I did great! During the lessons when I couldn't get it, he tells me to breathe and go over the steps in your head or with him don't be afraid to talk out loud. Super nice and I've seen previously in a review that people felt like he was driving with an uncle and I have to say I AGREE. He made me feel so comfortable. He knew right off the bat I had major anxiety and I literally broke down because I'm the type of person who tends to not have much confidence in myself or I'm just nervous period but Scott was so amazing at just talking me through and keeping myself positive. When you schedule with him, he will ask you to provide your name, the date of your road test and location. Mines was at Wahiawa DMV so my lessons were in that location. Scott teaches/shows you the exact route for your road test so that's why they ask you for the location when you book with him. However much hours you book with him for your lessons, all you will be doing is driving the routes all the time. **Also a note: him scheduling for you might change because they are in the works of updating there scheduling system online so that people can do it themselves** So thank you so much Scott! He was the first person I called to let him know I passed. Please do let him know and thank him a million! He's the best. I haven't met his wife but nonetheless there driving academy business is great! read more

Needed to add my review before I forget. My son already had trouble with reading and school work in general. I honestly thought he was going to struggle with an in person driving school course. Believe me when I say he did great. I just wanted to give a huge "THANK YOU" to Keku's driving school for teaching my son how to be a safe driver. He passed his class and did great on his 6 hours of driving with the instructor as well. My son got his license on the first try. So very happy and proud. It's worth every single penny. Mahalo! read more

Jimmy is amazing at teaching adult drivers!! I failed my road test a couple times, and was nervous to start driving again. I really needed help parking and after a couple weeks of practice I passed my road test. He's really patient and made the driving practice a fun and enjoyable experience. His way of teaching is very positive and he has great tips for parallel parking and parking in general. I'd recommend him to all my friends and family who haven't gotten their license yet. read more

My son passed the road test first time! I highly recommend Keku's driving academy. The virtual classes were so convenient and Scott's behind the wheel instruction were concise and the atmosphere he creates is a comfortable learning experience. My son said he felt like he was learning from an uncle. read more

Keku's Driving Academy - Passed the road test first time out! - Driving Schools Near Me - Mililani, Hawaii

My teenager recently took the Spring Break classroom course with Karen and started implementing her knowledge right away. And she even reminded me of some of the rules I forgot! Karen made learning more memorable with interesting notes and lectures! That's great when attempting to keep teens engaged in the course that they actually pay attention! Next is the 6 hour driving times with Scott! Update: 7/26/19, my daughter passed her road test on the first try at Kapolei. Thankful for the class times with Karen and on the road with Scott. They were great in implementing awareness of the roads, rules and signage. Scott also took calls and texts for advice and reminders about testing. Truly helpful! read more

Keku's Driving Academy - She passed the Kapolei Road Test on the first attempt! Thanks Karen and Scott from Keku's Driving Academy! - Driving Schools Near Me - Mililani, Hawaii

First off I'd like to say it's no wonder why Keku's Driving Academy has 5 stars. I've been driving for seven years with just my permit and have scheduled many road test appointments, but have never showed up to any... just because I was nervous. A month before my road test I scheduled an appointment with Kekoa and he's the best! He took me around the route and practically calmed my nerves. I had a previous driving instructor at a different company but he wasn't the best. Kekoa took me around and we were 'talking story' the whole time. Not yelling or demanding, super easy to talk to. Today was my road test and I'm glad to say I passed! All thanks to Kekoa. If you're like me, a 24 year old who just hasn't gotten around to taking their road test yet and looking for a good instructor. Keku's Driving Academy is the place to go. 10/10! read more

Let me start by saying that Chuck deserves 5 stars. He did an amazing job teaching my daughter for her behind the wheel hours. Made her feel very comfortable and confident behind the wheel. This review is for Scott and Karen. While our initial interactions were ok and Karen was "nice enough" according to my daughter during in person instruction, they were extremely rude in recent weeks. About 3 weeks ago, I called to schedule my daughter's behind the wheel hours. I was not aware that her behind the wheel hours needed to be completed within a year from her classroom hours (Karen said this information is on their website, but I still can't find it anywhere). Karen was upset on the phone and scolded me for taking 1 1/2 years to get the 50 hours of driving logged (class was taken in Dec 2022). She said I needed to pay $300 on top of the $550 I already paid because a year passed. I wasn't happy, but I didn't really have a choice, so I paid the $300 again for the behind the wheel hours. I let Karen know that we still needed to pick up my daughter's certificate for her classroom hours. Again, I was scolded and grilled about why it wasn't picked up at the end of the class (last session was held online due to an unexpected closure of their Mililani office on the last day...I live in Kaneohe, so making it out to Mililani is not easy). However, she assured me that I can still pick up the certificate. I spoke to Scott the next day to complete my $300 payment and again, he assured me that I could pick up the certificate. I have some time off this week, so I called on Monday to find out when I could pick up the certificate. Scott told me to come down on Tuesday morning. We agreed that a little after 8:00a would be perfect. We get to the Mililani office at 8:10a and no one is there. I call Scott and he apologizes for forgetting that we spoke the day prior, but someone will be down soon to get me the certificate. I get a call a couple minutes later, but this time Scott is upset and tells me that my daughter never took the classroom hours. I assure him that I recall driving her there for 5 Saturdays. I remind him that we spoke 3 weeks prior about my situation. He responded, "3 weeks?! 3 weeks?! Where have you been for 2 years?! You had 2 years and you only called me 3 weeks ago?!" He proceeded to tell me they're coming and hung up on me. Karen arrived at about 8:45a and immediately yelled at my daughter saying, "You had 2 years to get this certificate and you're only coming now?!" She tells my daughter to "Get in here!" to sign the certificate. My daughter tells Karen that she asked her friends if they remember hearing that they only had a year to complete the behind the wheel hours and they said no. Karen yells, "You're the only one who didn't pick up their certificate, so don't give me that!" I was pretty upset at this point, but I had already paid them $850 so there was no way I was leaving without that certificate. Karen finished signing the certificate and shoved it at my daughter without saying a word. Then we left. I have never felt so disrespected in my adult life. I was spoken to like I was a misbehaving 3 year old, not a paying customer who paid twice. read more

What we had initially planned to have accomplished during our daughter's final quarter of her senior year in high school, got derailed when the pandemic hit. My husband and I tried to teach our daughter ourselves, but its difficult when you have no idea where to begin, emotions take ahold and then also find out we were confusing her because we were actually teaching her our bad habits ( back in our day there was no such thing as drivers ed) . Boy were we glad when Kekus was given the green light to restart their Drivers Ed classroom and Behind the wheel lessons last year .We had heard so many positive things about Keku's we were more than ready to have our daughter begin her journey . Karen and Scott have been so accommodating, patient and supportive throughout this time. From the online classes when they reopened to having a safe environment for the students when they took their test and the clear, yet patient instruction from Scott in the behind the wheel portion. Thank goodness for them both! Even I learned some things from my daughter, that I wasn't doing right. She said she is going to teach me how to parallel park like a pro, now that she has learned it. :) So, today was "THE DAY"- "TEST DAY"...We are so happy to share that our daughter passed her road test today at Kapolei, on her first try! I will forever remember looking up from the bench where I was anxiously waiting and seeing her walk toward me, through the crowd showing me her "thumbs up". We could not be happier with how this journey turned out. If you are a parent of a teen or an adult wanting to learn how to drive- do yourself a favor and call Keku's. It is so worth it!!!! read more

Keku's Driving Academy - She passed her road test on her first try! - Driving Schools Near Me - Mililani, Hawaii

The guy who was instructing my daughter is a retired police officer and I explained to him about what happened with her last instructor and I need help with her learning to drive. Within a few sessions she was driving alot better, was more comfortable and wasn't as scared. We had to stop to save up money but will contact again to get her a few more lessons and hopefully she'll be better. I wish I had contacted this driving academy first. read more

Excellent school. Both my kids got their license right after they completed their school. No problems. Scott is the best!

I had a great experience at this driving school ! Scott and Jimmy are so helpful, patient, professional and the service was excellent. I was able to get my drivers license my first time taking the road test. I recommend this driving school to anyone who is looking to get their license and is teachable. read more

I took the Adult BTW with Keku. I recently moved here from Tokyo and already had a Japanese license. I rarely drove in Tokyo because I mainly used public transport or walked everywhere so I'd considered myself a beginner. I contacted several schools around the island but most were fully booked or some didn't follow up. When I reached out to keku they were very prompt with response and referred me to Jimmy - I was able to book a lesson immediately! I was extremely nervous driving in a new country but Jimmy made sure I was comfortable and always gave me words of encouragement. His sense of humor and jolly demeanor made the whole experience fun! He would sometimes tell me anecdotes of areas we drove by, too! I could not thank Jimmy enough for making my introduction to driving in Hawaii a great one! read more

Adult learner here! I've held on to my learner's permit for four years until I finally had the time (and confidence) to really try for my license. During those four years, I barely got behind the wheel due to fear of being on the road. I found it hard to learn from my parents, but through the behind the wheel sessions with Chuck, I grew more comfortable. I went from not knowing how to parallel park to doing it 8+ times in one session alone! They really prepare you for your test and give lots of encouragement along the way! I just passed today (on the first try) thanks to all of their help! If Keku's Academy is still here when I have kids and they want to learn to drive, I'd definitely send them here! Thank you Chuck & the Keku Team! * I submitted this review on their website directly and got a SUPER quick personalized email reply from one of their instructors -- literally less than 5 minutes after submitting! read more

Mr. Scott and Ms. K. at Keku's Driving Academy are AMAZING! Very professional, and very patient! My daughter passed her road test last Wednesday on her first try!!! The tester told us she is a great driver!!! All my thanks go to Keku's!!! read more

My son passed on the FIRST TRY! Thank you Scott and Kekoa for your help and patient with Bryson. You guys are so so nice! I highly recommend Keku's Driving Academy to everyone! read more

Keku's Driving Academy - Passed on the FIRST TRY - Driving Schools Near Me - Mililani, Hawaii

Our teen enjoyed the classroom lessons & his driving lessons. We forgot to teach our teen how to parallel park. Thank you Scott for teach our teen in 1 lesson. Thank you for helping our teen in getting a provisional license! read more

Can't speak highly enough of Karen!!! I have had 3 keiki go though driving school. My 2 oldest went to a different driving school and they were NOT taught as well or as much as Karen did to my youngest! And those 2 did in person classes. My youngest did online driving school with Keku's. I small kine listened to some of the classes, and Karen did an amazing job with her online students. Also, after online classes were completed, my youngest and I had to go in person to show that the workbook was actually completed and that she did pay attention to the online classes! Smart move to ensure they did the work and learned! My youngest was a FIRST TIME PASS for both her Written Test and Road Test!! Mahalo Nui Loa Karen, Scott, & Keku's Driving Academy! read more

I highly recommend Keku's Driving Academy. Karen did an awesome job teaching the class with emphasis on safety and actual daily encounters we face every day on our streets. Scott will allow you to schedule your "Behind the Wheel" training based on your availability and is also willing to wait to schedule it closer to the date of your road test. I addition to his flexibility, he'll meet you and have you drive the actual route the examiners will test you at your respective Satellite City Hall. AWESOME .... and my son passed. read more

Extremely satisfied with the courteous, friendly and highly professional service provided by everyone involved in the operation from the front office to the 30 hours of online classes and, finally, through the six hours of actual driving instruction...we recommend without reservation using Keku's Driving Academy with a special mahalo nui loa to Karen Kekumano and Chuck Skaggs!!! read more

Excellent driving school. My son passed the test first time with no points taken off. Scott was really great!

I highly recommend Keku's Driving Academy! Instructors Karen and Scott take their time and carefully instruct their students so that they will pass their road examination. My daughter passed on her first time out. Thank you Karen and Scott for caring about my daughter. She's now on her way on becoming a safe, careful, and confident driver! Mahalo team Keku! read more

Will be sending my next 2 children here for sure. Highly recommended!!! Instructors both class and on road were professional, easy to get along with. They make everything relatable and easy to understand, very thorough. Communication was on point! Great experience! My son passed his road test 1X read more

I only knew the basics of driving when I started paying for lessons with Keku's Driving Academy. Thinking I was close to ready for my test, I was humbled by my instructor, Jimmy, who recommended I take more lessons. From that point I took ~8 hours of lessons with him and learned the proper way to drive. Jimmy doesn't sugarcoat; If you're doing something wrong he will let you know immediately and teach you the correct way until you get it right. In that time, I learned everything from proper turning to reverse parallel parking and got ample repetitious practice, passing my road test on the first try at Kapolei. In my opinion, Keku's is worth every penny. Mahalo! read more

They were so speedy and fast with responding. I contacted them May 19. By the end of the day I had already received a driving instructor and a time and date to practice. Scott was my driving instructor, he was so patient and knowledgeable and kind. He was very understanding when I had to reschedule my time. When we met up to do the route, he throughly explained and showed me things, what why and how. Every question I had he answered, he did not RUSH me. He took his time, which I was very thankful for, because driving can be scary sometimes. Needless to say Scott showed me tips on what to do, and how to do (May 26). My drivers test was MAY 27, and I PASSED! I've been driving but he corrected what I was doing wrong, and explained why, gave me guides that I could use when I'm actually doing my test. When I was doing my test, I used everything he said and I PASSED! I had already failed twice before, so booking with him having them show me all the guidelines and correct what I was doing, truly really helped!! It also made me feel more confident and knowledgeable. THANK YOU SO MUCH SCOTT !! read more

Kekoa was the behind the wheel instructor for both my kids. Very professional, patient and just overall a great instructor! My kids passed their behind the wheel on their first attempt! They took the full course including behind the wheel at another place but I felt they weren't ready for the actual test. They needed a few extra hours with an instructor since I'm not that savvy with parallel parking and overall road rules. Their prior instructor couldn't squeeze them in for extra lessons but fortunately Keku came highly recommended by our famiy friends. read more

Highly recommend. Referred to us by a friend. Scott did a great job of preparing our child for the road test and passed on the first try. His laid back style put us all at ease and made it a pleasant learning experience. Thank you Scott! read more

I'm so glad I chose Keku's Driving Academy. The price is so worth it! I don't normally write a review but wanted to with this company. I have two children under the age of 18 yrs. old. I was on the waiting list for several DOE Hawaii, signed up with different private companies. I was on the verge in getting my two kids signed up for classes as soon as possible. With this new pandemic lifestyle it's hard to get "as soon as possible." Why I like about Keku's Academy...First, their website is very detailed (prices/contact number/forms). Second, they return calls and emails. Third, SUPER FRIENDLY and detailed with the program and schedule they have to offer for busy parents. Karen teaches the class and Scott is the driving instructor. I booked the reservations for my two. Trust me, I felt sick to my stomach knowing I had to pay for two students. Down payment ($100ea.) at first to hold your reservation and remaining balance when you start your class. Couple months passed and we're ready to start our session, I received a call from one of the DOE Hawaii (payment is $10 for class and BTW) and they had an opening for just one child. Of course, I will definitely take the $10 Driver's Ed. So, I had my son take Keku's and my daughter took the DOE Hawaii. Comparing the two...BOTH shows the students videos and test them with questions on the current section they're on. Well, Keku's will go over the videos together. Keku's will go over the questions and answers together. Karen gets involved with her class and make sure her students are alert and on the same page together. DOE Hawaii did not get involved at all! My daughter and her class just watched videos and answered questions the entire session everyday on their own. Teacher did not talk at all to her students. She was just there to make sure each student was signed on. I guess you get what you pay for..LOL Scott is a great instuctor! He's professional and detailed when we first met at the Wahiawa DMV. My son felt so confident and comfortable with him. My son said, he is very detailed, funny, and he just brings positive vibes all the time. Scott will train you every step of the way...bringing you to the road test routes. Sometimes you might be lucky to have a live road test instructor on the road and Mr. Scott will make you follow them and he points out if there's any right or wrong doings. I can keep going on and on about Karen and Scott...trust me you won't be disappointed. It's so worth it! They're so passionate with their work. It's all about keeping you Safe on the road and to make sure you Pass your road test. Today, 7/20/21, my son PASSED...First crack. Thank you so much Scott and Karen!! read more

My daughter has been eager to get her license but with COVID and the shutdowns-- the process dragged on. Scott at Keku's was awesome in accommodating our schedules and with last minute changes. She passed her driver's test on the first try at Kapalama...even managing to avoid an accident - impressing the examiner. Highly recommend this family run business!! read more

*The following was written by my two sons. A few months ago, we embarked on our driving journey with Keku's Driving Academy. Admittedly, we both had our initial reservations as there were seemingly an endless amount of driving skills to learn. Fortunately, we found Kumu K's online classes to be enjoyable, and a fantastic learning experience for us. In time, the knowledge we gained translated to the road. Our driving skills improved tremendously within a few months. Till this day, we distinctly remember Kumu K's "READ" acronym to maintain awareness and to interpret different driving situations. A few weeks later, we prepared for our road test during our behind-the-wheel sessions with Mr. Scott. These sessions were certainly memorable and familiarized us with different testing routes. It's also worth noting that Mr. Scott was incredibly patient and caring making our driving experiences all the better. Overall, learning from Keku's Driving Academy was positive and reinforced good driving habits. We sincerely appreciate Kumu K. and Mr. Scott for their constant help and support. As time progresses, we hope to apply the skills we've obtained in our future endeavors. Would highly recommend! read more

So grateful to have had Scott provide behind the wheel instruction for my son. It was a great experience as Scott was patient, had put him at ease and personable.  He provided valuable feedback, and was clear in prioritizing what my son needed to focus on for the road test. Implemented good habits and fixed bad ones. Simplified driving to make it intuitive as possible. My son passed his road test! Thank you so much Scott! read more

My daughter need to finish her driver training with the 6 behind the wheel portion. I called several schools and only Keku's was willing to do the behind the wheel training without the classroom class. My daughter was taught by Scott. He was nice and didn't yell whenever she made a mistake. Though my daughter was nervous he made it comfortable for her and quickly got the hang of it. She now has her certificate and will be taking her road test later this year. All she has to do is get over being nervous driving with someone she doesn't know in the passenger seat. Also the log they provided made logging so much easier. Thanks Keku and Scott for a wonderful experience. read more

Great drivers ed program. Helped me finally get my license as an adult. Scott is super cool and was very helpful with behind the wheel lessons. I highly suggest adults to take lessons with him. read more