Joseph is hands down the best driving instructor I've ever encountered. If you are taking lessons from him, you can assure yourself that you are gonna pass the road test! He goes above and beyond to teach the small but crucial details that many people overlook during their road test. What sets Joseph apart is his dedication to ensuring you're fully prepared--he takes you through the area around the DMV so you're familiar with the test route, which significantly boosts your confidence. Joseph offers his lessons at rates far more affordable than typical driving schools, without compromising on quality. If you choose to use his car for the road test, he even lets you practice in the DMV area right before your test, ensuring you're comfortable with both the car and the environment. And yes, this too is offered at a much lower cost compared to other schools. Beyond his exceptional teaching skills, Joseph is incredibly kind, considerate, and a pleasure to talk to. I couldn't recommend him more highly! read more

Joseph is an *incredible* driving instructor. I am in my 30s and had abandoned any hope of ever getting my driver's license or being a competent driver. He helped me confidently and successfully pass my test and build up my driving skills. He is calm and patient and teaches you many great tips and techniques. I was a nervous wreck about the test and driving, but he helped me believe in myself. 10/10 - a highly recommended driving instructor! Go to Joseph if you want to learn to drive and pass your driving test! read more

I rarely leave reviews for anything on Yelp. The only time I do write a review is when Im extremely impressed, the service I received was exceptional, and the individual/organization I was affiliated with went above and beyond. It is without a doubt that Joseph embodies all of these characteristics. He is an amazing driving instructor and I cant stress that enough. His teaching style is patient, calm, and methodological. He covers a variety of skills for driving and has the driver do them over and over until they (as well as he) is confident that they understand the technique he taught them. For some context, I was taking driving lessons from Joseph for a little over two years. At first, I was extremely scared to get behind the wheel, but with Joseph as my instructor, that fear quickly vanished. He started me off in locations that didn't have much traffic or cars and from there we slowly went into more populated areas. The transition was perfect and by the time he had me drive through traffic and highly populated residential areas, I was confident and felt great handling the vehicle. Its also important to mention that Joseph preps you for the DMV Driving Exam perfectly. He has you go through all the exam routes many times and ensures that you know what areas to watch out for on the route to allow you to pass on the first time! He took me through them and by the time I had my driving exam, I knew what to watch out for and passed on the first time! I highly, highly recommend Joseph as your driving instructor. Not only is he professional, he knows exactly what he's teaching and his methods ensure that the Student Driver will be safe on the road and pass their exam the first time. Id like to also add that its so, so nice to have a driving license as it gives you freedom and allows you to become more independent! So, if you have the chance, have Joseph teach you and I promise that you won't be disappointed. I wouldn't want any other driving instructor other than Joseph! read more

Mr. Joseph is a very fantastic driving instructor. He made me so confident with my that I passed my behind the wheel test the 1st time. I recommend him to anyone! read more

Joseph is a kind, patient and knowledgeable instructor. I used him to do refresher driving to my US license from Canada. I would to new and refresher drivers. He is amazing. I guarantee if you use him you will be successful. read more

I moved from Canada to California, and I had to re-do my drive test here, and I haven't purchased a car yet. So I called Jo that I found here on Yelp, with a very short notice he made himself available for my DMV Behind the Wheel test drive that was yesterday, just before the test we did a short drive around the block and I passed the test with his car. Everything was smooth. read more

Joseph was professional, gracious, and knowledgeable in teaching my 17 year old son. We never had any problems with communication: it is enough to call him :) An unexpected bonus: he knows Claremont DMV very well and was actually there on the day of my son's test! He helped direct us where to go and even sat with us in line to make sure everything went smoothly. My teenager also really appreciated that Joseph believed in him and was assuring him that he is a good driver. That eased the anxiety - my son passed at first try! read more

Joseph has really helped me clear behind the wheel test on my first attempt. He teaches you really well and is very patient. He showed early and made me really comfortable before the test. Apart from that he is really nice person. I would definitely recommend someone who is new to driving. I wish him all the very best. - Abhinav read more

***I was able to pass my test on the first try after taking 3 or 4 weekly lessons from Joseph. He has been late, may have to cancel at the last moment, and even be of impetuous temperament occasionally- but the fact that he is genuine, passionate, and wants you to do well makes up for it IMO. If you are really struggling, he does his best to help you. You can tell that he doesn't just want to take your money. He may even instill some confidence in you. His rates are also great compared to other instructors. That's why I went ahead and gave him 5 stars.*** Backstory, for context: The reason why I decided to take lessons because at age 25, I still didn't have a license and felt like I had to get it done- especially after receiving chiding and judgment from family, friends, aquaintances, for so many years. I was just sick of it, even though I was terrified of driving and doubted my ability. I didn't think I would ever have a license. But I wanted to prove myself and others wrong. I never even took the test before because I had crippling anxiety over it. I'm talking the kind of anxiety that makes you feel like throwing up and passing out. Because I didn't have enough reliable help, I had to get lessons, even though some insisted it was a waste of time and money. Those people were so wrong. Joseph takes the lessons very seriously and will explain certain rules and how to safely maneuver the vehicle as needed. He can be harsh and become frustrated if you show a negative pattern, so you've got to be open to criticism and do your best. It's understandable that he would be stern, though. After all, he has taken the responsibility to show you how to properly and safely operate a vehicle, and relay to you that poor driving can cost you your life, or someone else's. When he took me for the test, I felt ready and I did quite well. I had a few people teach me here and there, but he is the primary one to show me proper techniques. I'd recommend him, if you're serious, flexible (honestly), and want someone affordable. I'm nowhere near as scared as I used to be and that means A LOT. read more

Joseph is an attentive instructor, and you can be certain you and your driving will have his undivided attention while you're behind the wheel. He is very direct with his critiques (as well as his praise if he thinks it is warranted) and he is very helpful at correcting/preventing bad habits! Joseph's instruction didn't just prepare me to pass the test; it prepared me to be a safe and confident driver. read more

Horrible experience for me. He is highly unprofessional and will take you for granted. If you call him from appointment, he'll always say that he will call you back but unfortunately he never does. After chasing him for multiple days, I gave up. One of closest friend had first lesson with him and it's been a month since he is waiting for his second lesson. read more

JOSEPH has great skills to teach the perfect tips for passing behind the wheel test. I did an hour warm up with Joseph just before the test, I was certainly on mistakes but Joseph helped me to remove those mistakes. He gave me useful tips about the rules and regulation in the Claremonte DMV Area. Joseph has really helped me clear behind the wheel test on my first attempt. Apart from that he is really nice person. I would definitely recommend everyone to go for atleast a session with him, if you wanna pass the driving test. I wish him all the very best. -- ALI -- read more

Did not show up to our agreed pick-up. Ghosted then kept promising reschedules that never happened.

Jo is a great instructor who knows how to teach a student of any skill level. I was skeptical at first because of previous reviews about him not being on time. Nevertheless I decided to go ahead and give it a try. He was indeed late for all of my lessons but I had a flexible schedule so I didn't mind. I realized that he is late not because he is lazy or doesn't value your time but because he usually spends more than an hour giving his students lessons (and still charge you for an hour). So he is usually late for the next student. The biggest advantage of having Jo as an instructor is that he is very familiar with the Claremont DMV - both the test routes and the employees out there. He is well respected as an instructor and can help out in desperate situations like mine where I had to reschedule my appointment but there was none within the next month. Thanks to Jo encouraging me to talk to the manager and other employees, I was able to reschedule my appointments twice within a week. I am very glad that I choose Jo as my instructor. Listen to him and follow his instructions carefully and go take the test when he says you are ready. You will past the test for sure! That's how much confidence I have in Jo's lessons. read more

He is a cheap driving instructor that is nice and patient. Pro: Cheap and patient. 35 dollars a hour. He is nice and is friendly. He only made me drive 2 hours with him rather than 6 hours which is a bonus. He made me save 140 dollars. Con: He fell asleep while i was driving. He is late. My driving test is at 10 30, and he said we were going to drive for a hour before the test so I can know the environment. In the end he was late and I would be lucky if I made it on time. Overall I would take Joseph as a driving instructor if you have time to WAIT for him. Even though it takes about 20 mins to get to my plan from where he was, it took him about an hour. And promising me an hour of FREE drivers training prior to the test and coming at ______ when my test is at 1030 is truly unacceptable and very unprofessional. He also fell asleep while I was driving, which is dangerous because he was teaching me how to drive. read more

Joseph is a friendly guy and a great instructor. He teaches techniques for a smooth and safe driving - the qualities needed to pass the driving test. He charges $35/hour and $80 for the driving test. I took total of six hours of driving sessions and passed the test. Because he knows the DMV people in Claremont Oakland, you should feel relatively comfortable and at ease on the day of your test. The only unfortunate drawback is that..probably because Joseph has high number of students to teach, he can be late for appointments or sometimes might just cancel the training sessions without advance notice. So it can definitely be irritating when you are tight on schedule or have work. But luckily on my test day, he came right on time. Overall experience was good and I would highly recommend taking lessons with Joseph for a driver's license! read more

Decent instructor, but extremely unprofessional. It took him weeks to respond to my texts, and said he would 'check his schedule' after I called him but never got back to me. I texted him again to ask if he was available, he responded, 'yes at 4pm', followed by, 'actually I have a student at 4pm' and then radio silence again. I would highly recommend someone else who respects your time more. read more

Joseph was great for refreshing the rules and also in terms of student pricing. Completed 2 sessions of 1 hour each, and he gave specific routes and tips on passing the test. He also seemed to know all test routes at El Cerrito and practices there before the test, which helped a lot. Passed with score of 96, so worked out. Would recommend Joseph especially for reasonable rates and flexible scheduling. read more

Joseph is a really good instructor. He focuses on making you pass the test by teaching essential techniques (such as making perfect turns) as well as subtle things to look out for during the test (such as exaggerating your movements whenever doing shoulder checks). This is helped by the fact that he knows the examiners in the Oakland Claremont DMV. He also gives honest judgement about whether you are ready for the test or not. Once he told me I was ready to take the test, I took it a few days later and passed. The only drawback is that he is sometimes late or flake out. He was 1+ hour late for some of my appointments, and cancelled some others without advance notice. If you don't mind the uncertainty, then I highly recommend taking lessons with him if you want to get that license. read more

Just passed my test with 99% score @El cerrito! Joseph knows driving and taking test in particular. BTW, very reasonable rate for students. Edit: passing with just 1-hour training before exam. read more

Joseph is simply great! He knows the right techniques and has the right approach of teaching you. He instantaneously learns your driving pattern, identifies your improvement corners and then is right on target to get them all set right. I had been driving for 6 years in India, and still failed 3 times, before meeting him. He "taught" me the what I was doing wrong (but actually not realizing that I was doing it) in a few hours and I was a different (safe and more confident) driver. I would recommend him any day for people who want to drive safe and with confidence in the US! Thanks Joseph. read more

Joseph is an excellent teacher. Only because of his efforts, I passed my driving test with 97 marks. He prepares you well for the test and he knows the route really well. I took my exam in El Cerrito DMV and Joseph navigated through all the routes which any of the examiner may take. Joseph has also prepared me well for the road. I now drive fearlessly (and cautionly) inside the city as well as on freeways. I recommend Joseph to everyone who want to learn driving and pass the behind-the-wheel test. read more

There are not enough stars on this page to give to this company. First off they are very professional and even better they treat the customers well and they were also very accommodating to my situation. Which I won't go into great detail about . Thank you for the excellent service that was rendered . read more

Excellent service! Joseph taught all three of my children and as I would.......not passes! They are all confident and safe drivers as a result of his training! BTW, my shortest reviews are always the best! Thanks read more

Joseph is a great instructor. He showed me the test routes, what I should and shouldn't do, the tricks and tips of what to expect and I passed! The only thing was that sometimes he was late a few minutes to our driving appointment without telling me, but we ended up having enough time for practice. Thanks Joseph! read more

Joseph is a great and calm driving instructor. He was very patient with me and helped me work on my driving skills. He has helped me become a better driver and it was because of him that I passed my driving test on the first try! read more

Joseph is a very good instructor. I took 5 lessons from him and passed my driving test in first attempt. He is so good to teach the tricks for smooth turns and other rules that makes you a best driver. read more

Joseph is a very nice instructor who takes it personally to ensure each student passes. He is very strict and scolds a lot during classes if you make a mistake. This style of teaching ensures that you become a good driver. He knows the examiners in Claremont DMV very well. But as many other reviewers said, he might not be the most punctual person and is often late. If your schedule is flexible, Joseph is the guy for you. I passed with with a high score with one of the lady examiners at Claremont DMV but beware of the new examiner guy who has a reputation for taking lots of points and failing even good drivers. read more

My daughter and I met Joseph at the Claremont DMV when she took (and failed) her first driving test. She had taken lessons with another instructor who failed to teach her some critical skills and give her some important pointers for the test. She took an hour lesson with Joseph and passed the test. Joseph is a great instructor. He's passionate and very thorough. We'll be sure to use him to teach our younger daughter when the time comes for her to drive. read more

Joseph is the best!!!! He will do his best to help you to pass your behind the wheel test!!!! Without his help I'm not gonna pass my test.

Get references. I made an apptment. A week later at 9:45am the person called to say they could not make the 10am apptment. He said he would show up at 3:30. No one called or ever showed up at 3:30. Get references & call them before you hire a driving teacher. read more

I really want you to know that if you are in hurry in get the license, choosing him would be a bad decision. Yes, as you know, tuition is basically 70 bucks per 2 hours. He was kind at the first time tho. But he used to cancel the appointment without notice, procrastination like over 1 hour is his best habit ever. And his teaching is fairly unorganized and not that helpful to get the license. I'm telling you that do not be his student if you are okay with his lateness. read more

I contacted Joseph after having failed the driving test at Santa Clara DMV. I had never driven before and attempted the driving test at Santa Clara DMV after 6 hours of driving session with another driving school. Joseph worked hard on improving my driving and showed me around the Oakland DMV where I was planning to take my second attempt. After 3 (2hour) sessions with Joseph I passed the test with 98%. He knew all the people at DMV and guided me on what each examiner might focus on. He knew the routes very well and pointed out several times the common mistakes that new drivers do on the routes. I would definitely recommend him. One thing to note about Joseph, though, is that he can be late for some reason or the other. I had to wait about 30 mins in 2 out of the 3 sessions. read more

Joseph was a fine teacher. He pointed out some things I needed to pay attention to and that was helpful. He also made an appointment at the DMV for me when he thought I was ready and showed me the route that the test drivers would be taking. All of that was really helpful. What I didn't like about him was that he was consistently 30-40min late every time I met with him. If you are actually working and have to take some time off for these driving lessons, that can be very irritating. He charges $35 per hour and $80 for the driving test. He didn't tell me until after the driving test that it was going to cost $80. Although this is still a fine amount compared to other driving schools, I would have appreciated to know that ahead of time, since I was expecting $35... So, overall my experience driving with him was good, but I would have appreciated him being more reliable. read more

Joseph was very knowledgable about the routes and the examiners for Oakland Claremont DMV. I took a 1 hour session with him just to learn the routes and to get familiar with the way the behind the wheel tests work here in the US. read more

I took one 2-hr lesson with Joseph and that's it; it was enough! I have driven a lot in India but here it is different. Joseph is a very passionate guy and really cares about his customers and he wants them to not just pass but pass with flying colors. He will show you all the routes and give you all the tips needed to pass the test. Just follow him; don't try to argue with him - he will scold you! :) That just comes from his passion for work. As mentioned in some of the reviews, he did make me wait a bit beyond the scheduled time, but he made up for it with his lesson. Before him, I had taken a lesson with someone else and it wasn't worth it. If you are going to Oakland DMV, Joseph is the guy. read more

Pro: cheap ($70/2hrs) and a nice instructor. I don't know if this is the thing with all driving schools, but what he taught me was as simple as turns, stops, and going straight, and a little practice on changing lanes. I'd be practicing with a friend if I knew that's all it takes to learn how to drive basically. Cons: He was 1h15min late. And I already read previous reviews and called him 15 minutes in advance to avoid it. I don't know if it's part of the culture where he grew up (somewhere in Africa) but that is evidently very unprofessional. After me he had another student/client, and he cancelled the appt with her 2 hrs before it for some personal appointment. I think he should plan ahead and be more respectful of his appointments than that. read more

He is little strict but if you want to be a defensive driver he is the man. One of the best thing he teaches is about making perfect turns. The hand should be at 6 o clock position from 3 or 9 position assuming your steering wheel is clock and it just happens so smoothly. He takes almost half the fees as compared to other driving schools. I agree with people who have put comment here that he is not punctual. If you are not too muh of time concious person then go for it. read more

Joseph knows how to transfer his knowledge to you, including driving techniques and the test routes. Highly recommend.

Probably the first review that I am writing, because Joseph is amazing! Just passed my test today with 98% on the first attempt! I have driven for around 8-9 years in India and found Joseph through Yelp! Called him to set an appointment and off we started. A fair warning though - he can be late at appointments. But, that being said is only because he spends more time with everyone trying to TEACH them how to drive. A took about 3-4 classes with him and he taught me all the basic rules and techniques that are needed to drive in the US. Joseph also knows the staff at Claremont DMV and the frequent routes they take, which is a huge help to calm the nerves. I had heard it takes 2-3 attempts to pass the behind the wheel test, but thanks to Joseph, I did it in the first attempt!! read more