We enrolled our daughter up for all of the required number of hours/classes through Varsity Driving Academy (VDA). The instructors were very patient with her as she learned the car and rules of the road. It's very important to find a trustworthy driving academy. From purchasing the sessions, to scheduling the sessions, and to scheduling the CA DMV test, it was such an easy process. Our daughter really felt at ease and comfortable with instructors Catherine Steveley and Dan Younger. They really understand how to instruct/connect with a new youth driver. Thank you! Today, our daughter took her CA DMV driver's test and SHE PASSED THE TEST!!! Thank you to everyone at VDA!!! We will go through VDA when our son is eligible. read more

When my son first got his permit I looked on Yelp to find a great behind the wheel program for him. I called Varsity and they were amazingly helpful on the phone. When Bob came to our house for my son's first lesson he was kind and knowledgeable, letting us know what to expect. My son had a great experience and at the end Bob spoke with us and gave us things to work on with him. All three lessons were amazing, he even gave us tips and tricks for the test and suggested which DMV to go to. Our son passed with flying colors and has a great driving record (he has been driving for 3 years). I am writing this a few years later because we moved away from Irvine and had to find another company for our daughter. Her experience was not as good and we did not feel that she was ready to be driving on her own even after that company signed off on it. I immediately called Varsity and they found her a time to work with Bob and we drove down to Irvine for it. In just two hours he taught her so much, he went through everything and corrected her previous instruction. She is a much more confident and safer driver because of him. She passed her test two days after the lesson. Thank you Varsity and Bob! read more

I'm glad I chose Varsity Driving Academy! Today I passed my behind-the-wheel test. Shoutout to all the instructors--they're really nice and patient. Each instructor has slightly different teaching methods, especially when it comes to curbside parking, but I still learned a lot from all of them. Also, the person who answers the phone is very friendly and provides clear, detailed information, which made the whole process even smoother. Overall, a great experience! read more

Ed did an amazing job helping me with my first lesson today! He was very patient with me & it encouraged me to stay calm! He kept reassuring me the whole time when i felt like i was doing something wrong and i really appreciated that! THANK YOU ED!! read more

I want to give a special shoutout to driving instructor Bob Younger.... This man literally was the reason my son learned all that he did and was able to pass his driving test the first time. Bob is so patient and good w/ the teenagers and actually teaches them while still being fun and energetic. Ask for him to be your child's instructor you won't be disappointed. 5 stars for Bob Y, an exceptional addition to your company!!!! read more

My daughter was struggling to pass her driving test as an adult and had never taken drivers ed so we booked one 2 hour lesson and she passed the test next next week. Dan was her instructor and he was very nice and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend Varsity and have already signed my younger daughter up for drivers ed. read more

VDA was a great experience! I found about it through my peers. My instructor was Bob Y, and he was really great. He was always early and communicative with my parents and myself. My first lesson I sat in the car never having touched the steering wheel before, but he guided me through it. I remember for my third lesson at 6:30, he came earlier so that I could finish the lesson while the sun was up. He also stayed longer to give me extra pointers. It's all those little things that show to me that Bob cares about his students. Aside from being a great instructor, Bob is a great person. He is funny and sociable, which made the 2 hour long lessons enjoyable. Bob gave me plenty of tips and guidance, which helped me pass my test on my first try! The only reason I didn't give VDA a five star review is because I'm unsure about their policy about taking students to the driving site. I wasn't able to go during my time with VDA, but I don't know if that's because driving to the DMV is too far or because there are legal restrictions preventing driving schools from taking their students to practice the test routes. I saw other driving schools practicing at the DMV and I would have really appreciated a walkthrough of the course with my instructor. read more

The instructors were really inconsistent. They also complained about each other so the second instructor claimed the first instructor wasn't good. Then the third instructor complained the first two instructors weren't good. My kid confirmed that she barely learned anything and their sharing of their private life was too much. One of the instructors told her to go straight even if the sign clearly stated you couldnt. No clear instructions on what to do to pass the test. I wouldn't recommend read more

Great communication from the front office to the instructors! Varsity driving was awesome. They came to my house, i picked my son up and took him out for 3 sessions. Our instructor was Dan, he is awesome! He was extremely patient and knowledgeable. My son instantly felt comfortable with him. With Dan's guidance he passed on the first try and only had 6pts deducted. Thank you Varsity Driving and a huge Thank you to Dan! read more

My daughter had a wonderful experience with the driving instructors. Bob and Dan were patient, thorough, and very detailed in their lessons. They gave her clear areas to improve, boosted her confidence, and truly prepared her for success. She passed her driving test on the first attempt, and I genuinely believe Bob helped her feel ready and capable. I texted him afterward to share the news, and he was so kind and supportive. Great instructors--we highly recommend them! read more

I've had a great experience with Varsity Driving Academy--everyone there is friendly, helpful, and professional from the start. They made the whole process smooth and stress-free. The main reason for this review, though, is to highly recommend Bob as an instructor. He is hands down the best driving instructor we could have asked for. He's patient, knowledgeable, calm, and genuinely cares about helping the student feel confident behind the wheel. Bob has a great way of explaining things clearly and making nervous drivers feel at ease. His guidance made a big difference, and I can't thank him enough. If you're signing up with Varsity, definitely request Bob--you won't regret it! read more

This is my second use of Varsity Driving Academy, 5 years ago for my daughter and this year for my son. both of the experiences were awesome. I am so happy with their service and i highly recommend any parent have teens coming to driving age. they pick up the kids from home and teach them everything from a to z and make sure they pass the test, i highly recommend MR ARAI. He is a great teacher he even followed up with my son after the dmv test to see if he passed or not. (and he did of course at the first attempt thanks to Mr Arai) dont think twice go with Varsity. they are great. read more

Wanted to update my review because Mark did reach out to me to make things right. I do appreciate that. I wholeheartedly always recommend this driving academy when people ask how I learned or when I see that people struggle with driving. read more

I was recommended Varsity Driving Academy by a friend and did not regret it. I called and they immediately scheduled my son. Each course he was taught how to pass the exam and how to be a good driver. My son took his courses with three different instructors: Mr. J Field, Mr. Bob Younger, and finally Mr. Hong Tran. All three of these gentlemen were on-time, polite and very efficient in their teaching methods. They also provided a summary at the end for how my son could improve. The last class Hong took my son to San Clemente where they drove around the area and on the freeway. I would recommend any of these three drivers for a new student. read more

I would NOT recommend that you buy one of their driving packages as after you make the purchase they cannot accommodate your student for WEEKS for behind he wheel lessons and won't refund you. My daughter obtained her permit on Feb 6th and the first availability for after-school that Varsity has is 1 MONTH away on March 6th. To pull her out of school for a lesson is still 2 weeks away. I asked then for a refund and they refused. I called another driving school I found on Yelp and they set her up for tomorrow afterschool. Perhaps if you don't pre-pay for the lessons you get better availability. I would strongly advise parents to look for another driving school and not to pre-pay Varsity. Mark, the owner, did ultimately issue me a refund. He then sent me several emails trying to get me to remove my review. So the overall star rating for this business is probably suspect too. I wonder how many other people he harassed into removing their reviews? read more

Great experience and very happy with the services. Appointments were very easy to schedule and Bob had extra patience with my anxious daughter He actually believed in her more than she did herself. So happy to report he was correct and she was ready and she passed the first time. read more

I am giving them four stars because it takes months to book out your three drivers lessons and at one point we had like a 2 1/2 month gap between lessons. My daughter had Daisy on the first lesson and she was very good. She was patient and my daughter loved her. Our Second lesson she had with Hong and this guy was a game changer. He went into specific details and really pushed my daughter through some of the things she was struggling with driving. He was so good and my daughter got so much confidence that she begged him to get us a third lesson with him. Although he never works Friday nights he worked a special shift just for us and drove my daughter all the way down near the DMV in San Clemente where she was going to be taking her test that coming Monday. All he did was speak positive and talk about how she was more than ready to pass. This guy was amazing! You can miss 15 on your test and still pass and my daughter only missed 4! The DMV driving test lady said she was an excellent driver and we were checking out and getting her provisional license the lady said it was The best score she had seen all day. Mind you six months before I feared for my life greatly driving in the car with my daughter, she had tears many times and I thought it may take a year of lessons to get her over the hump. Today she's driving every day to school and doing wonderful. Thank you varsity driving academy. PS take your test in San Clemente. By far the least crowded and easy DMV. 3 Hour wait at lake forest, 10 minutes at SC. read more

Varsity Driving Academy's instructors are a mix of hits and misses. I booked four 2-hour lessons for my daughter that costs $690. The first lesson was okay. The second instructor (which I shall not name here), the guy was 15 minutes late. And then after he arrived at our house, I noticed he was talking with my daughter in front of our driveway for 35 minutes. I went out to meet the guy to complain, but immediately when he saw me he said "oh we are about to get going", and they drove off. Later on I found out from my daughter that HE (not my daughter) had then proceeded to drive for another 30 minutes before my daughter was behind the wheel. My daughter only drove for 40 minutes of the 2 hours that I had paid. Not recommended! read more

Both my sister and I had Ann as our driving instructor and had a great experience! She is very calm, patient, and encouraging, and genuinely wants you to succeed. As someone who was very anxious about driving, she really helped me become more confident in my abilities. Thanks to her guidance, both my sister and I passed our driving tests on the first try! I'd definitely recommend her! read more

I just did a driving session with Erin and I learned about Traffic checks Residential areas Highway traffic lights 10-2 hands on top of steering wheel Doing U-turns 3 point turns Reversing curb Signals Mirror checking read more

Had the pleasure of recieving Erin as my instructor! She was a great teacher for my first time driving without a parent. You can tell she is very passionate about her job and really helped me with my anxiety on the road. read more

I drove for the first time with Ed for my first lesson. I was nervous at the beginning but Ed was very calm and supportive. I quickly gained confidence and was able to learn a lot such as lane changes, right turns, and left turns from Ed. The whole experience was very enjoyable and Ed was very kind and helpful. Thank you Ed read more

My daughter had Ed for her first driving lesson and he was great! He made her feel very comfortable and safe. As soon as she got home she told me she wanted to request him Again for her 2nd lesson :) read more

All around excellent experience with Varsity Academy Instructors were friendly, on time, patient, and knowledgeable Special thanks to John for going above and beyond: You gave us an extra boost of confidence that made it a very smooth experience! read more

Varsity Driving Academy - Passed the driving test in the first attempt! - Driving Schools Near Me - Irvine, California

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I had my driving lessons with Erin just now, I learned a lot today such as looking Left, Right, then left in a residential area and the SMOG acronym(Signal, Mirror, Over shoulder, and Glide or Go). Overall, great experience and highly recommend for those wanting to improve their driving! read more

Thank you, Varsity Driving Academy!! I passed my behind the wheel test. Thank you Ed and Catherine. They are the best instructors. They are very patient, knowledgeable, supportive and calm. They helped me boost my confidence. Thank you again. More power to your business... read more

Highly recommended! My son took the driving lesson with Ed about a month ago, a great instructor make a big difference on how teenagers drive. We actually came from AAA canceled my lessons and paid the penalty because it was a headache to book and the instructor wasn't that good. We have already booked our second session and have requested Ed again. read more

Erin was my instructor for my driving lessons with Varsity Driving Academy, and she helped me learn and become extremely confident with my driving skills. I was able to learn how to make better turns and better lane changes to help me better prepare for the DMV behind the wheel test, and become a safer driver. Overall, I feel that the teaching style and tips given by my instructor was easy and useful to implement into my driving which has boosted my confidence to become the a safer, better driver! Thank you so much! read more

I had Hong as my teacher. He was very patient and helped explain my mistakes and how to improve from them.

I am so glad I chose VDA to brush up on my driving in the US to get a California license. VDA offer 2 hour driving sessions. My dealings with their staff either via email or telephone were always professional. They sent email confirmations of scheduled lessons. An issue I had was promptly and professionally resolved by the manager once we brought it to his attention. My instructor Isaac was experienced, knowledgeable, on time and had a calming persona. He guided me extremely well and was very thorough. I passed with ZERO errors! Highly recommend Varsity Driving Academy. Ask for Isaac as your instructor! read more

Varsity Driving Academy - Passed with ZERO errors! Isaac is an excellent instructor - Driving Schools Near Me - Irvine, California

They yell horrible website made me fail my first time but now I love life and driving

when I was first initially learning how to drive, I was very nervous and my instructor made learning a very poor and anxiety inducing experience. my instructor at the time was Kamyar and he would belittle me when I would drive a little too slow because I was nervous. I pulled into a parking lot and he was getting riled up. I stopped and told him to stop belittling me, and he began to apologize. He started to talk about his personal life and his personal problems which made me very uncomfortable as a female. This episode left me very unsatisfied so I reported this to Varsity. The company made up for it by providing me a free lesson with a much better and more compassionate teacher named Daniel. I had a good experience with Daniel however, the entire episode with my first instructor has left a sour taste in my mouth. read more

my instructor Ed , was very patient and it did not matter how many times I forgot or did it wrong he would go over it as often as needed. Ed provides a fantastic learning environment . Ed did more than just teach me to drive he taught me how to be a driver. read more

My son had his first driving lesson today. Needless to say he was pretty nervous, I guess we all were! His instructor Ed was incredible. He new the right things to say to set the tone for the instruction and gave us all peace of mind. I would highly recommend this company, especially Ed the instructor. Thank you! read more

Varsity Driving Academy - Driving Schools Near Me - Irvine, California

We had a great experience with Varsity. Every instructor was fantastic. My son was nervous about being behind the wheel but the instructors kept him calm and helped him improve his confidence every session. read more

I PASSED my behind-the-wheel test and I finally have my driver's license, thanks to VDA and my driving instructors (Jack Cheak and George Schnizter)! I could not have done it without their service. It actually took me 5 years to finally get the courage to take the test, and it's all because of my lessons from VDA. Jack helped me gain confidence in driving and get over my fear of driving. He is an excellent instructor. Same with George. He guided me during my behind-the-wheel test and gave me tips and lessons on how I can pass the test. Thank you so much, Jack & George! read more

Varsity Driving Academy - I made 6 mistakes out of 15 allowed mistakes...not bad! - Driving Schools Near Me - Irvine, California

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Thanks to Varsity Driving I was able to pass my driving test with ease on my first try! Ernie was the most incredible instructor I could have asked for. He instilled confidence in me behind the wheel and made me feel very comfortable especially the first few lessons. Ed was also incredible, he took me to the DMV for the test and made me feel calm before it. Overall, I had an excellent and smooth experience with Varsity and highly recommend them. read more

TYLER WAS AMAZING !!! He was so easy to talk to and he definitely made sure i was prepared for a test. Made my driving experience very enjoyable! - Michael Johnson read more

Recommend for sure. They are ontime on everything and keeping their promise. Great person as well.

My Varsity Driving instructor was Jack and he is super patient and clear with instructions. He went over everything I needed to prepare for my DMV test. He made me go from fearing driving to loving it. I highly recommend taking driving lessons from here. read more