tl,dr: Let my driver's license expire, needed a new one, plus a car to use for the driving test…read more Nova Driving School was fantastic. I moved back to Chicago after 14 years in SF and finally needed to get my license again, mainly so I could help my aging folks in Southern Indiana if I needed to. I don't own a car, and I didn't want to borrow one from friends, so I looked for a driving school that also provides a vehicle for the test. Nova kept coming up in the ads, searches, and on Reddit. But I still needed an instructional permit to drive for the driving test. I went to the downtown DMV, took the written and vision tests, and got my instructional permit. I bought Nova's "2HR BTW + ROAD TEST" package on their site, which included 2 hours with an instructor and the use of the car on the day of the DMV. Called a coordinator, and they got me set up for a Friday morning. I'd show up at 6am at the Elston DMV (closest to me), practice the route in their car, then take the driving test. I arrived at the DMV at 6 AM, where I met an instructor named Jamie. He provided an overview of the driving test, explaining what the examiners look for and what questions they might ask. After that, we switched sides, and I got behind the wheel for the first time in 20 years. I was relieved to find that everything came back to me. Jamie took me through the two variations of the route used for the test. The route was very short, consisting of about four to five turns. There was no parallel parking or interstate driving involved. (Please note that this is specific to the Elston DMV; other branches may have different procedures.) Another student arrived, so we picked him up, and I sat in the back while that student drove the route a few times. Then, two more students joined us, making it three in the back and one in the driver's seat, with the instructor in the front. Each of us drove the route 2-3 times, and we had the opportunity to ask questions. As my appointment time approached, I returned to the front seat and went for another round of the two main route variations. Got into the DMV showing my text confirmation of my appointment. They won't let you enter without revealing either the email or the text proof of your appointment. And this branch doesn't take walk-ins. Stood in the first line to get the paperwork reviewed. I went to the camera line to get a photo, then waited, went to a counter, had everything reviewed, filled out more paperwork, signed more things, went over to pay at the cashier, came back, and got my paperwork for my driving test. Went outside to wait to take the driving test. Note that you can't stay inside the building so dress warm if it's winter. The other guys had less complicated paperwork, so one was in line for the driving test. The other one was in front of me. Then I was next. But this is mixed in with all the different people taking the written test. I waited an hour for the car to come back from the other guy and then got in. The instructor drove me around to the back parking lot. He stepped out, I took the driver's side, and got in line, the line of cars. I waited about 40 minutes in the car in line to get my assigned examiner. They had about 4-5 working that day across 3 lines of vehicles. I was finally at the front; the examiner who was the same woman who had helped me with the paperwork got in. We went exactly the route that Nova had reviewed with me several times. At the end, you have to park in a wide test parking space, then after that you park in angled parking with the rest of the other cars, with completed driving tests, but awaiting results. I choked on the question about which way your wheels point if you are facing uphill/downhill, and which side of the road you are on. Overthinking myself. But still passed thankfully. Examiner gets up, out, and leaves, and goes on to another driving test. 10 minutes later, another person comes out with my temporary driver's license and hands it to me, and I'm done. The real one arrives in 2-3 weeks. The $245 fee was definitely worth it for having a car provided, receiving two hours of driving experience on the exact test routes, and having them handle the appointment scheduling. And Jamie the instructor was clear, patient, and at ease in explaining and repeating all things we needed to keep in mind. I procrastinated on this for a long time and felt foolish when I realized how simple and straightforward the process was. If you're in a similar situation, make getting a new driver's license one of your goals for 2026 and call Nova.

My daughter used them 6 years ago and the program was great. We naturally decided to use them for…read moremy next daughter and it has been a shit show. Save your $. It is so poorly run now. No one calls u back if you do get someone they put u on hold for long periods. Arghhhhh I believe They take on too many students now so trying to get driving time is a nightmare. Plus they change times and you either have to take the adjusted time or lose appointment. Will not be using them for the next two kids. Save your headaches and frustration. Tooooo much $$$$$$ for such chaos. Has to be better program.

Had an absolutely great experience here. Everything was very organized and easy to schedule. My…read moredaughter actually enjoyed the classes and really benefitted from the one on one lessons. I ended up adding extra one on one lessons because my daughter is a nervous driver. It was great how he picks up from your house for lessons and how Brian gives the final road test. He's a great teacher , highly recommended

I took a class with Eddy and he is fantastic! He is super zen, explains things with drawings and…read morevisuals and it is just a great teacher. I was super nervous and I ended up feeling exciting about my driving. Highly recommended.

Recently passed the road test; would definitely recommend for people who are learning how to drive…read moreand are beginners. All thanks to Carlos & David for teaching and giving easy advice on the road.

Carlos is a great instructor and really wants his students to be great drivers! He helped me get my…read moredrivers license :) I highly recommend new drivers and experienced (from other countries) to reach out for his services!

i signed up for the 10 hours adult lesson, just got my dl today. instructor li he was really great,…read morereally patient and thoughtful with the way he teach. overall great experience, highly recommended.

The front desk lady is rude and unprofessional…read more The instructor is not good at explaining the rules or give you clear instructions. He is also very unprofessional . He even left the car in the middle of the class to talk with his contractor ( I saw other review mentioned the same issue too) or left before the class end. Not worth the money at all.

haven't used their services but I tried to get some information regarding their classes using the…read morecontact form in their website and also via email but did not receive any response. so I guess not so good customer service?

I just watched the state test video on Ride Chicago's YouTube channel in preparation for Day 2 of…read morethe basic motorcycle training class. Day 1 was fantastic. This was my very first time on a motorcycle. Henry and Natalie are great instructors. Sure, they know how to ride and instruct on skills. What they are really good at is developing relationships to aid in instruction. They learn your name, encourage and provide guidance in a way that keeps your head in the game. I highly recommend Ride Chicago.

Wanted to report that Michele Edison is AWESOME and got me where I needed to be to be road test…read moreready. I thankfully had some experience going in, but she really helped me consider things I hadn't before, and most importantly, corrected bad habits that I had learned along the way. I have obtained my license today and consider myself a success story for the driving school. The website is confusing at times, but the instructors are top quality. If you live around a location and are looking for a good driving school I would recommend it.

I've had a frustrating experience with this company. When I paid for an ultimate beginner package,…read moreI was expecting a series of lessons designed for a beginner driver. What I got was the ability to book lessons online with instructors who vary in experience, professionalism, and teaching ability. My first instructor cancelled an hour before the first lesson by text message - I was leaving work early to get there and just happened to check my phone - and tried to change the next lesson at the last minute. The lesson - during which I mainly sat in the passenger seat - ended 15 minutes early because she had to drive back to the school to meet another student whose lesson started exactly when mine ended. I requested more experienced instructors who did help me learn how to drive. But the schedule is very limited - I found instructors I liked, but was only able to book lessons a couple of weeks apart. Not great when learning a new skill, especially when you don't have your own car to practice with. You pay the whole $700 upfront, and it felt like the company had zero interest or incentive in actually helping me get a driver's license once I handed them my credit card. The good? I can now operate a motor vehicle. The bad? I'm out $700 with no driver's license to show for it, and I've heard nothing from this 'school' about the road test - the experience has been frustrating, like I was completely on my own to try to make it work.

We asked Central Driving Academy to help us with the driving licences as newcommers in the USA…read more They are the best there are. Yvette was extreamly helpful, patient and understanding. I personally passed the exam on the first try. The dedication from the team meant a lot and I am greatful for their help. If you want professional support and the best team there is, ask Central Driving Academy of Chicago!

All 3 of my kids worked with Central Driving Academy to get their drivers license. They were…read morehonestly amazing in every way. They are extremely organized, responsive, very personable, they will do what they can to accommodate to their students schedules, and most importantly, they are all incredible instructors. If they feel a child needs more support, they will ensure they receive it. I highly recommend this Academy! My kids all had a wonderful experience. It was an absolute pleasure working with them!

An essential, and excellent, experience for first-time and experienced riders alike…read more I've always wanted to ride a motorcycle, but never felt quite ready to pull the trigger. After a year of sneaking rides on my wife's scooter, the time was finally right. Get your permit and sign up for a class at Ride. They'll start you out with the absolute basis, and take you through two, five hour days after which you'll feel confident in being able to pass the state test (another service they provide). I'll be heading back down to take that test soon, and am looking forward to starting my journey on two wheels, and almost certainly taking their intermediate class down the line. If you're lucky enough to get Jay and Paco, you'll be in good hands. They're each incredibly knowledgeable, excellent teachers with two very different styles, something I personally loved. You never have the opportunity to get too frustrated or anxious because you know you're in good hands and you're constantly building on skills you've learned in previous lessons. Highly recommend!

I'm a return customer! This place helped me get my motorcycle license in 2013, and I went back for…read morea refresher course recently. The instructors are knowledgable, friendly and funny. I felt safe, yet I had a blast. Def worth it if you want to get your motorcycle or scooter license.

The driving instructor was calm but wasn't able to answer my questions. He confused me at times…read morewith his instruction but overall a good experience.

Extremely unprofessional and borderline fraudulent. Communicated with this individual called Matt…read morefor my teen's driving program. Gave me all the details and sold me on the program. Once I paid, there was NO structure. I had to request training material, online trainings, next steps - had to do the above multiple times before it was done. Just the non-behind the wheels process took ~9months. Scheduling the behind the wheel training was another nightmare. We were told 8hrs behind the wheel, then it became 6hrs without getting any money back. The instructor was NEVER available. It's been more than 3months and we have not finished the 6hrs of behind the wheel training. I have email and text message communication back and forth requesting and most of the time no responses back until I threaten or raise my voice.

I had stopped in on two other driving schools before choosing ADDS. One felt like a wrong fit,…read moremostly due to availability and the other (also in Evanston) had a front desk person who was condescending and gave what I knew was incorrect information. As an elderly woman, new to Illinois and not having driven for over a year, this challenge was almost overwhelming. From the minute I entered the office of ADDS, I felt comfortable. First contact was the very busy Kemyta, who was juggling phone, paperwork, walk-ins and still smiling. When she was free, she asked me a few questions, then showed me how to maneuver their website, which had practice tests and much other information. There was also a voice behind a partition - an instructor giving a lesson to a group of high school students. Kemyta and I discussed my tailored requirements including pick-up and drop-off as well as instruction for written test, driving test and all the crazy paperwork associated with an out-of-state elderly person licensing situation. Kemyta assured me that the owner Doug Whitmore, a retired state policeman, would lead me through the process. When I met Doug, I asked him to be very straightforward with criticisms because I wanted to get this right. In turn, he gave encouragement, precise feedback, directions and kindly-phrased criticisms. After each session, I received a detailed summary from Doug's wife Andrea, while Doug was off giving CDL lessons for truck drivers. Text messages and emails were answered in reasonable time. This group has so many dimensions but operates very compatibly. I was apprehensive about taking the test and asked if I should have one more lesson, but Doug said he thought I could pass and gave specific issues on which to focus. He easily could hae had another payment from me, but he took the high road (no pun intended). I passed all the testing and got a license. Yay! This company is like family. They care about your success, know what they are doing, kind, moral and truly a pleasure to work with.

On the plus side, they teach the kids the necessary theory and the driving instructors are great…read more It would do them a lot of good to be well mannered on the phone with parents. The person on the other end of the line is rude, unhelpful and should not represent this school. I have had more than one child learn from them and their manners just don't seem to improve, to the point where they have a reputation for being nasty. Would love to write a more solid review as your instructors are great and I like how you teach them the theory with realistic scenarios. You seem to care that they do well, just change the person at the other end of the phone!