How I Got My Driver’s License in the Netherlands

January, 2020
I am sitting in front of the wheel for the first time in my life. My instructor does not speak English very well. Together we figure out what is a clutch and where is a gear. He is about to make me drive on a autoway and let me use this same clutch all the way up to the 5th gear…

It does not need to be that hard and that stressful. Believe me. Even if you are an unexperienced driver and have troubles imagining yourself in charge of a car and passengers. My way to a dutch driver’s license was a bit bumpy and definitely not what I expected. However, I managed to pass all three exams from the first try, find a knowledgable instructor and became more confident in my driving skills. This article will be very helpful for expats in the Netherlands and others who are looking for advice and guidance.

Tests

Let’s get started with the end. In order to get your ‘rijbewijs’ you will have to pass 2–3 test at CBR (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen). All test can be done in Dutch or English, in any CBR location. The results of all test will be announced to you right away. You can try to pass theory and final tests multiple times, but not TTT. For the driving tests you will use the same car that you were using for training at school.

1. Theory test
   It is a 10–15 min computer test. The results are valid for 1 year. You can register yourself on CBR website before you go to driving school or study simultaneously. You cannot go to a final test without this one. Some schools require you to get this step done as soon as possible to be sure that you know the rules and you have high motivation to study.
2. TTT — tussentijdse toets, interim test
   It is not a mandatory test. It lasts 35 min. The purpose of TTT is to give you a flavour of the final test. However, it is not a rehearsal, it is still a real test but with a huge bonus — you are not losing anything in case of failure.
   An examiner will ask you to perform two special manoeuvres (e.g. parking, U-turn or 3 point turn), ask a few questions about the car (e.g. dashboard indicators, lights, air-conditioning, oil or engine), ask you to use navigator to get to a location. Also, the examiner will ask you to drive around in a city and on a highway. In case you pass this exam you will not need to perform special manoeuvres and answer questions on the final exam. It means 50% is done! In case of failure you will need to perform all of the above again. Examiner will also give you feedback on what went well and where to improve.
   I think it is a very nice opportunity, a lot of schools do not advertise it to their students. I felt more nervous during TTT than during my final test. Definitely try it, it will help to get into the situation gradually.
3. Final test
   Practically it is the same as TTT.

Motivation

First of all, you will need a strong motivation to get through all of this. Second of all, everybody at your school and at CBR will be asking about your motivation. It is important to be eager to learn, show that you are positive and not giving up. Naturally true motivation will help you, and it will help making things going smoothly on the tests.

Preparation for the theory test

The cheapest and most effective way that I found working well for myself is online tests. I studied a lot. I’ve started 1–2 month before my test with casually reading theory and learning signs. Two week before the test I had to study 2 hours everyday. Priority on the road and hazardous perception are the most difficult topics. There are a few topics that you will have to learn by heart, for example car weight and length, overhanging loads, trailers.

Some driving schools offer classes to prepare for the theory. I used only online tests and it worked out just perfect.

Driving school

Together your driving school and your instructor create a winning combo. The role of the school is to support you and your instructor, provide a good car, help with scheduling classes and tests. They should resolve all potential conflicts and adapt to your needs. It might sound like not that much. But let me get to some examples.

There are big schools and one-man-schools. Before I found mine, I did a few test drives, asked for contracts and educations plans. It took me probably a month. At the end of the day it paid back. There are a few things that will help you to find a good school.

During the test you are going to drive the same car you had training with. I had training with a manual transmission. It was quite problematic at the beginning, my car got stalled all the time. It added some stress and I made mistakes. Honestly, if I would have an old or cheap car with a sensitive clutch it would be a problem for me. If you are a student of a big school with a car park, you can get another car or switch to an electric one. If you are a student of one-man-school you have to stick to the same car.

Each school has a rating (a number of students that passed the final test from the first try) and all of them are interested in increasing this rating. Only your instructor can decide when you are ready for the final test. At least good schools keep it as a rule. They are not looking forward to putting you in a stressful situation knowing that you are not prepared yet and lose their rating. I’ve heard that an average rating is between 40–50% in the Netherlands. You can definitely find schools with a higher performance. Good reviews online and ratings will guide you to a good solution. By the way, CBR examiners know all schools and instructors in the area. I do believe that it leads to unintentional biases and relationship. Just imagine that examiners have 6–8 tests per day. They do not want you to fail (I bet there is performance indicators for this as well) and they do not want to push the brakes themselves niether. They just want to have a smooth, easy ride and probably a nice conversation. The schools that send “unprepared” students foster stress and conciquently personal discomfort for examiners. I think you know what I mean…

Your contract is something else to keep in mind. I came across two scenarios. Scenario 1: you pay for each 10 lessons, and you pay for the tests at CBR. It is not clear what happend in case you did not finish all the lessons in a 10 lesson package and you are ready to go on the test. Scenario 2: you pay for 15 first lessons that includes 4 test tries, if you need additional lessons (most likely you need) you get invoiced per each lesson. (read below about costs)

Driving schools provide books, applications with study materials and VR experiences. It all depends on what you prefer yourself.

August, 2020
I passed my theory exam a couple month ago and made a huge progress with my car handling skills. I am approaching roundabouts with confidence and grace. Parking is still work-in-progress, but it is coming. I have positive feedback from my instructor.

Instructor

The role of the instructor to teach you, to find a tailor made method to make you drive safe and according to the rules. She or he will be giving you verbal instruction where to turn, how to park and look around. It is very important that you understand your instructors language. Your instructor will draw various situations on the map to explain where you did wrong or right. She or he will be there for you to brake or turn your wheel if the situation is unsafe, and support you in moments of frustration.

On average students need 45 lessons (60–120 min each) to get ready for the test. I had 48. Nobody can tell you upfront how many lesson you need. Make certain that you feel comfortable with your instructor and ready to drive all these hours together. I would recommend to try different instructors, just to be sure that you can be on the same page with the one you choose. I was frustrated at certain point because 45 lessons is a lot and driving is a hard thing to learn. If you are a student of a big driving school, you can ask for another instructor by the way.

Instructor also have their rating, same as driving schools have. But most important is their experience. As I understood instructors with 5–10 years of experience are still in a beginners league. Some serious level come with around 20 years.

I am very grateful for everything I’ve learnt from my instructor. He was very supportive, knowledgeable and experienced. There are my five key learnings.

Key learnings

1. Safety first + no systematic mistakes
   It is a recipe for “How to pass the final test”. You can drive on an opposite direction lane, forget to stop at a stop sign and still pass the test. It is all about safety. If you did not provoke dangerous situation you are in. At the same time you need to demonstrate that you have basic skills of looking, planing ahead, good decision making and reaction (knowledge of signs and road rule goes without saying). If you did not look over your shoulder once, it is ok. If you repeatedly forget to look over your shoulder, it is a problem.
2. Looking, planning ahead, indicating
   It is critical to look far (farther than I though in the beginning I should look), to plan ahead where you go and let other traffic know what your plans are. It is also important to look where you move your car even if you are moving 1meter to the left. Yes, you need to look first and only then move.
3. Defensive driving
   People make mistakes and it is ok. You need to be aware of other traffic at any point of time to catch mistakes of other. In this manner, you are defending everyones safety.
4. Know the rules and be confident
   You need to follow the rules. To be polite and stop for pedestrians where there is not pedestrian crossing is not always and not necessarily a nice thing to do.
5. Never gamble
   You do not go if you do not see. You simply never gamble whether it is safe to drive or not.

April, 2021
“I have good news for you, you’ve passed the test” says my examiner. I was a little nervous during the test , but now I feel relieved and happy. I am going to schedule my appointment at city hall right away and hopefully will get my driver’s license card soon. What an unexpected and intersting journey!

Costs

In general I think it is possible to stay in a range of €3000–4500. It really depends on your skills, your school and instructor. It also depends on your personality, motivation and a world situation. I was practising during corona times, all my tests got canceled and rescheduled several times. Meanwhile I had to keep driving and keep my skills on an appropriate level.

One 90 min lesson — €75–85
Online preparation for theory tests — €38
Health test — €38*
Theory test — €40**
Final test —€120**
Passport photo — €11
City Hall Service fee — €41

*It is survey that you fill with your health data on CBR website.
**In case of failure you need to pay again.

Thank you very much that you’ve made it till the end! Hope you find it useful and informative. Good luck with your studies and drive safe.

Sincerely,
Katya