I joined a driving school to get a license (Klasse B) to drive a car in Berlin. In October 2025, I had my driving practical exam and I passed it on the first attempt. I'll write about the entire timeline and what I did, what I could have done better, the amount of money I spent.
Where I started
0% driving experience before; I did not learn how to drive in India
Basic familiarity with traffic signs as a result of riding a bicycle
No real urgency to learn how to drive; I did not require it for my job, so I could afford to learn it at a comfortable pace
No idea about how the process works for a driving license
Criteria I set for finding a driving school
Ideally 10 minutes away by walk, or bicycle from where I live
Ideally English friendly
I speak German; however I'm more comfortable in English. During driving, I assumed it would be stressful so I preferred to have a mix of German & English during the classes in order to understand the road rules betterGoogle reviews
In 2025, you cannot absolutely trust Google reviews anymore. Lots of places in Germany force people to remove Google reviews. I looked for well rated ones, went through the reviews to find reviews by foreigners. This was a good indication if a driving school can handle people from different cultures & language barriers.
I read through the reviews to see if the driving school makes you take more classes than you need to.
I went to 3 driving schools in my area. I found them all on Google Maps, called them and arranged a consultation. This was informal and they gave me an overview of:
Theory class timings
Most schools do theory classes 3 times a week in the evening of 1,5 hours for each lesson. There are 14 theory lessons overall. This would roughly take you 4ish weeks to be done.
Some schools offer 3 times a week in the evening with 3 hours per day, which includes 2 lessons. All schools that I called did this only in German which was fine by me.Practical driving classes
All schools offered me the first possibility of a practical driving lesson in 4 to 8 weeks. This ended up as a big deciding factor that I did not want to wait for 2 months for my first driving lesson.First aid courses, eye test availability
Some schools do it in-house; others ask you to do this step elsewhere. Can be in English, German or other languages.Registration fee
Fee cost from 220€ to 400€ depending on the school. This included theory lessons, access to an app to prepare for the theory exam. And in one school, they offered optional classes using a driving simulator.
I ended up choosing Fahrschule Fahrwerk next to U Hohenzollerndamm in Wilmersdorf. I had an amazing overall experience with them - right from the people at the office to the several driving instructors I had during my team, including my primary instructor Betül. I highly recommend them. They accept only cash which is a bummer.
Requirements for the driving license
Theory lessons
Must complete all 14 lessons. This was in German for me.Theory exam
Costs 25€. You must pass it; more details below.First aid course & eye test
I had mine at the driving school, this was scheduled from 10 AM to 2 PM. I had mine in German, but you can find places that do it in English. It cost 70€.Bürgeramt application
The driving school offered to prepare an application at the Bürgeramt which costs 51€. The school charged a service fee of around 20€. You can do this by yourself by getting an appointment at the Bürgeramt. I chose to let my driving school take care of it.
I had to choose TÜV or Dekra as the centre. My driving school asked if I had a preference, I did not. We went with Dekra. I don't think it made a difference. Dekra sent me a letter later suggesting that I register online on their platform, so I can track exams & results. I did that.Driving lessons
A driving lesson was quantified as 45 minutes. Each driving class was for 70 minutes (roughly 1,5 driving lessons). The fees are mentioned below.Mandatory driving lessons (Pflichtfahrten) per 45 minutes cost 60€
Autobahn for 180 minutes cost 240€
Überlandfahrt for 225 minutes cost 300€
Nachfahrt for 135 minutes cost 180€
Optional driving lessons (Übungsfahrten) per 45 minutes cost almost 54€
I was an absolute beginner; I had optional driving lessons of around 980 minutes which cost around 1200€
Initially, it took me several driving classes to get familiar with the car and driving in a specific lane.
If you have prior experience of driving, or got familiar with driving - you can reduce the number of classes.
If you were doing a conversion (Umschreiben), you can cut down on the number of classes as well.
Valid ID
Either your passport or valid German Personalausweis / European ID.Biometric photo
Practical exam
Cost around 129€ to Dekra / TÜV
Theory exam
Preparing for the theory exam
The driving school gave me access to ClickClickDrive. I prepared for the theory exam in English. The app had options and worked generally fine.
Here's how it works:
There are roughly 1000+ questions of text, image or videos; several of them variations of the same rule
In the exam, you get 30 questions
Each question has points of 2, 3, or 5 leading to an overall of 110 at maximum.
You fail a theory exam if
You lose more than 9 points overall
or you get two 5 point questions wrong ("crucial" questions)
My tips for the theory exams would be:
Watch the video questions multiple times. Focus on different things like the oncoming traffic, traffic signs, lanes, etc. Watch it again at the end to ensure your understanding is correct.
When you do not understand a question, use the "save" or "star" function in the app to review it later. I did not initially do this and spent too much time on other questions that I was already comfortable with. This was a key change in how I used the app and I highly recommend it. You can also look up the sign or question online to understand what was wrong, even though the app also had an explanation.
Do the mock tests in the app until you pass at least 3-5 times in a row. When you fail, review the questions and mark them.
There are questions that you just have to memorise. Often, the English translation from Dekra / TÜV is messy. Just like when you learn the German language, do not question why - just memorise it. It is how it is.
The day of the theory exam
I chose to go to Dekra at Tempelhof. They did not require an appointment. Check their opening times.
I stood in line at the entrance, provided them my ID and my Dekra account number. They confirmed with the name of the driving school. I did not pay the fee of 25€ online, so I paid at the counter.
They gave me a token number and asked me to wait in a waiting room.
After 10 minutes, my token number was called and I went inside to a room full of other people already in the middle of their exam.
I gave them my token number and my ID. The person there assigned me a tablet, similar to an iPad and asked for my preference of language for the exam.
They made sure that my phone and any electronic device was switched off and was not right next to me.
I started the exam and in roughly 15 minutes, I was done with it. I reviewed and submitted my answers.
The person there verifies something on their screen; I would assume to ensure that I did not cheat. Once they approved, the result appeared on my screen.
I had passed the exam and they told me that I will receive the PDF of the result via email in a day. I sent it to my driving school as proof.
Once you pass the theory exam, the test results are valid only for 12 months. You must pass your practical exam within this, or re-do the theory exam.
Practical driving exam
The practical driving exam consists of two parts. It is overall for around 55 minutes. We arrived at Dekra entrance 15 minutes before the exam. The examiner will verify your ID (Passport or Personalausweis). They will ask you if you wear glasses or contact lenses & verify.
Technical
Where the examiner asks you a couple of questions about the car. The most common options areOpen the car hood and explain what's there
What you must look for at the tyres before starting the car
How to turn on high beams and identify if they are on
Where are the rear reflectors
Driving
The examiner sits behind you on the right side. Your instructor sits next to you.
The instructor turns on the sound warning for their brakes and gas pedals. This means if your instructor has to use them, it makes a sound and you fail the exam.
The examiner tells you to
When they say, turn left or right - you must do it if the street allows you to. Example: No entry signs or residents only streets mean you have to ask them what to do.
Otherwise, go straight
When you turn left or right, really look at the mirror and check your shoulders (Schulterblick). Be theaterical here, put your shoulder and neck to good use.
My practical driving exam included:
Driving a lot in the 30 zones
A lot of right before left situations
A lot of driving around obstructions
Stop give way situations
Turning left at junctions
Parallel parking
The examiner tried to get me to drive into a residents only road. I spotted the sign and asked them if I should go right or left instead.
After a while, the examiner asked me to enter the Dekra entrance again and park the car. When exiting, secure the car and make sure you check the mirrors & shoulders before leaving the car.
Once the exam was over, the examiner congratulated me and provided feedback on what I could improve on. Then the examiner asked me to step out, provided me a piece of paper that was the temporary license which is valid only in Germany with a valid Passport or Personalausweis. They mentioned that I do not have to do anything and that I will receive the physical license card in 4 weeks or so.
Tips for practical driving exam
Roughly 50% of the first time drivers fail their exams. This is unfortunately a bit higher in Berlin. So here are some tips:
Be really patient. When I'm at a crossing and I had to wait for others, I really waited as much as I had to, while letting other road traffic drive or walk by. I was in no rush; I had to be driving for around 50 minutes, irrespective of how long I drive.
Watch a lot of YouTube videos in the city you are from. This absolutely helped me understand some situations much better. I did this even during my driving classes and did this a lot just before my driving exam. I cannot recommend this more and suggest you a couple of my favourite channels:
GermanDrivingSchool for the technical section & real driving exams in Frankfurt, even though I'm in Berlin
HowToDriveGermany for their explanations on signs, laws, etc
A&G Fahrschule for their real driving exams in Berlin (especially the Dekra one which I took)
When in doubt about the direction, ask the examiner. It's ok, they don't bite.
Be confident; you spent a lot of time and money on learning how to drive. Now you are here and it is going to be completely ok!
If you make a small mistake, forget it and move on. Do not let it bother you. Reset and keep driving.
It is ok to be nervous; it is a stressful time. But you practiced and you are ready.
Watch your speed limit especially on streets that go down. It is ok to be 31 or 32 in a 30 area, but bring it down as soon as you notice it.
Your instructor likely knows the routes that your examiner will take you on. Practice on them.
Timeline of my driving license
Join a driving school end of February 2025
First driving lesson in 01.04.2025
Passed theory exam at the start of June 2025
Mandatory driving lessons took place in August 2025
End of September, my driving school booked an exam for me in mid October 2025.
I did not ask them about the exam date. My instructor felt confident about me to recommend that I can do the exam soon. If you feel you are ready, you should talk to your instructor.
Passed the exam on the first attempt 🎈
Total costs of the driving license in Berlin
Driving school registration: 225€
Mandatory driving lessons of 540 minutes: 720€
Optional driving classes of 980 minutes: ~1200€
Bürgeramt registration and service fee: ~70€
Eye test and first aid course: 70€
Theory exam fee: 25€
Practical exam fees
Dekra: ~129€
Driving school: 250€ (included a driving class on the day of the exam)
The overall fees for my driving license was around 2700€. It is a big amount and fees are high. Although it is not as high as the average costs for driving licenses have shot up 3500€ to 4000€. The costs especially go up if you fail your driving exam. Every time you fail your exam, your instructor will recommend a couple of driving lessons at least (roughly 200€ - 300€), then exam fee (129€) and then driving school fee for the exam (250 - 350€ depending on the school).
