Behind the Wheel

• A valid VA Learner's Permit
  • The Driver Training Certificate you get for completing Behind the Wheel won’t be valid until you’ve held your Learner’s Permit for at least 9 months, and the student is at least 16 years and 3 months of age.
• A signed Driver Education Certificate of Completion. Usually, a pink sheet is given to you by your high school, or wherever you completed Driver Education.
• A Driving Log showing at least 45 hours of driving, with at least 15 of the hours being from after sunset.

• Payment in the form of Cash or Check (Checks made out to “Abba Driving School”)
• A Photocopy of Learners Permit issued by the DMV
• Your signed Driver Education Certificate of Completion. Usually, a pink sheet is given to you by your high school, or wherever you completed Driver Education.

Students are evaluated on 50 driving maneuvers for their final Behind the Wheel road skills test. They cover a host of various driving skills from parking to highway lane merger. Don’t fret if you make one or two mistakes. As long as you successfully complete 40 of the 50 maneuvers, then you still maintain a passing score, anything less though is considered a failure.

Students immediately fail their Behind the Wheel test if the student does any of the following:

• Is the cause of a crash.
• Committed a clear violation of the law, such as any moving violation for which the applicant could be cited.
• If the student is unable to maintain control of the vehicle.

Here is the complete list of all 50 driving maneuvers that a student is tested for:

• Starting - The ability to start the vehicle properly.
  • Uses proper gear
  • Demonstrates proper use of the brake
• Backing - The ability to control the vehicle while driving in reverse.
  • Looks in rear and side-view mirrors before and during backing maneuver
  • Turns head and looks over both shoulders before putting car in reverse
  • Backs vehicle smoothly in a straight line without weaving
• Parking - The ability to drive in a parking lot and park the vehicle.
  • Checks traffic
  • Maintains proper speed
  • Signals when necessary
  • Parks vehicle within lines
• Stop / Yield Signs - The ability to observe and obey stop signs and other signs.
  • Stops at the correct place
  • Slows down or stops, if necessary, at a yield sign
• Turns - The ability to control the vehicle while making a turn. The test route will include at least 2 pre-determined left turns and 2 pre-determined right turns. Each of the below criteria is counted 4 times; twice for left turns, and twice for right turns.
  • Moves to proper lane before turning
  • Checks traffic and gives proper signal before turning
  • Maintains proper speed
  • Completes turn satisfactorily
  • Completes turn in the proper lane
• Intersections - The ability to drive through controlled or uncontrolled intersections.
  • Checks traffic by looking both ways before entering the intersection
  • Obeys traffic signs / signals
  • Yields to oncoming traffic
  • Makes no unnecessary stops
  • Maintains proper speed
• Curves - The ability to drive in a curve.
  • Maintains proper entrance speed
  • Maintains proper through speed
  • Maintains proper lane position
• Lane Changes - The ability to change lanes.
  • Signals before changing lanes
  • Performs over-the-shoulder visual checks
  • Maintains steering control (does not oversteer or weave)
  • Maintains proper speed
• Overall Driving Ability
  • Maintains the posted speed
  • Maintains the proper following distance (a time gap of 3 seconds between the student’s vehicle and the vehicle ahead)
  • Does not oversteer or weave
  • Selects proper lane (does not straddle lane or frequently change lanes)
  • Demonstrates an understanding of traffic signs and regulations/use of signals
  • Gives adequate attention to what is happening and responds appropriately
  • Starts/stops smoothly

All our instructors are DMV Certified, and offer free door-to-door pick-up from school, home, or wherever your life leads you! We offer flexible hours, allowing us to conveniently fit around your schedule, at all times of the day including weekends. Our instructors all have at least 15 years of driving instruction experience, have been DMV Certified, and receive annual background checks from the FBI.

All of our vehicles are clean, modern, and equipped with automatic transmissions. They pass yearly inspections from the DMV and comply with Virginia State requirements to ensure our students have maximum safety.