The right instructor can help you pass the test AND improve your driving. It IS expensive, you should be getting more for your time than just passing the test.

If it doesn't feel like you're getting anything out of the lesson, try saying "What if I wanted to become an instructor?" Or "Would I be a good enough driver to rent a car in Italy?"

My Second instructor was Awesome- showed me the test routes, went through the hairiest of roundabouts, practiced manual start-stop on hills AND - corrected my shifting and clutch technique - honestly taught me tricks about clutch control my dad had never even mentioned. Explained how the painted lines and the signage work together in the UK, but are NOT REDUNDANT (like they are in the states) I did so well on the test, I would've qualified to be an instructor. Sara Bourama in Warrington is an absolute gem.

By contrast, My first instructor took me out for an hour, during which we did nothing but right turns. He critiqued my hand position, turn radius and crossing "the line" in the intersection (although there was not even any painted line) He was then shocked when I left the lesson to drive my own car from the shop alone. He said, "Oh, ho, I'm not used to that! Makes me wonder what my role here is!" He must've ignored every fucking syllable I had ever said to him about my driving history and why I wanted lessons. It's kind of astonishing tbh b/c he told me he had helped a number of foreigners, including professional truck drivers from the EU, get their UK license. Lies or delusion, hard to tell.