I realized that my permit expired this Fall so I signed up upon the Yelp reviews. I had a total of 3 lessons with Donald, each of which were not only extremely helpful but also engaging. Donald is very patient with new drivers and calmly discusses the mistakes afterwards. I also signed up for road test assistance as I didn't have my own car for the test; on the day of, I had a quick 1-hour review session with Dee right before the test and was able to get comfortable going into the test. I highly recommend using BDS's services if you don't have easy access to a car and need to get the test over with. Read Less

This is a very late but very much deserved review for Donald, who was a fantastic instructor. I had barely sat behind a wheel before and had only had one other lesson from another instructor, and he got me to pass the test after only a few lessons. The best thing about him was how calm and collected he was, unlike a previous instructor I had. Learning how to drive can be a daunting task by itself, so the last thing you want is an instructor who is anxious, distracted, or disdainful of your lack of knowledge or skills. Donald was none of those things--he was very encouraging and understanding, and overall he made learning how to drive a very pleasant experience and quickly raised my confidence--which I think is important, as nervous, scared drivers tend not to be the safest drivers. Thank you Donald! Read Less

I passed my driving test this morning, on my first try! I moved to the US a year ago and didn't know how to drive at all! My instructor was Donald, I highly recommend him! He's GREAT, patient, friendly, gives great advice and will explain everything as many times as needed. I had a bad experience with a private instructor before finding Berkeley Driving School, but they are truly amazing. I'm sure all the instructors are awesome, but Donald is a 10! He went above and beyond my expectations! :) Thank you for being great, Donald! Read Less

I had my instructor cancel with less than 10 minutes before the start of the lesson due to mechanical failure. I have taken time off work for this lesson. it is ENTIRELY the responsibility of the instructor to maintain their vehicle and get regular services and when something does go wrong, there should be a contingency vehicle available. I have lost time and money and will not be using this 'professional' school in future. Read Less

took my driving test for the first time and I passed. THANK YOU DONALD !!!!!!!!Great experience. I had 4 lessons, one with Dee Dee and three with Donald. Both were patient and gave practical tips and advice. In my last lesson with Donald, I practiced driving skills including those that tend to be on the test (turns, switching lanes, pulling over, parking, driving appropriate speed, and more). Also, Donald even got me to the point where I felt comfortable to practice on the highway. This was big for me, given my fear of driving, especially on the highway. Some other useful information: The instructors usually meet you at your home or place of convenience for lessons. One could schedule driving lessons online. Lessons usually last 2hrs. Arrangements could be made for one to use the car they've been practicing with for driving test. Read Less

Tried calling multiple times this week. Called at least 3-4 times the past four days. Left message. Used their website to have them call me back. No response. They do have an online system that lets you book a driver, but requires payment. I'm wary of paying first before having my questions answered. Will revise review if they ever get back to me. Read Less

TGCULA - This is a messege from the Berkeley Driving School owner. ALL of your many calls were returned the same day even though you didnt leave your tele # on my voicemail many times and even though your cell isnt accepting calls at this time" and/or "your voicemail is not set up. We dont offer stick shift lessons - no where is that stated. I work so hard everyday to accomodate our many happy clients. Read Less

Not terrible, but there were a lot of organizational problems, and ultimately they let me down when it came to my test. The instructors are very good. The booking process was very convoluted. You call a number, no one picks up. You have to leave a message, and the owner calls you back. The instructors also apparently submit their schedules every so often, and you can't book anything before they submit the schedule for the time period during which you want a lesson. In my case, I booked a DMV driving test one month in advance. I e-mailed the owner; she said she would call me back in 2 weeks, after the instructors submit their schedules. She did not call. After I contacted her, she told me everything was booked, and I had to look for another driving school. Before this, I had no trouble booking 1-2 weeks in advance, so it didn't make sense that I wasn't able to get anything one month in advance. Clearly, they don't maintain a queue of people who request lessons. Read Less

I joined Berkeley Driving School after getting frustrated with other schools in Hayward. I would strongly recommend this school to all who are looking for some one reliable. Every one is GREAT here and I am very happy with the services. Laurie ""Dee Dee"" Bennett was my instructor and she just knew what I should correct and this helped me pass my Behind the Wheel Test. Thank you Guys Keep up the GOOD WORK. Read Less

For the past 3 years, two of my teens have done their driver education and driving lessons with the Berkeley Driving School. Everyone on staff was knowledgable and knew their job well. They had a consistency that assured me constantly that I chose the right driving school. I have had copmplete trust in them with my 2 teens. They have been one of the most organized small businesses Ive seen in years. The owner in the office was always on the same page as me with payments and schedules. The driving instructors in the car were logical, prompt, and taught my teens thoroughly. They even passed the written permit test on the first try after the education class. I had friends who are parents also that have had struggles with other driving school. Im very happy that I did not have to go thru any complications of several other driving school. I would highly recommend them - they are BBB certified with zero complaints, driving lessons are private, Ive over-paid them once by accident and got a call the next day from the owner letting me know that I have a credit, the cars are great, the instructors are excellent - I give them an A++. Read Less

They have both an online drivers training course (excellent) and classroom setting (no info). Once this was completed we moved to the driving phase and they were very accommodating in both scheduling appointments and where they would pick up and drop off, e.g. pick up at school and drop off at home. I highly recommend them. Read Less

My son is a teenage driver and as a parent I was very relieved when I found such a great driving school. He was given great instruction and was much more comfortable behind the wheel after only the first 2 hours. They showed him how to drive on hills and how to negotiate a busy intersection and much more. I was very impressed with his confidence. I wrote this in an email to the school and feel this best described my experience. These are such wonderful and exciting milestones in life, yet they can be so scary too without the right support and help. It's obvious that to your instructors and yourself this is more than just a job, you truly care for the individuals, their safety, there accomplishments and self esteem. Read Less

I recently hired the Berkeley Driving School to help my daughter with her driving lessons. The instructor arrived right on time and was very professional. My daughter said he was very patient and thorough . When I had a question about my daughter's permit, I called the owner in the office and she was very helpful in regards to helping me through the whole process. I was grateful to have worked with such a great staff. My daughter has since passed her driving test. I would highly recommend this driving school. Read Less

The woman in the office answered all my questions clearly and patiently. Which was great because I was very confused by the whole process for my teenager to get his permit and drivers license. I was mailed complete info, DMV application, and DMV handbooks. After my son got his permit, we were able to schedule the first lesson within a week. The car was in great shape, clean, and had dual-control brakes. The teacher was soft spoken, very thorough, kept my son comfortable, and kept the lesson at his pace. He learned alot in just one session - now he corrects my msitakes when I drive. They are very nice people - I can trust them in all aspects. They offer a great service on the phone and for driving lessons. Their voicemail and website state they are a BBB member which makes me feel secure about how they operate. Read Less