The EDT: Essential Driver Training
12 mandatory hours of structured training, delivered in our automatic car.
What the EDT is
Essential Driver Training is the mandatory 12-hour lesson programme every new Category B learner has to complete before sitting the RSA driving test. The Road Safety Authority introduced it in April 2011. It is structured around 12 one-hour lessons delivered by an Approved Driving Instructor, and each session is logged in your EDT Learner Logbook.
You cannot sit the Category B test until all 12 lessons are complete and signed off.
Our 12-lesson automatic package covers the full EDT requirement: €659.24 (€54.94 per lesson).
How the process works
Get your learner permit
You need a valid Category B learner permit before you can start EDT. See our learner permit guide.
Book your 12 lessons
Call us on 01 902 3100 or book online. We match you with an EDT-certified instructor in your area.
Complete the 12 hours
Your instructor delivers the 12 EDT units in sequence and signs off each one in your logbook. Most learners spread this over two to three months.
Practice between lessons
Your logbook has a Sponsor Driver section. A nominated driver with two years of full-licence experience records practice time between sessions.
Get test-ready
Once all 12 sessions are signed off, you can book your driving test. If you need extra lessons, we arrange those on request.
Sit the test
We offer a pretest lesson plus car hire (€193.81) so you test in the same car you trained in.
EDT in an automatic: what changes?
- Same 12 EDT units and syllabus
- Same logbook, same sign-off process
- Same RSA driving test at the end
- Same legal requirement for all learners
- No clutch control to learn
- More mental bandwidth for observation
- Typically fewer extra lessons needed
- Licence restricted to automatic if you test in automatic
What you need before starting
Learner Permit
Valid Category B learner permit. How to apply.
EDT Logbook
Issued with your permit. Your instructor signs off each lesson in it.
Sponsor Driver
Someone with a full licence for 2+ years to supervise practice between lessons.
Approved Instructor
Every one of our instructors is on the RSA register. That is us.
Tips that save learners time
Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre
Treat it as one reflex, not three steps. Examiners watch for the complete sequence.
Junction observations
The most common test fault. Deliberate head movement shows the examiner you are looking.
Roundabout approach
Lane choice on approach matters more than speed at the circle. Get the lane right early.
12 hours is a minimum
Not a ceiling. Add extra lessons if you are not test-ready. Most learners take 15 to 20 hours total.
EDT Package
12 one-hour automatic lessons. €54.94 per lesson.
Covers the full EDT requirement. Includes pickup, drop-off, and our automatic training car.
Book EDT PackageEDT questions
12 one-hour lessons is the minimum. Most learners spread them over two to three months. You cannot sit the driving test until all 12 are logged and signed off.
Yes. It covers all 12 hours in our automatic car, with your instructor signing off each unit in the logbook. It is the full EDT programme in automatic.
No. You sit the test in whatever car you present. If you test in an automatic, your licence is restricted to automatics. For a manual licence, you need to train and test in a manual car.
Most learners do. The 12 hours is a minimum. You can book individual lessons (€61.41) or smaller blocks on top of the EDT package.