01
Theory test and learner permit
Pass the Driver Theory Test, then apply for your learner permit through the NDLS. Study the Theory Test official app to help you pass.
iDrive Tralee tuition cars in Tralee town.
No clutch, no stalling, more of every lesson spent on improving your driving skills. Here is everything Kerry learners need to know before booking automatic lessons: the licence rules, EDT, the test and how iDrive Tralee can help.
iDrive Tralee tuition cars in Tralee town.
Most new cars sold in Ireland today have no clutch pedal at all. Learning in an automatic matches the car you are most likely to drive in the future.
of new cars registered in Ireland in January 2026 were automatic. Source: SIMI
of the new car market was battery electric by August 2026, and every electric car is an automatic. Source: SIMI
If you pass your test in an automatic, your Irish licence carries Code 78. You can only drive automatic cars until you pass a driving test in a manual.
Who should consider Manual Lessons:
Source: NDLS, upgrade an automatic car licence to a manual licence
Automatic learners follow exactly the same steps as manual learners.
Pass the Driver Theory Test, then apply for your learner permit through the NDLS. Study the Theory Test official app to help you pass.
Essential Driver Training is 12 lessons with an Approved Driving Instructor, or fewer if you qualify for reduced EDT. Only an ADI can deliver EDT, and your EDT lessons can all be done in an automatic car.
You can apply for your test once you have your permit, but you will not be invited to sit it until you have held your first learner permit for six months and your ADI has recorded all 12 EDT lessons. Use that time to build experience.
In the final weeks, pre-test lessons move to mock tests on test
EDT sets the minimum at 12 lessons, but it is a starting point rather than a target. The RSA advises spreading EDT over six months and if possible practising with an experienced sponsor between lessons.
Your total lessons depends on your starting confidence and how often you practise. Because you are not spending early lessons on clutch control and stalling, more of each lesson goes on the skills to improve your driving in an Automatic.
The test itself is the same. The examiner assesses the same manoeuvres, observation, speed management and hazard awareness.
What changes is your workload. With no gear changes to think about, you can focus on mirrors, signals and planning ahead, which is where many tests are won or lost. However your driving must be at Test standard
Get in touch and we will send you our current prices for single lessons, EDT lessons and pre-test lessons, and suggest what suits where you are now.
Yes. You can sit your driving test in an automatic car and the test format is the same. Your licence will carry Code 78, which is for automatic vehicles.
No. To remove Code 78 you must pass a driving test in a manual car.
Yes. Your Approved Driving Instructor records EDT lessons completed in an automatic car exactly as they would for a manual.
Yes. If the car has no clutch pedal, it is treated as an automatic for licensing purposes.
Yes. EDT lessons you have already completed still count, and many learners switch after struggling with clutch control.
Only if you expect to need one, for example for a farm jeep, a work van or an employer's vehicle. With most new cars now automatic, many drivers never need a manual licence. If you do want a manual licence, we also offer manual pre-test lessons.
Tell us where you are: new learner permit, part way through EDT, or close to your test. We will suggest the next step and find a time that suits you.
Send an enquiry