Anyone who enjoys helping others learn safe driving skills might find that the journey to becoming a driving instructor in Ontario is an excellent opportunity. This guide provides information on all the categories and processes that have to be followed before one can get a license to teach driving in the province.
Meet the Basic Requirements
When preparing for the test, you must follow some basic requirements set by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) before you apply for your instructor’s license. These include:
- Being at least 22 years old
- Possessing an Ontario Class G driver’s license for not less than four years and not more than six demerit points
- Not having any suspension in the past five years of their driving period
- The applicant should have a vision test and a medical test
Obtain a Clean Criminal Record Check
Because you will be teaching new drivers, most of whom are teenagers, the MTO demands that all applicants for an instructor license must produce a clean criminal background check. This has to be current and not over 90 days from the time you apply for the license. Any crime that is related to driving a car will disqualify you as per the criminal code convictions.
Take Any MTO-Approved Course
The first prerequisite to becoming an Ontario driving instructor is to take a Ministry-approved instructor training course. There are more than 30 providers in the province of Ontario available, and the majority of them are private career colleges. The course takes 14-16 weeks depending on the provider of the course. Their tuition fees range anywhere from $1,500 for basics to $4,000 for complex courses or specializations.
The offered subjects include topics such as rules of the road, lesson planning, teaching methods, principles of coaching new drivers, and many other laws and ethics included. Some of the assessment methods that will be used comprise skills tests in the classroom and in-car skills with a qualified assessor.
Score the Ontario Instructor Exams
After that, there is a written exam and road test to get a Class G instructor’s license for your graduation. The MTO exam consists of 110 multiple choice questions on driver training techniques, driving laws, coaching new drivers, rules of the road, and so on. If you want to pass, you will need to get over 80%.
The instructor road test also tests how able you are to teach newly licensed drivers. Over the 40-50 minutes of individual but shadowed in-car lessons, you will be graded by an examiner with a student driver. Specific criteria of scoring consist of aspects such as driving handling, observation skills, risk evaluation, and last but not least, the aspect of representing an effective teacher for students.
Looking for How to Get the Right Driving Instructor License?
So equipped with the certified copies of your driver’s license, course transcripts, medical report, and MTO-passed exams, you can thereafter attend a Drive Test center of your choice and apply for your Class G driving instructor license. Make a $113 license fee payment and get a new photo.
Normally, the MTO takes time to respond to the applications for an instructor license and usually responds when they have all they need, which is often within a short while. An instructor photo ID card should take between 10-14 days to be ready. You have to show this card if you’re offering instruction from within a car.
Additional Driver Training Courses
As an extension of this view, it is also proposed that Additional Driver Training Courses should be included in the training process. If you want to be more attractive to other clients, experience such as air brake training (Z endorsement), motorcycle training (M2/M license), or commercial driver training (C/A license) will help tip the scales in your favor over all the other instructors offering similar courses.
Acquire Knowledge in Business & Marketing
Although it is important to be a qualified and certified teacher, there are business, accountancy, and marketing skills needed to develop an independent driving school, which can never be taught in instructor courses. Besides, another helpful approach is to take night school business courses or online tutorial lessons, for instance, in small business planning, accounting, taxes, etc., and digital promotion.
Instructor Refresher Courses
After being licensed, the MTO expects all Ontario driving instructors to attend an extra refresher course each year. This helps you to continue a course of study that will keep you abreast with new rules, teaching aids, and safety measures. The cost of refresher courses also differs with providers but ranges from $250-$500 per year.
