Hi all, started lessons some time in October 2016 and just passed my test yesterday at Ubi CDC, manual, on first try, 14 points (should have been 8
as I disagreed with the tester for a 6-point offence but i can't possibly argue with him, can i?).
I had a nightmare initially looking for PDIs, let's just say there are so many fake reviews and crooks out there, and here's hoping my sharing of PDI contact will help. If anyone is looking for a reliable PDI, can consider Mdm Yap Siak Chok. I cannot be more grateful to her. If you've done due research, you'll agree there are no perfect instructors. I was too thrilled to finally start lessons after being played out by another PDI (auto) by the name of William (teaches in Tampines), who dropped me a text (he didn't even bother to call) a couple of days before my first lesson to say he could not commit.How unprofessional. Anyway, with Mdm Yap, she was pretty strict the first 5-6 lessons and I was demoralised. While she wouldn't yell, she may show her annoyance (hence my initial annoyance at her. admittedly, I'm prideful) at certain things I did/did not do. Hindsight is 20/20, and it was her consistent corrections during those formative lessons that (i realised later) good driving habits were formed. I even contemplated searching for another instructor (oops, sorry mdm yap) in case this doesn't work out but my hub advised that I stick around for 2-3 more lessons before deciding. boy was I glad I did. In the subsequent lessons, the dynamics changed. I can't put a finger on it, but we started chatting throughout the lesson (but still corrects me where necessary) and I attribute it to perhaps me starting to grasp driving (muscle memory) and she could trust me a little more on the roads (she has a pretty new Vios). I looked forward to every lesson since then and really enjoyed our convos. she's really quite funny.
i found out later it's her way of getting me to relax (my body was very stiff from the stress)so i can drive better. worked like a charm.Also, her mandarin is way superior than her English, and I eventually switched to speaking mandarin with her, and that's when I learnt a lot from her. (she still gave driving instructions in english though, so she codeswitches back and forth).Another thing is,by the 5th or 6th lesson, i began to find lessons a little repetitive (i believe it's called complacency
) but once again, in hindsight, those lessons were necessary to hone certain skills and commit them to muscle memory, before she deems you ready to go into circuit, where those skills (like clutch control) is absolutely necessary.
My take on this is, if you are conversant in mandarin, can take constructive criticism and trust she has your best interests at heart, if you approach driving diligently, then you'll gain much under her tutelage/guidance. However, if you are the type who is super particular about certain things like ending lesson on the dot (she's super punctual. on certain days, she ended lessons 5 minutes before official time.. hello? given the nature of the job and traffic conditions, don;t be an arse and demand that it be made up another time. gosh. or if you start lessons 2-3 mins later cos previous student's lesson ends slightly later, don't go apeshit). In short, I think she teaches well, and from my convos with her, she has a lot of integrity and is very hardworking. in sum, if you can take constructive criticism, are not overly calculative (i believe the hokkien equivalent is "gniao"), do engage her. she is very busy though, cos she has loads of students, so no time to entertain some ridiculous people, so please don't call and ask 1001 questions or bargain for a lower price. Trust me, she'll tell you off (and i think you deserve it
) She's cool that way. Mdm Yap rocks!
I paid $50 for 1.5hr lessons, and $382 for driving test 'package' to be paid on driving test day which includes the usual 1.5hr warm-up, circuit entry on driving test day, car rental for test, insurance, everything lah etc)
additional tip: I personally found the initial circuit lessons daunting, and the learning curve steep. because we are sharing the circuit with other cars, in order not to hog the parking lot so others can come in and learn, there's a limited number of times we can queue up and go thru the motion again. And if you are like me, whose brain is the size of a pea, you may want to ask if you could take some time to write down the steps (after physically going thru all the steps a couple of times though). I prepared a paper and pen and scribbled down the steps hastily before turning out of the parallel/vertical lot. then go home and memorise these steps, revise them before your next circuit lesson. if the circuit is crowded, immediately note down notes after the lesson.
Good luck!
