Universal Driving School

(10 Reviews)

Top Choice Awards Winner Driving School in the Ottawa Region for three years in a row (2018, 2019, 2020) and Consumer Choice Award winner (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). They are proud of themselves as an MTO-Approved BDE Course Provider. Universal Driving School serves thousands of students every year, teaching them the best defensive driving skills, with male and female driving instructors available. They are expanding to more locations to serve their customers better. Their company offers a state-of-the-art, well-designed, and professional driver training program that is fit for beginner drivers, delivering instruction to help them become safe and confident drivers, driving away anxiety. They strive for excellence, with their priority being to provide an excellent driver’s education that will last a lifetime. They prepare students for the Drive Test, helping them develop safe, positive driving habits and the skills necessary to be safe on Canadian and U.S. roads.

Highlights

Language

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Availabilty

Availability

Morning

Vehicle

Training Vehicle

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Payment Method

Payment Methods

Credit/Debit Card, e-Transfer, POS, Cash, Buy Now Pay Later

Why Students Choose Universal Driving School

Trusted by thousands of new drivers across the city.

Ministry Approved Ministry Approved
Ministry Approved

Ministry Approved

Ministry Approved Beginner Driver Education Course Provider

Save on Insurance Save on Insurance
Save on Insurance

Insurance Discount
Eligibility

Qualify for insurance discounts.

Fast Track Your G2 Fast Track Your G2
Calendar

Reduce G2 Wait
by 4 Months

Complete the course and get your G2 licence sooner.

In-Car Training In-Car Training
In car Training

Online & In-Car
Training

Learn online or in-car with experienced instructors.

  • Students Trained

    10,000+

    Students Trained

  • Student Rating

    3.7 / 5

    Student Rating

  • Years of Experience

    30+

    Years of Experience

  • Flexible Scheduling

    7 Days

    Flexible Scheduling

Available Payment Options Info

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Basic BDE Course Package

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  • 20 hours of theory instruction
  • 10 hours of digital or homework instruction
  • 10 hours of in-vehicle driving lessons
  • MTO Approved BDE Certificate

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Silver BDE Course Package

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  • 20 hours of theory instruction
  • 10 hours of digital or homework instruction
  • 10 hours of in-vehicle driving lessons
  • Use of instructor’s vehicle for local road test
  • MTO Approved BDE Certificate

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Gold BDE Course Package

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  • 20 hours of theory instruction
  • 10 hours of digital or homework instruction
  • 12 hours of in-vehicle driving lessons
  • Use of instructor’s vehicle for local road test
  • MTO Approved BDE Certificate

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Platinum BDE Course Package

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  • 20 hours of theory instruction
  • 10 hours of digital or homework instruction
  • 20 hours of in-vehicle driving lessons
  • Use of instructor’s vehicle for local road test
  • MTO Approved BDE Certificate

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Defensive Driving Course (DDC)

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  • Focus on defensive driving skills for collision-free driving, including head-on and rear-end collision avoidance.
  • Covers braking techniques and ABS usage along with essential defensive driving methods.
  • Includes parking techniques (five types), night driving, and handling bad weather conditions.
  • Combines classroom learning with practical in-car training, including highway driving tips for real-world safety.

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Driver Improvement Course (DIC)

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  • Driver Improvement Course (DIC)

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Lesson Package + Road Test

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  • One on one in car lesson
  • Private in-vehicle driving lessons
  • Use Instructor's car for road test

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Road Test Package - G2/G

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  • One on one in car lesson
  • 1 hour in-vehicle driving lesson before the road test
  • Use of instructor’s vehicle for road test

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Our Instructors

Reviews

Loved by thousands of users

Thousands of users trust us for simple, clear, and easy learning— with smooth experience and helpful support.

Verified Reviews

Jay Sullivan

Jay Sullivan

a year ago

It was a satisfactory experience having my lessons here. I wasn't properly taught how to operate a car with 0 prior driving experience. I wasted half of one of my sessions waiting at a Costco lot having to refill gas. Was told 7 sessions in that there was supposed to be a test, when it should be halfway in (5 hours). Didn't teach me enough within the minimum time required. They told me to use a parking brake when I had never been taught or used it my entire life. Tried to communicate with an instructor that I was confused about how to merge into a lane safely, yet he responded that he was confused. After finishing the Drivers ED at 10 hours I didn't pass the test receiving a 65%, The Instructor said that I needed an 80% to pass, but after talking with other certified instructors on this topic, they said the ministry required 70%. Despite my not passing, I think the grading is fraudulent and improper. I was told to do an additional 5 hours, however, I tried to negotiate to understand why I needed to do 5 hours more, instead of trying to practice 1 hour to see my progress, they impeded I must pay for the 5-hour additional package. I decided to not continue with their course. I took this driving school at the same time as a peer of mine recommended it and they had a negative experience as well and dropped out of this Drivers ED school. My advice is to work on manners and how you respectfully talk to people as you are providing a service to a client. Although most people here are young students, does not give you the right to belittle them or infringe any kind of animosity as they are trying to learn because it is a new concept they are trying to learn. Another thing is to be understanding when things arise like this experience, otherwise you'll have bad customer review experiences just like this.

Michelle

Michelle

8 years ago

My experience with Universal Driving School was very good. My in-car instructor Balvir who was very efficient in giving me instructions, and bringing his positive attitude throughout the lessons. He's flexible to book lessons if you have school or work. I would definitely recommend this driving school to anyone who lives in Barrhaven or College Square. Thank you very much to Balvir and Hess.

Sanjeev Jain

Sanjeev Jain

7 years ago

Amazing driving school in Ottawa! Thank you so much Hess and Ivan for your excellent guidance and training during driving lessons. You both are great guys and have a positive attitude to extend your help during lessons. I will recommend universal driving school to everyone.

Kathleen Leveque

Kathleen Leveque

7 years ago

Really bad!! I would put 0 stars! I signed up for drivers ed in December. I and a few others waited 30 minutes for someone to show up and no one ever did. We then called them and they said classes were cancelled but they never posted an update on their website, they never contacted us to let us know and at the place they had a paper which indicated the schedule for classes and nothing saying ours was cancelled was written on there. When we asked to speak to the manager he kept telling us that he was busy and to call him later but then, he would say the exact same thing. He lied to us several times saying he had called us multiple times and left us a voicemail but no one ever got a call. We then asked for a refund but he wouldn't give us all of it back. He would only give us the amount we paid (676,87$) minus 40$ because we payed with paypal, though they forced us to use that. He didn't want to give our money back. We had to call him several times as well as raise our tone of voice to finally get our refund. Only 2 weeks after requesting our refund we got our money back.

Antoine Bujold-Roux

Antoine Bujold-Roux

9 years ago

Amazing driving school! Hess was a great driving instructor and was very nice and helpful. He had an awesome approach and gave so many good tips. I defenitely recomend it to anyone.

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