Gold Success Driving School — Attraction in New York

I will start off by saying that I passed my road test and I think it’s important to acknowledge the frustrations I felt when working with the instructors and front desk at Gold Success. I signed up for ten classes after reading good reviews about other people’s experiences. Both my partner and I signed up at the same time and we both had different instructors.

I thought my instructor, Oscar was satisfactory. He was hands off and didn’t provide much instruction when it came to my struggles with parking. His feedback was fairly simple - what I did well and what I could try again. My partner shared that his instructor was very different, often distracting as he spoke the entire time about his personal life and issues instead of focusing on providing driving feedback. It was an uncomfortable experience.

The day before my road test in September, I was informed that the car I was supposed to drive in broke down, was at a shop waiting to get fixed, and it may not be ready by the morning of my test. Therefore, my road test was cancelled the morning of. There was no sense of urgency from Gold Success to find me another car, a different instructor, and to reschedule. I had to call and messaged a couple of times for them to take my rescheduling seriously, which was a month later. I also requested a complimentary class because I needed/wanted more practice, since there was now a month gap in between my lessons and the road test. My calls and email about the complimentary class were ignored.

Day of the road test in October: I was assigned to work with Kevin, an instructor I’ve never met before and was not familiar with. Interacting with Kevin was overwhelming, that’s an understatement. According to him, I was doing everything wrong (turns, parking, etc), even though I was following whatever feedback Oscar gave me. Kevin would often turn the wheel for me while I was driving, would tell me I’m going too fast, then I’m going too slow, and would tell me to check my mirrors AFTER I already checked them. His feedback was contradicting and all over the place. His attitude and the way he spoke increased my anxiety for the road test - I was sure that I was going to fail.

I am writing this review not to stray anyone away from going to Gold Success, but to inform that there is no universality among their instructors. The way my partner was taught parking was different from what I was taught. All the instructors have their own way of doing things and some of them are more interested in getting classes done than actually teaching. It is unclear why instructors were switched during the road test and why my messages were ignored when I asked for ONE extra class. My road test was delayed for A MONTH because THEIR car broke down, nothing in my control and yet, no reimbursements or extra services were offered for the inconvenience.

To add, it’s not like the classes are inexpensive. We paid for two people and for the amount of money, I wish we received better care...

I chose Gold Success Driving School because it seemed the most popular and had excellent reviews. I needed a driving course to prepare for the road test in NYC and opted for the smallest package, as I already had access to a car for practice outside of classes. Given the high cost of the lessons and the fact that I was a brand-new driver, I hoped to get as much value as possible out of the sessions. Unfortunately, my initial experience fell short of expectations. For the first few lessons, I was simply asked to drive around without receiving much constructive feedback. This felt like a missed opportunity to improve my skills. Additionally, some instructors arrived late from their previous lessons but did not extend my session to make up for the lost time, which was frustrating. Most of the instructors I worked with were too casual in their approach, giving minimal guidance—mainly just telling me to turn or stop—without providing actionable tips or corrections. What ultimately made the difference, and why I’m giving this company 4 stars, was my experience with Michael during my final two lessons before the road test. He was the instructor who turned everything around. I felt completely unprepared before meeting him, and even he mentioned that I might not pass, but his support and encouragement made a huge impact. He walked me through everything on the road test rubric, helping me understand how points were earned or lost, and gave me practical tips—especially for parallel parking, which I still use today. On test day, Michael’s positivity and last-minute pointers made all the difference. Even after the test, when I felt unsure about how I did, he was empathetic and reassuring. I passed on my first attempt and have been confidently driving for the past six months, including on highways. While I wish I had worked with Michael from the start, I’m ultimately grateful for his guidance. If you choose Gold Success Driving School, I highly recommend requesting him as your instructor for a more focused and effective learning experience. No matter how hard learning to drive and preparing for the road test may feel, keep going—there’s a rainbow waiting for you at the end of...

PSA! THIS IS THE REVIEW YOU'RE LOOKING FOR!

I took 80 lessons across various driving school around Jamaica and failed 8 road tests. I've been a certified passenger princess my whole life. My previous instructors gave very vague instructions; they say driving come naturally. Man I didn't even know what blind spots are. It pisses me off so bad that previous instructors scream "Why did you blah blah blah?" when I made mistakes. Umm, I don't know how to drive so I didn't even know what I did wrong let alone why.

I decided to go for my 9th road test. I booked lessons with Frank and passed the road test right away! I had no idea what I did wrong before. I didn't know where to look when turning or what to look out for when driving. Frank is really friendly and down to earth. He does care about me actually passing the road test and always encourage me to ACTIVELY LEARN. He works around the schedule to ensure I have consistent practice up until road test date. I always learn something new after each session and always left happy. Frank is quite patient in giving me detailed instructions. I'm an introvert and get real nervous when driving but I felt really comfortable in the car with him. I'm ok driving during lessons, but when we go to the road test site, my anxiety was PEAK. In my head I'm losing it you know... I had to sit shotgun until the examiner arrive which disengage me somewhat and I go BLANK. NOTHING. LITERALLY FADED. Frank then let me turn on and off the engine every one minute or so until my turn for the test. It was very helpful because ADHD... I could go on and on but TRUST ME BROO?? I failed 8 times and Frank helped me pass. I think that's enough convincing.

A lot of people know how to drive but not everyone is a competent driving instructor. Picking the right instructor is VERY IMPORTANT for passing your road test!!

BIG THANKS TO ERIC (owner), FRANK (instructor), and last but not least our kind staffs at...