Video training is a form of distance or remote learning. Unlike remote other online or remote classes (e-klase) Webex/Zoom, etc., video training consists of separate video lessons recorded in a studio.

Main benefits of opting for video training

• opportunity to study at any time of the day;
• opportunity to study anywhere in the world (no need to waste time and money to travel to the driving school);
• students can determine their learning pace themselves.
• much cheaper.

Due to the advantages provided, video training is expected to become the most popular way of learning the driving theory in the future.

Comparison of video training with face-to-face training

Video training is a more compact form of training than face-to-face training. In video training you will never hear the instructor's personal opinion on various processes in society, unrelated and funny incidents, which many perceive as a sign of unprofessionalism. Nor are there any long discussions held by the class – which are often completely off-topic.

No one bothers you or distracts you, as long as you are in a comfortable environment. You can endlessly repeat or even loop what you haven't understood or haven't discerned while listening. All of this combined greatly contributes to productivity of the learning.

Learning subjects and themes

On the portal macam.lv, driving theory lessons are taught in Latvian by Rudīte Opelte, and in Russian (as well as Latvian) by Larisa Krukovska. The success rate of successfully passing the exams at Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD) for students of these teachers is very high, namely: as regards R. Opelte – 97.67%, and for L. Krukovska – 96.25%. This means that almost every student who has learned the driving theory from one of these instructors passes the theory exam at CSDD at the first time.

The total duration of one lesson is 3 hours and 45 minutes, divided into consecutive videos of approximately 15 minutes. According to the regulations imposed by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia, a student shall attend 1 lesson in 1 day, and maximum 3 lessons in a week.

Currently, Presto driving school (under the leadership of its curriculum director Eriks Griģis) is already developing a new individual video training programme.

(Comment: needs to be improved)

Persons eligible for training

For now, only future drivers of Category B can learn the theory in video training format, in the near future the opportunity will be provided for potential drivers of all categories.

According to the regulations by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia, it is allowed to learn only part of the driving theory – road traffic rules – in the online of e-environment. The table indicates how many classes a student can learn in each of the categories in video training and how many shall be attended in person.

How does face-to-face training take place?

Face-to-face classes can be attended at any of our branches in Latvia, if necessary – even every class at a different branch or a different town.

Students can apply for the training in person starting from the 15^th day after the start of the video training. It is possible to do this electronically in your website profile, which is automatically created immediately after the conclusion of the contract.

To submit an application, open the "Theory Schedule" section and choose a lesson with a red mark next to its status. Click on this mark in order to open the application form. In this form, indicate the required branch, training day and time.

Within 3 days, the training applied for is registered with the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), and a confirmation is dispatched to student's e-mail. After receiving it, the student is allowed to attend the lesson. Attendance is counted as passed if the student is present for all the specified number of lessons and has listened to all the material presented in the lesson. 

Video training times

The student can connect to the video training platform at any convenient time of the day. We kindly ask our students to refrain from training between 23:55 and 00:05, when data on the platform are synchronized with CSDD. For this reason, class attendance may not be recorded or registered during this period.

The driver's theory course can be completed in 4 weeks, but its maximum training time is 1 year. If the theoretical training at the driving school is not completed within this period, the student must register in a new training group, make a repeat payment and start the video training from the beginning.

Must the student be present during the video lecture?

In order to learn the video training and to pass the assessment of the specific module/lesson, the student must always be present and concentrate on learning the study material. To make sure that this requirement is met, a presence test appears on the screen after unspecified time intervals. It consists of 1 primitive question to be answered within 20 seconds. If this is not done, the video must be listened to/watched again.

Knowledge test

After each lesson, the student must pass a test consisting of 10 questions. It can be taken 3 times and during 3 attempts the student must collect at least 9 correct answers in order to pass the test. 1 error is allowed in each attempt. If the test is not passed, the lesson is not counted as passed and must be retaken.

After completing the video training and attending the specified number of face-to-face lessons, the student must pass the driving school exam. After successfully passing the test, the student can take the state exam at the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD).

Who can I turn to in case of questions?

As in all face-to-face courses, during video training, students may have questions. Therefore, a possibility is ensured to ask the teacher questions in form of written correspondence. If necessary, online consultations are also available, the process and course of which is advised by the administration.

What language is the training in?

For now, it is possible to take the classes in Latvian or Russian, but in the near future it is planned to offer video training in English as well.

How do I apply?

First of all, a distance contract must be concluded on the website (it can also be done in person at the office). This can be done in several ways: on the home page (the icon of book), in the sections "Remote learning", "Branches" or on page of the corresponding category. In all variants, the student will arrive at the order form page. After choosing the category, select "Remote learning" next to the field of student's city, then pick "Video training". Finally, you must fill in all the other required data.

After concluding the contract, access details for the training platform and instructions for its use are sent to the e-mail address specified by the student. In case of any questions, please contact administration of the "Presto" driving school.