Experience | From LTO Student Permit to Non-Pro License

In summary, this is where I got the ff:

1. Theoretical Driving Course certificate from Smart Driving School

2. Practical Driving Course certificate from Alert Driving Academy

3. Student Driver Permit from LTO Robinson’s Cainta (Big R)

4. Non-Professional License from LTO Cainta Extension Office (Felix Ave.)

First step to getting a non-pro license is to have a student permit for a month at least.

But there is now an additional requirement when getting a student permit which is the TDC or Theoretical Driving Course certificate.

Since we are currently in a pandemic situation, face to face TDC seminars are limited to almost none.

Back in August, my boyfriend found Smart’s offering of online TDC.

Not so much of an option, we grabbed that opportunity.

We enrolled online and after paying P2,000 each, we received instructions via email of how to access the course.

They had us install an app called “DriveSafe PH”.

Log in details were given via email as well.

Very convenient and easy to access.

Ang naging problem lang namin ay ang sarili namin. Lol

Dahil nga online siya at maaaccess mo anytime you want, medyo nagprocrastinate kami. 

And nagkaproblem pa sa app nila around early September, so medyo natagalan kami tapusin yung course.

Fortunately, as far as I know, wala naman atang expiration yung course?

But I can’t be too sure dahil si bf talaga ang nakipag-communicate sa Smart.

At the end of the course, there was an exam in the app and the final one was required to be taken at Smart’s exam site.

We finished the course mid-September and had to wait for an exam schedule because back then we were under MECQ/GCQ where face to face examination was not allowed.

First they offered a schedule of the final exam in Mandaluyong, but we preferred to take it within Rizal or nearby so we waited a little more.

We finally got the schedule in September 25, 2021 in their Marikina Branch in front of Robinson’s Metroeast.

Medyo hindi lang nasunod yung scheduling dahil ang sabi maximum of 5 students/batch, so we expected that much, but when we arrived, there were more students, and most of us were not in the list of the scheduled examinees. 🙄

They had us wait outside until one finishes their exam, then isisingit na lang daw kami…

Despite the hassle, we were able to take the TDC exam.

Keri lang yung exam kasi nasa reviewer naman.

We were informed of the result on September 30 while their update as of October 2 was our certificate was delivered to Robinson’s Antipolo as it needed to be countersigned by the lecturer, they said. 🤦‍♀️

When we went out of the house for my vaccination schedule in October 6, we took the opportunity to get the certificate from Smart’s branch in Cainta (where we requested it be forwarded from Antipolo).

Then we stopped by the LTO’s branch in Robinson’s Cainta (Big R) to apply for a student permit.

We had the medical exam beside their branch as well for P200. They gave us 2 copies each of our medical certificate so that we can use it when we take the non-pro license exam. Its validity was for three (3) months, until December 6.

Since there were only a few people, we just had to wait for a few minutes per process (from taking the medical exam, to registering in LTO’s website for an account, taking pictures and biometrics, paying fees, up to getting the permit).

Total paid in LTO is P250 (Application fee of P100 and Student-Driver’s permit fee of P150).

Beside them is the registration for the National I.D., which since we were already there and only one person was in line, we registered as well for FREE.

We found Alert Driving Academy’s info on LTO’s window while we were getting our student permit.

Good thing we found them because we were able to get a schedule of 2 days (Sat and Sun), 4 hours a day, a schedule that we could not get from Smart, and for a much cheaper price of P4,000 (manual driving course).

So we finished the Practical Driving Course in just one weekend, October 9 and 10.

It was nerve-wracking because they let us drive outside of Robinson’s Cainta in Day 1, and then to Antipolo already in Day 2! But it was fun!

Tandem ata talaga sina sir Leo at sir Carloto sa pagtuturo. Parang silang dalawa ang instructor ko. 😄 Nakakatuwa pa sila. Straight to the point at malinaw mag-explain.

Medyo makulit lang ako na madalas lumalampas sa 20kph ang bilis at kulang na lang magdrift ako kapag lumiliko. Pero ang haba ng pasensiya ng instructor ko na si sir Leo. Kaya sobrang enjoy!

Now we had to wait for a month to be able to take the exam for the Non-Professional driver’s license.

While waiting, we just practiced inside the subdivision using our baby, Coco.

Bf bumping the obstacle. 😆

I finally had the gut to take the exam on November 26 (bf took it on the 25th).

LTO Cainta’s Extension Office in Felix Ave just recently opened a month ago and konting kembot lang sila mula sa lugar namin.

The process was pretty straightforward.

Just make sure to wear proper clothes, no sandals or shorts, and maglong-sleeve na lang or makapal na damit kasi ang lamiiiig sa loob, o baka kasi dahil kinakabahan ako. Haha

We arrived there early (sinamahan pa rin ako ni supportive bf 😆), few minutes before their opening hour of 8:00 AM.

Nakichika na rin ako sa naghihintay sa labas at napag-alaman kong second take na niya ng araw na yun for non-pro license.

First take daw niya few days ago, 47/60 ang score niya, eh 48/60 daw ang passing score.

I thought one (1) month pa ulit bago makapagtake kapag bumagsak, pero sabi niya pwede raw sunod sunod na araw up to 3 tries.

Yung iba ko ring nakachika mga second takers din. First take daw nila sa LTO Binangonan, puro 47 din ang score nila. 😳

Something’s fishy? Or just only my imagination?

I don’t know. Malalaman natin pagkatake ko dahil this was my first time.

Pagka-open ng office, sumunod na lang ako sa kanila tutal pare-pareho lang kami ng kukunin.

The security guard gave us an application form then siya na rin ang nagcheck ng requirements na dala ko pati ng finill-upan ko.

After niyang i-check, pinapunta ako sa cashier.

Pila na rin doon, so hintay hintay na lang.

Kinuha muna yung requirements ko then hintay ulit matawag ang pangalan.

Pagkatawag ng pangalan, magbabayad na ng P100 as written exam fee.

After magbayad, wait ulit para sa picture-taking at biometrics, at pagkatapos doon maghihintay ulit sa harap ng examination room na matawag ang pangalan.

Computerized na ang exam, next next na lang sa multiple choice basta masagutan muna bawat numero para makapag-next, at pwede namang i-review lahat ng sagot bago i-submit.

Pagka-submit, instant na rin ang result, so malalaman agad kung pasado o hindi.

I had my reviewer from Smart, Alert and a LTO reviewer app, but mangilan ngilan lang ang lumabas sa mga yun.

Fortunately, I passed. 😊

Don’t forget na tawagin ang examiner pagkalabas ng exam result sa screen dahil isusulat niya yun sa log book niya bago ka paalisin sa room.

A notification of the result will be emailed to you immediately as well.

After that, sumunod na lang ulit ako sa mga natapos na. 😆

I can’t remember kung alin na ang sumunod doon. 😅

Nagbayad na ulit ata ako noon para naman sa practical driving exam, which is P585 ata yun.

Hindi na ako nagbayad para sa sasakyan dahil dala na namin si Coco.

Hinintay ko na lang yung examiner, then pinagdrive na lang niya ako within sa LTO compound.

Magcheche bureche ka na lang din muna na i-adjust lahat ng mirrors at seat mo (although kung pagmamay-ari mo yung sasakyan, understandable naman nang adjusted na yun to your preference), magseatbelt, i-check mo rin kung nakaseatbelt na yung examiner, i-switch mo rin yung aircon para comfortable siya, at kung nirentahan mo nga pala yung sasakyan doon, ikutin mo muna yung car bago ka sumakay like check check sa gulong, etc.

Chill lang din sa pagdidrive, huwag magmadali.

Isipin mo na lang VIP ang sakay mo na hindi pwedeng maalog. 😉

But also make sure na makapag-segunda ka at least, huwag lang primera, as advised by the Alert instructors.

Pinaikot lang ako then pinagpark kahit saan sa parking space, then tapos na. 😃

Wala pa kasing obstacles na naka-setup sa compound nila.

Another notification of the practical examination result will be emailed to you.

I just waited for my I.D. which is doon din irerelease sa may picture-taking area.

And that’s it!

Doon ako sa written exam pinakakinabahan dahil sa mga kuwento nila pero mabuti na lang at hindi ko naranasan yung naranasan nila sa Binangonan..

LTO Cainta Extension Office for the win! 😁