Ausgleichsfahrt (catch-up lesson)
Also known as: Catch-up driving lesson · Aufholstunde
An Ausgleichsfahrt is an extra practice lesson booked to close a specific gap — for example after a weak special-purpose lesson or before the practical exam. It is not a legally defined lesson type.
Ausgleichsfahrten are not a category defined in the Driver-Training Ordinance (FahrschAusbO) — they are a working term used inside German driving schools. Typical situations:
- A specific weakness from a previous Sonderfahrt (e.g. lane change on the motorway) needs to be addressed,
- A stress-resistance trial run is taken before the practical exam (Prüfungsfahrt),
- Training has been interrupted for a longer period and basic competence has to be re-activated.
For billing and bookkeeping, an Ausgleichsfahrt is treated like a regular Standardstunde. Its effect grows when the driving instructor names — before the lesson starts — exactly which competence is being trained. Without that framing it tends to drift back into general practice, and the gap that triggered the booking stays open.
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