Shop sim racing equipment
Assetto Corsa EVO’s Driving Academy mode is intended to help its players get up to speed with Kunos Simulazioni’s Early Access sim.
Featuring six tiers of licence tests, doing well in the Driving Academy rewards players with both XP and Credits. Gaining a maximum three-star ranking from a licence test provides more XP and Credits, incentivising players to master each test.
Credits can be used to purchase or rent new cars with XP contributing to drivers’ ranking, which is thought to be linked to unlocking certain in-game functions, with more detail to be revealed over the sim’s extended development period towards its v1.0 release in fall 2025.
What we do know, however, is that players have to complete the licence tiers to unlock the purchase of their requisite cars. So, to unlock Sportscars, players must attain at least one star from each of the five sportscar-based licence tests, and so on.
Check out all the details on Assetto Corsa EVO’s initial batch of Driving Academy Licence Tests below.
Sportscar – Brands Hatch GP
SP-01 Your First Hairpin
This simple introductory test uses the Audi RS3 Sportback and tasks players with speedily dispatching Brands Hatch GP’s Paddock Hill Bend and Druids. Finding a comfortable braking point for Druids is key.
SP-02 L Turns
Using the Ford Escort RS Cosworth, you must negotiate GRaham Hill Bend and Surtees successfully. Surtees is the tricky one here, requiring well-judged trail braking for a three-star time.
SP-03 Electric Car, Fast Corner
The electric Alpine A290 Concept has proven to be a tough car to master for many on this test, requiring deft inputs through Hawthorn and Westfield corners. Our top tip is to turn off traction control after you get off the line.
SP-04 Rear Wheel Drive
You can almost drive flat-out through Sheene in the Toyota GR86 in this test, with Stirling’s and Clark Curve providing opposite camber levels to ramp up the difficulty.
SP-05 Show us the Lap
A full lap of Brands Hatch GP completes the Sportscar section of the Driving Academy, this time in the mid-engined Alpine A110 S.
Supercar – Imola
SC-01 Italian Chicanes
Imola hosts the Supercar trials, with the run through the Tamburello and Villeneuve chicanes your goal driving the Lotus Emira.
SC-02 Your First Wet Drive
As the name suggests, SC-02 sees inclement weather make its bow, with the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm needing to be steered through Tosa and Piratella.
SC-03 The “Acque Minerali”
This fun test sees the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 tackling the fearsomely awkward Acque Minerali section with the Gresini chicane to follow.
SC-04 Brake Hard, Exit Harder
It’s back to the Alfa in the dry this time, with the high-speed run to Rivazza requiring a big stop to successfully pass the test.
SC-05 Show us the Lap
The conclusion of the Supercar test (clearly a loose definition given the cars in use) sees players needing to complete a full lap of Imola with the BMW M4 CSL.
Hypercar – Laguna Seca
HC-01 Damp Track, Beast Car
Each of the five Hypercar tests is done using the Ferrari 296 GTB. The first is perhaps the trickiest, with the damp run to Laguna Seca’s Turn 1 requiring some circumspection regarding throttle control.
HC-02 Master the “L” Corners
Laguna Seca’s 90-degree turns in Sector 1 are the subject of HC-02 and are all about taming the Ferrari’s brutal hybrid power delivery.
HC-03 Welcome to the “Corkscrew”
All that power has to be anchored for HC-03, with the blind crest leading to the Corkscrew requiring an early braking point. Keep it in third gear down through the Corkscrew for maximum traction.
HC-04 Dive Deep
Laguna Seca’s banked turns are a delight to drive, so make sure to hug the inside of Turn 9 tightly. Brake just after the 300m board for TRurn 11 to ensure a solid run onto the start-finish straight.
HC-05 Show us the Lap
The full lap should be a doddle now that you’ve learned the track in the same car, so keep it nice and tidy and avoid too much time-sapping oversteer.
Racing 1 – Suzuka
R1-01 Suzuka, Rain and the “Snake”
The Mazda MX-5 ND Global Cup is the protagonist of the first Racing Licence tests, with R1-01 proving to be a tricky task in maintaining traction thanks to the wet track.
R1-02 Get to the Hairpin
The run through Degner 1 and 2 are the highlights of this test, requiring a touch of braking and a lot of bravery.
R1-03 Meet the “Spoon”
Exiting the hairpin, you’ll head down towards the off-camber, double-apex left-hander at Spoon. Trail braking is needed here for a quick time – not easy in the tail-happy Mazda.
R1-04 Be Brave, Welcome to “130R”
130R is one of the quickest corners in racing and will require a touch of braking, even in the underpowered MX-5. Make sure not to run wide or you’ll invalidate your attempt and not receive any Credits of XP.
R1-05 Show us the Lap
The full lap should be fairly straightforward for those who breezed through the previous tests, just try to keep the unruly Mazda’s rear-end in check for an easy pass.
Racing 2 – Bathurst
R2-01 Welcome to the Australia
The forgiving BMW M2 CS Racing tackles Bathurst’s Mount Panorama for the second batch of Racing Licence Tests, with the run into The Cutting the only real sticking point.
R2-02 Uphill We Go!
We head up the mountain in R2-02, taking the Bavarian beast as close to the walls as possible. Use the camber at Sulman Park to your advantage.
R2-03 And Downhill, With Walls
This is where the difficulty ramps up, with gravity doing you no favours on the run back down Mount Panorama. Luckily, the BMW is a joy to drive and has ABS, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
R2-04 The Fastest Straight, And a Turn
This is probably the easiest Bathurst test, with a long run to The Chase and two fairly simple left-handers to deal with. Murray’s Corner drops away on exit so you may want to slow up a little more than first thought.
R2-05 Show us the Lap
A simple lap of Mount Panorama with the BMW. You can use the walls to your advantage if needs be, as hitting them doesn’t invalidate your attempt.
Racing 3 – Brands Hatch GP, Imola, Laguna Seca, Suzuka, Bathurst
R3-01 Master Brands Hatch
The third set of Racing Licence Tests uses three different cars and takes in each of the game’s Early Access tracks. Players will have built up plenty of experience by this stage so all five tests should be simple enough to complete, especially with the racecars’ added downforce and braking power.
The first test uses the Mercedes-AMG GT2 at Brands Hatch GP.
R3-02 Master Imola
The second test is the Ferrari 488 Challenge EVO at Imola.
R3-03 Master Laguna Seca
The Mercedes-AMG returns for a lap of Laguna Seca.
R3-04 Master Suzuka
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) makes its bow around the tight confines of Suzuka.
R3-05 Master Mount Panorama
We head back to Bathurst for the final test, this time for a lap with the bonkers Ferrari Challenge car.
Assetto Corsa EVO Driving Academy tips
In our time with Assetto Corsa EVO’s Driving Academy, we’ve found a couple of tips to help players complete all the Licence Tests quickly
Go on the final red light
Update: Sadly, as of the 5th of February 2025, this tip has been patched out of the game. You’ll just have to time your starts to perfection. Booooo.
We found that you could start Licence tests by going on the fifth red light. Wait a beat after the red light comes on and you’re guaranteed not to lose any time due to slow reaction times.
It’s not quite cheating, after all the clock only starts when your car moves, but you won’t lose time waiting to go at the green light.
Gain Credits and XP
Even if your attempt is shaping up to be slower than your previous run, it’s worth finishing. This will still gain you XP and Credits as long as you don’t invalidate the test by heading off-track (you tell if your run is invalidated as ‘Current time’ will be coloured red.
One star is enough
If you just need a Licence to buy certain cars then gaining a one-star rating is enough to progress. Drive carefully and you’ll breeze through the generous one-star target times on every test.
Chat with the Community
Sign Up To CommentIt's completely Free