I never took a course; except the safety course offered through the military so I could get base tags for my bikes.

I took the written and then took the riding exam at the Poplar Hall DMV off of Military back in 96. My riding portion was pretty tough; but I've heard from others that it all depends on who you get to give the exam and what kind of mood they are in.

I would recommend going while it's raining so the person won't want to venture outside. I've heard from a few that it works pretty well.