How to get a driving license in Malaysia

Knowing how to drive a car is a great skill to have. Even if you don’t own a car, having a license opens up a lot more options. From renting a car on holiday or taking turns with friends while on a road trip, the benefits of knowing how to drive are endless. So, how do you get a driving license? Here’s all you need to know with out ultimate guide.

Step 1: Register with a driving school

To learn how to drive, you need to first register at a recognised driving school. You can check the driving school lists and find the closest one to you! Or you could call the ones you spot on the road! Registration fees vary from school to school, so you might want to call a few to find one that fits your budget!

Step 2: Attend theory lessons

Before you get on the road, you’ll need to understand basic road rules – so a theory test is on the way. After registration, you will receive a handbook with 500 questions about driving on the roads in Malaysia. You will also need to attend a five-hour course lectured by a driving instructor on the basics of driving in Malaysia. This course is compulsory and usually conducted in Malay though the option to take an English theory course is possible.

Step 3: Take the theory exam

After taking the course, you can then register for the computer test, officially known as the Highway Code Exam, in English and Malay. The exam will have 50 multiple choice questions, with a minimum passing grade of 84% or 42 questions answered correctly to proceed.

The first 10 questions are there to determine if you are colour blind, and if you get one wrong the exam ends. You will need to go to a doctor and prove that you are not colour blind to take the test again. The remaining 40 questions are chosen randomly from the 500 questions in the handbook given to you earlier.

Want to make sure you pass it on the first try? Make sure you prepare for the exam by looking at some sample test questions.

Step 4: Get your Learner’s Driving License (LDL)

Once you pass the exam, you can apply for a Learner’s Driving License (LDL) at your driving school. Just prepare two passport sized photos with white backgrounds. You will soon receive your ‘L’ license and will be eligible to drive!

Step 4.5 Peek under the hood

Okay you’re NEARLY there. One last step before you can get behind the wheel. You will first need to understand the various parts of your car. This includes how to conduct safety checks before and after driving, and these will be incorporated in your test!

Although you can now drive, you can only drive a car with an ‘L’ sticker. This learner sticker can be a source of shame as some motorists refer to the ‘L’ sticker as ‘lembu’ or ‘cow’ sticker due to the slow speed. Don’t be discouraged as slow driving is a part of the learning process. You have to learn to crawl before you can learn to run! Just try not to mind the inconsiderate honking too much.

Step 5: Practice at the circuit

Most driving schools require a student to fulfil up to 22 hours of lessons in the car type you have chosen – manual or automatic. When you are not practising on the road, you’d be in a circuit. Don’t get too excited – you’re not an F1 driver and there will be no drifting in the circuit. Here you will spend a lot of time with your instructor as you learn how to navigate the circuit and tackle the challenges within – like the 3-point turn, parking techniques, slope etc. After hours of driving, you will very likely be very good and very tired of this circuit. Once that happens, you will have to do it one last time so long as you…

Step 6: Pass the road test

Once you are confident in your skills, you can take the road test. Your driving test will include 2 components – an open road test and the circuit, which consists of a slope test, 3-point turn, reverse parking, parallel parking, the Z-course, and S-course for the manual and an additional ramp test if you are driving an automatic.

Although the test can be nerve-wracking, just do things by the book and trust in your new skills. Soon it will be over and you will (hopefully) be awarded with a Provisional Driving License (PDL) or ‘P’ license! This means you are now qualified to drive on the road so long as your car has a ‘P’ sticker.

Step 7: Drive with your ‘P’ license for 2 years

You will have this license for 2 years before you can graduate to a Competent Driving License (CDL)  or ‘D’ license. Just make sure you don’t get in trouble and lose your license through demerit points! If you do, you’ll have to go through the whole thing all over again 12 months from the date your license was revoked. So be careful out there!

Psst! Once you get your license, you’re gonna need a car to drive! You can check out our extensive inventory of Carro Certified cars and find the right one for you!