Getting a driving license in Singapore

In Singapore, the minimum age required to obtain a driving license is 18 years old. The types of licenses available in Singapore are called “classes”.There are 11 types of driving licenses in Singapore, with Class 3 & 3A corresponding to manual and autocar licenses respectively.

Applying for driving lessons

Level 3 of SSDC's multi-storey driving circuit. Photo credit to SSDC.

Before applying for driving lessons, passing the eyesight and colour blindness tests are a prerequisite. These tests can be taken at the admin centres of the three driving centres listed below. Enrolment for both private and school driving lessons are also done at the three driving centres. With enrolment, the candidate opens an account that is required for the booking of test dates.

CDC Kovan branch. Photo credit to Joey Ong.

Lessons at driving centres

Presently, there are three main driving centres in Singapore complete with driving circuits - the Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC), ComfortDelgro Driving Centre (CDC) and Singapore Safety Driving Centre (SSDC).

Opened in 1990, the Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC) (official website) is located closest to Bukit Gombak MRT (NS3). From Bukit Gombak MRT, BBDC provides a free shuttle service to its driving centre.

BBDC free shuttle service from Bukit Batok MRT. Photo credit to BBDC.

The main branch of ComfortDelgro Driving Centre (CDC) (official website) is located in Ubi Avenue 4 and closest to Tai Seng (CC11) or Ubi MRT (DT27). CDC first opened its Ubi branch in 1996. Since then, it has expanded to include a Kovan branch office consisting of 7 service points in the North-East neighbourhoods of Singapore. These service points are located in Potong Pasir, Kovan, Serangoon, Buangkok, Sengkang, Punggol and Fernvale. As compared to the Ubi driving centre, the Kovan CDC branch does not have a driving circuit. Candidates apply at the Kovan branch for practical driving lessons on the open roads of Singapore.

The Singapore Safety Driving Centre (SSDC) (official website) was opened in 1983, making it the oldest driving centre in Singapore. The SSDC has a multi-story driving circuit. Located in Woodlands industrial park, the closest MRT station to this centre is Admiralty (NS10). The centre also offers lessons in both English and Mandarin. The SSDC also has an Ang Mo Kio branch office where candidates can enrol and book practical driving lessons.

Lessons with private instructors

Private instructors for both Class 3 (manual motorcar) and 3A (auto motorcar) licenses are attached to each of the three driving centres. As of 12 December 2018, there are 56 manual license instructors attached to BBDC, 115 instructors attached to CDC, and 32 instructors attached to SSDC. For auto motorcar license instructors, there are 29 attached to BBDC, 69 attached to CDC, and 33 attached to SSDC. There are many private driving instructors in Singapore. The passing rates of each of these registered instructors are periodically updated on the Singapore Police Force website (official website). The last update for these passing rates was on 12 December 2018.

Curriculum for driving lessons

There are two theory tests and one practical test to pass before obtaining a Qualified Driving License (QDL). It is mandatory for school candidates to attend 4 theory lessons before booking a BTT test date. On the other hand, private driving candidates self study the theory materials before the test date.

Basic Theory Test (BTT)

Provisional driving license. Photo credit to PDI Reviews.

The Basic Theory Test (BTT) is the first of the two theory tests. It is a multiple choice question (MCQ) test and candidates are given 50 minutes to complete the test. There are 50 questions in total pertaining to road signs, proper code of conduct and traffic rules on Singapore roads. In order to pass, candidates are expected to answer 45 out of the 50 questions correctly. The passing rates for each of the driving centres are as such: BBDC (97.6%), CDC (87.1%), SSDC (90.4%). In the case of failure, there is no cap to the number of retests for the BTT. Upon passing the BTT, it is possible to obtain a Provisional Driving License (PDL). A PDL is needed to advance into the practical section of the driving curriculum. A PDL can be obtained online at a fee of SGD$25. It is valid for 6 months, after which it has to be renewed for a further $25 fee. A PDL can be renewed multiple times.

Final Theory Test (FTT)

Like the BTT, the Final Theory Test (FTT) is a 50 question MCQ. Candidates are also required to achieve a 45/50 passing score. The passing rates for each of the driving centres are as such: BBDC (98.4%) , CDC (90.4%), SSDC (93.0%). The content tested for FTT differs from BTT. The FTT includes content such as the operation of vehicle controls, basic driving techniques, and driving in traffic. Both private and driving school candidates are required to report to one of the three driving centres for the BTT and FTT. There are online learning aids and resources available that are aimed to help preparations for BTT and FTT such as SgDriving (official website), ITestDriving Singapore (official website) and SingaporeTests (official website) While some of these learning aids are openly accessible to the public, others require memberships.

Practical Driving Test (PDT)

Practical driving can be learnt once a candidate has passed their BTT and applied for a Provisional Driving License (PDL). A candidate can only book a PDT test date once they have passed their FTT. During the PDT, candidates will be assessed according to a demerit point system. Points will be attributed to every mistake made by the candidate. Additionally, there are mistakes that constitute an immediate failure such as mounting a kerb and failing to give way to a pedestrian at a pedestrian crossing. The passing grade for a Class 3/3A license is 19 demerit points with no immediate failures.

The first part of the PDT is conducted on the driving circuit, where candidates are tested on their driving and parking skills. The second part of the PDT is conducted on Singapore public roads, where candidates are graded on their traffic code of conduct and how they react to other drivers and different driving conditions.

Timeline and expenditure

Overall timeline and expenditure for BBDC:

	Cost (SGD)
Registration Fee	$96.30
Theory Classes	$68.48 (4 lessons)
Basic Theory Test (BTT)	$6.50
Provisional Driving License (PDL)	$25
Final Theory Test (FTT)	$6.50
Driving Lessons (20 - 25 lessons)	$68.48 / 100 min (Non-peak) $77.04 / 100 min (Peak)
Practical Driving Test (PDT)	$33
Practical Test Car Rental	$195.81 to $231.12
Driving License Fee	$50
Sum Total (est.)	$1,851.19 - $2,442.90

Overall timeline and expenditure for CDC:

	Cost (SGD)
Registration Fee	$96.30
Theory Classes	$69.55 (4 lessons)
Basic Theory Test (BTT)	$6.50
Provisional Driving License (PDL)	$25
Final Theory Test (FTT)	$6.50
Driving Lessons (20 - 25 lessons)	$68.48 / 100 min (Non-peak) $77.04 / 100 min (Peak)
Practical Driving Test (PDT)	$33
Practical Test Car Rental	$195.81 to $231.12
Driving License Fee	$50
Sum Total (approx.)	$1,852.26 - $2,443.97

Overall timeline and expenditure for SSDC:

	Cost (SGD)
Registration Fee	$96.30
Theory Classes	$69.55 (4 lessons)
Basic Theory Test (BTT)	$6.50
Provisional Driving License (PDL)	$25
Final Theory Test (FTT)	$6.50
Driving Lessons (20 - 25 lessons)	$77.04 / 120 min (Non-peak) $85.60 / 120 min (Peak)
Practical Driving Test (PDT)	$33
Practical Test Car Rental	$195.81 to $231.12
Driving License Fee	$50
Sum Total (approx.)	$2,023.46 - $2,657.97

Overall timeline and expenditure for private instructors:

	Cost (SGD)
Registration Fee	$96.30
Theory Classes	-
Basic Theory Test (BTT)	$6.50
Provisional Driving License (PDL)	$25
Final Theory Test (FTT)	$6.50
Driving Lessons (30 - 40 hours)	$25 - $35 / hour
Practical Driving Test (PDT)	$33
Practical Test Car Rental	$195.81 to $231.12
Driving License Fee	$50
Sum Total (approx.)	$1,204.81 - $1,812.12

Upon passing

Upon passing, candidates will receive a Qualified Driving Licence (QDL). The paper document QDL serves as a temporary license before candidates receive their photocard license. The photocard license will be mailed to the candidates given address, provided that the $50 license fee and a passport sized photo had been submitted to staff at the driving centres.

There will be a one year probation period during which a candidate must purchase and display a probation plate (p plate) on their vehicle.The probation plate is typically placed on the top right corner of the front and rear windscreen as viewed from the outside of the vehicle. Failure to do so will result in a SGD$120 fine. A probation plate can be purchased from most petrol stations in Singapore A candidate’s QDL may be revoked if 13 demerit points have been accumulated during the one year probation period.