Guide to getting your Singapore driving license in one try

My father always insisted that I get a driving license. Back in his days, it was a way to have a job, as truck / taxi driving could always get you a basic paycheck. Obviously, times have changed since then. Driving in Singapore has never been essential given that the public transit system is so robust. However, for those who are looking to drive, obtaining a Singapore driving license is a little tricky. Modeled after Japan’s driving examination system, Singapore’s driving exam is notoriously difficult to pass. Today, I’ll unpack how to get a driving license and share how I passed my examination (barely) on the first try.

What is the process of getting a qualified driving license (QDL)?

The legal driving age for Singapore is 18. For most people, a Class 3 or a Class 3A driver’s license which ‘allows you to drive motor cars of unladen weight not exceeding 3000 kg with not more than 7 passengers, exclusive of the driver’ is sufficient.

For those with a foreign driving license…

…the process is quite simple. From the traffic police website -

1. Pass the Basic Theory Test (BTT) at any of the driving centers in Singapore;
2. Possess a valid qualified foreign driving license
3. Possess an extract of the driving license record from the Licensing Authority (basically an international driving’s license), indicating the date of first issue of the foreign driving license and the date of expiry of the driving license
4. Possess a valid International Driving Permit (IDP)

For those without a foreign driving license…

… it’s a bit more drawn out.

1. Register at a driving center
2. Pass an eye and colour test
3. Pass the Basic Theory Test (BTT): 50 questions, 50 minutes, 45/50 to pass
4. Pass the Final Theory Test (FTT): 50 questions, 50 minutes, 45/50 to pass; only after you pass your BTT
5. Begin on-road driving classes: at a driving school or through private classes
6. Complete three driving simulator sessions: only after 5 on-road classes. These simulators are like the driving games you get in arcades except they’re miles slower and a lot more educational
7. Pass the Practical Driving Test (PDT). Assessment components include - a) Circuit test: Complete various stations at a designated circuit to test parallel parking, vertical parking, directional change, emergency stop, moving up slope, moving up a ramp, navigating a crank course, navigating a S-course. There’s no specific ordering for these stations - it’s dependent on the traffic conditions inside the circuit b) Road test: Drive on-road to test steering control, road etiquette, lane change and u-turns

Source: Learning to drive

Note: If you fail your circuit test, you won’t make it on the public roads for the rest of the examination

Should I go private or opt for a driving school?

This is the million dollar question. Plenty of cost analyses have been done (this is a good one by GetGo) so I am not going to go through one. However, I’ll highlight a couple of things to be aware of.

Driving schools

Three main driving schools in Singapore

1. Comfort DelGro Driving Center (CDC) - in Ubi (the East)
2. Singapore Safety Driving Center (SSDC) - in Woodlands (the North)
3. Bukit Batok Driving Center (BBDC) - in Bukit Batok (the West)

All these schools are near the outskirts of town (given space is required for a driving center), so expect a commute if you live centrally.

Pros

• Structured curriculum for those learning from fresh
• Easy booking access to circuit training
• Higher pass rates for first timers

Cons

• Pricier than private in most cases
• Structured curriculum equates to more time investment per class
• Need to fight for driving time slots in the school booking portal

Private

Singapore has a dwindling population of private driving instructors as the Traffic Police has stopped issuing driving instructor licenses. However, they weren’t too hard to find (I found mine through this site). I reached out to a couple of instructors and decided on one that I felt the most comfortable with. More on my instructor later.

Pros

• Flexible curriculum
• Flexible timing
• Driver can pick you up near your home
• Cheaper than driving school

Cons

• Instructor standards may vary
• Advance booking required for circuit training

My driving experience and how I miraculously passed my driving exam

Choosing private

I chose the private route as I already had experience driving. A few years prior to moving to Singapore, I took ~30 hours of driving lessons in the US. I even signed up for the driving test there, but failed miserably (and deservedly so, as I nearly hit another car). Given my ‘experience’ behind the wheel though, I thought going private is a much more flexible option. With a private instructor, I’d take a few classes to familiarize myself behind the wheel and practice driving on the left side of the road (US drives on the right) - sounds easy enough.

Choosing BBDC

I chose BBDC given its proximity to where I live. Their sign up portal is garbage. Remember to book in advance for registration, written tests and practical tests, as there’s generally a 1.5 months wait time. Do not worry about topping up a little more money than needed in your BBDC account. They’ll reimburse the excess once you pass your exam. I opted for a Class 3 driving license as I didn’t see a need for learning manual.

Passing my BTT and FTT

Don’t bother buying the study books for both tests. I studied way too much for these written exams and that’s time I’ll never get back. The easiest way to prepare is to search online for example questions (i.e. this practice exam site) and go through as many of them as possible. The questions are MC and mostly common sense but take your time and don’t feel rushed even if some 20 year old teen blows through it and passes in the first 5 minutes. Make sure to learn the road signs though - those will definitely come up. After your exam, you’ll know whether you passed right away. I made two exhaustive sets of study notes too so reach out if interested - I’m happy to share them.

Choosing an instructor

Mr Tan was an experienced instructor in his early 70s. He was reluctant to take me on as a student when I first reached out given he had a full roster of students. However, I managed to convince him given I had already passed by BTT. His rates were 1) $100 one time registration fee, 2) $60 for a 80 minute class, 3) $96 for a 80 minute class with circuit, 4) $300 car rental fee for examination. It’s probably higher now given inflation. I’d meet him in Bukit Gombak’s car park and he’d pick me up in his Mazda. He was a patient guy who gave practical driving tips along the way and I always felt safe in his car. I told him to scream at me if I was doing something inaccurate or stupid, and he had no problem doing so which I appreciated. I was a talkative guy and he entertained me at times, but overall, made sure I was focused on the road conditions.

Practicing for the exam

It didn’t take long for me to get my driving mojo back. We’d go through examination routes in the driving classes near BBDC, and we went to a makeshift car park near Choa Chu Kang to practice parking as well as S / crank courses. I was cruising on the road after a few classes, but the circuit was where I struggled with the most as it felt too hectic given there were people practicing and others taking their examination. I ended up visiting the circuit 5 times before taking my final examination. My instructor also gave me a checklist on how marks are deducted as well as a map of the circuit area so I can familiarize with how exam conditions will be.

Taking the exam

Probably the most nerve wracking experience in my life, more than any job interviews, exec presentations or sports competitions. For the day of the exam, I warmed up in my instructor’s car, then waited in the traffic police office for my examiner. A 200 pound man showed up, told me he was my examiner, then proceeded to squeeze into my little car. I started off the test well, but accidentally drove with my hand brakes on during a portion of the circuit. Silly me. I thought I failed at that moment, but the examiner didn’t say anything so I continued. I made it through the circuit, did my on-road test then circled back into the driving center. I waited 15 minutes in the traffic police office, and found out I passed! I had 18 demerit points - 20 was the failure mark and scoring is in increments of two. The examiner probably thought I was a safe and docile driver and went easy on me. I was obviously lucky but hey, we take those.

After I passed, I strolled to the BBDC counter and collected a document for my qualified driving license (QDL). It started pouring torrentially the moment I stepped out of the BBDC center - again, lucky

Key statistics of getting my drivers license

• 6 months to get my license - I took my BTT on Apr 30th and passed my PDT on Nov 9th
• 16 hours of driving classes - I took twelve 80 minute classes overall including the warm up before my PDT
• $1430 spent - includes driving school registration, driving classes and car rental

And that’s a wrap! I’ve driven a few times in Singapore and once abroad since I passed my exam. Public transportation is still my preferred mode of commute, but at least I have driving ticked off as a life skill. Do you need a car in Singapore? It depends. Some families insist on it. I personally don’t think so because Singapore’s so small. I recommend my friends to never sit in my car but realistically, I’m not that bad of a driver. Thanks so much for reading and don’t forget to subscribe to catch content like this.