If your overseas licence is not vaild, or you would like to learn to drive in Malaysia, you will need to take a driving test. You will have to attend an approved driving school. A list of driving schools can be found at www.drivinginstitute.com.my. Once you have chosen a school, they will assist you in applying for your provisional permit, which is required before you take practical lessons.

When you register with a school and the provisional permit has been processed, you will receive a book with 500 questions about driving on the roads in Malaysia. Some of the questions and answers can be strangely worded, so it’s best to just memorise all of the questions and answers rather than relying on common sense. Some schools will also provide you with a DVD or CD ROM to help you prepare for the test.

You must attend a five-hour course at an approved school. There is an English version of the theory test, and the practice book, but these classes are often conducted in Malay (most instuctors will be willing to explain key points to you in English if necessary).

Once you are sure you know all the correct answers to the 500 questions, you are ready to take your written test. There is an English-language test conducted monthly and tests in Malay are held every week. This written exam covers 50 questions from the book, and you have to answer 42 correctly in order to pass. After that you will also have to undergo a basic car maintenance course, which covers things like changing a tyre, checking oil, battery and water levels, etc. This takes about three hours.

You will now be allowed to drive a driving school car with L-plates. You can only learn at a driving school, and you’re required to take at least ten hours of driving lessons. (The average cost of a lesson is RM20.) The provisional learning permit is vaild for one year only, so if you don’t take your test within that period, you will have to resit the course and theory test.

When you and your instructor agree that you are ready, you can take the practical driving test. This can generally be arranged within a week or two, and will take place at a purpose-built test centre. You have to take the test in the driving school’s car. The test involves a series of set maneuvers which you will practice with your instructor before hand, and a drive of approximately 30 minutes.

If you pass both parts of your driving test, you will be issues with a P-Licence. You must then purchase a set of p-plates to be displayed front and back on the driver’s side of any car you drive during the next two years. If you break any traffic regulations you will receive penalty points. If these exceed 15 points, your licence will be revoked and you will have to resit the test. Otherwise, you will be able to exchange your provisional licence for a full licence after two years.

Read more: Driving in Malaysia