Driving License Singapore Cost Guide (2022): Driving School vs Private Driving Instructor Singapore

Getting a Singapore Drivers License

It’s no secret that the price of cars in Singapore is a bit crazy.

From a financial standpoint, it is hard to justify a car.

But, many Singaporeans would still want to get a license first as if you lose your job, working as a private hire driver could put food on the table.

All thanks to the kiasu mindset of Singaporeans, getting a car license now holds the same amount of importance as receiving our education.

Speaking from the experience of someone who was teased for not having a driving license at age 29, getting a driving license is indeed IMPORTANT.

But first, in-depth research into the cost of getting a driving license is a must!

TL;DR: Driving License in Singapore Cost Guide (2022) — School Driving vs Private Driving Instructor

To get your driving license in Singapore, you can either get it as a school or a private candidate.

For those who choose to take your driving license as a school candidate, there are three driving schools in Singapore which you can go for:

• Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC)

• ComfortDelGro Driving Centre (CDC)

• Singapore Safety Driving Centre (SSDC).

If you choose to go the private route, you must source for your own private instructor.

With these considerations in mind, I did a summary of the total cost of getting a driving license:

Let’s break it down further.

Course Outline: Getting a Class 3/3A Driving License in Singapore

Getting a driving license in Singapore is a complicated process involving a combination of theory lessons, theory tests, practical lessons, and finally, a practical test.

Trust Singaporeans to turn any paper certification into rocket science… What type of cheemology is this?!

After enrolling into a Class 3/3A driving course, here’s what the driving schools’ course outline looks like:

Bukit Batok Driving Centre Driver’s License Course Outline

Comfort Driving Centre Driver’s License Course Outline

Singapore Driving Centre Driver’s License Course Outline

All You Need To Know Before Making a Decision on Where To Get Your Driving License

Got that?

Next up we have a list of frequently asked questions to help accelerate your decision as to where you should take your driving license as well as the costs involved.

Class 3 Driving License vs Class 3A Driving License

If you are wondering if a Class 3 or a Class 3A driving license makes more sense, here are the main differences between the two:

In short, Class 3A is for cars with automatic transmission (or auto cars) – which makes up the majority of the cars on the road. You can only drive an auto car if you hold a Class 3A driving license.

If you have a Class 3 driving license, you can drive cars with automatic or manual transmission.

Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC) vs Singapore Safety Driving Centre (SSDC) vs ComfortDelGro Driving Centre (Comfort Driving Centre)

There are a total of three driving schools in Singapore. So if you’re looking to enrol with a driving school, remember to take note of the location of these driving schools.

After all, you wouldn’t want to travel to Bukit Batok Driving Centre if you live somewhere in the East of Singapore…

The details for each school are as follows:

Comparison Of Driving School Enrolment Cost: Driving School Enrolment vs Private Driving Instructor Enrolment Fees

The enrolment fee at a driving school is usually higher than that of a private driving instructor.

If you are interested in taking your driving lessons with a school, here’s a comparison of the enrolment fee between the three schools and private driving instructors that charge enrolment fees for registering you as a student:

As the enrolment membership is only valid for one year, it will be the most economical to get your driving license within a year upon enrolment to prevent incurring extra costs when you extend your membership.

Miscellaneous Fees

There are also some miscellaneous fees like fees for the eyesight test, photograph and induction fee you need to take note of:

Total Cost Of Traffic Police Test Fees: Basic Theory Test (BTT), Final Theory Test (FTT)

The costs of all the Traffic Police tests are standardised for all Singaporeans.

To get your driving license, there is a total of two tests you need to pass, they are:

• Basic Theory Test (BTT)
• Final Theory Test (FTT).

The schools offer theory lessons and internal evaluations. But as a CDC driving school student and a private student, you will not have to take them.

You can look for the TP Test – BTT, FTT, RTT & PDVL app available on iOS and Android to study for these tests. But if you prefer, you can buy BTT or FTT books on Carousell for about $5 each.

Here’s a compilation of the costs of the Traffic Police tests and their costs:

Pre-Practical Lesson Costs

Before you can take any practical lessons, the respective schools have some pre-practical lesson costs you need to take note of.

For example, you will need to pay for the Provisional Driving License (PDL) if you want to practice outside the driving school grounds.

The schools also provide driving simulators and a bunch of other miscellaneous pre-practical lessons.

Here is how much they cost:

Which Driving School Is The Cheapest For Driving Practical Lessons?

As seen in the table above, practical lessons take up the bulk of the total cost of a driving license.

On average, a candidate in a driving school will take around 20 to 25 driving practical lessons to complete the syllabus.

Whereas for private candidates, most take about 15 – 20 driving practical lessons, including about 5 lessons on the school circuit. But note the number of times you have to hit the circuit depends on your competency.

If you’re planning to start your driving lessons with a driving school, you also have to keep in mind that there are peak and off-peak rates, which depend on when you plan to take your lessons.

Here’s a compilation of the lesson fees:

*You can pay another $8.56 per session if you want a fixed instructor for SSDC.

So assuming the school driver goes for 20 – 25 practical driving lessons and takes the test, they would have spent anywhere from $1,445.20 to $1,900 for the practical lessons.

Whereas for the private candidates, they would have taken about 15 – 20 lessons, including about 5 lessons on the school circuit.

This would set them back anywhere from $860 to $1,190 if you include the cost of renting the circuit.

Driving Test Administration Fees

There are also these driving test administration fees you need to consider:

Total Cost Of Practical Test Car Rental And Warm-up Session

Do note that you’ll need to rent a test vehicle from the driving school for the Practical Driving test. Note that BBDC and SSDC charge for the warm-up session while included for CDC and private candidates.

Here are the rates for practical test vehicle rental:

Pros And Cons Of Taking Driving Lessons From Driving School And Private Driving Instructor

To help you make a smarter personal finance decision, here are the pros and cons of taking lessons with the school and private driving instructor:

Do consider these factors, coupled with the total cost involved, before making a decision!