I took my driving lesson at the Singapore Safely Driving Center (SSDC) and the main reason why enrolled in SSDC is that the location is near my house so traveling will be easier and also I am working from home most of the time.
I enrolled on 29 April 2021 and took my first practical lesson on 14 July 2021 and passed my practical test on 26 Oct 2022. So the whole learning journey is about 3.5 months.
Table of Contents
Enrollment in SSDC
I think the enrollment will be more or less similar for all the 3 driving schools. But over here, I will be focusing on SSDC. The enrollment cost should be about $175 according to the website as I am unable to find the receipt and there will be an eyesight test.
They will also ask you to take a photo at the photo booth. Do note it will be a digital photo and this photo will be used for your driving license. But u also can take it at the later stage whenever you are in SSDC if you feel that you having a bad hair day on that day.
What You Need:
During enrollment, do note that you need to bring the following
- NRIC
- CASH / NETS ( I can’t remember whether they can accept credit cards)
Do Your Planning Early
It is also recommended to do early planning for our final theory, simulator lessons, and auto car lesson for class 3A because there is a waiting time and it can be as long as 1-2 months.
During my time, I think the simulation driving has a long waiting time as in the system you are allowed to book 1 session only and able to book the next one once you complete each lesson. So to book 1 lesson, the earliest date I remember is about 2 months away as can you imagine we need to complete all 3 in order to book for the practical test.
It is important to plan early during your driving in order not to delay your practical test. Find out all the pre-requisite needed first for taking a practical test.
Book As Many Practical Lessons As Possible First
This is more for those learning in driving school. After the enrollment, you should an account with the driving school and you can deposit money into your account first to book as many lessons as possible in advance.
Anyway, you can sell or try-sell it if you are unable to make it on that day, so far I have no issue selling or try-sell on the same day (not 1-2 hours before my lesson). I will suggest trying to book at least 15 – 20 practical lessons over the next 1-3 months in advance first if possible.
The reason why it is important to book as many lessons in advance, it
SSDC Practical Lesson Learning Journey
In this section, I will consolidate all my practical lessons and learning experiences by stages into different articles over here :
SSDC Driving Practical Lessons – Stage 1
SSDC Driving Practical Lessons – Stage 2
SSDC Driving Practical Lessons – Stage 3
SSDC Driving Practical Lessons – Stage 4
Auto Transmission Practical Lesson
Final Words
Hopefully these 2 tips from my personal experience are able to help you with better preparation for your driving learning journey.