What are the GDL and PSV licences?
The GDL (Lesen Memandu Barangan, Goods Driving Licence) and the PSV (Lesen Kenderaan Perkhidmatan Awam, Public Service Vehicle licence) are vocational licences issued by the Road Transport Department (JPJ). You need a GDL to drive a goods vehicle such as a lorry for commercial purposes, and a PSV to drive a bus, taxi or van that carries passengers. Both are held in addition to your competent driving licence (CDL).
Is there still a theory test?
No. On 10 April 2023 the Transport Minister announced that the theory test for GDL and PSV vocational licences was abolished with immediate effect. Applicants must still attend and complete the compulsory theory class (kelas teori), which can be taken online through a JPJ platform, at a driving institute (Institut Memandu) or through a JPJ regulated intermediary, and which follows the JPJ syllabus in full. This pack is revision for the topics that class covers: traffic law, safety, driving ethics, vehicles, loads and passengers.
Requirements
| Issued by | Road Transport Department (JPJ). Operator permits are issued by APAD in Peninsular Malaysia and by LPKP in Sabah and Sarawak. |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 21 for both GDL and PSV |
| GDL | A valid CDL in the relevant class (B2, B, C, D, E, E1 or E2) held for more than 1 year |
| PSV | Bus: CDL Class D held for more than 1 year. Taxi: CDL Class D or DA. PSV applicants must not be blacklisted by JPJ or PDRM. |
| Theory | Compulsory theory class; no written theory test since 10 April 2023. Class hours are not published in the sources we found. |
| Practical | Practical training and a practical test are still required for PSV bus and GDL articulated lorry (trailer, tanker or container) applicants |
| Medical | A medical examination by a qualified medical practitioner |
| Fees | Not published in the sources we checked; ask JPJ or your driving institute |
What this pack covers
JPJ does not publish a table of topics or weightings, so our sections follow the theory class themes JPJ has named (traffic law, driving ethics and safety) plus vehicle, load and passenger topics. Practical driving skills cannot be practised as multiple choice and are not included.
- Licensing: GDL and PSV classes, eligibility and the CDL you need first.
- Road Transport Act offences: drink driving, reckless and dangerous driving, and disqualification.
- Heavy vehicle road rules: speed, lanes and expressway driving.
- Driving hours and fitness: fatigue, microsleep, rest breaks and medical fitness.
- Vehicle checks: tyres, brakes, lights and inspection.
- Loads: securing loads, weights and goods vehicle operation.
- Passengers: passenger safety and PSV driver conduct under the Land Public Transport Act 2010.
- Defensive driving: hazards, blind spots and emergencies.
Free official resources, and what we add
The MyGOV portal lists the licence classes and requirements, and JPJ runs the theory class. There is no official question bank. Our questions are original, and every explanation says why the answer is right.
How to prepare
- Check your eligibility first: age 21, the right CDL class held for more than a year, and a medical examination.
- Learn the drink driving limits under section 45G of the Road Transport Act 1987: 22 micrograms per 100 ml of breath, 50 mg per 100 ml of blood, 67 mg per 100 ml of urine.
- Know how fatigue builds up and why heavy vehicle drivers must take regular rest breaks.
- Do a walk-round check before every trip: tyres, brakes, lights, mirrors and the load.
- For PSV, learn that passenger safety comes first under the Land Public Transport Act 2010.
- Practise one topic at a time here, then sit full timed mocks.
Practice questions with answers
Tap a question to see the correct answer and explanation.
Aina wants to apply for a Goods Driving Licence (GDL) so she can drive a rigid lorry for a logistics company. What is the minimum age JPJ sets for a GDL?
- 21 years
- 18 years
- 25 years
- 17 years
Answer: A, 21 years. Both the GDL and the PSV vocational licence require the applicant to be at least 21 years old, according to the official MyGOV licence guide.
Since the 2020 amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987, what is the prescribed alcohol limit in breath?
- 50 micrograms of alcohol in 100 ml of breath
- 80 micrograms of alcohol in 100 ml of breath
- 22 micrograms of alcohol in 100 ml of breath
- 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 ml of breath
Answer: C, 22 micrograms of alcohol in 100 ml of breath. Section 45G, as amended with effect from 23 October 2020, lowered the breath limit from 35 to 22 micrograms per 100 ml.
On a three-lane expressway, which lane must a lorry normally use under the rule gazetted in 2015 and re-proposed for enforcement in 2025?
- The rightmost lane
- The middle lane at all times
- Any lane the driver prefers
- The leftmost lane
Answer: D, The leftmost lane. The Ministry of Transport described the rule: lorries and buses keep to the leftmost lane, may use the second lane only to overtake, and must never use the third lane.