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Driving Instructor

Education

Teach or instruct individuals or groups for the primary purpose of self-enrichment or recreation, rather than for an occupational objective, educational attainment, competition, or fitness.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

EducationGeneral

In Malaysia

In Malaysia every new driver has to learn at a JPJ-registered driving institute (institut memandu), and only instructors holding JPJ's Sijil Pengajar Institut Memandu (SPIM) may teach the KPP theory and practical lessons. Instructors are employed by the roughly 255 driving institutes rather than working freelance as many US instructors do.

How people get into it here
After SPM (a pass in three subjects including BM or English), hold a valid driving licence, pass a JPJ medical check and apply through a driving institute for the JPJ SPIM course and exam. Instructors later take the combined KPP course at the Road Transport Academy (APJM) to teach theory classes.
Demand
In 2024 the Transport Minister said about 700,000 learners register each year at 255 driving institutes, which have only around 15,000 instructors and staff. JPJ temporarily waived the SPM requirement for the SPIM course to ease the shortage. Utusan Malaysia, 25 Jun 2024 (Transport Minister Anthony Loke)

Sources:utusan.com.myjpj.gov.my

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Instruct students individually and in groups, using various teaching methods, such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
  2. 2Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
  3. 3Prepare students for further development by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
  4. 4Observe students to determine qualifications, limitations, abilities, interests, and other individual characteristics.
  5. 5Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by administrative policy.
  6. 6Monitor students' performance to make suggestions for improvement and to ensure that they satisfy course standards, training requirements, and objectives.
  7. 7Prepare and administer written, oral, and performance tests, and issue grades in accordance with performance.
  8. 8Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
  9. 9Assign and grade class work and homework.
  10. 10Prepare instructional program objectives, outlines, and lesson plans.
  11. 11Conduct classes, workshops, and demonstrations, and provide individual instruction to teach topics and skills, such as cooking, dancing, writing, physical fitness, photography, personal finance, and flying.
  12. 12Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injury and damage.
  13. 13Confer with other teachers and professionals to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning and development.
  14. 14Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
  15. 15Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine their priorities for their children.
  16. 16Enforce policies and rules governing students.
  17. 17Review instructional content, methods, and student evaluations to assess strengths and weaknesses, and to develop recommendations for course revision, development, or elimination.
  18. 18Meet with other instructors to discuss individual students and their progress.
  19. 19Schedule class times to ensure maximum attendance.
  20. 20Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.
  21. 21Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
  22. 22Observe and evaluate the performance of other instructors.
  23. 23Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
  24. 24Attend professional meetings, conferences, and workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
  25. 25Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, contests, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.
  26. 26Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
  27. 27Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
  28. 28Select, order, and issue books, materials, and supplies for courses or projects.
  29. 29Participate in publicity planning and student recruitment.
  30. 30Write instructional articles on designated subjects.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • CFI
  • Teacher
  • Educator
  • Instructor
  • Art Teacher
  • Voice Coach
  • Art Educator
  • Chef Teacher
  • Baton Teacher
  • Choir Teacher

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationMaster's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Arabic LanguageDraws directly on Foreign Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Chinese LanguageDraws directly on Foreign Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Education and Training85%
  • Customer and Personal Service70%
  • English Language65%

    English

  • Sociology and Anthropology50%
  • Computers and Electronics49%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Psychology49%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

20%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.11%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Teacher (DG9)

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

IPG (Teacher Training)

Become a school teacher: fully funded, with an allowance and a guaranteed posting. Apply separately through KPM after SPM.

~5 years

International Pre-U

A-Levels, AUSMAT, IB and more. The flexible premium route, local or overseas.

1–2 years

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Self-Enrichment Teachers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org