Indonesian Driving Licence?

harryopal1

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Joined
Aug 4, 2016
Messages
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I wonder if any forum members have done the computer theory test and then obtained an Indonesian driving licence as explained with the "How to get an Indonesian Driver's Licence" article.

I had used the test practice a few times "http://korlantas.polri.go.id/latihan_ujiansim/ujian/login" and found it a bit confusing as some pages open without the vision operating and other times you have vision without the questions.

It is a pity that at the end of each practise it doesn't say which questions you got wrong as that would certainly help the learning process. The test questions vary with each practice so you don't learn what you got right and what you got wrong.

My sister in law walked me through the translation for the questions and I feel I could manage the test if the system operates properly at the licencing centre.

Apart from the test video being erratic my Sister in Law also felt that some of the situations were a bit ambiguous as the spoken word and the visuals created a bit of uncertainty on some questions.

So, I would be pleased to hear from anybody who has gone through the process and what they thought.

Thanks in anticipation of any responses.
 
I've done the written theory test once upon a time in Bali, the English in it was absolutely hilarious and the checking of correctness was a farce, never done the computer one though.
 
I went in to do it. Gave up after the 2nd full day of waiting in ques. Ive no idea how anyone in north sumatra can legally obtain a licence.. theres only one place for foreigners to go and the ques are so long that the number i got was hundreds away by the end of the day and was told to come back tomorrow. The next day was even worse with over a thousand people waiting.. and i had to travel 4 hours to get there. No thank you, i will just have to live with public transport.
 
I did the test twice.

First the written test in 2002, in order to obtain a three months SIM (had no KITAS) at the time.

English translation was a joke as Euc- wrote already. Even with a lot of imagination I wasn't able to decipher the meaning of a good half of the questions. I failed the test.

Then I made a second attempt asking for the bahasa Indonesia version, language I wasn't yet proficient in. However helped by a friend I thought that it would be better than the English version. To my surprise, after completion o the test, the officer informed me that I failed again. Being adamant that it wasn't possible, and after insisting and arguing to be shown the wrong answers, the officer, after talking to another officer who I imagine was his boss, came back to tell me that finally... I passed.

My friend later explained me that if I would have paid an "agent" I would have passed straight away.

Then a few years after, circa 2007, I passed a second time the test. Computerized one this time. I passed and didn't need to argue with anyone despite paying the official fee only for both SIM A and C. However, the fact that I live in a small town certainly helps. Police officers aren't stupid. They quickly learn to recognize when and with who they can make money.

My dear wife had to extend her SIM a few years ago. Having applied on time she shouldn't be subjected to any test. However the officer in charge that day dared to tell her that she would have to pass a test unless she would be paying IDR 300K. Wife calls me, tells me the story. I jump on a motorbike and 10 minutes later the cops apologize for the misunderstanding. No test.

Moral of the story: be ready for possible bull***t along the way. But if you are willing to have your rights respected, it is definitely possible.

A good note for the cops: in August this year I had to extend my SIM A & C. Cops were nice enough to have me doing so outside of the normal work hours at the official price!
 
When I immigrated to Canada i had to take a written and driving test to get a licence. The written test was done on a new-fangled CRT computer and, sitting next to me, was a Hong Kong Chinese lady. Canadians are so nice they allow a translator and, using my limited Cantonese as I lived in Hong Kong for 16 years and learned a few words, I was able to copy and pass the test as the translator knew all the answers.
 
Thanks for the link, I have added it to our article.
Most welcome, and for those who don't speak BI, google translate is pretty helpful, and while the google English translation is not the same as that used in the actual test, at the very least it provides an understanding of some of the key points of Indonesian driving theory (which is likely different from that in most expats' home countries).
 
A good note for the cops: in August this year I had to extend my SIM A & C. Cops were nice enough to have me doing so outside of the normal work hours at the official price!

That's a good reminder, it's not all doom and gloom. When I extended my SIM earlier this year (might've been August as well come to think of it), it actually took me longer to get to the police station (8/9 kms) than the entire (official, no agent, paid the regular price) process of extending! In and out within 20 mins.
 
I did the test twice.

First the written test in 2002, in order to obtain a three months SIM (had no KITAS) at the time.

English translation was a joke as Euc- wrote already. Even with a lot of imagination I wasn't able to decipher the meaning of a good half of the questions. I failed the test.

Then I made a second attempt asking for the bahasa Indonesia version, language I wasn't yet proficient in. However helped by a friend I thought that it would be better than the English version. To my surprise, after completion o the test, the officer informed me that I failed again. Being adamant that it wasn't possible, and after insisting and arguing to be shown the wrong answers, the officer, after talking to another officer who I imagine was his boss, came back to tell me that finally... I passed.

My friend later explained me that if I would have paid an "agent" I would have passed straight away.

Then a few years after, circa 2007, I passed a second time the test. Computerized one this time. I passed and didn't need to argue with anyone despite paying the official fee only for both SIM A and C. However, the fact that I live in a small town certainly helps. Police officers aren't stupid. They quickly learn to recognize when and with who they can make money.

My dear wife had to extend her SIM a few years ago. Having applied on time she shouldn't be subjected to any test. However the officer in charge that day dared to tell her that she would have to pass a test unless she would be paying IDR 300K. Wife calls me, tells me the story. I jump on a motorbike and 10 minutes later the cops apologize for the misunderstanding. No test.

Moral of the story: be ready for possible bull***t along the way. But if you are willing to have your rights respected, it is definitely possible.

A good note for the cops: in August this year I had to extend my SIM A & C. Cops were nice enough to have me doing so outside of the normal work hours at the official price!
The theory test is now mandatory for all applicants including renewals, while the driving test is for new applications. If your old license has expired you are required to make a new license.
 
The English SIM C test in Jakarta (paper test)is only in one version. It looks easy but I did not pass the first time- last questions are to solve crossroads, and if you look more carefully the roads are not of the same size-one road is wider and different rules apply. It is not easy to spot this coz the roads look almost same and this makes a difference to get the minimum 21 points.
Next time I passed the test without a problem. However, I never passed the practical test which is impossible to pass if you don`t train on Toyota Rush that they use there and I still drive on an international license, which had been lapsed.
 
I wonder if any forum members have done the computer theory test and then obtained an Indonesian driving licence as explained with the "How to get an Indonesian Driver's Licence" article.

I had used the test practice a few times "http://korlantas.polri.go.id/latihan_ujiansim/ujian/login" and found it a bit confusing as some pages open without the vision operating and other times you have vision without the questions.

It is a pity that at the end of each practise it doesn't say which questions you got wrong as that would certainly help the learning process. The test questions vary with each practice so you don't learn what you got right and what you got wrong.

My sister in law walked me through the translation for the questions and I feel I could manage the test if the system operates properly at the licencing centre.

Apart from the test video being erratic my Sister in Law also felt that some of the situations were a bit ambiguous as the spoken word and the visuals created a bit of uncertainty on some questions.

So, I would be pleased to hear from anybody who has gone through the process and what they thought.

Thanks in anticipation of any responses.
You can find actual versions of the KORLANTAS AVIS audio visual exams on YouTube but there is no English version that I am aware of. This is the standard test given at poltabes Denpasar. I failed the first time I took it but I hadn't studied for the audo visual format as I was given a written test in English on my earlier renewals. Best advice, take a local with you, meaning a friend, not a broker... The friend can easily arrange the test free version for Rp 300k. If you use a broker it will be very expensive and it is my impression that the police are cracking down on brokers, but assistance negotiated with the officer on duty seems to be acceptable as an added service for locals in a hurry.
 
I did the test twice.

Me too.

But the first time I got my license I didn't do the test (or anything else). My executive secretary SO knew the system and after a few words with the head PO I was assigned my own PA who guided me around the rooms with staccato "sit, "stand", "fingerprint", "foto", "test", which I didn't see but was told I'd passed with 2 wrong answers. Hmmm. Driving license 5 mins later and 25 pairs of patiently waiting Indonesian eyes asking who the fooking bule was.

Some years later when my license expired I decided to do it legit and after the paperwork, eye test, etc I did the test. As I was doing the (only available) Indonesian test the ociffer IC decided I didn't need any instruction, so the questions I missed during familiarization made me fail by one Q. The retake, after the obligatory 1 week wait, had a single bule in a room with 15 empty desks. First answer was correct, but then the ocifer IC decided to leave for a P and my buttons stopped working. After unsuccessfully banging on these for 18 Qs, the ociffer returned, my keys magically started working again for Q 20, which I got right. <sigh> Trying to explain the problem, the ociffer decided he didn't understand Indonesian. <sigh again>

Outside the front door though, a friendly man offered to get me an official license pronto <for 300k>. Nice man.
 
I have yet to be permitted to take the test.
Despite my protests- of which I can assure you I make, every sodding year.
I have to pay to get the permission documents from INTEL before I even get near the traffic cops... however, when I pay for them I get the magically appearing new licences.

Pisses me off every time. The one time I called on the big guns to try and assist me to have a normal procedure, I merely got the same procedure- FOC.
Head, meet desk.
 
Never had a driving license, I have a real one from the UK and have driven all over the world over the years including road trips across the US (San Francisco to New York via new Mexico) and Australia (Sydney to Monkey Mia and Perth to Adelaide)

Resent having to get an Indonesian license that they give out to anyone able to sit behind the steering wheel, and then its only valid for a year. Fuck it ill bribe the cops instead.
 
.
Yeah but that won't work the moment you hit a family of four on a motorbike (even if it's completely not your fault) and people get killed. Then the press and society will lynch the bule who has lived here for years and who didn't have a proper license.
.
 
Has it though? Has anyone been lynched for not having a proper license in these situations?
 
I don't get all this talk of 1 year SIM, mine is for 5 years. The cop was afraid I might not completely understand the test (probably right) so just the 300k on the side and then fingerprints..... done.
Oh and a "medical check" blood pressure, height and weight
 
.
Yeah but that won't work the moment you hit a family of four on a motorbike (even if it's completely not your fault) and people get killed. Then the press and society will lynch the bule who has lived here for years and who didn't have a proper license.
.

And after living here this long mate do you honestly think it would be any different if I had a full 5 year license ??
 
It’s amazing we’re all the bodies appear from when you have an accident, I had a mishap on what appeared to be a road devoid of people, suddenly I think 200 people appeared from nowhere, we then had a court of inquiry as to whose fault it was, it appears to my surprise not me and I was awarded 200,000rp, I felt very guilty about that, as the poor guy didn’t look too well off and his clapped out kijang van was wrecked so I drove back about 15 minutes later to give him his money back, but everyone had disappeared,
 

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