Selepas tamat ujian itu, saya berehat di rumah.

After the end of that test, I rest at home.

Breakdown of Selepas tamat ujian itu, saya berehat di rumah.

• saya: I
• itu: that
• di: at
• berehat: to rest
• rumah: the house
• selepas: after
• ujian: the test
• tamat: the end

Questions & Answers about Selepas tamat ujian itu, saya berehat di rumah.

What does Selepas mean here, and is it the same as sesudah?

Selepas means after (in terms of time or sequence).
Yes, in this context selepas and sesudah are interchangeable; both mean after.
Selepas tamat ujian itu and Sesudah tamat ujian itu are both natural Malay.

Why do we have both selepas and tamat? Could we just say Selepas ujian itu?

You can say Selepas ujian itu, saya berehat di rumah, and it’s correct and natural.
Adding tamat (finished) emphasizes that the exam had completely ended before the resting happened.
So:

• Selepas ujian itu = after the exam (as an event)
• Selepas tamat ujian itu = after the exam was over/finished
  The version with tamat is slightly more explicit.

What exactly is tamat here – a verb or an adjective?

In Malay, tamat is a stative verb/adjective meaning to be finished, to be over.
In this sentence it functions like an intransitive verb describing the state of ujian itu (the exam): when the exam had finished.
You could rephrase as Selepas ujian itu tamat, … with the same meaning; tamat still describes the exam’s ending.

Could I say Selepas ujian itu tamat, saya berehat di rumah instead? Is there any difference?

Yes, Selepas ujian itu tamat, saya berehat di rumah is also correct and natural.
Both:

• Selepas tamat ujian itu, …
• Selepas ujian itu tamat, …
  are acceptable.
  The meaning is essentially the same; it’s just a small difference in word order, like after the exam finished vs after finished the exam (which is okay in Malay, but not in English).

Why is itu used after ujian? What does ujian itu imply?

Itu is a demonstrative meaning that.
Ujian itu means that exam / the exam, referring to a specific exam that both speaker and listener know about (e.g. an exam just mentioned, or today’s exam).
Using itu makes the noun definite, similar to English the exam rather than just an exam.

What’s the difference between ujian and peperiksaan?

Both can be translated as exam/test, but there’s a nuance:

• Ujian = test, trial, assessment (general, can be small quizzes, tests, or even non-academic tests).
• Peperiksaan = examination (often bigger or more formal exams, like final exams).
  In this sentence, you could say peperiksaan itu instead of ujian itu if you specifically mean a formal exam.

How do we know this sentence is in the past tense if there is no past-tense marker?

Malay doesn’t change the verb form for tense.
Time is usually indicated by:

• Time words (e.g. semalam = yesterday, tadi = earlier)
• Context and sequencing words like selepas (after), sebelum (before).
  Here, selepas plus tamat (finished) signal that the exam had already ended, so the action is understood as past.

Can I move the Selepas… phrase to the end, like Saya berehat di rumah selepas tamat ujian itu?

Yes, that’s perfectly correct: Saya berehat di rumah selepas tamat ujian itu.
Malay word order is flexible for adverbial time phrases.
Both:

• Selepas tamat ujian itu, saya berehat di rumah.
• Saya berehat di rumah selepas tamat ujian itu.
  are natural and mean the same thing. The first slightly emphasizes the time, the second emphasizes what you did.

What is the nuance of using saya here instead of aku?

Both saya and aku mean I.

• Saya is polite, neutral, and safe in almost all situations (formal and informal).
• Aku is more intimate/informal, used with close friends, family, or to show strong emotion.
  In a neutral example sentence like this, saya is the standard choice.

What does berehat mean exactly, and why is there a be- prefix?

Berehat means to rest, to take a rest.
The root is rehat (rest), and ber- is a common verb-forming prefix that often means to do / to be in a state of something.
So berehat ≈ to be in a state of rest / to rest.
You wouldn’t normally say saya rehat here; saya berehat is the standard verb form.

Why is di used before rumah? What’s the difference between di rumah and ke rumah?

Di means at/in/on (location), so di rumah means at home / in the house.
Ke means to/towards (direction), so ke rumah means to the house / going home.
In this sentence, you’re describing where you rested (location), so di rumah is correct, not ke rumah.

Is the comma after ujian itu necessary? Does it affect the meaning?

The comma after Selepas tamat ujian itu, is standard and helps readability, marking the end of the introductory time clause.
In casual writing, some people might omit it, but it’s better style to include it.
Whether you write the comma or not, the meaning stays the same.