Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the optimal cut-off score for the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CESD) according to Malaysian adolescent norms. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Nine hundred and thirty-one adolescents aged 13 to 17 years-old completed the CESD and Hopkins Symptom Checklist-depression scale (HSCL-depression). Results: Results from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, kappa coefficients and odds ratio analysis showed that CESD cut-off score of 27 was suitable to be used according to Malaysian norms, demonstrating a specificity of 93%. Conclusion: The findings suggest a cut-off score 27 should be used for screening of depression for Malaysian adolescents using the CESD.