During the tendering phase of a project, selecting the most appropriate main contractor to implement the project can be difficult. There are many main contractor selection criteria that can be found in the literature but in real practice, clients may have their different criteria. The purpose of this study is to identify and rank the actual criteria used by clients for the selection of main contractors from current practice in Malaysia. The ranking is based on the relative importance of the criteria as perceived by professionals operating in the Malaysian construction industry using their accumulated experience and judgment. The objective of this study was investigated through a postal questionnaire which covered a selected sample of 150 construction professionals operating in Malaysia. Data were analyzed using frequency and severity index analyses. The results of this study show that track performance, financial capacity and technical capacity were the most important criteria considered crucial by the respondents for the selection of main contractors from current practice in Malaysia. This study provides supportive practical solution for Malaysian clients to enhance and improve their contractor selection processes in order to have successful completion of construction projects that would meet their requirements and increase their satisfaction levels. © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2011.