The outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the year of 2020 has forced many people in the world to opt for a different lifestyle, a new way of work as well as an alternative way to learn. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face class is the most common learning method. However, online learning has become a popular choice after the movement control order is enforced. In this paper, a study is done to investigate the students’ preference on mode of learning and the challenges faced by students during COVID-19 pandemic. A quantitative method was used and a set of questionnaires by Google form have been distributed to the students in UiTM Johor Kampus Pasir Gudang. The result shows that most of the students fairly or neutrally agree using online learning in the tertiary education. Students felt that bad coverage on internet facility is one of the challenges faced by them during online learning. The result of this paper can help tertiary education institutions to decide the suitable mode of learning for students in future.