Guides
Guides to the Australian licence tests
26 written guides to how the tests actually work: formats, pass marks, courses, logbook hours, and what the published figures mean once you read them properly.
Every figure in these guides names the agency or dataset it came from and the date it was checked, and every guide carries the date it was last reviewed. Anything that has not been confirmed against an agency or an open dataset is described as being verified rather than filled in with a number. The official handbooks and courses remain the material you are tested on. The photographs on these cards and at the head of each guide are generated images used for atmosphere. They are not pictures of real test centres, and every road sign and scenario diagram in the guides themselves is drawn by hand.
11 guides
Getting the learner licence
One guide per jurisdiction covering the theory test or the course that has replaced it: the format, the pass mark, what it costs, and the part of it that ends most sittings. Start with the state you are actually sitting in, because no two of these tests are the same shape.
- New South WalesHow does the NSW Driver Knowledge Test work?See exactly how 45 NSW DKT questions are marked, why 43 out of 45 can still fail, where real questions come from, and what happens after the result in NSW.
- New South WalesWhat is DKT Online in NSW, and how does it work?Learn how NSW DKT Online works, what it costs, how unlimited attempts work, what happens after a pass, and when an in-person test may suit you better.
- VictoriaHow many questions are in the VIC learner test?See how Victoria's 32-question learner permit test is marked at 78 percent, what seven wrong answers cost, and how the $50.80 in-person fee fits the later tests.
- QueenslandQueensland PrepL and Prep L practice test guidePrep L practice test guide: PrepL is the paid official TMR course. This site offers free Queensland road rules practice questions with answers, not PrepL itself.
- Western AustraliaHow do you pass the WA theory test and driving test?Learn the exact WA licence order, theory pass mark, resit costs and 50-hour logbook rule, then plan for a practical test where 42.3% pass and centre matters.
- South AustraliaHow does the SA theory test work, and what follows?Learn the eight-of-eight give way gate and 32-of-42 second part set by Service SA, then choose between VORT and competency assessment.
- TasmaniaIs the Tasmanian knowledge test free?Tasmania's knowledge test is free. This guide names the $40.68 learner and $108.93 P1 fees we checked and explains the practical assessment.
- Northern TerritoryHow many questions are in the DriveSafe NT test?The NT knowledge test is 30 questions with 26 to pass. This guide names the $20 fee, $29 learner licence, six-month hold, and why there is no logbook.
- Australian Capital TerritoryHow many questions are in the ACT knowledge test?The ACT knowledge test asks 35 questions and needs 31 correct. Here is the four-answer arithmetic, the NSW border, and how to practise for that margin.
- Australia wideHow many questions are on the learner test in Australia?See every confirmed learner test question count, allowed mistakes and official timing guidance across all eight Australian licensing systems in one place.
- Australia wideWhat is on the motorcycle learner test in Australia?See exactly how the NSW rider bank differs from the car bank, how its strict two-part score works, and what all eight jurisdictions publish or leave unknown.
4 guides
Between the learner licence and the full one
Supervised hours, the courses that credit some of them back, the hazard perception test that sits in the middle of the sequence in most jurisdictions, and what the whole run of government fees comes to. This is the longest part of the process by a wide margin and the part people plan for least.
- New South WalesHow many logbook hours do you need in NSW?Plan your NSW learner logbook month by month, use the Safer Drivers Course credit correctly, cover night driving, and avoid a last-minute hours scramble.
- Australia wideHow many logbook hours do I need in each state?See the exact logbook hours, night hours and age cut-offs in every Australian state, plus what NSW credits actually save and how hours still owed work.
- Australia wideHazard perception tests by Australian stateCompare the seven separate Australian hazard perception tests, when each is sat, its confirmed format and fee, and official practice links where available.
- Australia wideHow much does it cost to get a licence in Australia?See the published government fees for a car licence in each state, what a failed test adds in NSW and Queensland, and which figures remain unpublished.
2 guides
The practical test, and what the numbers say about it
Two guides written off published outcome data rather than off folklore. One reads the Victorian release for what it says about tests that never reach the end, and the other explains why two test centres in the same state can be twenty points apart.
- VictoriaWhy do Victorian drive tests end early?See why over one in five Victorian drive tests stop mid drive, what the FOI numbers actually show, and how three resits compare with one more month of practice.
- Australia wideWhy do driving test pass rates vary by centre?Western Australian centres run from 28.3% to 56.4% under one agency. See what really drives that gap, and how to turn a centre rate into a practice plan.
5 guides
Studying so it sticks
Method first, then the three topics that decide most sittings: the signs the published bank actually asks about, roundabouts, and giving way. Practice tests are easy to do badly, and doing them badly feels identical to doing them well right up until the sitting.
- Australia wideHow should you use practice tests to prepare?Sit one full length test a day, review every miss by the rule, and practise at your state's real pass mark. A climbing score is often just familiarity.
- Australia wideAre practice tests the same as the real test?Find which Australian practice questions come from a published agency bank, which are original, and how to check any claim before you rely on it online.
- Australia wideWhich road signs does the NSW knowledge test ask about?See the 51-question road sign breakdown from the published NSW DKT bank, ranked by theme so you can spend study time where it counts most before your test.
- Australia wideWhat are the roundabout rules on the knowledge test?Choose the correct roundabout lane, time each indicator and know exactly who gives way, with every rule traced to 15 published NSW car questions and answers.
- South AustraliaHow many give way questions are on the SA test?Learn which give way rules South Australia marks at eight of eight, why one miss fails the sitting, and how to read each diagram before you sit the test.
1 guide
Bringing a licence from another country
Conversion deadlines are shorter than most people are told, they start from different days in different states, and three jurisdictions changed their rules recently. This is the guide to read before the deadline rather than after it.
Not yet sorted into a group
These guides exist and have not been placed in one of the five groups above. They are listed here rather than left off the page.
- Failed your driving test? What the numbers say nowA failed driving test feels personal, but the Victorian data says repeat attempts are common, fifth attempts still pass, and critical errors are the point to fix first.
- What order do the learner driver tests come in?The usual order is knowledge test, learner licence, supervised driving, any hazard perception test, then the practical driving test. The exact middle steps differ by state, especially in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
- What does the NSW DKT question bank ask about?The published NSW car bank has 358 questions across 12 topics. This guide shows which topics carry the weight, which ones need diagrams, and how to turn that spread into study.
The same guides, by state and territory
Eight licensing systems, eight sets of rules. If you already know where you are sitting the test, this is the faster way in.
| Where | Agency | Guides | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Transport for NSW and Service NSW | NSW tests | |
| Victoria | VicRoads | VIC tests | |
| Queensland | Department of Transport and Main Roads | QLD tests | |
| Western Australia | Department of Transport | WA tests | |
| South Australia | Service SA | SA tests | |
| Tasmania | Service Tasmania | TAS tests | |
| Northern Territory | Northern Territory Government | NT tests | |
| Australian Capital Territory | ACT Government | ACT tests | |
| Everywhere | Not jurisdiction specific |
| Compare all 8 |
Where to go next
The guides explain the test. The rest of the site is where you sit one.