Hazard perception testing sits between the knowledge test and full licensing in most Australian jurisdictions. It measures something the knowledge test cannot: whether you notice a developing problem early enough to do something about it. The formats vary considerably between states, and none of them can be practised by watching the real clips, because the official footage is protected material.
How the formats differ
In New South Wales the Hazard Perception Test uses 15 touch screen clips and is taken later in the licensing sequence, on the way to a P2 licence rather than at the learner stage. That count was checked against Transport for NSW material on 27 August 2026.
Victoria runs a hazard perception test before the drive test, with a fee of about $25 at our check on 27 August 2026. Queensland handles hazard perception inside the PrepL course rather than as a separately booked test. Western Australia runs its Hazard Perception Test after the theory test, charged at $23.60 per sitting on the same check date, which means a resit costs money as well as time.
For South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory we are still verifying the current arrangements against the responsible agencies. Rather than repeat what other sites say, those pages carry a plain note that the details are being checked. When the checks are done, the figures appear here with their source and date attached.
Why you cannot practise on the real clips
The official hazard perception footage is protected by copyright in every jurisdiction. Any site offering you the real clips is either mistaken about that or hoping you are. Everything we build for hazard perception practice is original: our own animated scenarios, our own timing model, built from scratch.
That constraint is also why structured hazard perception practice is scarce. Building original scenarios is slow work compared to writing multiple choice questions, so most sites skip the stage entirely.
What the tests are actually measuring
A hazard perception test is not a spot the danger puzzle. It measures timing: whether you respond once a situation has genuinely started developing, and not before. Responding too early, to a car that has not yet indicated or a pedestrian who has not yet moved toward the kerb, scores no better than responding too late.
Underneath that is a scanning habit. Experienced drivers move their eyes constantly: far ahead, near, mirrors, kerbs, then back. Learners tend to fix on the car directly in front. The clips are built to reward the scanning pattern, and that is the thing worth practising, because it is also the thing that matters once you are driving alone.
How to practise the skill
Practise timing and scanning, never specific clips. Memorising that something happens at eleven seconds into a particular video teaches you nothing transferable, and the clip you memorised may not be the clip you are shown.
The best practice surface is the road itself, from the passenger seat. On any drive, name the developing hazards out loud before the driver reacts: the parked car with brake lights on, the kerbside pedestrian who has looked over their shoulder, the side street with a car creeping forward. Being early on real roads is exactly the habit the test rewards.
Do not skip the official preparation material your agency publishes. The agencies describe what their own test counts as a hazard and how the response window works, and that framing is worth reading before you practise anything.
How this guide is kept honest
Every figure above names the agency or dataset it came from and the date it was checked. Where a number has not been confirmed against an agency or an open dataset, the guide says it is being verified rather than filling the gap. Licensing rules change, so check the agency page before you pay for anything or book a test.
Last reviewed .