In most Australian jurisdictions, the sequence is theory first, learner licence next, supervised driving, then the practical test. Seven jurisdictions also list a hazard perception test before the provisional stage. The Northern Territory is the exception in this dataset: its learner stage is described through DriveSafe NT and no separate hazard perception test is recorded here.
Start with the knowledge step
The first formal hurdle is the knowledge assessment, but it is not the same product everywhere. New South Wales uses the Driver Knowledge Test, Victoria uses the learner permit knowledge test, Queensland uses PrepL, Western Australia and South Australia use theory tests, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory use knowledge tests, and the Northern Territory records the DriveSafe NT knowledge test. These names and formats come from this site's checked state facts and comparison table, with core figures checked against agency material on 27 August 2026.
The shape of that first step changes how you should plan the week before it. New South Wales records 45 questions in two sections, with 12 of 15 and then 29 of 30 required. Queensland records a 30 question PrepL final assessment needing 27 of 30. South Australia records two parts, 8 give way questions with every one correct, then 32 of 42 in the general part. Tasmania's pass mark is not stated here because it has not been confirmed against a Tasmanian source.
Know when supervised driving begins
Supervised driving starts after the learner licence is issued, not before the theory hurdle is cleared. The recorded hour rules are uneven. New South Wales and Victoria each require 120 supervised hours before the practical test, Queensland requires 100, and Western Australia requires 50 including 5 at night. Those figures come from the comparison data checked on 27 August 2026 and from the Western Australian correction in src/lib/states.ts.
The blank cells matter as much as the numbers. South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have supervised-hour fields still being checked in the comparison data, while the Northern Territory states no log book system and instead describes DriveSafe NT plus recommended practice hours on the Northern Territory Government page read on 3 September 2026. Use /tools/logbook-planner for the jurisdictions where the verified hour rules are already held.
Place the hazard perception test before the final drive
Where a separate hazard perception test is listed, treat it as a gate before the practical or provisional stage rather than as another practice quiz. New South Wales records the Hazard Perception Test before the Driving Test for a P1 licence. Victoria records it before the drive test. Queensland records the car hazard perception test after 6 months on a learner licence and before booking the practical test. Western Australia records it after the theory test and before the Practical Driving Assessment.
South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory also carry separate hazard perception entries in this site's checked state facts, all checked on 15 September 2026. South Australia places it before a P1 licence, Tasmania places it before booking the P1 assessment, and the Australian Capital Territory places it online after 3 months on an ACT learner licence. The Northern Territory has no separate hazard perception entry in the dataset, so this page does not invent one. For the national comparison, use /hazard-perception-test.
Finish with the on road assessment
The last named step on this page is the on road test, called the Driving Test in New South Wales, Drive Test in Victoria, Q-SAFE practical test in Queensland, Practical Driving Assessment in Western Australia, Vehicle On Road Test in South Australia, and practical driving assessment in Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. These labels come from the checked comparison table, reviewed on 27 August 2026.
The practical stage is also where outcomes vary most in the data held here. Western Australia records 42.3% across 244,557 assessments in freedom of information release 2026-0140, retrieved August 2026. Victoria records 72.2% across 492,504 drive tests from January 2024 to April 2026, retrieved August 2026. New South Wales records about 56% statewide from the Transport for NSW Registration and Licensing Statistics Portal, retrieved August 2026. These are practical pass-rate figures, not theory-test predictions; compare them at /data/driving-test-pass-rates.
Plan by decision point, not by a single national ladder
The safest planning method is to write your own jurisdiction as a short chain. For New South Wales: DKT, learner licence, 120 supervised hours, Hazard Perception Test, Driving Test. For Queensland: PrepL, learner licence, 100 supervised hours, car hazard perception test, Q-SAFE practical test. For Western Australia: theory test, learner stage, 50 supervised hours including 5 at night, Hazard Perception Test, Practical Driving Assessment.
South Australia needs a different chain because the theory test itself has the no-margin give way part, then candidates face either the Vehicle On Road Test or competency based training and assessment. The Northern Territory needs its own chain too, because DriveSafe NT bundles the learner stage differently from the states that publish a simple logbook number. That is why /compare is the better starting page than a generic checklist when you are changing states or checking what comes next.
Sources
Aussie Learner's checked state facts supply the current agency names, knowledge-test names, question counts, pass marks where verified, hazard perception details, logbook notes and practical-test names for the eight jurisdictions. Most core facts were checked against agency material on 27 August 2026, with Northern Territory learner details read on 3 September 2026 and hazard perception details updated on 15 September 2026.
Aussie Learner's comparison table supplies the test names, supervised-hour figures, practical-test names and practical pass-rate notes used here. Its figures were checked on 27 August 2026, while the Victorian and Western Australian practical datasets were retrieved in August 2026.
The hazard perception national page and the licence-cost and logbook tools are linked only where their routes exist in the built site. They are used as next-step pages, not as sources for any extra figures that are not already in the checked facts named above.
Common questions
What test comes first when you get your learner licence? The knowledge step comes first in the data held here: DKT in New South Wales, learner permit knowledge test in Victoria, PrepL in Queensland, theory test in Western Australia and South Australia, knowledge test in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, and DriveSafe NT knowledge test in the Northern Territory.
Do you do the hazard perception test before or after logbook hours? It depends on the jurisdiction. Queensland records the hazard perception test after 6 months on a learner licence and before the practical test, while New South Wales records it before the Driving Test for a P1 licence. Western Australia places it after the theory test and before the Practical Driving Assessment. Always check the state page for the order that applies to you.
Which states require 120 supervised hours? New South Wales and Victoria each record 120 supervised hours before the practical test in the comparison data checked on 27 August 2026. Queensland records 100 and Western Australia records 50 including 5 at night. South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory are still being checked here, and the Northern Territory does not run a log book system.
Is the practical test always the last test? In the normal learner-to-provisional chain, yes, the on road assessment is the last named hurdle in this guide. Its name changes by jurisdiction: Driving Test, Drive Test, Q-SAFE practical test, Practical Driving Assessment, Vehicle On Road Test or practical driving assessment.
Can I use one state checklist for every state? No. The broad order is similar, but details change enough to matter. South Australia has an 8 of 8 give way section inside the theory test, Queensland uses PrepL, Western Australia records a separate hazard perception step after the theory test, and the Northern Territory is described through DriveSafe NT.
Where can I compare all eight states side by side? Use /compare for the national table. It lists the test names, question counts where verified, pass marks where verified, fees where held, supervised-hour figures where held, practical-test names and practical pass-rate notes from the same sources this guide uses.
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 .