Hazard Perception Test SA (HPT)

South Australia puts the test between the learner's permit and the P1 licence. After it, you still need the permit time and supervised hours above, and a pass in either the Vehicle On Road Test or competency based training and assessment, before the P1 is issued.

Who can sit it, and when

You need to pass the test to move from a learner's permit to a P1 provisional licence, and it also applies when you transfer an overseas licence. The hazard perception test pages read do not set a minimum learner period for the test itself. The P1 licence has its own rules: you must be at least 17, have held the learner's permit for 12 full calendar months if you are under 25 or six full calendar months if you are 25 or older, and have at least 75 hours of supervised driving including 15 hours at night.

What happens in the sitting

You start with an introduction and instructions, then practice questions, then the test. Each question is a film clip of a real traffic situation seen from the driver's seat, with the dashboard showing your speed and whether the indicators are on. You are told what the driver wants to do, such as move off, turn right, slow down or overtake, and you decide if and when it is safe. Questions are drawn at random from a larger pool, each is shown once, and an answer cannot be changed. The pages read do not state how many clips there are.

Where to sit it

Online by logging in to mySAGOV in a web browser, not the mobile app, and choosing Enrol in hazard perception test. In person at certain Service SA centres, booked on 13 10 84 between 9:30 am and 4 pm on weekdays, with Saturday bookings at the Elizabeth and Marion centres.

If you do not pass

Online, you can retake the test as many times as you need within 12 months of enrolling. In person, each new attempt costs another $37.

Preparing, and what else the agency says

The My Licence guide to the test walks through the crash patterns of provisional drivers and the skills the clips measure: keeping a safe following distance and safe space to the side and rear, selecting safe gaps when turning left or right, making U-turns, crossing intersections and overtaking, scanning for hazards and expecting the unexpected. It says a lack of these skills is a major factor in crashes involving young novice drivers. If you pass, the final screen gives feedback on areas to improve.