WA rider knowledge test licence rules and learner restrictions practice questions

Question 1

What is the first step to getting a motorcycle licence in Western Australia?

• Book the practical assessment straight away
• Pass the motorcycle theory test and obtain a learner's permit before you ride on the roadCorrect answer
• Buy a motorcycle and register it
• Complete a first aid course

The theory test and learner's permit come first, then supervised practice and the practical assessment. Confirm the current steps and eligibility with the licensing agency before booking.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: getting a motorcycle licence

Question 2

What must a Western Australian learner rider display on the motorcycle?

• Nothing, plates are for cars only
• L plates, clearly visible to other road usersCorrect answer
• A red flag
• P plates until the practical assessment is passed

L plates tell other drivers you are learning so most of them leave more room. Make sure they are secure and not covered by luggage or a pillion seat bag.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: learner's permit conditions

Question 3

What blood alcohol concentration must a novice rider in Western Australia stay under?

• 0.00Correct answer
• 0.02
• 0.05
• 0.08

Learner and other novice riders must have no alcohol in their blood. Alcohol takes away the balance, judgement and fine control that riding depends on well before you feel affected.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: alcohol and drugs

Question 4

May a learner rider carry a pillion passenger in Western Australia?

• Yes, if the passenger holds a motorcycle licence
• No, a learner rider must not carry a passengerCorrect answer
• Yes, on quiet roads
• Yes, if the passenger is over 18

A passenger changes the balance, the steering and the stopping distance of the motorcycle. Learner riders must ride alone while they build the skills to handle the machine on their own.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: learner's permit conditions

Question 5

You hold a learner's permit and are riding on a Western Australian highway signed at 110 km/h. What is your maximum speed?

• 110 km/h, the posted limit
• 100 km/h, because learner's permit holders are limited to 100Correct answer
• 80 km/h
• 90 km/h

Western Australia caps learner's permit holders at 100 km/h even where the sign shows more. Confirm the current condition with the licensing agency, and treat it as a limit rather than a target.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: learner's permit conditions

Question 6

You hold a full Western Australian car licence and want to ride a motorcycle. What do you need?

• Nothing, the car licence covers small motorcycles
• A motorcycle learner's permit, then a motorcycle licence obtained through the theory test and practical assessmentCorrect answer
• Only motorcycle insurance
• A letter from a rider training school

Motorcycles are a separate licence class with their own theory and practical requirements, however long you have been driving a car.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: getting a motorcycle licence

Question 7

What is the rule on mobile phones while riding?

• You may hold the phone if you are stopped in traffic
• You must not hold or touch a phone while riding, and novice riders face tighter restrictions againCorrect answer
• You may use it for navigation in your hand
• There is no rule for motorcycles

Sitting in a queue of traffic with the engine running still counts as riding. Set navigation before you start and pull over somewhere safe and legal to change it.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: mobile phones

Question 8

Do demerit points apply to offences committed on a motorcycle?

• No, motorcycles are exempt
• Yes, and novice riders reach their demerit point limit sooner than fully licensed ridersCorrect answer
• Only for offences at more than 20 km/h over the limit
• Only for offences involving a passenger

Riders are covered by the same offences, fines and demerit point system as drivers, and the threshold for losing a learner's permit or a novice licence is lower.

Rule cited: Ride Safe handbook (Western Australia), topic: penalties and demerit points