Useful Information

Need to know to prepare for Driving Test

Step1: Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) – 2 options – Choose Online or InPerson DKT

DKT Online

  • 4–6 hour interactive course Click Here
  • Unlimited attempts for one fee
  • Available in English, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean
  • Must visit Service NSW after passing to get your licence

Or DKT InPerson

  • Prepare for multiplechoice computer test Click Here
  • Book your DKT exam Click Here
  • Available in many languages (Greek, Turkish, Croatian, Serbian, etc.)
  • Must pay the test fee each attempt

Step2: NSW Hazard Perception Test (HPT) – not required for overseas license conversion

The HPT is a computerbased video test where you watch short clips from a driver’s perspective and tap the screen when you see a developing hazard — something that requires slowing down, changing lanes, or preparing to stop.

Study material: Click Here

Typical format:

  • 15 video scenarios (NSW Government)
  • Each video lasts 50–60 seconds (training guide)
  • You respond by tapping when action is needed.

A “developing hazard” includes:

  • Pedestrian stepping onto the road
  • Car pulling out from a side street
  • Cyclist swerving
  • Traffic lights changing

Step3: Prepare for Driving Test (DT)

Preparing for the NSW Driving Test is straightforward when you follow a structured plan. Below is a clear, stepbystep preparation guide, grounded in official Transport for NSW information and expanded with practical training strategies that help learners pass confidently.

✅ 1. Know the Official Requirements

You must meet the eligibility criteria before booking the test:

  • Pass the Hazard Perception Test (HPT) within the last 15 months – Not required for overseas license holder
  • Log 120 hours (including 20 night hours) if under 25  – Not required for overseas license holder
  • Hold your learner licence for 12 months (if under 25) – Not required for overseas license holder
  • Have a roadworthy vehicle with working lights, legal tyres, no cracks, etc.

✅ 2. Study the Official NSW Driving Test Guide

Transport for NSW provides the full test structure and scoring rules Click here:

  • A Guide to the Driving Test explains:
    • The 25 test zones
    • The 5 key performance indicators (Speed, Positioning, Decision Making, Hazard Response, Vehicle Control)
    • All 19 fail items
    • Required manoeuvres (reverse park, kerbside stop, hill start, 3point turn)

This guide is essential because the test is highly predictable—you are assessed on the same behaviours every time.

✅ 3. Master LowRisk Driving Skills

The NSW test is built around lowrisk driving. You must demonstrate:

Observation

  • Constant scanning
  • Mirror checks before slowing or changing direction
  • Blind spot checks before lane changes, merging, turning, or leaving kerb

Speed Management

  • Maintain 3second following distance
  • Increase to 4+ seconds in poor conditions
  • Slow down when vision is limited (blind corners, crests, rain)

Road Positioning

  • Stay at least 1 metre from hazards
  • Correct lane positioning for turns
  • No unnecessary crossing of lane lines or driving on wrong side of road

Decision Making

  • Choose safe gaps
  • Avoid forcing other drivers to brake
  • Stop at yellow lights unless unsafe to do so

Hazard Response

  • Slow down early
  • Cover the brake
  • Create space (buffering)
  • Change position to avoid risk

✅ 4. Practise the Required Manoeuvres

You will be asked to perform two of the following:

  • Kerbside stop
  • Reverse parallel park OR 3point turn

Key rules:

  • Park within 500mm of kerb
  • No more than 4 direction changes for parking
  • No more than 7m reverse distance
  • Must check blind spots before every movement

✅ 5. Train on Real Test Routes

Practise:

  • School zones
  • Roundabouts
  • Narrow residential streets
  • Busy intersections
  • Lanechanging on main roads

This builds familiarity and reduces testday stress.

✅ 6. Do Mock Driving Tests

A proper mock test should include:

  • Full 25zone style route
  • Realtime scoring
  • Immediate feedback
  • Identification of failitem risks (e.g., missed blind spot, unsafe gap, incorrect STOP procedure)

Mock tests help you understand how examiners think.

✅ 7. Prepare Your Vehicle

Your car must be:

  • Registered
  • Roadworthy
  • Clean interior
  • No warning lights on dashboard
  • Working indicators, brake lights, horn, mirrors, seatbelts
  • Tyres legal and not bald
  • Windscreen free of major cracks

If anything is missing, the test is terminated and the fee is not refunded.

✅ 8. Know What to Bring

  • Learner licence and/or overseas licence
  • Passport and a Bank card/Bank statement (who doesn’t have a ID from NSW government)
  • Completed logbook (if under 25) – Not required for overseas license holder
  • Glasses/contact lenses (if required)
  • Licence application form
  • Payment card (some centres are cashless)

✅ 9. On Test Day

  • Arrive 15 minutes early
  • Park in the designated test parking area
  • Stay calm and listen carefully
  • Ask questions before the test starts
  • Remember: the officer cannot coach you during the test

✅ 10. Avoid the 19 Fail Items

These include:

  • Disobeying signs
  • Not giving way
  • Mounting kerb
  • Unsafe gap selection
  • Poor observation
  • Speeding
  • Dangerous action requiring officer intervention

(You already have the full detailed failitem guide I created.)

Skill Targets

  • Blind spot checks every time
  • Smooth acceleration/braking
  • 3second following distance
  • Safe gap selection
  • Correct lane positioning
  • Hazard response early