Australian Driving Test Handbooks

The official learner handbooks, by state

Australian driving test handbooks are the authority's own documents — each state's transport body writes, publishes and updates its own learner handbook, and that document is the only authoritative source for the rules you will be tested on. This page sends you to the right official handbook for your state, explains what it covers, and gives you the free practice sets that test the same material. Pick your state below to reach its authority. In NSW, Transport for NSW publishes the Road User Handbook as the study material behind the knowledge test. Start drilling now and read the chapters as the practice finds your gaps.

Why the handbook still matters when you have practice tests

Practice tests find your gaps; the handbook is where the rule is actually stated and where every test question is drawn from. The authority publishes its learner handbook to set the road rules in plain, official language, so when a practice answer surprises you, the handbook is where you confirm why it is right. Work them together in a simple sequence: read the chapter, drill the matching topic set, then re-read only what you missed. On this site the car topic sets map directly onto the handbook — General Knowledge (82 questions), Intersections (54 questions) and Traffic Signs (51 questions) each line up with a handbook chapter, so a weak score on one set tells you exactly which chapter to open again. That loop is faster than reading cover to cover, because the practice does the diagnosis and the handbook supplies the fix. The handbook stays the source of truth for the rule itself; the sets turn reading into recall you can trust under test conditions.

1. 1

   Read the chapter

   Open the handbook chapter for the topic you are about to drill.

2. 2

   Drill the matching topic set

   Run the topic set that lines up with that chapter.

3. 3

   Re-read what you missed

   Go back only to the rules the set caught you on.

Which handbook for which test

Each test has its own study material, and the correct handbook depends on which licence you are after. For the car learner knowledge test, use the authority's road user handbook for your state — in NSW that is the Road User Handbook, published by Transport for NSW. For the rider test, use the rider handbook published by Transport for NSW. For the heavy-vehicle knowledge test, Transport for NSW names three study materials: the Heavy Vehicle Driver Handbook, the Road User Handbook and the Load Restraint Guide (NTC). Transport for NSW also publishes an official rigid practice question set of 343 questions across General Knowledge, Road Safety and Traffic Signs sections for the heavy-vehicle rigid test. Getting the right handbook matters because a car learner reading the heavy-vehicle material wastes days on rules that will not appear on their test — and vice versa. Match the document to the licence first, then study.

Your state and its authority

Each state publishes its own learner handbook, so the authority below is where you download the current document for where you live. Our question bank is NSW-based, so for any state-specific rule the handbook is the place to check — the authority's own edition is always the authoritative word. Each authority publishes its own handbook, so follow its link for the current title and edition.

How to study a handbook in a week without reading it twice

A handbook is faster to study when you let the practice do the diagnosis. Skim the contents first and mark every chapter you could not explain out loud. Then work one chapter plus its matching topic set per day, giving the give-way and intersection chapters two passes because they carry the biggest sets. Sit a full practice test on day five, a mock in one unbroken run on day six, and on day seven re-read only what the mock caught. Each day builds on the last, so you never re-read a chapter you have already mastered.

1. 1

   Day 1 — map your gaps

   Skim the contents and mark every chapter you cannot explain.

2. 2

   Days 2–4 — one chapter per day

   Read a chapter, then drill its matching topic set; repeat the give-way and intersection chapters twice.

3. 3

   Day 5 — full practice test

   Sit a complete practice test at Start Free Practice Test.

4. 4

   Day 6 — mock in one run

   Sit a mock in one unbroken run at a car mock test.

5. 5

   Day 7 — targeted re-read

   Re-read only the rules the mock caught, nothing else.

What the handbook will not tell you — and where to check instead

Fees, ages, booking and eligibility are not in the handbook — they change and are published on the authority's own fee and licence pages. For NSW, Transport for NSW publishes these NSW figures for the year: the Driver Knowledge Test is $58 each attempt in person, or $58 once online with unlimited attempts; the learner licence is $32; and the practical Driving Test is $72 (inc GST) each attempt. These are the four we hold for NSW in 2026. For every other state, these amounts differ — go to that state's authority fees page for the current number rather than assuming the NSW figure applies. The handbook teaches you the rules; the authority's fee and licence pages tell you what it costs and when you are eligible, so check both before you book.

Official sources

The rules on this page follow the official requirements published by Transport for NSW; Driver and rider licence fees; VicRoads; Transport and Main Roads (Queensland); Department for Infrastructure and Transport (South Australia); Department of Transport (Western Australia); Motor Vehicle Registry (Northern Territory); Heavy Vehicle Driver Handbook (Transport for NSW, PDF); Road User Handbook (Transport for NSW). Always confirm current rules and fees with the authority before you book.