NSW Driver Licence Tests

The three NSW tests, and what each one costs

Transport for NSW runs and sets the theory tests a NSW learner meets: the Driver Knowledge Test, the Hazard Perception Test, and later the practical Driving Test. The Driver Knowledge Test has 45 questions, and the pass rule is both section minimums, 12 of 15 general knowledge AND 29 of 30 road safety, so 41 of 45 overall is necessary but not sufficient. The test ends immediately at 4 wrong in general knowledge or 2 wrong in road safety. The figures below are Transport for NSW's, fees effective 1 July 2026.

Booking the Driver Knowledge Test through Service NSW

The Driver Knowledge Test is the first theory test on the NSW car licence path, and it covers road rules, traffic signs, and safe-driving judgement. You book and sit it through Service NSW, with bookings also made through myRTA, and the Road User Handbook is the study document behind every question. The test runs 45 questions, and passing takes both section minimums from Transport for NSW, 12 of 15 general knowledge and 29 of 30 road safety, with the test ending immediately at 4 wrong in general knowledge or 2 wrong in road safety. The in-person fee is $58 each attempt; the online version is $58 for unlimited attempts and runs as a self-paced 4 to 6 hour interactive course followed by a final test. To enrol online you must be 15 years and 11 months, with the learner licence application opening from 16; the in-person test is for applicants 16 or older. If you fail the online final test, there is a 12-hour wait before you retake it. Bring photo identification and your booking confirmation on the day. These NSW figures all come from Transport for NSW, with fees effective 1 July 2026. If you are new to the whole process, learners driving test guide sets out the learner path from start to licence.

These are NSW's own questions

These questions are the NSW bank. They come from the Driver Knowledge Test that Transport for NSW publishes, and the study document behind them is the Road User Handbook, so the wording you practise is the wording you meet at the counter. Road rules in Australia are largely national, so a learner in another state can still use the sets to build speed and recognition on give-way order, signs and speed limits. What does not cross a border is the paperwork: your own authority sets your test, its question count, its pass rule and its fee, so take those from it before you book. Northern Territory learners can start at northern territory, which covers that jurisdiction's own path and its free practice. Everyone sitting the NSW test can use the figures at the top of this page as they stand.

Free NSW practice for every licence class

Free practice on this site runs across car, motorbike and truck. Start one practice test cold to find your weak subjects, then do two topic sets a day on those subjects, and finish with mock tests under test conditions until the result comes back consistently clear. Each class keeps its topic sets on its practice page, at car practice, motorbike practice and truck practice. Riders can start at motorbike learners practice, and heavy-vehicle candidates at truck learners practice test. Full counts for each stream are below.

The Hazard Perception Test, and the 15-month clock

You cannot sit the practical Driving Test until you have passed the Hazard Perception Test, so it stands between your learner year and your P1 licence. The test is made up of 15 short videos shot in real traffic, and it scores how early you respond to a hazard that is still developing rather than how well you recite a rule. The fee is $58 each attempt, and you can sit it as many times as you need, paying the fee each time. Once you pass, a clock starts: you have 15 months to pass the Driving Test, or the hazard result lapses and you sit the clips again. Book the hazard test for the same fortnight as your drive and those 15 months never become a problem. Practise until your timing is steady rather than lucky; the clip practice on this site is at practise the hazard perception clips. Transport for NSW publishes the booking rules and what to bring on the day.

NSW licence classes and the tenure each one needs

The NSW licence ladder runs by class, and each heavy class carries a tenure rule Transport for NSW requires before you may sit its knowledge test.

1. 1

   Class C learner (DKT)

   Pass the Driver Knowledge Test for your learner licence, then the Hazard Perception Test and the Driving Test to reach P1.

2. 2

   Class R rider

   The rider path has its own tests; Transport for NSW sets the ages, course and figures — confirm with the authority.

3. 3

   LR and MR

   Held a class C licence (not learner) for 1 year or more before you sit the Heavy Vehicle Knowledge Test.

4. 4

   HR

   Held a class C licence (not learner) for 2 years or more.

5. 5

   HC

   Held a class MR or HR licence for 1 year or more; an unrestricted licence is required to upgrade.

6. 6

   MC

   Held a class HR or HC licence for at least 1 year, plus the HVCBA and a medical assessment.

Your first three sessions

Work in a clear order so your practice targets the right subjects.

1. 1

   Practice Test 1 (45 questions) cold

   Sit it without studying first to see exactly which subjects let you down.

2. 2

   Your two weakest topic sets

   From the car list, drill the two you scored worst on — General Knowledge (82), Intersections (54) or Traffic Signs (51).

3. 3

   Mock Test 1 under test conditions

   No breaks, no notes — repeat until the result is consistently clear.

Official sources

The rules on this page follow the official requirements published by Transport for NSW Driver Knowledge Test; Transport for NSW heavy vehicle licences. Always confirm current rules and fees with the authority before you book.