Learner Knowledge Test in Australia: DKT, VIC LPT and QLD Test

The learner knowledge test is the road rules test you pass to get your Ls in Australia. In NSW it's the Driver Knowledge Test (DKT), in Victoria the Learner Permit Test, and in Queensland the written road rules test or the online PrepL course. All three can be done online through a 4 to 6 hour course with a test at the end, you can enrol from 15 years and 11 months, and the questions are based on your state's official handbook. Pass marks are high, so careful study pays off.

Here's how each state's test works and how to prepare, as of 2026.

The three tests compared

NSW: the Driver Knowledge Test

You can do the DKT two ways:

• Online: an interactive course and test that takes 4 to 6 hours. You can enrol from 15 years and 11 months, but you can only apply for a learner licence at 16. One fee gives you unlimited attempts until you pass, and you pay it when you go to a service centre to apply for your licence.
• In person: a multiple-choice computer test at a service centre, for those 16 or older. You book and pay $58 for each attempt (fees effective 1 July 2026).

The online DKT is available in English, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Farsi and Traditional Chinese. The in-person test adds languages such as Greek, Turkish, Croatian and Serbian, and interpreters are available.

NSW's official page doesn't currently publish the number of questions or pass mark for the car DKT, so be wary of figures on unofficial sites. Study the Road User Handbook (free to download) and use the official NSW practice test.

Victoria: the Learner Permit Test

VicRoads recommends the online course and test: it takes about 4 to 6 hours, you have 12 months to finish the course after enrolling, and your first attempt is free. Further online attempts cost $28.70. You can only take the test in person at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre if you want another language or don't have access to a computer; the in-person test costs $28.70 plus a $22.10 appointment fee.

VicRoads' practice test has 32 questions like the real test, with a 78% pass mark, and questions are based on all four chapters of the Road to Solo Driving handbook. The online course covers road safety and rules: parking, giving way, signs and markings, managing speed and fatigue, and avoiding drink and drug driving.

Queensland: written test or PrepL

Queensland's written road rules test has 30 multiple-choice questions in two sections:

• giving way: at least 9 of 10 correct;
• road rules and licence requirements: at least 18 of 20 correct.

You can only take it once a day, you pay for each attempt ($29.70 as at 1 July 2026), and a pass is valid for five years.

PrepL is the online alternative: a course with built-in assessment that takes around 4 to 6 hours. You have 12 months from enrolment to finish, and you need 27 of 30 (90%) to pass.

Study Your keys to driving in Queensland, the state's official guide, and try the official practice road rules test.

What these tests focus on

Across all three states, expect questions on:

• giving way at intersections, roundabouts, T-intersections and pedestrian crossings (Queensland makes this its own section);
• signs and road markings, including school zones;
• speed limits and safe following distances;
• alcohol and drugs, including zero BAC for learners and P platers;
• learner and provisional licence conditions in your state;
• parking rules, such as distances from intersections and hydrants.

Give giving-way questions extra study time: they depend on specific intersection layouts, and Queensland requires 9 out of 10 in that section alone. Our roundabouts guide explains the principles (written for the UK, where you also drive on the left).

How to prepare

1. Read your state's handbook completely. Questions come from every chapter.
2. Draw intersections. For each giving-way scenario, sketch who arrives where and work out who goes first.
3. Make a numbers sheet: BAC limits, speed limits for learners and P platers, parking distances, demerit thresholds.
4. Use official practice tests and treat every wrong answer as a pointer back to the handbook.
5. Do the online course properly. It's built to teach, not just test, and the NSW and Victorian versions let you retry.
6. Don't use "real DKT question" dumps. They're unofficial, may be outdated and can teach rules from the wrong state.

After you pass

You'll get your learner licence and L plates, and the real learning starts. Read our L and P plate rules guide before your first drive, and see how to get your licence in Australia for the full path.

Summary

The learner knowledge test is state-based: the DKT in NSW ($58, unlimited online attempts), the Learner Permit Test in Victoria (32 questions, 78%, first online attempt free) and the written test or PrepL in Queensland (30 questions with strict section pass marks). Study your state's handbook, master giving way, and use official practice tests.

About Co-Drive

Co-Drive is an iOS app for learner and new drivers. Its driving technique lessons and defensive driving habits apply on any road; it does not yet include Australian state-specific test practice, its questions are not official test questions, and it isn't affiliated with any government agency. Find out more.