The Driver Knowledge Test (DKT): What It Is, the Format, and How to Pass

Test yourself

What the Driver Knowledge Test actually is

The Driver Knowledge Test, or DKT, is the written theory test that stands between you and your first driving licence. It is a computer-based, multiple-choice exam that verifies you know the road rules well enough to start learning to drive under supervision. Pass it and you are issued a learner licence (called a learner permit in some states); that licence lets you drive a car with a fully licensed supervisor beside you.

One point of honesty upfront, because it saves real confusion: "DKT" is the name Transport for NSW gives its test. If you live outside New South Wales, you sit an equivalent test under a different name. VicRoads calls it the Learner Permit Knowledge Test, Queensland’s TMR runs a written road-rules test, Western Australia’s DoT has a Computerised Theory Test, and South Australia (DIT / Service SA), Tasmania (Transport Tasmania), the ACT (Access Canberra) and the Northern Territory (MVR) each have their own. They test the same kind of knowledge, but the exact rules — how many questions, the score you need, the fee — are set separately by each authority. Wherever this page says "DKT," read it as "your state’s car knowledge test."

Where the DKT sits: Australia’s graduated licensing system

Australia does not hand new drivers a full licence in one step. Every state and territory uses a graduated licensing system that eases you into driving over several years, because crash risk is highest in the first months of solo driving. The DKT is the very first gate.

The typical path for a car licence runs Learner (L) → Provisional P1 → Provisional P2 → full licence. You pass the knowledge test to get your L. You then build supervised driving experience — most states require you to log a set number of hours in a logbook and to hold your learner licence for a minimum period. When you are ready, you sit a practical driving test (and, in several states, a separate Hazard Perception Test) to move onto your red P1 plates, then progress to green P2 plates, and finally to a full, unrestricted licence.

The number of logbook hours, the minimum holding periods, and the order of the practical and hazard tests all differ by state. Treat the L → P1 → P2 → full shape as the map, and confirm the specific hours and timeframes with your own road authority.

What the test covers

The knowledge test is drawn entirely from your state’s official driver handbook — the NSW Road Users’ Handbook, VicRoads’ Road to Solo Driving, Queensland’s Your Keys to Driving in Queensland, and each other state’s equivalent. Everything you can be asked comes from that book, which is why the handbook is your single most valuable study resource.

Across every state, the questions cluster around the same themes: general road rules (give way and right of way, roundabouts, turning, keeping left); speed limits and what they mean in different zones; road signs and line markings; safe following distances and safe gaps; rules for pedestrians, cyclists, school zones and level crossings; drink- and drug-driving limits and penalties; and seatbelt, mobile-phone and fatigue rules. Some states weight "road safety" questions more heavily than plain rule-recall — meaning a wrong answer in that section can count against you more — but that split varies, so check how your state structures its test.

Format, question count and pass mark — and why we won’t quote a number

The format is consistent in spirit: you sit at a computer — a touchscreen at a service centre, or online where your state allows it — read each question, and choose from multiple-choice answers. There is no trick to the interface; the challenge is knowing the rules. Some states now offer the learner knowledge test online, while others still require you to attend in person, so check whether yours does.

Here is where we deliberately do not quote you a number. The question count, the pass mark, the fee to sit, and the minimum age to be eligible all vary between states and are changed by the authorities from time to time. A specific figure copied from another website — or from memory — is exactly the kind of stale, unverified claim that gets learners caught out on the day. So before you book, confirm the current question count, pass mark, fee and eligibility age directly with your state road authority: Transport for NSW, VicRoads, TMR (QLD), DoT (WA), Service SA / DIT (SA), Transport Tasmania, Access Canberra (ACT) or the MVR (NT). Their pages are the only source that is always current.

How to prepare — the method that works

Learners who pass first time almost always do the same three things. First, they read the official handbook properly at least once, rather than skimming it — many questions hinge on a single detail (an exact distance, or who gives way) that only sticks if you have read the surrounding rule. Second, they do practice tests until they are consistently comfortable, not just until they scrape a pass once; practice’s real job is to surface the topics you quietly get wrong — roundabout give-way, parking distances and blood-alcohol limits are the classic traps. Third, in the day or two before the test they revisit only their weak topics instead of re-reading everything.

Do not try to memorise answers. Knowledge tests draw from large question pools and rotate them, so rote-learning a fixed set will fail you on test day. Understand why each rule exists — most road rules are simply codified common sense about reducing risk — and the right answer becomes clear even on a question you have never seen before.

What to bring and what to expect on the day

You will generally need to prove who you are and that you live in the state, pay the fee, and — in some states — pass a quick eyesight screening before you sit. Proof-of-identity requirements are strict and specific, usually several documents establishing your identity and your address, and being turned away for the wrong paperwork is the most common avoidable setback. Check your authority’s accepted-documents list before you go, and if you are under 18, bring a parent or guardian if your state requires one to be present.

On the day, arrive early, take your time with each question, and read every option before answering — knowledge tests are written so that a hurried reader picks the almost-right answer. If your state offers the test online, you may be able to sit it at home; the preparation is identical either way.

After you pass: your next steps

Passing the knowledge test gets you your learner licence — the start line, not the finish. From here you build supervised driving hours and, when eligible, move toward your provisional licence. Depending on your state, that next stage may include a Hazard Perception Test — a separate computer-based test of your ability to spot and respond to developing risks — and a practical, on-road driving test.

If you are learning on two wheels or moving into commercial driving, the equivalents work the same way: a dedicated knowledge test comes first. When you are ready for the next gate, our hazard perception, motorbike and heavy-vehicle test hubs walk through each one, and your state page covers the exact fees, booking steps and timeframes where you live.

Last verified 4 September 2026 against the Australian Road Rules and your state road authority. Rules, fees and figures change. Always confirm current details with your state road authority before you rely on them.