The Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) is the computer-based theory test you must pass to get your NSW learner driver licence. It checks that you understand Australian road rules, road signs, give way rules and safe driving before you get behind the wheel. The DKT has 45 questions — 15 on general road safety knowledge and 30 on road rules — and you need to answer at least 41 out of 45 correctly (about 91%) to pass. Our free DKT practice tests mirror the real exam so you can walk in confident and pass first go.
Every question on this page is written for the Australian context, with Australian spelling and the official road rules used across NSW. Work through all six practice quizzes below, review the explanations, and you will be ready for your learner licence test at Service NSW.
Important: the DKT is administered by Service NSW and is based on the official Road Users' Handbook. Rules such as speed limits, demerit point thresholds and learner conditions can change, so always check the current handbook and the Service NSW website before booking your test. These practice questions reflect the road rules as they apply in New South Wales.
The Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) is the first step on the New South Wales graduated licensing scheme. It is a theory test that you sit on a computer at a Service NSW centre, and passing it earns you your learner driver licence and your L plates. The test is designed to make sure new drivers understand the road rules and basic road safety before they begin learning to drive on real roads under supervision.
The DKT is taken from the official Road Users' Handbook, which is the study guide published by Transport for NSW. Everything you need to know for the test is in that handbook, and the questions in our practice tests are drawn from the same topics: road signs and signals, giving way, speed limits, alcohol and fatigue, hazard perception, and the rules around licences and penalties. You must be at least 16 years old to sit the DKT in NSW.
Before you can book the test you need to prove your identity and, in most cases, complete an eyesight check. Once you pass, your learner licence is valid for several years, giving you time to log the supervised driving hours you need before moving on to the provisional (P plate) stage.
The largest part of the DKT covers the road rules, so this is where most of your study time should go. You need to understand give way rules at intersections, roundabouts and T-junctions, including the give way to the right rule and giving way to oncoming traffic when turning right. You should know that a STOP sign means a complete stop while a Give Way sign means slow down and be ready to stop.
Speed limits are another core area. In a built-up area the default limit is 50 km/h, school zones are usually 40 km/h during signposted times, and learners in NSW must never exceed 90 km/h. You must keep a safe following distance — at least a three-second gap in good conditions, and more in rain or fog. The handbook also covers overtaking, keeping left, using indicators, and the safe passing distance you must leave when overtaking a cyclist.
Other rules tested include wearing seatbelts and using approved child restraints, the ban on hand-held mobile phones (which applies even when you are stopped in traffic), and the conditions attached to a learner licence such as displaying L plates and always driving with a fully licensed supervisor.
About a third of the DKT focuses on general road safety knowledge rather than specific rules. This includes understanding how speed affects stopping distance and crash severity, how alcohol, drugs and fatigue impair your ability to drive, and how to scan the road for hazards and respond early.
For learner and provisional drivers the blood alcohol limit is zero — you must not have any alcohol in your system when driving. Only time can lower your blood alcohol concentration; coffee, food and a cold shower do not work. Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines can also affect your driving, so check the label and ask your pharmacist before driving.
Fatigue is a major cause of crashes in Australia. Warning signs include yawning, sore eyes and drifting in your lane. The only real cure is sleep, so on long trips take a break at least every two hours and pull over to rest if you feel drowsy. Good hazard perception — looking well ahead, checking your blind spots and anticipating what other road users might do — helps you avoid danger before it happens.
Sharing the road safely is a recurring DKT theme. When you overtake a bicycle rider you must leave a minimum passing distance of one metre in zones of 60 km/h or less, and one and a half metres where the limit is above 60 km/h. Near pedestrian crossings, slow down and be ready to stop when people are waiting on the kerb. At night, reduce your speed because reduced visibility gives you less warning of hazards such as pedestrians or animals on the road.
Passing the DKT is the gateway to the rest of the NSW graduated licensing scheme. Once you hold your learner licence, you must display L plates clearly on the front and rear of the vehicle and always drive with a supervisor who holds a full, unrestricted Australian driver licence seated beside you. Learners record every supervised drive in a logbook, building up the minimum supervised hours required before they can attempt the next stage.
When you have enough logged hours and meet the age requirement, you can sit the Hazard Perception Test and the practical driving test to progress to a P1 (red P plate) provisional licence. From there you move to a P2 (green P plate) licence and finally to a full licence. Each stage has its own conditions, including lower demerit point limits, zero blood alcohol, speed restrictions and limits on high-powered vehicles.
Throughout the learner and provisional stages you must obey strict rules: a zero blood alcohol concentration, no use of mobile phones at all (even hands-free), and a maximum speed of 90 km/h for learners and P1 drivers. Understanding these conditions is part of the DKT, so they are well worth learning early. Treat your time on L plates as valuable practice that sets the habits you will keep for the rest of your driving life.