If you want your learner licence in New South Wales, you need to pass the Driver Knowledge Test, usually just called the DKT. It's a computer-based multiple-choice test on the NSW road rules, and it has a quirk that catches out a lot of people: it's really two tests in one.
The NSW DKT format
At the time of writing, the DKT has 45 questions split into two sections:
- General knowledge: 15 questions. You need at least 12 correct.
- Road safety: 30 questions. You need at least 29 correct.
Read that second line again. In the road safety section you can only afford to get one question wrong. That's why people who "basically know the rules" still fail. Getting 40 out of 45 sounds like a strong result, but if three of those misses are in the road safety section, it's a fail.
You need to be at least 16 to sit the test. Always check the current requirements with Transport for NSW before you book, as details can change.
What the questions cover
Everything comes from the NSW Road Users' Handbook. Expect questions on:
- Give way rules at intersections, roundabouts and T-intersections
- Speed limits, including school zones and the learner speed limit
- Alcohol and drugs, including the zero blood alcohol rule for learners
- Licensing rules for learners, including supervision and L plates
- Parking and stopping distances
- Sharing the road with pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and heavy vehicles
- Traffic signs, signals and road markings
The numbers come up again and again. We've collected the ones that trip people up in the numbers that catch learners out.
Why a generic practice test isn't enough
Plenty of free quizzes online mix rules from different states, or give you a single overall score. Neither helps much for the NSW DKT. You need NSW rules, and you need to see your score per section so you know whether you'd actually pass.
The Oz Driver Knowledge Test app is built around this. Choose NSW and every practice test follows the real two-section format with each section's own pass mark. If you'd fail the road safety section, the app tells you, even when your total looks fine.
A simple way to prepare for the NSW DKT
- Read the handbook in short sessions. The NSW handbook is free in the app, split into small sections you can get through on a bus ride.
- Drill the road safety topics hardest. With only one mistake allowed there, that's where your effort should go.
- Use flashcards for the numbers. Speed limits, distances and alcohol limits are easy marks if you've drilled them, and easy to lose if you haven't.
- Sit full practice tests in the real format. Book when you can pass both sections comfortably several times in a row.
For a day-by-day version of this, see our two-week study plan.
After you pass
Passing the DKT gets you your learner licence, which starts the supervised driving stage. The DKT is a knowledge test, not a practical driving test. If you're not sure how the two fit together, read driver knowledge test vs driving test.
