Australia · Hazard perception test
Every state runs its own Hazard Perception Test, and the rules aren’t the same everywhere. This guide covers NSW, Queensland and Western Australia, the states whose official pages we could check: how the video clips work, what it costs and where you sit it. The real test uses video clips. Our free practice can’t, so further down you’ll find 20 written hazard scenarios to sharpen how you think on the road.
Key facts
How it works
Topics
Good drivers look far ahead, check around the car and spot hazards while they’re still building.
Space in front of your car is your crash avoidance space. Speed and following distance decide how much of it you have.
A safe gap lets you turn, cross or overtake without anyone else having to slow down or change lanes.
People walking and riding have no protection in a crash and are harder to see, so you look for them on purpose.
Some situations need extra care: big vehicles, work sites, crashes and vehicles with sirens.
Darkness, rain and country roads cut how far you can see and how quickly you can stop.
Free practice test
The real HPT shows you video clips and you touch or click when you’d slow down, turn or overtake. We can’t copy that here, so these 20 questions are written scenarios built on the same skills: scanning, following distance, safe gaps, people on foot and bikes, and night and wet driving. Each asks what the hazard is or what you should do. No state we checked publishes a pass mark, so we use 80% as a practice target: 16 right out of 20. After each answer the tutor can explain it another way, or tell you why another option is wrong.
Sample of the hazard perception test: same format, 20 questions.
Test day
Study options
Start with your state’s own material. Transport for NSW says its free Hazard Perception Handbook is the way to prepare, and WA and Queensland both offer official practice clips. Want more? We’ve checked the apps people use and what they really offer.
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official and free | |||
Hazard Perception Handbook (Transport for NSW)Official · PDFTransport for NSW says this is the way to prepare for its HPT. It explains how the clips work and gives handy guides like the 3-second gap and safe gaps for turning. Written for NSW, but the skills apply everywhere. | Free (printed copies sold at service centres) | The whole handbook | |
Transport WA sample hazard perception testsOfficial · webReal practice clips from the people who run the WA test. They tell you if you responded too early or too late. WA suggests using a computer, not a phone. Useful wherever you live, as a feel for the timing. | Free | 4 car scenarios, 3 motorcycle and moped scenarios | |
Queensland HPT practice testOfficial · onlineOnce you’ve enrolled and paid, you can do the practice test as many times as you like before the real one. There’s no lock-out between attempts at the real test either. | Included with the $42.70 test fee | Unlimited practice before you start the real test | |
Road User Handbook (Transport for NSW)Official · web and PDFThe Hazard Perception Handbook isn’t a book of road rules. This one is. Worth having next to it if you’re in NSW. In other states, use your own state’s driver handbook. | Free | The whole handbook | |
| Apps and websites | |||
Hazard Perception Test 2026 (Pineapple Studio)App · iPhoneThe most-rated HPT app we found: 4.2 stars from about 1,200 ratings on the App Store. It says it suits NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania and the NT. It isn’t official, and its claim of “real test questions” can’t be checked. | Free, Premium Pass $4.49 to $4.99 | 6 practice videos (30 more to unlock) | |
Hazard Perception Test (HPT) by Driving Tests AustraliaApp · iPhone4.4 stars from 356 ratings. Has state-based mock tests for NSW, Victoria, WA, Queensland and SA, with suggested answers. The developer says it uses videos made by transport departments. Last updated in March 2022. | Free, premium unlock $2.99 | Some practice (the listing doesn’t say how much) | |
Hazard Perception Test - HPT (Abirami Subbaiah)App · iPhone4.6 stars from 327 ratings. A simple practice app. One reviewer says you have to pay to do the test. Not updated since September 2022. | Free, full version $2.99 | Some practice (the listing doesn’t say how much) | |
Hazard Perception Test 2022 AU (Emre Gurses)App · iPhone38 video clips for NSW, Victoria, WA, Queensland and SA, and it works offline once downloaded, with no ads. Only 46 ratings (4.2 stars), and it hasn’t been updated since October 2021. It’s about 1 GB. | Free, full version $4.99 | Some clips (the listing doesn’t say how many) | |
| In person | |||
NSW Safer Drivers CourseOfficial course · NSW, under 25A 3-hour group session and a 2-hour coaching drive, covering gap selection, following distance and hazard awareness. You need to be under 25 with at least 50 logbook hours, some at night. Finishing it adds 20 bonus hours to your logbook. Free places go to Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card holders and people in or leaving out-of-home care. | $140, paid to the course provider | 1,000 free places a year for eligible learners | |
Prices and ratings checked October 2026.
Explore
FAQ
It depends on your state, and they’re video clips rather than questions. In NSW you get 15 clips after 2 practice ones. Queensland’s online test has 25 computer-generated clips and takes about 15 to 30 minutes. WA doesn’t say how many clips its test has.
NSW, Queensland and WA don’t publish one, as of October 2026. You’re told at the end whether you passed. In NSW the results screen also tells you what to work on, like following distance or picking safe gaps.
As of October 2026, it’s $58 for each attempt in NSW and $42.70 in Queensland. In WA the first test is $29.90 and each resit is $24.10. Fees change, usually on 1 July, so check your state’s page before you pay.
In Queensland, yes. You enrol and pay, then sit it online on a laptop or desktop. In NSW and WA, no. You sit it on a computer at a service centre, though WA has free sample clips online to practise with.
In NSW, book and pay online through Service NSW, then go to a Service NSW centre. In Queensland, enrol online at service.transport.qld.gov.au/enrolinhpt, or in person or by phone at a customer service centre. In WA you don’t need to book at metro service centres. Just turn up before 3:45 pm on a weekday.
You can sit it again. In NSW you pay the $58 fee each time. In Queensland you can try as many times as you like, with no waiting time between attempts. In WA you come back another day and pay the $24.10 resit fee.
You’re driving at 60 km/h along a busy main road. Where should your eyes mostly be?
Up to about 12 seconds ahead (around 200 m), moving side to side and to your mirrors Looking up to 12 seconds ahead gives you time to spot trouble while it’s still building, like a broken-down truck or lanes merging. At 60 km/h that’s about 200 m. Keep your eyes moving: ahead, to the sides and to the mirrors.
You’re driving straight ahead in your lane, not turning or changing lanes. How often should you check your mirrors?
Every 8 to 10 seconds Things change behind and beside you all the time. A regular mirror check every 8 to 10 seconds tells you who’s overtaking, who’s following too closely and whether an emergency vehicle is coming up.
You’re following a van on a suburban road. Through its windows you see brake lights come on two cars further ahead. What should you do?
Ease off the accelerator and get ready to brake now Those brake lights are an early warning. If you ease off and set up the brake now, you’ll be ready when the van slows and you can brake gently. Looking through other vehicles’ windows is part of scanning far ahead.
You’re driving past a row of angle-parked cars. One has its reversing lights on and is starting to back out. There are more parked cars further along. What’s the main hazard, and what should you do?
The reversing car. Slow down, move away from it if it’s safe, and cover the brake Hazards often come in groups, so deal with the most urgent one first. The car backing out may come into your path, and its driver may not have seen you. Assume they haven’t until you’re sure.
In good, dry conditions, what’s the smallest safe gap to leave behind the vehicle in front?
3 seconds Leave at least a 3-second gap in front in good conditions. It gives you time to see the car ahead brake, decide what to do and brake yourself. Rear-end crashes are the number one crash for provisional drivers.
How do you check that you’re leaving a 3-second gap?
When the car ahead passes a fixed object, like a pole, count “one thousand and one” to “one thousand and three”. If you reach the object first, you’re too close Pick a roadside object such as a pole, tree or sign. Start counting when the car ahead passes it. If you get there before you finish “one thousand and three”, drop back and check again.
A car is following you very closely in a 60 km/h zone. What should you do?
Slow down a little to leave more space in front, so you can brake gently if you need to You can’t control the space behind you, but you can control the space in front. A bigger gap ahead means that if something happens, you can brake gradually, which gives the tailgater more room to stop too.
You’re coming up to a pedestrian crossing outside some shops. Nobody’s on the crossing yet, but people are walking near the kerb. What should you do?
Take your foot off the accelerator and cover the brake, ready to stop Where you might need to stop quickly, like crossings and shopping strips, ease off and get ready to brake before you get there. Someone near the kerb can step out in a second.
You’re turning left from a side street onto a busy 60 km/h road. Traffic is coming from your right. What’s the smallest gap the NSW handbook suggests?
At least 6 seconds (about 100 m) Left turns are sharp, and you need time to speed up to match the traffic. The handbook suggests at least 6 seconds, about 100 m, from vehicles on the right in a 60 km/h zone. If the gap is smaller, wait.
You pulled out of a side street onto a main road. How could you tell afterwards that the gap you chose was NOT safe?
A driver on the main road had to brake or change lanes for you A safe gap lets you turn, cross or change lanes without anyone else changing speed or position. If someone had to brake or swerve for you, you cut into their space and the gap was too small.
You’re waiting to turn right at traffic lights in a 60 km/h zone. An oncoming car is about 2 seconds away. What should you do?
Wait. The handbook suggests at least a 4-second gap (about 70 m) to oncoming traffic When you turn right at lights, you give way to oncoming traffic. Many new drivers crash here by picking gaps that are too small or misjudging how fast the oncoming car is going. Wait for at least 4 seconds, about 70 m in a 60 km/h zone.
You’re stopped at a Stop sign, waiting to cross straight over a two-way 60 km/h road. Which gaps does the NSW handbook suggest?
At least 3 seconds (about 50 m) to the right and at least 4 seconds (about 70 m) to the left From a standstill it takes at least 3 seconds to cross a typical intersection. You need a bigger gap from the left because you’re crossing into that traffic’s path last, and you shouldn’t make it slow down.
You’re driving past a school with cars parked along the kerb. A ball rolls out between two parked cars. What’s the hazard?
A child may run out after the ball. Slow down and be ready to stop Where there’s a ball, there’s often a child chasing it. Children can dart out quickly, and parked cars hide them. Slow down and be ready to stop.
You want to change lanes to the right on a multi-lane road. Your mirrors look clear. What should you do before you move?
Do a head check over your right shoulder for anything in your blind spot Mirrors don’t show everything. A motorcycle or small car can sit in your blind spot, out of sight. A quick head check before you change lanes or diverge is the only way to see that area.
You’re waiting to turn right. An oncoming truck is about to pass, and the road behind it looks empty. What’s the hazard?
A motorcycle or car could be hidden behind the truck. Wait until you can see the road properly Large vehicles hide what’s behind and beside them. A motorcycle following a truck is a classic hidden hazard. Wait until the truck has passed and you can see the whole road before you judge your gap.
Roadwork signs show a 40 km/h limit ahead. You can’t see any workers, and other cars are still doing 60. What should you do?
Slow to the signed limit and scan for workers, machinery and rough surfaces Roadwork signs are placed well before the site so you have time to slow down and pick the right lane. Obey them even if others don’t. Work sites can have machinery, rough surfaces, missing lane lines and workers close to the road.
You hear a siren but can’t see where it’s coming from. What should you do?
Turn your music down or off, check your mirrors and around you, and be ready to give way You have to give way to emergency vehicles, but first you need to know where they are. They can come from unexpected places, even the wrong side of the road. Turning the music off and winding the window down helps you work out the direction.
It’s raining heavily on an 80 km/h road. What following distance should you leave?
More than 3 seconds, at least 4 You need more stopping distance on a wet road, and spray makes hazards harder to see. The handbook says to leave more than 3 seconds in rain, fog and on icy roads. Four seconds is better in wet and poor conditions.
You’re driving at night along a dimly lit suburban street. What should you change?
Leave more than 3 seconds to the car ahead and look harder for pedestrians and cyclists, who are harder to see In the dark it’s harder to judge distances and speed, and pedestrians and cyclists are much harder to see. A longer following distance and careful scanning give you time to react.
You’re driving on a country road at dusk and pass a yellow sign showing a kangaroo. What should you do?
Slow down and scan the road and the roadsides, so you have time to brake Animals are unpredictable and hard to see, especially at dusk and at night. Slowing where animals are likely gives you a better chance of spotting one early and stopping. Swerving hard can be more dangerous than the animal itself.