The QLD driving test: Q-SAFE practical test

Who can sit the driving test in QLD?

To get a P1 licence, TMR says you need to be at least 17, to have held your learner licence for at least a year within the last 5 years, to have passed the hazard perception test, and, if you're under 25, to have an approved logbook with 100 hours, 10 of them at night. If you turn up to a practical test without passing the hazard perception test, the test is cancelled and you don't get the fee back.

Pass when you're under 25 and you get a P1 licence. Pass at 25 or older and you go straight to a P2.

What the examiner checks

TMR publishes the Q-SAFE Driver Licence Assessment manual. It sets out the tasks you may be asked to do, how instructions are given, how you're scored, and the critical driving errors that end the test on the spot.

During the test, the examiner gives you tasks to complete while you follow the road rules, and won't ask you to do anything illegal or unsafe. Once you've started, they won't answer questions that could affect your driving. Turn your phone off first. Roadworks or a crash can make the test run longer.

Your test car

TMR doesn't supply cars, so you bring your own. It has to be registered, roadworthy and suitable, with L plates shown correctly, and you need the registered operator's permission to use it. If the examiner's check finds a problem, you can't take the test and you lose the booking fee.

Driver aids like cruise control or park assist can't be relied on during the test, and a blind-spot mirror doesn't replace looking over your shoulder. You need to show you can drive safely with your own eyes and mirrors.

On the day

Get there 20 minutes early and register with a customer service officer. If the centre isn't open yet, wait outside the entrance for the examiner. Bring:

• The car's registration number and the owner's permission to use it
• Your current learner licence. The Queensland Digital Licence app is fine, but your phone must be off during the test
• Extra proof of identity if you hold an overseas licence
• A current medical certificate if you have a condition that may affect your driving

You won't get the fee back if you're late or don't meet the logbook rules.

After the test

The examiner goes through your result with you at the centre. If you pass, you pay the licence fee and get a receipt that lets you drive until your card arrives in the mail. Take your L plates off before you leave and put up red P plates for a P1, or green for a P2. P-platers can't drive high-powered vehicles, so if you tested in one, you can't drive it away.

If you don't pass, ask what went wrong before you leave. There's no limit on attempts, but you pay each time, and for a car licence there's a wait before your next try:

• After a first fail, you can resit the next day
• After a second, 8 days later
• After a third or later fail, 29 days later

You can book the resit before the wait is over.