Practical driving test tips

In New South Wales, if you’ve had your Ls for 12 months, logged 120 hours at the wheel (including 20 hours of night driving) and turned 17, you’re eligible to go for your P1 license by sitting the driving test. 

Practice makes perfect and the more you prepare yourself for your driving test the more confident you'll be - and less likely to make mistakes. Put these driving test tips into practice a few times before you sign-up for the real thing. 

Each time you drive:

• Show confidence in using the controls of the car.
• Leave the kerb safely.
• Perform a hill start without rolling back.
• Travel at suitable speeds for the conditions.
• Maintain a safe gap between you and other vehicles.
• Have mirrors adjusted correctly.
• Indicate sufficiently before turning or merging.
• Check blind spots before changing lanes.
• Brake and (if in a manual) change gears smoothly.
• Show good judgment at intersections.
• Stay in the correct lane/position on the road when turning.
• Scan ahead and take suitable action in unexpected situations.
• Stop your car smoothly one meter before the line at STOP signs and traffic lights.
• Perform a reverse parallel park, a straight line reverse, angle park and a 3-point turn.
• Drive without drifting out of the lane.

License applicants who pass the drive test will have demonstrated that they can drive safely and legally in the day-to-day driving activities assessed in the test.

If you're unsure about your driving test, it can be helpful to get a professional driving instructor to put you through the paces and give you some practical driving test tips first.

For information on how to obtain a Provisional Drivers Licence in the ACT visit the Access Canberra website.