Melbourne Driving School

Vic roads Licence Test

You must be at least 16 years old before you can sit the car learner permit test.
The learner permit test comprises of 32 questions, pass mark is 78%
Questions are based on the Road To Solo Driving handbook.

For Learner Permits issued after 1 July 2007, the following conditions will apply before you can sit your practical drive test:

If you are under the age of 21, you will be required to undertake a minimum of 120 hours (Including at least 10 hours of night driving) of supervised driving before you can take your licence test.
You must record these hours in the official learner logbook, which must be signed by you and your supervising driver
You must hold your learner permit for at least twelve months
Drivers 21 years of age or over but under 25 years of age, you must hold your learner permit for at least six months
Drivers 25 years of age or over you must hold your learner permit for at least 3 months.

Hazard Perception Test

A Vic roads computer based test comprising of 28 questions of which you need a minimum 54% score. Your Melbourne driving school driving instructor will be pleased to provide you with more information and helpful advice on passing your hazard perception test.

Graduated Licence System

Vicroads has made changes to the driver licensing system to help improve the safety of young drivers. The changes ensure that the road safety gains of recent years continue. There will also be some new support programs for young drivers and their parents to promote safer driving.

How the System works?

New Learner requirements and a one-year P1 and three years P2 Licence will be introduced.

People under the age of 21 years, applying for a probationary licence:

Must hold a learner permit for a minimum of 12 months
Must obtain a minimum of 120 hours on road supervised learner driving experience
Must go on to a minimum one year P1 licence, followed by a minimum three years P2 licence.

People aged 21 to under 25 years will be required to hold their learner permit for a minimum of six months and then go directly on to a minimum three years P2 licence.

People aged 25 years and over will be required to hold their learner permit for a minimum of three months and then go directly on to a minimum three year P2 Licence.

Other New Measures Include:

An Improved driving test for all probationary licence applicants
A ban on all mobile phone use for learner and P1 drivers
A requirement for a good driving record to progress to the next stage of licence
Alcohol interlocks for first time drink driving offenders on Ps or aged under 26 years
A revised high powered vehicle restriction for P1 and P2 drivers
Support Programs for new drivers, supervising drivers, and driving instructors.

Drive Test

On road drive test
The practical drive test is conducted after you have passed your Hazard perception test. During the test, you will have your Melbourne Driving school driving Instructor accompany you, whilst the Vic roads tester sits in the back Seat. You will drive for between 20 to 30 minutes around a pre determined drive test route near the Vicroads office.

The driving test is split into three Sections:

Pre-drive check
Driving in Traffic
Low Speed Maneuvering

To apply for your licence in Victoria you must be at least 18 years of age and have held your learner permit for a minimum period of time.

There are three steps involved in passing your licence test. You must pass:

An eyesight test
A hazard perception test
A driving test

It is recommended that while you are on your learner permit you complete at least 120 hours of driving in all conditions to prepare you for your test and to be a safer driver on our roads.

If you pass your drive test, you will be issued with a Probationary drivers licence, which is valid for three years. During this time you will have certain restrictions imposed on you.

Once you have held your probationary licence for the appropriate amount of time, you will progress to a full licence without the need to do any further tests ^Top

What will I be assessed on?

During your driving test, your testing officer will give you simple, clear instructions such as “At the next street, turn right.” If you are unsure of an instruction, you may ask for it to be repeated.’

Your driving test will be marked as follows:

YES when you do something correctly.
NO when you do not do something correctly.
N/A if road or traffic conditions mean you cannot perform the expected behaviour.

Your driving skills will be assessed against a performance checklist for which you must get a YES for at least 85% to pass the test and obtain your licence.

The performance list is as follows:

1. Pre-Drive Check

You must know where these controls are and how to use them:

Indicators and brake lights*
Wiper/washer control(s)*
Horn*
Headlights – high/low beam*
Hazard lights*
Seatbelt*
Demister
Handbrake

* If any of these controls are not in proper working order, the test cannot proceed.

You must be able to turn on the engine.

2. Driving In Traffic

During the drive, your testing officer will check that you do the following:

Mirrors

You must check the mirror immediately before signalling and before braking.

Signals

You must signal long enough to give sufficient warning to other drivers and pedestrians before turning, and for at least 5 seconds if merging into traffic or changing lanes. At roundabouts, you must keep signalling whilst driving in the roundabout. You must cancel your signal immediately after turning or diverging.

Lane Change

Before merging into traffic or changing lanes, you must do a head check by turning your head and looking through the appropriate side window to check for other road users in your blind spots. You must maintain reasonable progress and ensure a safe gap in the traffic.

Approach

You must brake smoothly using brakes only or brakes and gears when slowing down or stopping.

Position Stop

You must stop the car within 2 metres of the stop line at a stop sign. You must not stop with the front wheels on or in front of the stop line. If there is no stop line, you must stop as close as practical to, but before the stop sign or intersection.

Judgement

At intersections, you must slow down, look in the correct direction(s) and react correctly to other vehicles and pedestrians.

Turns

When turning, you must drive in the correct lane or position on the road and follow all road markings and traffic lane arrows.

Progress

You must travel at a suitable speed for the conditions but not above the speed limit.

Position on the Road

Your car must travel entirely within the lane markings of the correct lane or in the correct lane of traffic.

Car Control

You must control the vehicle correctly using steering, gears and clutch (if fitted), brakes, accelerator and handbrake.

Safety Margin

You must keep an acceptable safety margin (distance) when following other vehicles.

3. Low Speed Manoeuvring

This aspect of the assessment will test your control of the car at low speed including in reverse.

You should not turn the steering wheel while the car is stationary (dry steering).

You will be asked to do one of these low speed manoeuvres during your driving assessment:

Reverse Parallel Parking

You will be required to pull up next to a legally parked vehicle and asked to reverse into the space behind the vehicle.

You must:

Look in the direction of travel before and during reversing
Position your car parallel to the kerb within 300mm and be between 1 and 2 metres from the car in front
Not reverse back further than 7 metres from the vehicle in front
Use no more than 4 and no less than 2 movements to enter the space and no more than 4 to leave it
Signal and do a head check before leaving the space

Point to Point Reverse

You will be asked to reverse for approximately 20 metres to a point nominated by the testing officer.

You must:

Look in the direction of travel before and during reversing
Start approximately 1 metre from and parallel to the kerb and finish with your car to and within 300mm of the kerb
Make no more than one forward correction
Signal and do a head check before leaving the space

Angle Park

You will be asked to drive into and reverse out of an angled parking bay.

You must:

put on your left signal before entering the parking bay
Place your car centrally (taking into account) any vehicles parked in the adjacent bays) and entirely within the parking bay
Finish with the wheels parallel from the marked lines on the side of the bay and 500mm from the front of the bay
Look in the direction of travel before and during reversing
In a 45 degree angle park, complete the manoeuvre in one forward and one reverse (outward) movement
In a 90 degree angle park, you can make one correction when moving into the bay
Look over your shoulder when reversing out of the parking bay
Reverse out of the parking bay in one movement

Three Point Turn

You will be asked to make a three point turn (turn your car around) on a road which is not as wide as your car’s turning circle.

You should be able to complete this manoeuvre in three movements:

You must:

Put on your left signal before stopping at the kerb
Position your car parallel to and within 300mm of the kerb before starting the turn
put on your right signal before leaving the kerb
Look in both directions before commencing the turn
Proceed across the road to the opposite kerb
Look in both directions along the road before reversing
Look in the direction of travel before and during reversing
After reversing, look in both directions before moving off

For you to pass the low speed manoeuvre aspect, you should not

Take longer than 2 minutes to complete the manoeuvre
Mount the kerb
Finish positioning your car with the front and/or left wheels more than 1 metre from the kerb
Take more than 5 movements to complete the three point turn
Reverse any part of your car over the centre of the road during the point to point reverse or the reverse parallel park

What are immediate failures?

You will be failed immediately if you do anything deemed illegal or unsafe. For example:

Not stopping at a:

Red traffic control signal
Stop sign and/or stop line
School crossing with the flags or signs displayed when any pedestrian is on the crossing

Position after stopping:

If you stop at a location that placed another road user in a dangerous situation.

Colliding with:

Another vehicle
A pedestrian
An object such as rubbish bin or pole placed on or near the road

Dangerous actions such as:

Requiring emergency braking or swerving by another driver, or dodging by a pedestrian to prevent collision
Requiring the instructor or testing officer to come to your aid in controlling the car
Driving any wheel over the kerb or onto the footpath
Committing any driving fault which causes immediate danger to any person or property
Lack of control to the point where the testing officer believes continuing the assessment would be dangerous
Improper action causing collision of other vehicles in the immediate vicinity

Speed Limits

Driving over the speed limit for more than 5 consecutive seconds from when speeding is verified.

Slow Driving

Driving too slowly without reason continuously for more than 10km/h under the speed limit. On completion of the test, you will be given a copy of your results. The “Improvement Needed” section will identify your strengths and your weaknesses. This feedback will provide you with the opportunity to further improve your driving skills by concentrating your efforts on those weaker areas.

Information is drawn from a brochure entitled “What you need to know about your licence assessment”, produced by VicRoads. If you require further information, please visit their website at www.vicroads.vic.gov.au