Summary
Mock tests work best when you sit them like the real test and then study your mistakes. Know your mistake budget: 1 in the NSW DKT road safety section, 3 in NSW general knowledge, 7 in the Victorian in-person test, 1 in Queensland's giving-way section, 2 in its road rules section and 3 in the PrepL final test. Then read each explanation, look up the rule and come back to the question a few days later.
What is a mistake budget?
Every learner knowledge test has a pass mark, and the gap between the number of questions and the pass mark is your mistake budget: how many you can get wrong and still pass. Where a test has sections, each section has its own budget, and you can't borrow from one to cover another.
| Test | Section | Questions | Pass mark | Mistakes allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW DKT | General knowledge | 15 | 12 | 3 |
| Road safety | 30 | 29 | 1 | |
| VIC Learner permit test (in person) | All questions | 32 | 25 | 7 |
| QLD Written road rules test | Giving way | 10 | 9 | 1 |
| Road rules and licence requirements | 20 | 18 | 2 | |
| QLD PrepL final test | All questions | 30 | 27 | 3 |
Look at where the budget is tight. One mistake in NSW road safety or Queensland giving way is all you get. That is where a mock test tells you the most.
When should you start doing mock tests?
Not on day one. A mock test measures what you know; it isn't the best way to learn it. Start by reading your state's handbook a chapter at a time and answering practice questions on each topic. In the app, a 12-question quick check finds your starting point, and the daily plan mixes reviews, mistakes and new questions.
Once you've worked through every topic at least once, start sitting full mock tests. From then on, alternate: mock test, fix the mistakes, practise, and mock test again.
How do you sit a mock test like the real thing?
- Find a quiet spot and set aside enough time to finish in one go.
- No notes, no handbook and no looking things up. The point is to find the gaps.
- Answer every question, and flag the ones you're unsure of to review afterwards.
- Read the whole question and every option before choosing. Many wrong options are tempting because they are almost right.
In the NSW mock, the test ends where the real DKT would, as soon as passing is no longer possible, and you can choose to keep practising the remaining questions. That early stop is a useful jolt: it shows exactly how little room there is in the road safety section.
What should you do with your mistakes?
Your mistakes are the most valuable part of a mock test. For each one:
- Read the explanation and the rule it comes from. In the app every answer shows the handbook page or road rule.
- Work out why you got it wrong. Did you not know the rule, misread the question, or mix it up with a similar rule?
- Look it up. Reading the handbook page puts the rule in context and often clears up neighbouring rules too.
- Come back to it later. Answering it again a few days later, rather than straight away, is what makes it stick.
Don't ignore your lucky guesses either. A correct answer you guessed is a mistake waiting to happen. The app asks “How sure were you?” after each answer (knew it, unsure or guessed) and uses your reply to decide when to show the question again.
How should you read your results?
Look at each section against its own pass line, not just your total. A score of 40 out of 45 in the NSW DKT sounds comfortable, but if 2 of those 5 mistakes were in road safety, it is a fail. In the app, results show every section against its pass line, and the Today screen shows your weakest topic.
Over time, the pass-chance estimate combines your recent answers into a single number. Treat it as a guide, not a guarantee: it is based on practice questions, and the official test is set by your state. Premium adds a forecast for each section, which helps when one section is holding you back.
How many mock tests should you do?
There is no magic number. A better target is consistency: pass several mock tests in a row with a little room to spare in every section, especially the tight ones. If you pass one and fail the next, keep going.
Aim to understand the rules rather than memorise answers. Our questions are original, not the official ones, so recognising a question won't help you in the real test; knowing the rule will. In the free version you get one mock test a day, plus another each time you choose to watch a short ad. Premium makes them unlimited.
Which traps catch people out?
- Other states' numbers. Learning from a mix of sources can teach you the wrong figures. Supervised hours are a classic: NSW asks under-25s for 120 hours including 20 at night; Victoria asks for 120 hours, 20 or more after dark, if you'll be under 21 at your licence test; Queensland asks under-25s for 100 hours including 10 at night.
- Old rules. Rules change. Check that what you're learning matches the current handbook and your state's website.
- Rushing the easy ones. Most mistakes on questions you know come from reading too fast.
Ready to start? See the practice pages for NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, ACT and NT.