Quick answer
In Tasmania you get a car learner licence by passing the driver knowledge test (DKT). Most learners take the free Plates Plus online course first and then a 30-question online test, where you need 27 correct. Some questions have more than one correct answer, and there are no compulsory questions. You can also sit a standalone test at a Service Tasmania shop without doing the course, but its format isn't published.
| Test | Driver knowledge test (DKT), car |
|---|---|
| Online route | Free Plates Plus course of about 4 to 6 hours, then a 30-question online test; pass 27 of 30 |
| Question style | Multiple choice; some questions have more than one correct answer, and each question says whether it does. No compulsory questions. |
| Time | About 30 to 40 minutes, in one sitting |
| Retries online | One attempt every 12 hours, within 12 months of first enrolling |
| Standalone test | At any Service Tasmania shop, no course needed, free; format not published |
| Minimum age | 15 years 11 months for the course and test; 16 for the learner licence |
| After passing | Apply at a Service Tasmania shop within 12 months: identity documents, eyesight test, medical declaration and the licence fee |
How many questions are in the Tasmanian driver knowledge test?
The online test has 30 multiple-choice questions and the pass mark is 27, so you can get no more than 3 wrong. There are no compulsory questions, but some questions have more than one correct answer. Each question tells you whether it does, and you must select every correct option to get the mark. The test takes about 30 to 40 minutes in one sitting, and leaving part-way through loses your progress.
The standalone test at a Service Tasmania shop is a separate version of the test, but its number of questions and pass mark are not published. Tasmania's official information says people who skip the course are much less likely to pass. After a fail at a shop you can resit the next business day, or switch to the online course.
What is Plates Plus, and how does it work?
Plates Plus is Tasmania's official online course for new drivers and the recommended way to your learner licence. You enrol from 15 years and 11 months with a client ID, set up online through myServiceTas or at a Service Tasmania shop. The course takes about 4 to 6 hours in three sections; you can't skip content, and finishing all three unlocks the test. The course and test are free, you have 12 months from first enrolling to pass, and after a failed attempt you wait 12 hours. Once you pass, apply for your learner licence at a Service Tasmania shop within 12 months.
How old do you need to be?
- Plates Plus course and driver knowledge test: from 15 years and 11 months.
- Learner licence: from 16.
- P1 provisional licence: from 17.
What does the Tasmanian DKT cover?
The course and test cover the road rules and the reasons for them, safe driving attitudes and behaviour (with a focus on speeding, seatbelts, fatigue, distraction, and drink and drug driving) and licensing rules. Tasmanian rules that often catch learners out:
- Speed caps: learners must not exceed 90 km/h and P1 drivers 100 km/h, whatever the sign says.
- Gravel roads: outside built-up areas, the default limit on unsealed roads is 80 km/h.
- 40 km/h zones: no faster than 40 km/h past a stopped or slow police, emergency or roadside assistance vehicle with flashing lights (unless it is across a median strip), or within 50 m of a school bus showing its warning sign and light.
- Turning at traffic lights: no faster than 20 km/h.
- Double broken centre lines: in Tasmania you must not cross them to overtake.
- Phones: learners and P1 drivers may not use a phone at all while driving, not even hands-free.
What happens after you get your learner licence?
Your learner licence lasts 5 years. You may drive only with a supervising driver next to you: someone who has held a full licence for the past 12 months without a break. Show L plates at the front and rear, keep your alcohol at zero and don't tow anything. Four or more demerit points within 12 months brings a 3-month suspension.
You must hold your learner licence for at least 12 months in a row before P1, whatever your age, and log at least 80 hours of driving, 15 of them at night. The Hazard Perception Test can be sat from 3 months before the earliest test date printed on your licence: it has 25 video clips, you need 13 right, it's free and you can retry straight away. Pass it before you book the P1 driving assessment.
On P1 you show red P plates for at least 12 months and may carry no more than one passenger aged 16 to 21, unless an exemption applies (for example for family). Some P1 offences, such as speeding by 10 km/h or more, restart your P1 year. P2 brings green P plates, for 2 years if you are under 23, so the earliest age for a full licence is 20.
How to practise for the Tasmanian learners test with Learners Test Australia
- 30-question mock tests scored against the 27-question pass line.
- Select-all-that-apply questions, like the ones in the online test.
- More than 450 original Tasmanian questions, written from the Road Rules 2019 and Tasmania's licensing laws.
- Every answer explained, with the rule or regulation it comes from.
For the shared national rules, read the give way rules every learner must know, and plan your practice with our mock test guide.
Tasmania learners test questions people ask
How many questions are in the Tasmanian learners test?
The online driver knowledge test, taken after the Plates Plus course, has 30 questions and you need 27 correct. The format of the standalone test at Service Tasmania shops is not published.
Are there compulsory questions in the Tasmanian online test?
No. No single question has to be answered correctly to pass. Some questions do have more than one correct answer, and you only score if you choose every correct option.
Does the Plates Plus course cost anything?
No. The course and the driver knowledge test are free, online or at a Service Tasmania shop. You pay the learner licence fee after you pass.
Is Learners Test Australia the official Plates Plus app?
No. It is an independent practice app with original questions written from Tasmanian legislation. It is not connected to the Tasmanian Government, Plates Plus or Service Tasmania.
Practise with Learners Test Australia
Learners Test Australia is an independent study app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to any Australian state or territory government, licensing authority or other government agency. It is not connected to the Tasmanian Government, Plates Plus, Service Tasmania or Transport Tasmania.
Android app. Not on Google Play yet: we will add the link here when it is.