New South Wales residents looking to get their learner driver licence now don’t have to go into a Service NSW Centre.
Transport for NSW has introduced an online Driver Knowledge Test, following other states like Victoria and Queensland which have already launched similar online assessment programs.
Those going for their learner’s will still need to go into an office to apply for their licence and get their photo taken, which costs $55.
There’s a significant time and cost saving with the new online test, however. Transport for NSW won’t charge $55 per test attempt, with the online test offering unlimited attempts, while people won’t need to take time off of work or study to go into a Service NSW Centre.
Instead, the test can be taken anywhere, anytime – especially handy for those living in regional areas.
Transport for NSW also says it can give young people a head start, as it can be accessed when they’re 15 years and 11 months old. They can then visit a Service NSW Centre on their 16th birthday to obtain their licence.
The online test will take 4-6 hours to complete, and you have 12 months to access the course once you enrol online.
It’s being launched initially in English and Simplified Chinese, with additional languages to be added in the future. It also features a text-to-speech functionality to help those with low literacy or dyslexia.
You can view a full list of eligibility requirements on the Service NSW website.
The online test’s official launch comes after a six-week pilot in metro and regional locations, with Transport for NSW boasting 94 per cent of participants gave the program four or five stars.
“Within 12 months, we’re expecting about 200,000 customers to complete the DKT online so this will also free up our Service NSW team members to dedicate their time to other critical transactions,” said Lauren Nagel, Service NSW executive director of partnerships, projects and insights.
New South Wales has trailed other states in rolling out an online test.
Queensland introduced its PrepL online test in 2018, with Victoria following with its own online test in 2021, and South Australia and Tasmania in 2022.
