What You Need To Know

Course Content

The RTA log book that is provided to learner drivers contains important information regarding the learning goals that will be assessed during the driving test. Professional Driver Education bases our course content on these goals, and we will help learners to develop the appropriate skills that are needed to drive safely and confidently.

Our courses start with an assessment of the student’s existing skills. The instructors will then assist the student to identify possible hazards and risks before and during driving, and understand action that can be taken to reduce risk. The four key areas of driver development are listed below, and mirror the learner drivers log book:

Building a Foundation

1. Preparing to drive
2. Vehicle controls
3. Moving off and stopping
4. Steering
5. Changing gears
6. Scanning
7. Reversing

Traffic Skills

8. Simple traffic
9. Parking
10. Complex traffic
11. Changing lanes

Low Risk Driving

12. Speed management
13. Road positioning
14. Decision making
15. Responding to hazards

Building Experience

16. Driving at night
17. Driving in adverse conditions
18. Country driving
19. City and motorway driving
20. Preparing for the Driving Test

NSW Requirements when Learning to Drive

The NSW Government undertook research into accident rates on NSW roads which revealed that young drivers aged 17-25 years were more likely to be involved in crashes resulting in death or injury than other drivers. As a result, a graduated licensing scheme for car drivers has been introduced. This system is designed to give novice drivers an opportunity to build their experience on the road, while improving safe driving skills before moving from a learner to red P, green P and finally to a full licence. The minimum time it now takes for a 16 year old to move from a learners licence to a full licence is four years.

Learner licences are valid for five years. When a learner driver is issued with their learner licence, they will receive a Learner driver log book. This allows the learner’s supervising driver to record each driving experience. Learners must log at least 120 hours of supervised driving, including a minimum of 20 hours of night driving, before they can attempt the Driving Test.

Learner drivers who complete a one hour structured driving lesson with a fully licensed driving instructor are able to record three hours driving experience in their Learner Driver Log Book, up to a maximum of 10 hours of lessons – which will be recorded and acknowledged by the RTA as 30 hours driving experience in their Learner Driver Log Book. These structured lessons must be recorded in the Structured Lesson Record Keeper log book insert by the accredited driving instructor in order to be recognised.

Demerit points apply to learner drivers, and a learner’s licence may be suspended or refused if the threshold of four demerit points is reached or exceeded.

Driver Knowledge Test

All learner drivers must complete a Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) prior to obtaining their Learners Licence. They must attend a NSW motor registry and prove their identity before attempting this computer based test. Before taking the test, it is important to study the Road Users’ Handbook and the brochure “Getting your Driver’s Licence”

Learners can download and study the full list of DKT questions from the RTA website at

Professional Driver Education recommends all learners complete a number of practice Driver Knowledge Tests on the RTA website prior to attempting the test at an RTA office.