The Hazard Perception Test (HPT) is the second test on the way to your NSW P1 licence, after the DKT and before the driving test. It is a touch-screen computer test of how well you recognise potentially dangerous situations and react to them.
Key facts
- You must hold a current NSW learner licence.
- Under 25: you must have held it for at least 10 months. 25 and over: sit it whenever you are ready.
- Fee: $58 per attempt. You can try as many times as you need.
- A pass is valid for 15 months: pass your driving test within that time.
- You take it at a Service NSW Centre; check service.nsw.gov.au for the current booking options.
What the HPT tests
You watch traffic situations from the driver's seat and touch the screen to show when it is safe to act, for example when to slow down, turn, overtake or go through an intersection, and when you should not. The test checks that you can judge gaps, keep a safe crash avoidance space, and spot hazards early.
How to prepare
- Read the official Hazard Perception Handbook from Transport for NSW. It explains the skills the test measures.
- Get real driving hours. The 10-month wait exists for a reason: the HPT rewards experience. Ask your supervisor to talk through hazards as you drive.
- Practise the three key skills: keeping a 3-second (or longer) gap to the car ahead, choosing safe gaps when turning or joining traffic, and scanning far ahead, to the sides and in your mirrors.
- Commentary driving: as a passenger or learner, say out loud what could go wrong next: a car pulling out, a pedestrian stepping off the kerb, brake lights ahead.
- Be careful with practice websites. Transport for NSW warns that third-party practice tests are not the same as the real HPT.
Where it fits
DKT, then learner licence (120 logbook hours if under 25), then HPT, then the driving test for your P1 licence. Brush up on road safety rules with the DKT guide and free NSW practice tests.
Checked against official sources on 18 October 2026.