Photo: Orderinchaos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Driving Techniques for Safer Drivers is DTMI’s free booklet for WA learner drivers. Its Part 4 lists the ten low-speed manoeuvres the Practical Driving Assessment (PDA) exercises are built from. Each PDA includes two exercises, and each exercise combines two of those manoeuvres into an everyday task. This checklist sets out all ten, the two sample exercises and the booklet’s scoring method, so you and your supervisor can run a practice PDA at home.
Key facts
- Booklet: Driving Techniques for Safer Drivers: A Guide for Learner Drivers, revised 6 August 2026.
- The PDA has 5 sections: 3 follow-directions drives and 2 exercises.
- Each exercise combines 2 of the 10 manoeuvres below.
- A three point turn is used only if no other option is available.
- You are near PDA standard when you consistently score at least 5 of the 6 manoeuvre ticks.
The ten PDA manoeuvres
| No. | Manoeuvre | Practise until you can |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reverse into a driveway, then drive forward to go back along the street the other way | Reverse in without clipping the kerb or crossing to the wrong side |
| 2 | Drive forward into a driveway on the right, then reverse out and change direction | Judge oncoming traffic before turning across it |
| 3 | Drive forward into a driveway on the left, then reverse out to change direction | Check behind and both ways while reversing |
| 4 | Drive forward into a driveway on the left, then reverse back out to leave in the same direction you started | Pick a gap and rejoin smoothly |
| 5 | U-turn | Choose a legal spot with a clear view, in one smooth movement |
| 6 | U-turn at a roundabout | Approach and signal as for a right turn |
| 7 | Reverse parallel park | Park close to and parallel with the kerb |
| 8 | Forward angle park | Stop centred in the bay next to other cars |
| 9 | Reverse angle park | Back into a bay with steady speed and observation |
| 10 | Three point turn (only if no other option) | Finish in as few moves as possible |
The right-hand column is practice advice drawn from the PDA items, not a booklet requirement. For roundabout signalling, see roundabout rules in Australia. For parallel parking steps, see parking rules in Australia.
The two sample exercises
Exercise A: “I left something behind”
You drive off from a friend’s house and realise you left something there. You go back, collect it and set off again. The two manoeuvres:
- Turn around to go back: a driveway turn (manoeuvre 1, 2 or 3) or a U-turn (5 or 6).
- Turn around and park outside the house again: the same choices.
Exercise B: “Stopping for shopping”
You have just passed the entrance to a shop’s car park on a busy street. You turn into the next side street on the left, turn around, come back and park next to another car. The two manoeuvres:
- Turn around: a driveway turn (1, 2 or 3) or a U-turn (5 or 6).
- Park next to another vehicle: forwards (8) or backwards (9).
The booklet suggests building your own combinations too, for example:
- manoeuvre 1 with manoeuvre 6
- manoeuvre 3 then manoeuvre 9 in a nearby car park
- manoeuvre 5 then manoeuvre 8, as when looking for a parking spot.
How to score a practice exercise
Your supervisor marks each manoeuvre on three items, then the whole task on four more:
| First manoeuvre | Second manoeuvre | Whole task |
|---|---|---|
| Flow | Flow | Look behind |
| Movement | Movement | Signal |
| Path | Path | Responsiveness |
| Vehicle management |
Doing both manoeuvres well earns six ticks. When you can consistently score at least five, you are close to PDA standard.
Measurable checks from the PDA items
Part 3 of the booklet spells out what loses a mark. The ones you can measure in practice:
- Movement: rolling more than 30 cm the wrong way, or moving off in the wrong gear, loses the item. Exceeding the speed limit is an automatic fail.
- Signal: when leaving a parked position, indicate for 5 seconds before moving. Cancel within 3 flashes of finishing the manoeuvre. Still flashing after 4 is a fault.
- Look behind: check your mirrors 5 to 10 seconds before turning or diverging. Head check just before you move into a space a following vehicle could enter. A head check more than 2 seconds early doesn’t count.
- Path: stay central in marked lanes and keep to a legal path. Don’t reverse onto the wrong side of the road.
- Vehicle management: secure loose objects, check everyone is belted, adjust seat and mirrors, and use switches such as wipers when needed. Turning with the clutch in or steering from inside the wheel is a fault.
- Flow: a stall is fine if you restart straight away without breaking your rhythm.
The full list of instant fails is in our guide to the WA Practical Driving Assessment.
Run a full practice PDA
- Drive a short route with your supervisor giving directions only (section 1).
- Do a two-manoeuvre exercise, such as Exercise A (section 2).
- Follow directions again, including a busier road (section 3).
- Do a second exercise, such as Exercise B (section 4).
- Follow directions back to your start (section 5).
Afterwards, ask yourself whether you managed without questions, without thinking hard, and while chatting to your supervisor. Ask your supervisor whether they stayed quiet and comfortable the whole time. If you can say yes to all of those, you are close to ready.
What else is in the booklet
- Part 1, Learning to drive: the graduated licensing steps, supervisor duties and a four-stage practice plan with skill checklists. See WA learner rules and the 50 hour logbook.
- Part 2, The PDA: how the test works and the vehicle suitability check.
- Part 3, The PDA items: diagrams and scoring for all seven items.
- Part 4, Are you ready?: the manoeuvres, exercises and practice forms.
Common questions
Is a three point turn in the WA driving test?
Only if no other option is available. The booklet lists it as manoeuvre 10 on that basis.
Do I have to reverse park in the WA PDA?
Not necessarily. Your two exercises use manoeuvres from the set of ten, and you often choose the method yourself, such as forward or reverse angle parking.
Can I choose how to do each exercise?
Yes. The assessor explains the task and you decide the best way to do it. Pick a method that is safe, legal and suits the location.
Where do I get the booklet?
It is a free PDF on the DTMI website, linked from the learner driver resources and PDA pages.
Do I need a car park to practise?
Yes, for manoeuvres 8 and 9. DTMI suggests practising both kinds of angle parking next to other cars in shopping centre car parks.
Start from learning to drive in Western Australia for the full licence path.
Sources
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Driving Techniques for Safer Drivers: A Guide for Learner Drivers”, revised 6 August 2026 (transport.wa.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Pass the Practical Driving Assessment (PDA)” (transport.wa.gov.au)