Photo: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
To get a car learner licence in Queensland you must pass a road rules test, and for most new drivers that is PrepL. PrepL is an online course and assessment with 30 multiple-choice questions, and you need 27 correct (90 per cent) to pass. You can enrol from 15 years and 11 months. This page covers how PrepL works, the older written test, retakes, fees and how to prepare.
PrepL at a glance
| PrepL | Written road rules test | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Online, on a phone, tablet or computer | In person at a TMR centre |
| Questions | 30 multiple choice | 30 multiple choice: 10 giving way, 20 road rules and licensing |
| Pass mark | 27 out of 30 | At least 9 of 10 giving way and 18 of 20 road rules |
| Minimum age | 15 years 11 months to enrol | 16 |
| Time | About 4 to 6 hours of learning, 12 months to finish | One sitting |
| Fee (from 1 July 2026) | $29.70 | $29.70 each attempt |
Do I have to do PrepL, or can I sit the written test?
TMR’s PrepL enrolment service says you will need to do PrepL before you can apply for a car learner licence. When PrepL launched in 2018, the Queensland Government said it would replace the 30-question written test and that alternative arrangements would be available for people who cannot use the online program. TMR’s driver tests page still describes the written test. If you cannot do PrepL online, ask TMR on 13 23 80 whether the written test is open to you.
How PrepL works
- Enrol online through TMR’s “Enrol in PrepL” service. Use your own email address, not a school or shared one, because you will lose access when you leave school.
- Enter your details. Existing TMR customers need their customer reference number (CRN). New customers may need Medicare card details.
- Pay the course fee by Visa or Mastercard unless you have already paid at a centre.
- Work through the modules at your own pace. PrepL covers the road rules and safe driving attitudes, including the “Fatal Five”: speeding, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, fatigue and distraction.
- Pass the assessment with 27 out of 30.
- Visit a customer service centre with your identity documents to get your learner licence. See learning to drive in Queensland for what to bring.
What if I fail PrepL?
You can try again. TMR’s PrepL information says you wait 24 hours before another attempt and there is no extra fee within your 12 months of access. The written test is different: one attempt a day, and you pay the test fee each time. Your result is valid for 5 years, so you do not need to rush to get your licence once you pass.
What the questions cover
TMR’s free practice road rules test mirrors the general test: 10 giving way questions and 20 road rule questions. Expect questions on:
- giving way at intersections, T-intersections, roundabouts and to pedestrians
- speed limits, including the 50 km/h default in built-up areas and 100 km/h elsewhere
- signs, signals, road markings and traffic lights
- learner and P plate conditions, demerit points, alcohol and phones
- hazardous places such as school zones and level crossings
Useful revision: giving way in Australia, roundabout rules and Australian road signs explained.
How to prepare
- Read Your keys to driving in Queensland; TMR tells you to read it before the practice test. Our study guide to Your keys to driving in Queensland summarises each section.
- Do TMR’s free practice road rules test until you score at least 27 every time.
- Learn the Queensland learner rules you will need on day one: Queensland learner rules.
Common questions
Is PrepL harder than the written test?
Both have 30 questions and need about 90 per cent. The difference is that PrepL teaches you the material in modules before the assessment, and it also covers safe driving attitudes, not just the rules.
Can I do PrepL at 15?
Yes, from 15 years and 11 months. You still have to wait until 16 for the licence itself.
How long do I have to finish PrepL?
12 months from paying.
Can I do PrepL on my phone?
Yes. It runs on phones, tablets and computers.
Is cheating on the road rules test an offence?
Yes. The Driver Licensing Regulation makes cheating, or sitting the test for someone else, an offence.
I moved from overseas. Do I need PrepL?
Possibly. TMR’s enrolment page asks about your licence to decide. See moving to Queensland.
Sources
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Enrol in PrepL” (service.transport.qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Practice road rules test” (service.transport.qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Driver tests: written and online” (qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “PrepL online learning and assessment” (qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Licence fees” (qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Ministerial Media Statements, “New learner test PrepLs Queenslanders into driver’s seat”, 21 November 2018 (statements.qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Transport Operations (Road Use Management: Driver Licensing) Regulation 2021” (legislation.qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Transport Operations (Road Use Management: Road Rules) Regulation 2009” (legislation.qld.gov.au)