Photo: Philip Mallis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Victorian Hazard Perception Test (HPT) is a computer test of 25 short driving videos that you must finish within 45 minutes. You can take it from 17 years and 11 months with a current Victorian learner permit, and you must pass it before you can book the drive test. This guide covers how the test works, the fees as of November 2026, and how to build the skill it measures.
Key facts
- 25 video scenarios, up to 45 minutes in total.
- Minimum age 17 years and 11 months, with a current Victorian car learner permit.
- Online first attempt free. Further attempts are charged.
- Online: up to two attempts a day. After two unsuccessful attempts, wait until the next day.
- Your online test access lasts 12 months from registration.
- A pass lasts 12 months: pass the drive test within that time or sit the HPT again.
- You must pass the HPT before the drive test.
How the Victorian Hazard Perception Test works
Each item shows a video of a real traffic situation and asks when it is safe to do something, such as slow down or turn.
- For some items you click the mouse when it is safe to do the driving task.
- In some clips the safe choice is to wait or keep going steadily rather than act. Keeping a steady speed is a driving decision; recording it is a separate step. Follow the practice test and the on-screen instructions for how to respond, and do not assume that leaving a clip unanswered will be marked as the safe choice.
- You must respond to all 25 scenarios within 45 minutes, or the attempt counts as unsuccessful.
The test checks how well you watch the whole road and anticipate hazards, not how fast your reflexes are.
When can you sit the HPT in Victoria?
- From 17 years and 11 months, so you can pass it just before you turn 18 and book the drive test.
- You need a current Victorian learner permit.
- If you are under 21, you still need 120 logged hours before the drive test, but the HPT itself has no logbook check. See the Victoria 120 hour logbook guide.
Victorian HPT fees (as of November 2026)
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Online, first attempt | Free |
| Online, further attempts | $22.10 |
| In person at a Customer Service Centre | Test fee plus appointment fee: check the VicRoads fees page |
The VicRoads Ls and Ps fees page lists $22.10 for each further online attempt. In person, it lists a $21.90 test fee plus a $22.10 appointment fee, $44.00 in total. Check the current fee when you book. If you do not sit the online test within 12 months of registering, you must register again and pay a new test fee. Separately, a pass is valid for 12 months: you must pass the drive test within 12 months of passing the HPT, or take the HPT again. More: VicRoads Ls and Ps fees 2026.
What hazard perception means
The Road to Solo Driving handbook defines it as the ability to:
- identify possible risks or dangers around you
- assess how risky they are and predict what might happen
- respond in time to avoid or deal with them.
Young drivers usually have good reaction times but poor hazard perception. Hazards include the cars around you, a motorcycle in a side street, a double parked truck, a train about to cross, pedestrians and bicycle riders, weather, potholes, a tight curve and the blind crest of a hill.
How to get better at hazard perception
- Scan constantly. Look ahead, to the sides and in your mirrors, not just at the car in front.
- Use head checks. Mirrors leave blind spots, such as outside the rear door on the driver’s side. Look over your shoulder when reversing, changing lanes, merging or pulling out, but never take your eyes off the road ahead for more than a second.
- Set your mirrors properly. Adjust the seat first, then the mirrors so the outside and inside views overlap. The outside mirrors should just catch the edge of the car.
- Drive in variety. Night, rain, peak traffic, different speed zones and gravel roads all teach you new hazards.
- Commentary drive. Say out loud what you see and what might happen next, while your supervising driver listens.
- Use the official practice tests. Transport Victoria offers free practice hazard perception tests that are similar to the real one.
Hazard awareness is also assessed on the road. See the VicRoads drive test and managing risk as a new Victorian driver.
Scenario: a gap to turn right
You are waiting to turn right across two lanes of oncoming traffic. A bus is approaching with a car hidden behind it. The safe answer is to wait until the bus has passed and you can see the lane behind it is clear. Clicking as soon as the bus passes, without checking what it was hiding, is not a safe response. Turning right across traffic is one of the most common crash types for new Victorian drivers.
Common questions
How many clips are in the VicRoads hazard perception test?
25 scenarios, with 45 minutes in total to complete them.
Can I do the Victorian HPT at 17?
Only from 17 years and 11 months, with a current Victorian learner permit.
How many times can I sit the HPT online in a day?
Two. After two unsuccessful attempts you must wait until the next day.
Is the hazard perception test free in Victoria?
The first online attempt is free. Each further online attempt is $22.10 on the current VicRoads fees page.
Can I sit the HPT in another language?
The handbook says the HPT is available in some languages. Check the current list with VicRoads.
How long is a pass valid?
Check the current validity period with VicRoads before you book your drive test, and plan to sit the drive test soon after you pass.
Back to the full guide: learning to drive in Victoria.
Sources
- VicRoads, “Hazard Perception Test” (vicroads.vic.gov.au)
- VicRoads, “Ls and Ps fees” (vicroads.vic.gov.au)
- Transport Victoria, “Hazard perception practice tests for probationary drivers” (transport.vic.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Planning, “Road to Solo Driving” handbook (edge.sitecorecloud.io, transport.vic.gov.au)