Photo: Outrune, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
You can sit the WA Hazard Perception Test (HPT) once you are at least 16 years and 6 months old and have held your learner’s permit for at least 6 months. You need both. It is a computer test where you click when it is safe to start a manoeuvre or when you need to act to avoid a crash, and you must pass it before you can book your driving test. This guide covers eligibility, how responses are judged, the free practice clips and the fees as of November 2026.
Key facts
- Eligibility: age 16 years 6 months AND 6 months on your learner’s permit.
- No appointment needed at metro DTMI service centres. Tests must start before 3.45pm, Monday to Friday.
- Fee: $29.90. Each resit: $24.10 (as of November 2026).
- A pass is valid for 5 years.
- You must pass the HPT before you can book the Practical Driving Assessment (PDA).
Who can sit the HPT: age AND time on your permit
DTMI’s February 2026 news article on the seven steps says you can sit the HPT once you reach 16 years and 6 months or have held your permit for 6 months. The official HPT pages and the Drive Safe handbook all list the requirements together:
- be at least 16 years and 6 months old, and
- have held your learner’s permit for at least 6 months.
Plan on meeting both. Drive Safe says the 6 months are counted as calendar months from the issue date of your permit.
Worked example
You get your permit on your 16th birthday. You reach both requirements on the day you turn 16 years 6 months. If you get your permit at 16 years 3 months, you wait until 16 years 9 months, when you have held it for 6 months.
How the WA HPT works
You watch a series of moving traffic scenes on a computer. In each one you respond by clicking the mouse when:
- it is safe to start a manoeuvre, such as turning right across traffic or overtaking, or
- you need to act to reduce the risk of a crash, such as slowing down.
The computer records when you respond, or whether you respond at all, and compares that with the recommended response time (or no response) for that scene. There are separate tests for cars and for motorcycles and mopeds.
What the official practice test teaches you
DTMI’s free online practice test for cars has four scenes:
- Stopped at an intersection, waiting to turn right.
- Approaching an intersection where you may need to slow down.
- Driving on a country road where you may overtake if it is safe and legal.
- Driving straight ahead where you may need to slow down.
The feedback shows how answers are marked wrong:
| Feedback | What it means |
|---|---|
| Too early | You slowed down before the hazard was visible |
| Too late | You didn’t slow down in time as you approached the hazard |
| No click | You didn’t respond within the time frame |
| Wrong (turning) | You turned before you were sure there was no oncoming traffic |
Lessons from the practice feedback:
- Look further ahead so you spot hazards before they become a problem.
- Turn right only when you are positive no oncoming traffic is coming. Keep your wheels straight while you wait.
- Never overtake across a continuous white line, and never exceed the speed limit to overtake.
DTMI recommends doing the practice test on a computer rather than a phone.
Where and when to sit it
- Any DTMI service centre or regional agent.
- No appointment at metro centres. You may need to call regional centres and agents first.
- Tests must start before 3.45pm, Monday to Friday. Joondalup Driver Assessment Centre allows starts from 7.15am until 4.45pm, Monday to Saturday.
- Bring your learner’s permit, or primary and secondary identification.
Fees (as of November 2026)
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| First Hazard Perception Test | $29.90 |
| Each resit | $24.10 |
If you don’t pass
You resit on another day and pay the resit fee. Use the time to drive more with your supervisor, especially at intersections and on busier roads. The HPT tests the judgement you build through real driving experience.
Help with English and remote exemptions
- If you have difficulty reading English, you can listen to the instructions through headphones.
- An interpreter can translate for you, but only during the introduction and practice session, not the test itself.
- If you live more than 100 km from a centre or agent with HPT facilities, you can apply for an exemption using the Application for Exemption from Hazard Perception Test (Form E19).
After the HPT
Keep driving and logging hours. Under 25s need at least 50 supervised hours, including 5 at night, before the PDA. See WA learner rules and the 50 hour logbook. You can sit the WA Practical Driving Assessment from age 17. For the full sequence, see learning to drive in Western Australia.
Common questions
Can I sit the WA HPT at 16 and a half if I got my Ls at 16 and 2 months?
No. You also need 6 months on your permit, so you wait until 16 years and 8 months.
How many clips are in the WA HPT?
DTMI doesn’t publish the number of scenes in the real test. The practice test has four for cars.
Can I do the HPT online at home?
Only the practice test. The real HPT is taken at a DTMI service centre or regional agent.
Can I do the HPT and the driving test on the same day?
You need an HPT pass before you can book the PDA, so pass the HPT first and then book.
Do I need to sit the HPT again if I fail the driving test?
No. An HPT pass is valid for 5 years.
Sources
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Hazard Perception Test (HPT)” (transport.wa.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Sit a Hazard Perception Test (HPT)” (transport.wa.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Drive Safe: A handbook for Western Australian road users”, revised 5 August 2026 (transport.wa.gov.au)
- 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, “No more roadblocks: 7 steps to getting your first licence in WA” (transport.wa.gov.au)