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VIC Roads Drive Test

The following information is from VIC Roads brochure VICRoads Drive Test. You can download the complete PDF here:

1 Introduction
2 Overview of the Drive Test
2.1 Test route stages
2.2 Driving tasks..............................................................................5
2.3 Assessment items.......................................................................5
2.4 Minimum assessment required..................................................6
3 Pre-drive safety check................................................................7
4 Understanding the assessment criteria....................................8
4.1 Definitions.................................................................................8
4.2 Types of assessment...................................................................9
4.3 Item codes................................................................................10
5 Task Assessment Items...........................................................11
5.1 Observation..............................................................................11
5.2 Signalling.................................................................................12
5.3 Gap Selection...........................................................................13
5.4 Speed Choice...........................................................................14
5.5 Following Distance..................................................................15
5.6 Lateral Position........................................................................16
5.7 Parking Observation................................................................17
5.8 Parking Movement...................................................................17
5.9 Leaving Parking.......................................................................18
5.10 Turning Movement..................................................................19
6 Stage Assessment Items..........................................................20
6.1 Lateral Position........................................................................20
6.2 Control.....................................................................................21
7 Critical Errors............................................................................22
7.1 Too Slow..................................................................................22
7.2 Fail to Look or Signal..............................................................23
7.3 Block Pedestrian Crosswalk....................................................24
7.4 Mount Kerb..............................................................................25
7.5 Stall..........................................................................................25
7.6 Incomplete Stop.......................................................................26
7.7 Other Illegal Action.................................................................26
8 Immediate Termination Errors.................................................28
8.1 Intervention..............................................................................28
8.2 Disobey Direction....................................................................29
8.3 Collision...................................................................................29
8.4 Fail to Give Way......................................................................30
8.5 Excessive Speed.......................................................................32
8.6 Stop at Dangerous Position......................................................32
8.7 Fail to Stop...............................................................................33
8.8 Other Dangerous Action..........................................................34
Appendix A – Assessable tasks....................................................36
Stage 1.............................................................................................36
Stage 2.............................................................................................37

1 Overview of the Drive Test

1.1 Introduction
In 2007, the Victorian Government made changes to the driver licensing system. New
requirements were added to the Graduated Licensing System (GLS), particularly for young learners
who need a minimum 120 hours of supervised driving experience before taking the probationary
licence test.
A driver who obtained a learner permit on or after 1 July 2007 and is under 21 years when applying
for a probationary licence:
• must have held the learner permit for at least 12 months before taking the probationary licence
test, and
• must present a Log Book and ‘Declaration of Completion’ signed by them and their supervising
drivers to show they have accumulated the required number of driving hours.
VicRoads, with the help of Australian and international experts in novice driver safety, developed a
new on-road driving test to help identify those learners who are ready to drive safely on their own.
The new Drive Test focuses on assessing the skills required to drive safely. It applies to all licence
applicants from 1 July 2008 onwards.
The GLS encourages learners to practise driving in a range of different conditions and in a staged
progression, from basic skills in quiet areas to more complex driving situations as they approach
their licence test. Gaining this experience will help learners acquire safer driving habits and
increase their chance of passing the Drive Test. It is intended that the Drive Test will help motivate
learners to obtain the required level and breadth of experience.
This booklet provides detailed information about the Drive Test. It includes the assessment criteria
for all test items, along with information about the structure of the test. It will help professional
driving instructors work with learner drivers as they approach the Drive Test, but it should not take
the place of a well-structured learner period that includes high levels of supervised driving
experience in a broad range of driving situations.
During the test, the applicant is directed to drive around a fixed assessment route and asked to
perform specific driving tasks (such as turns or lane changes) at various locations. The Licence
Testing Officer (LTO) uses a set of specific assessment items to record how well the applicant
performs each task.
VicRoads LTOs have passed a training program on the practical application of the test assessment
criteria. The training program provides specific knowledge and skills to enable the LTOs to apply
the assessment criteria reliably in a range of different test situations.
To help ensure the safety of licence applicants, LTOs, accompanying instructors and other road
users, the Drive Test is divided into two stages. Stage 1 involves some relatively simple, low-risk
driving tasks in a less challenging traffic environment. Applicants who fail Stage 1 are not
permitted to attempt Stage 2, which assesses safe driving skills in day-to-day driving tasks in busier
traffic situations. In this way, potentially unsafe applicants are excluded from the test before they
can pose a danger to themselves and others.
1.2 Test route stages
A Drive Test assessment route comprises two stages. The first takes 10 minutes and involves
relatively simple driving tasks in a low risk traffic environment. Stage 2 takes 20 minutes and
involves more challenging driving tasks in busier traffic situations. At the end of Stage 1, the LTO
directs the applicant to pull over to the kerb so scores for that stage can be entered on the score
2 VicRoads Drive Test, 2009
sheet and totalled. Only applicants with a satisfactory assessment for Stage 1 can proceed to
Stage 2.
Stages 1 and 2 of the Drive Test must be undertaken during a single test booking. They cannot be
split into separate appointments.
1.3 Driving tasks
There are two types of driving tasks in the test route:
• Assessable driving tasks are manoeuvres such as turns, lane changes, straight drives and
a reverse parallel park. Each assessable task has several associated Task Assessment Items
that the LTO uses to record how well the task was performed.
• Linking manoeuvres are inserted between assessable tasks to create a continuous route
that begins and ends at the VicRoads Customer Service Centre. Linking manoeuvres do not
have associated Task Assessment Items.
There are seven assessable driving tasks in Stage 1 and at least 14 assessable tasks in Stage 2.
There can be up to 21 assessable tasks in Stage 2 of some test routes, because some tasks can
be assessed more than once.
The assessable driving tasks used in the Drive Test are listed in Appendix A – Assessable tasks.
1.4 Assessment items
For each assessable driving task on the route, the route guide specifies two, three or four Task
Assessment Items that the LTO must assess and record. For a detailed description of each
Task Assessment Item, see Section 4.
The Stage 1 Task Assessment Items for some tasks differ from those used in Stage 2. This
recognises the different functions of the two stages. Stage 1 assessment items were selected for
their ability to identify applicants who might drive unsafely in Stage 2. Assessment items for Stage
2 were selected for their ability to distinguish between applicants who are ready to drive safely on a
probationary licence and those who need more supervised experience on a learner permit before
being ready for solo driving.
Three other types of assessment are used in the Drive Test:
• Stage Assessment Items apply to the applicant’s performance during the whole of Stage 1
or the whole of Stage 2. The Stage Assessment Items are described in detail in Section 5.
• Critical Errors are recorded at any time they occur during the Drive Test, whether during an
assessable task or not. The Critical Error types are described in Section 6.
• Immediate Termination Errors are also recorded at any time they occur and result in the
immediate termination of the test. The Immediate Termination Error types are described in
Section 7.
VicRoads Drive Test, 2009 3

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2 Drive Test procedures

2.1 Pre-drive safety check
Before beginning the Drive Test the LTO will direct the applicant to perform a pre-drive safety
check.
1. The applicant is required to identify and operate the following vehicle controls:
- turn indicators
- brake lights
- horn
- headlights (high and low beam) *
- hazard lights
- windscreen washer and wipers.
2. The applicant is required to identify the handbrake.
3. The applicant is asked to identify, but not operate, the following controls:
- windscreen demister
- rear window demister (where fitted).
4. The applicant is required to start the engine.
If the applicant fails to satisfy the requirements in Items 1 and 2, or if any of the vehicle controls
listed in Items 1 and 2 do not operate correctly, the applicant is not permitted to undertake the Drive
Test.
If the applicant fails to identify the controls listed in Item 3, the LTO should point out the relevant
control(s) to the applicant, but still allow the applicant to undertake the Drive Test. If it becomes
necessary to use one of these controls during the Drive Test and the applicant requires assistance
to operate the control, an Immediate Termination Error (Intervention) should be recorded.
The pre-drive safety check does not contribute to the applicant’s test score.
* The LTO should direct the applicant to turn the headlights on (low beam) throughout Stages 1
and 2 of the Drive Test.
2.2 Minimum assessment required
Unforeseen events such as road works on the test route may prevent the applicant from completing
some assessable tasks. This does not invalidate the test, provided the following requirements are
met:
• At least five of the seven tasks in Stage 1 (including the reverse parallel park or three-point
turn) must be undertaken before the applicant can proceed to Stage 2.
• The test is considered to be complete if at least 17 tasks across both stages are undertaken
(including the reverse park or three-point turn, at least two lane changes, and at least one
straight drive).
If these requirements are not met, the assessment will be incomplete and a re-test is required.

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>>> Full Vic Roads Drive Test Criteria Download