The Practical Driving Assessment (PDA) is the driving test that satisfies us that you can drive safely and are ready to drive.
You can book a PDA:
Online
Using DoTDirect for all metropolitan Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure (DTMI) service centres and most regional agents.
In person
At a regional DTMI service centre or regional agent. Search for your nearest regional DTMI service centre or regional agent via Find a location.
In person bookings can’t be made at metropolitan DTMI service centres.
Book your PDA now
Visit DoTDirect registration to sign up for a DoTDirect account.
It’s free to sign up and there are no online booking fees.
You can log in and check your bookings at any time.
Call 13 11 56 if you have any queries or issues with booking a PDA.
Overseas licence holders
If you have a DoTDirect account, you can log in and book your PDA online.
If you don't have a DoTDirect account, you can register for an account and book a PDA:
- in person at a DTMI service centre or regional agent
- by calling 13 11 56 Monday to Friday 7am to 5.30pm.
Who can book a test for you?
You can book a PDA or your driving instructor can book for you.
Your consent is required to book or cancel a PDA.
You are the owner of any PDA bookings made under your name and remain responsible for personal information you share with driving instructors or private businesses.
You shouldn't pay any additional fees to secure a PDA booking through a driving instructor or private business.
Who can't book online?
You can't book a PDA online for:
- Heavy Combination (HC class) (book with an approved provider)
- Multi Combination (MC class) (book with an approved provider)
- Heavy Rigid (HR class) (where the test is to be held with an approved provider)
- Senior licence renewals, persons aged 85 years or more, with only one class of licence held.
You also can't book online if you need to take a PDA due to:
- a medical condition and the medical assessment process being incomplete
- your overseas licence is expired
- an extraordinary licence application
- a conditional licence application
- your license or learner's permit is subject to a sanction.
Call 13 11 56 between 7am and 5.30pm Monday to Friday to book a test due to any of these reasons.
Cancelling or rescheduling your test
If you don’t feel ready to take your PDA, you can cancel or reschedule as many times as you like. This can be done 24 hours a day via DoTDirect or by calling 13 11 56 between 7am and 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
You must provide more than 2 full business days’ notice to cancel or change your PDA; otherwise, you’ll be charged for your original booking.
A business day is a full calendar weekday (Monday to Friday), excluding weekends and public holidays, counted from 12:00am to 11:59pm. Partial days don’t count.
For example, if your test is scheduled for Wednesday, the latest you can cancel or change your booking without charge is by 11:59 pm the previous Friday. This ensures there are two (2) full business days (Monday and Tuesday) between the cancellation and the test.
You won't be assessed and your PDA will be cancelled, if you:
- are late for your PDA booking
- fail to show up
- fail to present your learner's permit card or one form of primary identification and secondary identification
- haven’t completed your Hazard Perception Test (HPT) (where applicable)
- don't provide a vehicle of the correct class that is licensed, roadworthy and has a centrally mounted park brake to use to undertake the PDA
- don't bring your completed and signed paper log book if you have recorded your supervised driving hours using a paper log book*
- don't submit your digital Declaration of Completion if you've used Learn&Log to record your supervised driving hours*
- attend the PDA under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
You'll have to rebook and pay for another PDA.
If you arrive less than 15 minutes late for your scheduled PDA, your assessment will be cancelled, but you will keep your test entitlement. You’ll need to rebook your PDA, but you won’t be charged an additional PDA fee. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, you will lose your test entitlement. In that situation, you’ll need to repay and rebook to complete a new PDA.
If you fail your PDA, you’ll need to wait 7 days before you can rebook online.
*If you’ve recorded trips in both the paper log book and Learn&Log, you won’t be unable to submit a digital Declaration of Completion.
When you attend your PDA, you’ll be required to sign a Declaration of Digital Log Book Completion (E109) form. This form is only available at a DTMI service centre or regional agent.
Staff will manually check DTMI systems to ensure you’ve completed the required hours of supervised driving in Learn&Log.
Need more help?
Find answers to common questions on our FAQs page.