The short answer: no negative marking anywhere in Australia
Across every Australian state and territory, the learners test — officially the Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) in most jurisdictions — uses simple positive marking. Every question is worth one mark. Get it right, you earn the mark. Get it wrong, you earn nothing for that question. A wrong answer never takes away a mark you have already earned, and it can never push your score below zero.
The confusion usually comes from other kinds of exams. Some university and professional tests deliberately subtract a fraction of a mark for wrong answers to discourage random guessing. The DKT does not work that way. It was designed as a road-safety knowledge check, not a ranking exam, so the only thing that matters is how many road rules and safety facts you can answer correctly.
This matters for your strategy: because there is no penalty, you should never leave a question blank. A blank scores zero, and a guess also risks scoring zero — but a guess at least gives you a chance at the mark. On a multiple-choice question with a few options, an educated guess after eliminating the obviously wrong answers is always better than no answer at all.
Test yourself
How the test is actually scored
The DKT is a set number of multiple-choice questions delivered on a computer at a licensing centre (or, in some states, online or via an approved provider). The system counts your correct answers as you go and compares the total against a fixed pass mark. There is no complicated formula — it is a straight tally of rights against a threshold.
The number of questions is set by each state or territory. Verified car-licence question counts are:
- Victoria (VicRoads): 32 questions
- Queensland (TMR): 30 questions
- Western Australia (DoT): 30 questions
- Tasmania (Transport Tasmania): 35 questions
- Northern Territory (MVR): 30 questions
- ACT (Access Canberra): 35 questions
New South Wales and South Australia don’t publish a fixed public question count in the same way — confirm the current number directly with Service NSW or SA’s mylicence / Department for Infrastructure and Transport before you sit. Because the exact number of questions and the pass mark can change, always treat the state authority’s current page as the source of truth on the day you book.
What the pass mark really means
Every jurisdiction sets a pass mark — the minimum number of correct answers you need. It is deliberately high. The DKT is checking whether you know the road rules well enough to be safe with a supervising driver, so the bar sits well above a bare majority. In practice you can only afford to miss a small handful of questions before you fall under the line.
Because pass marks and question splits can be updated, we don’t print a fixed percentage here — confirm the current pass mark with your state authority (Service NSW, VicRoads, Queensland TMR, WA DoT, SA DIT/mylicence, Transport Tasmania, NT MVR, or ACT Access Canberra). The practical takeaway is the same everywhere: aim to know the material cold, not to scrape a pass. If you’re only just clearing the mark in practice, you’re one bad question away from a re-sit.
Some states also split the test into sections — for example a general road-rules section and a separate set of core safety questions — where you may need to pass each part, not just the overall total. Check whether your state uses a sectioned format, because a strong overall score can still fail if one required section falls short.
The real trap: compulsory and immediate-fail questions
Here is what actually catches learners out — and it isn’t negative marking. Several states include a small group of compulsory safety questions that you must answer correctly regardless of your overall score. Miss one of these and you can fail the whole test even if you got everything else right. Queensland, for instance, structures its test so that a set of core road-safety questions must all be correct.
These compulsory items are almost always the highest-stakes safety topics, such as:
- Speed limits in default and signposted zones, including school zones
- Blood alcohol limits for learner and provisional drivers (typically zero — confirm your state’s rule)
- Stopping and giving way at intersections, pedestrian crossings and roundabouts
- Seatbelt and mobile-phone rules
- Following distances and safe reaction to hazards
Because the exact list and rules vary, verify your jurisdiction’s compulsory-question policy with the named authority. The lesson for study is clear: don’t just aim to know ‘most’ of the material. The core safety topics — speed, alcohol, giving way, restraints — must be automatic. These are also the topics examiners weight most heavily, so mastering them protects both your compulsory answers and your overall score.
How to prepare so scoring is never a worry
If there’s no negative marking and the pass mark is high, the winning approach is simple: know enough that a wrong answer here or there never threatens your total, and answer every question. The way to get there is repetition on questions written in the real test format.
Work through practice questions until you’re consistently scoring well clear of the pass mark, not just above it. Pay special attention to the compulsory safety topics — speed limits, alcohol limits, giving way and restraints — because those are the questions where a single error does the most damage. When you get a question wrong in practice, read the explanation and revisit that road rule until it’s locked in.
Our free DKT practice questions are completely free to use, with instant feedback so you learn from every mistake before it counts. You can also brush up on the visual side of the road with our road signs guide, and browse the learner guides hub for the full path from your knowledge test to your provisional licence. If you’re preparing for the separate Hazard Perception Test later in your journey, our HPT course is available as a one-time A$9.90 purchase — but all DKT knowledge practice stays free.
Keep learning
Last verified 7 September 2026 against the Australian Road Rules and the relevant state road authority. Rules, fees and figures change — always confirm current details before you rely on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does a wrong answer lower my learners test score?
- No. The learners test (DKT) has no negative marking. A wrong answer scores zero for that question but never subtracts from marks you’ve already earned, and your score can’t go below zero. Because of this, you should always answer every question rather than leave it blank.
- Should I guess if I don’t know the answer?
- Yes. Since there’s no penalty for a wrong answer, a guess can only help. Eliminate the options you know are wrong first, then choose the most likely of what remains. A blank guarantees zero; a considered guess gives you a real chance at the mark.
- Can I fail even if I get most questions right?
- Yes, in two ways. The pass mark is high, so you can only afford a small number of mistakes — confirm your state’s current pass mark with the authority. Some states also have compulsory safety questions (like speed or alcohol limits) that must all be correct, so missing one can fail the whole test regardless of your overall score.