South Australia (SA) Driving Test Routes

Find your test location

South Australia driving tests are run at local test locations, and every one uses different streets, intersections, and parking spots. Pick your city below for turn-by-turn practice routes built around your exact location, delivered straight to your phone with no app required.

21 locations

South Australia driving test practice routes

Booking your test is only half the job. The real edge on test day comes from already knowing the streets, intersections, and turns your assessor is about to take you through. Below you'll find practice routes built around actual South Australian test locations, so you can rehearse the same roads before you ever get in the car for your test.

Real routes, delivered straight to your phone

Every route in this collection is built from a mix of first-hand feedback from South Australian driving instructors and recent test-takers, GPS data collected near each test location, and, where available, footage of real driving tests that's been manually reviewed and mapped for accuracy.

Unlike some route providers, we don't lock this behind a separate app. Buy a route package here and you'll get an instant digital download you can open directly in Google Maps on any phone, Android or iPhone, and follow turn-by-turn, the same way you'd navigate to a friend's house. No app store install, no account, no subscription.

How South Australia's Graduated Licensing Scheme works

Getting a full licence in SA runs through a learner stage and two provisional stages:

  • Learner's permit: You'll need at least 75 hours of supervised driving, including 15 hours at night, recorded in your Driving Companion log book, which costs $5 when you get your permit. Hold your learner's permit for at least 12 months if you're under 25, or 6 months if you're 25 or older.
  • Hazard perception test: A computer based test made up of 15 short video clips, built around the situations behind the four most common crash types for provisional drivers in SA. You need to pass it before you can move to P1, and you can take it online from home or in person.
  • P1 provisional licence: Earned either through the Vehicle On Road Test (VORT), a practical driving test booked with a licensed motor driving instructor, or by completing Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBT&A) as an alternative path. Hold P1 for 12 months, and you convert to P2 automatically as long as you haven't breached your provisional conditions.
  • P2 provisional licence: Hold for 24 months, then you move to a full licence automatically, again provided your record stays clean.

A change worth knowing about: SA's driving test is going government run

South Australia is the only state where the practical driving test is run by private industry rather than government examiners, and it shows in the price: the median fee charged by authorised examiners has been $319, with some charging $400 or more. That's about to change. Following a state ICAC investigation that uncovered 137 disciplinary actions against authorised examiners, including cases of bribery and fraud, the government passed reforms replacing the private assessor system with around 40 government examiners. The rollout is expected in the first half of 2027, with a standardised fee of about $240 and an online booking system that randomly allocates your examiner rather than letting you choose one. If your test falls before the changeover, expect to still be booking and paying a private instructor directly.

What's actually tested on the practical driving test

Whichever path you take, the VORT or the CBT&A, your instructor or assessor is checking the same core competencies: vehicle control, observation, hazard response, and compliance with the road rules across a real drive. Book your VORT at least three days ahead directly with your chosen instructor. If you don't pass, you'll need to wait at least 13 clear days before your next attempt, time the rules intend for you to use for more practice, not just a formality.

Why practice by test location?

Each SA test location draws its route from the streets immediately around it, so a route built for Port Adelaide looks nothing like one built for Whyalla or Port Lincoln. That's why every route package is built around one specific location.

Tips for passing your SA driving test

  • Get your night driving hours in steadily. With 15 required, they're easier to log a few at a time than to rush at the end.
  • Book your VORT well ahead. Since it's arranged directly with a licensed instructor rather than a government booking system, popular instructors can fill up.
  • Use the 13 day wait productively if you don't pass first time. It's built in specifically so you have time to work on whatever cost you the test.
  • Practice the same situations the hazard perception test is built around. It's drawn directly from SA's four most common provisional driver crash types, so those are exactly the situations worth over-preparing for.
  • Drive smoothly and confidently. Hesitation at intersections is marked the same way poor decision making is.
  • Keep your Driving Companion log book up to date and with you. You'll need it as proof of your supervised hours.

Useful resources for South Australian learner drivers