What the learner's licence is
A learner's licence is written permission to learn to drive on a public road, with a licensed driver beside you. It is not a driving licence and it does not let you drive alone. It is valid for twenty-four months, which is the window you have to pass the practical driving test before you write the theory again.
The test is theory only: sixty-four multiple-choice questions, no car involved. K53 is the name of the driving method the questions are written against, so the answers are not simply what a reasonable driver would do, they are what the K53 says a driver should do. That distinction is where most of the marks are lost.
The three sections, and the pass mark for each
Each section is marked on its own and each has its own pass mark. Passing two of the three is a failed test, so the eight questions on the controls of the vehicle carry as much weight as the twenty-eight on the rules.
| Section | Questions | Pass mark | You may get wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rules of the roadRight of way, speed, following distance, overtaking, parking, lights, and what the law expects of you at an intersection. | 28 | 22 | 6 |
| Road signs, signals and markingsEvery family of sign, the paint on the road, and the traffic signals. The strictest of the three: you may get five wrong. | 28 | 23 | 5 |
| Controls of the vehicleWhat every control in the car or on the motorcycle does, and when the K53 method says to use it. | 8 | 6 | 2 |
Which code you are writing
Code 1 is motorcycles, code 2 is light motor vehicles up to 3 500 kg, and code 3 is the heavy ones. You may apply at sixteen for a code 1 restricted to 125cc, and at seventeen for a code 2 or code 3.
The theory is the same syllabus whichever code you write, which is why the course covers the motorcycle controls alongside the car controls rather than treating them as a separate track.
How to apply and book
- 01Go to a testing centreAny registered driving licence testing centre. You complete form LL1, the learner's licence application, at the counter.
- 02Eye test and photographsThe centre does an eye test on the day, or accepts a valid certificate from a registered optometrist. Two passport photos go with the form.
- 03Pay and book a dateYou pay a fee to sit the test, and a second fee for the licence itself once you pass. The centre gives you a date and tells you whether you will write on a computer or on paper.
- 04Write the testArrive early with the same identification you applied with. Sixty-four multiple-choice questions in three sections, and you have to pass all three.
What to take with you
- Your identity document, smart ID card or valid South African passport. A foreign ID needs a traffic register number certificate with it.
- Two recent passport-size photographs. Some centres take them at the counter; do not count on it.
- Your glasses or contact lenses, if you wear them, for the eye test.
- The fee, and a second way to pay it: not every centre takes cards.
What to study, in order
Start with the signs. It is the section with the strictest pass mark, it is the one that is pure recall rather than judgement, and it is the one you can finish in an afternoon. Our reference has every family of sign with what each one means:
- Regulatory signs75
- Warning signs71
- Information and guidance signs84
- Road surface markings39
- Traffic signals17
Then do the rules, which is the biggest body of material and the one that rewards working through practice papers rather than reading. Leave the controls of the vehicle for last: it is eight questions, and it is the section people fail because they skipped it, not because it was hard.
Questions people ask
How many questions are in the K53 learner's licence test?
Sixty-four, in three sections: 28 on the rules of the road, 28 on signs, signals and markings, and 8 on the controls of the vehicle.
What is the pass mark for the learner's licence?
Each section has its own pass mark and you have to reach all three: 22 out of 28 for the rules, 23 out of 28 for the signs, and 6 out of 8 for the controls. Passing two sections and failing one is a failed test.
How old do I have to be?
Seventeen for a code 2 or code 3 learner's licence, which covers cars and heavier vehicles. Sixteen for a code 1, which covers motorcycles up to 125cc.
How long is a learner's licence valid for?
Twenty-four months from the date it is issued. If you have not passed the driving test by then, you write the learner's again.
What does the learner's licence test cost?
The fee is set by the testing centre, usually somewhere between R150 and R250 for the test, with a separate fee for the licence when you pass. Ask the centre, and ask whether they take cards.
Can I study for it online?
Yes. student24 covers the whole syllabus in 59 short video lessons with a quiz after each one, then section exams and full practice papers marked the way the real one is marked. It is free.
Study the whole thing free
Fifty-nine short video lessons across the three sections, a quiz after every one, and full practice papers marked the way the real paper is marked. No card, no trial.
Start the coursestudent24 is an independent study course, not a Department of Transport product. Fees, forms and requirements are set by your testing centre and can change; confirm them with the centre when you book.