Queensland · Department of Transport and Main Roads
PrepL: from a paper test to a course that teaches why.
PrepL replaced Queensland’s 30-question written learner test with a 4 to 6 hour interactive online course. Real stories, branching scenarios and a focus on why road rules exist give new drivers a safer start, on any device and at their own pace.
The moment that mattered
A learner’s first step onto the road.
Queensland’s learner licensing relied on in-person testing, which made it hard to reach for young drivers in regional and remote areas. Novice drivers also had high crash rates, so the system needed to do more than test road rules. It had to shape safer attitudes and behaviours.
What they needed
- A fully online, accessible path to a learner licence
- Safer mindsets as well as road rule knowledge
- Scenario-based learning that prepares learners for real conditions
- A licensing pathway that kept running through COVID-19 lockdowns
What we built
Teach to the test, then check they’re ready.
With the Department of Transport and Main Roads and our technology partner Compono, we built a course that blends education and assessment into one experience. Progress is controlled and tracked, so learners never meet content before they’ve mastered what it builds on.
Layers of practice and feedback lead to a final Learner Test that measures whether each learner has reached the competency a learner licence requires.
How it works
Interactive scenarios
Realistic driving situations respond to the learner’s choices and show the consequences of risky behaviour.
Real stories
Crash survivors, families and first responders put real faces to the risks, including “Being a Better Driver”.
The Fatal Five
Distraction, drink and drug driving, speeding, seatbelts and fatigue: the most common causes of serious crashes.
Why, not just what
Every topic explains the reason behind the rule, so responsible behaviour outlasts the test.
Layers of assessment
Assessment for learning runs through the course, so learners arrive at the final test prepared.
Any device
Learners complete their licensing requirement at home, at their own pace.
What changed
A benchmark for digital learner licensing.
What began as a Queensland first quickly became a benchmark for learner licensing nationwide. When service centres closed during COVID-19, PrepL kept the licensing process moving, so thousands of young drivers stayed on track.
Beyond the numbers, it changed what driver education is for: less about memorising rules, and more about the attitudes and behaviour that keep people safe.
“Students won’t just learn the road rules with PrepL; they’ll learn why the rules exist, and in a virtual environment, they will experience the consequences of poor driving behaviour.”Hon. Steven Miles, then Queensland Road Safety Minister
Built with
The platform phases
Course design and build in Fix, delivery to every learner in Queensland in Deliver, and completion and rating data in Improve.
Awards
- LearnX Gold, Best Pandemic Training ResponseDepartment of Transport and Main Roads
- LearnX Platinum, Best Online Learning ModelPrepL, Department of Transport and Main Roads
- LearnX Platinum, Best Shift-it-Online DesignPrepL
- LearnX Silver, Mobile App and Best VideoPrepL; Being a Better Driver
Know it’s right.Know they’re ready.