When you get in the car:

Ensure all doors are closed.
Check Park brake is firmly applied
Adjust seat, head restraint and steering wheel
Adjust mirrors for maximum visual awareness to the rear and side of the vehicle. To make the most of your side mirrors set them wide, so you aren’t looking at the side of the vehicle too much.
Locate all controls (including climate controls)
Put on a seat belt (ensure passengers are also wearing seat belts).

Assessment Structure

Duration: Approximately 45 minutes
Components:

5 maneuvers (Tasks 3, 4, 9-13 and 27 in The Driving Companion) https://www.mylicence.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/498166/The-Driving-Companion.pdf
General drive assessing lane changes, turns on busy roads, turns at traffic lights, roundabout negotiation, stop/yield signs, interaction with other road users, and vehicle control.

Passing Criterion: Combined score of 90% or more for maneuvers and general drive, with no traffic violations.
Failure: Any traffic violation results in immediate failure and assessment termination.
Feedback: Your examiner will discuss reasons for failure, if applicable.

Immediate Failure Criteria

Common traffic law violations leading to immediate failure:

Moving off from the curb: Not signaling for five seconds before moving from a stopped position.
Stop signs: Not coming to a complete stop behind the stop line (within 1 meter) before proceeding.
Lane straddling: Crossing a lane line (even slightly) without signaling/signaling long enough or yielding to traffic in the other lane, whether changing lanes or navigating around parked cars on a laned road.
Speeding: Exceeding any speed limit, including school zones with children present, roadworks zones, and when passing stopped emergency vehicles with flashing lights (25km/h in South Australia).
Unsafe distances: Following too closely behind any object at the vehicle's speed (tailgating), passing parked cars closer than 1.2 meters at 50-60 km/h, or passing bicycles closer than 1 meter under 60km/h (1.5 meters over 60km/h).
Obstruction/failure to yield: Causing another vehicle to slow or change direction when it has the right of way, such as when changing lanes, entering a busy road, or turning right from a busy road or traffic light intersection.
Ignoring traffic signals, signs, and markings: Failing to yield at give-way or stop signs, failing to stop behind the stop line, failing to proceed on a green light (including a green arrow), or driving over a curb or traffic island.
Signals: Not signaling when turning or exiting a roundabout.
Non-compliance with directions: Not performing a low-speed maneuver within a reasonable time and distance when asked, or repeatedly ignoring directions.
Dangerous driving/lack of care: This is determined at the assessor's discretion.
Assessor intervention: Verbally or physically to prevent a collision, dangerous situation, loss of vehicle control, ongoing traffic offense, confusion for other road users (often due to unnecessary yielding), or to help with vehicle controls.

Common VORT Mistakes

Typical faults observed during the VORT:

Mirror faults:.Not checking mirrors (center and side) before signaling. Center mirror before slowing or making at least 1.2m from parked vehicle where safe on unlaned roads.
Signal faults: Not signaling for a reasonable time before slowing to turn.
Approach faults: Approaching an intersection too quickly for a turn, resulting in rough cornering or not enough time to observe, or approaching too quickly to stop/yield, causing abrupt stopping or jerking.
Position faults: Incorrect positioning (too far forward/back or to the left/right) before turning, at give-way/stop signs, turning right from a laned road, or entering a busy laned road.
Observation faults: Not looking in both directions when turning at intersections, including traffic lights and roundabouts, or not checking blind spots before changing lanes.
Judgment faults: Missing opportunities or choosing unsafe gaps, causing other road users to adjust speed when entering a busy road, turning right from a busy road, or turning right at a traffic light.
Sequence faults: Not following the correct order for vehicle control (e.g., signaling before checking mirrors when turning).
Vehicle control: Poor use of vehicle controls, such as wipers, hazard lights, air conditioning/heater, brakes, accelerator, or gear selection.
Safety margins: Following, passing, or stopping too closely.
Progress: Driving at an unreasonable speed that hinders other road users.
Special: Handling unusual situations inappropriately, maneuvering around a bus at a bus stop, passing a garbage truck, or failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.

Task 9 - Moving Off Uphill

First you will need to stop and secure the vehicle

You need to select a safe and legal location on a hill. That means it needs to be at least 1 meter from driveways, not on a yellow line and not next to a fireplug marker.
Before slowing, check the center mirror, left mirror and then signal left (blind spot check if not as far left as practical or moving across a bike lane or parking lane).
Squeeze the brake pedal to smoothly slow the vehicle. Stop within 30cm of the curb. You can see how far you are from the curb in your left mirror after you straighten the car. Reapply the signal if it turns off.
Apply the park brake, release the brake pedal, then cancel the signal

Then you will need to move off uphill

Check the center mirror, right mirror and signal right.
Select drive.
Check center mirror, right mirror and right shoulder check for traffic from driveways, roads opposite or U-turning traffic.
Look forward then release the park brake (if not already automatically released).
Safely and smoothly accelerate and cancel the signal.
Maintain full control of the vehicle.

Task 11 - The 3-Point Turn

You will select a safe and suitable location to perform the 3 point turn. You will then turn the vehicle around safely and competently in a carriageway that is narrower than the turning circle of the vehicle, while maintaining full control.

You need good visibility of traffic both ways and we can’t cross a solid line. You need to ensure that there are no obstructions in position 2 (turning area) or position 3 (reversing area).

Moving off from the curb
& 3. Steer The Wheel In Your Intended Direction Before Changing Gear

Selecting a location for the 3 point turn

Select a safe and legal location to do a 3 point turn. Not a ‘no standing’ area or opposite parked vehicles.
Choose a location where there are no obstructions next to the kerb forward of the centre of the vehicle on the left (reversing area).
Check the centre mirror, left mirror and signal left (blind spot check if not as far left as practical or moving across a bike lane or parking lane).
Smoothly slow the vehicle and stop within 30cm of the curb.
Apply the park brake, select park, release the brake pedal, cancel the signal.

The 3-point turn

Check the centre mirror, right mirror and signal right.
Select drive.
Check the centre mirror, right mirror and right shoulder check for traffic.
If safe, look forward and move the vehicle slowly forward while turning the steering wheel quickly to the right until full lock.
About 1 metre from the right kerb turn the wheel quickly to the left until full lock.
Stop before touching the kerb
Select reverse then do a 360 degree view check right behind you in both directions and keep looking right back over your shoulder.
Move off under full control.
About 1 meter from the kerb steer quickly and sufficiently to the right.
Stop before touching the kerb.
Select drive and check both ways for traffic.
If safe, move off down the road maintaining full control of the vehicle without over-steering.

Task 12 - The 90 Degree Angle Park (front to curb)

At the start of the test, when leaving the test center, you will be assessed on how you leave a 90 degree angle park. At the end of the test, when returning to the test center, you will be assessed on how you enter a 90 degree angle park, front to kerb.

Entering a 90 degree angle park (front to kerb)

Select a suitable parking bay (preferably on the right), check the centre mirror, side mirror, signal and slow the vehicle to a safe and controllable speed.
Shoulder check just before turning.
Correctly position the vehicle, front to kerb, wholly within the bay while maintaining full control without touching the kerb and be:

Not more than 300 mm out of parallel with the lines
Not more than 300 mm from the kerb or end of parking bay (use the bottom of the side mirrors for reference to the curb)
Central within the parking bay with the front wheels pointing straight ahead towards the kerb.

Leaving a 90 degree angle park

Select reverse gear.
360 degree view check. Check right back over your right side and right over your left side before moving. Constantly check behind on both sides when reversing.
Reverse straight slowly, only turn the steering wheel once the vehicle is clear of the parking bay.
Reverse enough to be able to clear the parking bay alongside, then steer the other way so that the wheels are pointed the way you want before going to drive.
Except for straightening the steering wheel, drive forward under full control in the intended direction of travel.

Task 13 - Reverse Parallel Parking

1. First, you need to reverse, so go to reverse, do a 360-degree check, and reverse back until you get close to the posts at the back. Look over your shoulder through the rear windscreen mostly but you can use a reversing camera a little bit.

2. Leave it in reverse, check centre mirror, side mirror, indicate, go to drive. Check centre mirror, side mirror, shoulder check. If no one is coming, bring the car out.

3. Go to reverse, do a 360-degree view check, and go straight back until the front post is in the rear passenger side quarter window from your point of view.

4. Shoulder check right, and if no one is coming, fully lock the wheel to the left. Keep looking right back over your right shoulder, looking for the post on that side. When the post on that side is in the rear driver's side quarter window, make the wheel straight.

5. Go straight until the post on the left is in the front passenger side quarter window. Sit up high, lean over, and look in the passenger side mirror to see how far you are from the curb. You might need to go a little bit further if it looks really far. Once it looks like it might be close enough, full lock to the right.

6. Go slowly. Keep sitting up and looking in the passenger window. Once you have reduced the angle by about half, think if you need to get closer to the curb, if you do stop, turn full lock left and move the car a sufficient amount, then turn the wheel full lock to the

right.

7. As long as you are not going to hit the curb or the rear posts, keep going back until the car is parallel with the curb, you can check if it's parallel in the passenger mirror.

8. Make the wheel straight, go to drive and go forwards to roughly the middle of the park. Secure the vehicle with the handbrake first, then go to park.

If, as you're reversing into the park (STEP 6.) and you think you are going to hit the curb, you can try and save it by stopping just before you think you will hit the curb. Turn the wheel left, then go to drive and drive forward and try to make the car parallel with the curb. Then you will probably need to use your 3rd move to reverse to finish in the middle of the park. So straighten the wheel, go to reverse, do a 360-degree check and reverse to the middle of the car park. Secure the vehicle with the handbrake first, then go to park.

Task 27 - The U-turn in Traffic Manoeuvre

You will select a safe and suitable location, like a ‘store’ lane with a clear view, on a busy road to competently perform a U-turn with safety, without the need for reversing.

If the U-turn is obstructed due to changing traffic conditions, abort the U-turn and just turn right.

Wait in the normal position for turning right. When you have a suitable gap in the traffic, come further up to ensure you will have enough room to make the u-turn.

1st preference: Turn sharp and complete the u-turn in one movement if there is a large enough gap in the traffic.

2nd preference: If there is a smaller gap in the traffic position the car in the side road out of the way of the oncoming traffic, in which case you would put your left signal on while waiting.

If there are any cars turning right behind you, turning right from the side road, if you can’t give way to all other traffic or if in doubt then abort the u-turn and just turn right.

Selecting a safe U-turn starting position

Select a suitable position where only one major flow of traffic is required to be crossed.
Select the most appropriate position that minimises the disruption to overtaking or following traffic for that road like a right turn store lane opposite a quiet road.

Perform a safe and complete U-turn

Comply with all road markings, and the ‘Give Way’ rules for turning and moving off (as required) .
Confidently select a safe gap in the traffic flow when presented.
Use safe stopping areas within the U-turn as required (stop in the side street and put the left indicator on).
Complete the U-turn safely without reversing while maintaining full control of the vehicle.

Select a safe alternative to the U-turn due to traffic

If traffic conditions change where the U-turn could become confusing to other road users, select an acceptable safe option.
Perform the optional action with safety.