PCO Licence Test: How to Prepare for All 3 TfL Tests

When drivers talk about "the PCO licence test", they usually mean three separate assessments that TfL sets before it grants a private hire driver licence in London: the SERU, the Topographical skills assessment and the speaking and listening test. Each checks something different, each has its own fee, and each needs its own kind of preparation. This guide explains what each PCO licence test involves and gives you one six-week plan to prepare for all three together.

"PCO" is the old name for TfL's Public Carriage Office. TfL now issues the licence, but most drivers still say PCO licence, so we do too. UK Driver Licence Prep is an independent study aid, not part of TfL or any operator, and we can't guarantee a pass. For the full licence process, including the DBS check, medical and fees, see our PCO licence guide.

The three PCO licence tests at a glance

After you apply on the TfL taxi and private hire portal, TfL invites you to book your assessments. All three take place at the TfL Driver Assessment Centre, 14 Pier Walk, London SE10 0ES, near North Greenwich station. Many people sit all three on one visit.

	SERU	Topographical skills	Speaking and listening
What it checks	Rules, safety, equality and safeguarding from the PHV Driver's Handbook; also English reading and writing	Map reading and route planning on a computer	Spoken English at B1 level
Format	Computer-based; TfL hasn't published the count, most candidates report 36 questions	3 route-planning questions (66 marks) plus multiple choice (34 marks)	A 15 to 20 minute conversation with an examiner by secure video or phone link
Time	About 50 minutes including a short video (TfL On Route, Winter 2024)	90-minute session	15 to 20 minutes, in fixed time slots
Pass mark	Not published; most candidates report 60%	60%	Set by the examining body
Fee	£40, re-sit £30	£40, re-sit £30	£40, re-sit £30
Official pass rate	73%	51%	91%

Fees apply from 9 March 2026 (TPH Notice 05/26). Pass rates come from TfL's Freedom of Information response FOI-0168-2425, covering assessments up to 29 April 2024.

Key fact: The three tests have very different pass rates. The speaking and listening test passes most people; the Topographical test fails about half. Plan your study time around that, not around the order you book them in.

Test 1: the SERU

SERU stands for Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding. It has been part of the London private hire licence since 1 October 2021 and is based on the ten sections of the PHV Driver's Handbook. It is also the reading and writing part of TfL's English requirement, so some questions test your English as much as your knowledge.

TfL hasn't published the question count or pass mark on its SERU page. Most candidates report 36 questions and 60%, which matches what TfL published for the taxi SERU and described as similar. Question styles include single-answer and select-all multiple choice, short reading passages, and fill-in-the-gap sentences using a word list.

Before the SERU, TfL expects you to complete its free online Safeguarding Awareness course. Do it early: it helps with the safeguarding questions.

Where drivers lose marks: exact deadlines, the limits of equality exemptions, what to do in safeguarding situations, where a private hire vehicle may stop and wait, and the sentence-completion questions. Our SERU test guide explains the assessment, and the SERU pass rate page explains why people fail.

Test 2: the Topographical skills assessment

The Topographical skills assessment checks that you can read a map and plan a sensible route in London. It is the PCO licence test with the lowest pass rate, at 51% in TfL's figures.

According to TfL's Topographical assessment guidelines, the test is done on a computer with a mouse and has two parts:

• Three route-planning questions worth 66 marks: a short route, a short route with a road closure, and a long route. You draw the route on the map from the green start marker to the red end marker.
• Multiple-choice questions worth 34 marks: map symbols, places of interest, specific streets, road numbers, compass points and route-planning basics. TfL doesn't publish how many there are.

You need 60% overall. Marks on the route questions are lost for starting or ending in the wrong place, planning the route in reverse, not taking the most direct route, or making a prohibited turn.

Some drivers are exempt, including previously licensed PHV drivers who passed a TfL topographical test, licensed London taxi drivers and professional London tourist guides. Check TfL's Topographical assessment page if you think you qualify.

Our Topographical test page covers the format in detail, and how to pass the Topographical test has a worked example of each way to lose route marks.

Test 3: speaking and listening

The speaking and listening test checks spoken English at B1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference. You speak to an examiner from TfL's provider, PeopleCert, through a secure video or telephone link at a TfL centre, for 15 to 20 minutes. It runs in fixed time slots and is marked by the examining body, not by TfL.

TfL doesn't publish the questions. B1 conversations usually ask you to talk about yourself, describe your routine, explain a plan or a past event, and give an opinion with a reason. TfL's English language requirement page asks applicants to read PeopleCert's own information before the test. Our TfL English test guide explains B1 in practice, with a worked example answer.

With a 91% pass rate, this is usually the least worrying of the three. If English is not your first language, though, remember that your English is tested twice: speaking here, and reading and writing in the SERU.

Find out where you stand: take the free diagnostics

Before you plan six weeks, spend an hour finding out what you already know. Take the free SERU diagnostic (20 questions) and the free Topographical diagnostic (10 questions). Each answer comes with an explanation. Your two scores tell you which test needs most of your time, and whether six weeks is about right or more than you need.

A 6-week plan for all three PCO licence tests

This plan assumes you work or have other commitments and can study about an hour on weekdays, with a longer session at the weekend. The SERU and Topographical test get most of the time because they have the lower pass rates. English practice runs alongside, a little every day.

Week	SERU	Topographical	English
1	Read handbook sections 1 to 5; complete the Safeguarding Awareness course	Learn map symbols, scales and compass points	Speak English for 10 minutes a day about your day
2	Read sections 6 to 10; topic practice for each section	Grid references; learn the ring roads and main radial roads	Practise describing a route out loud
3	Ten fill-in-the-blank questions a day; equality and safeguarding practice	Route planning on a paper map: 3 routes a day	Practise explaining a problem and what you did
4	Free SERU mock 1 under the timer; review every mistake	Places of interest, river crossings, areas and postcodes; free Topographical mock 1	Record yourself answering B1-style questions
5	More full mocks; re-read weak sections	Timed route drills with a road closure; more multiple-choice mocks	Practise asking for repetition and clarification
6	Mocks until three in a row at 85%+	Final mocks; one long route a day	Light practice; rest before the day

Weeks 1 and 2: build the base

For the SERU, read the handbook properly once, with a pen, and note every number, deadline and "must". After each section, do the matching topic practice, for example licensing or driving and parking, and read every explanation.

For the Topographical test, start with the multiple-choice skills because they are quick to learn: map reading and grid references. Then learn the skeleton of London: the ring roads, the main routes out of the centre, and the river crossings. The free Topographical exam guide sets these out.

Weeks 3 and 4: practise the way you will be tested

This is where SERU sentence completion matters. Ten a day builds the patterns; our SERU fill in the blanks guide teaches a step-by-step method.

For the Topographical route questions, practise with a printed London map. Pick two places, mark the start and end, and draw the most direct legal route. Then check it: did you start and end in the right place, go the right way, and avoid any no-entry or banned turns? Do at least three a day. Our route planning practice covers the rules behind route choices.

Exam tip: Our web Topographical practice is multiple choice only. It doesn't simulate the three route-drawing tasks, which are worth 66 of the 100 marks. Practise those on a paper map, using TfL's guidelines, every week.

At the end of week 4, sit both free mocks under the timer: SERU mock 1 (36 questions, 50 minutes, 22 to pass in our mock) and Topographical mock 1 (30 multiple-choice questions in our mock).

Weeks 5 and 6: close the gaps

Use your mock results to decide where the last two weeks go. Keep a short error log: the topic, your answer, why it was wrong and the correct rule in your own words. Re-read only the pages behind your mistakes, then sit another mock. The SERU mock test guide and Topographical test practice pages explain how to review a mock properly.

Should you sit all three on one day?

Sitting all three on one visit saves time and travel to Greenwich. There is a short break between sessions. But each test costs £40, and a fail means a £30 re-sit and another trip. If one test is clearly behind the others in your mocks, it can make sense to book that one later.

Situation	What usually makes sense
Ready for all three	Book them on one visit
SERU ready, Topographical not yet	Sit the SERU and speaking and listening first; book the Topographical when your route practice is solid
English is your main worry	Practise speaking daily; the SERU's reading and sentence completion need extra time too

On the day, bring original photo ID and a payment card (TfL doesn't accept American Express), and arrive at the time in your booking. Late arrivals and people without acceptable ID are not allowed to sit. Our SERU booking guide covers check-in and results.

How long does the whole licence take?

The tests are only one part. You also need an enhanced DBS check, a DVLA Group 2 medical, and TfL's decision before you pay the £205 grant fee on top of the £138 application fee (licence fees from 1 June 2026). TfL doesn't publish a fixed processing time. Our guide to how long a PCO licence takes explains what slows applications, and PCO licence cost lists every fee with its source. If you want to drive for an app operator, read how to become an Uber driver in London.

Free practice and Pro

You can start all of this for free. For both the SERU and the Topographical test you get a free diagnostic, a full mock 1, a 20-question quick practice with explanations, free study notes and a printable SERU sheet or Topographical sheet with an answer key.

When you need more papers in weeks 4 to 6, Pro unlocks mocks 2 to 10, practice by section and every study note. One plan covers every test we offer, so the SERU and Topographical practice come together rather than as two purchases. We have 3,701 PHV SERU questions and 623 Topographical questions. Prices include VAT and you can cancel any time:

Plan	Price
Weekly	£6.99
Monthly	£11.99
3 months	£22.99

For a six-week plan, the 3-month plan gives you room if you need extra weeks. See pricing. Pro is more practice in each test's format with an explanation for every answer. It doesn't include TfL's real questions, which TfL doesn't publish, it doesn't simulate the Topographical route-drawing tasks on the web, and it can't guarantee a pass.

Start today: take the free SERU diagnostic and the free Topographical diagnostic, then use your scores to set your six weeks.