Council taxi and private hire knowledge tests: exam guide

Outside London, taxi (hackney carriage) and private hire drivers are licensed by local councils, not by TfL. Most councils will not give you a driver's licence until you pass their knowledge test. This guide explains why the tests exist, what they normally cover, and how the five councils in this app - Cambridge, North Yorkshire, Reigate & Banstead, Sevenoaks and Stroud - run their tests.

Why councils test new drivers

Councils may only license people they consider suitable. Under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, a council must not grant a private hire driver's licence (section 51) or a hackney carriage driver's licence (section 59) unless it is satisfied that the applicant is a "fit and proper person". The knowledge test is one part of that check, alongside your driving licence, medical check and criminal record (DBS) check.

The Department for Transport (DfT) sets the tone for all of this. Its statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards, issued under the Policing and Crime Act 2017, say that the "primary and overriding objective" of licensing is to protect the public. Councils must have regard to these standards when they write their rules. The standards also expect councils to require safeguarding training for drivers, and say that any test of a driver's English should cover both spoken and written skills.

Each council still designs its own knowledge test and sets its own conditions. The DfT best practice guidance recommends that every council publishes a single policy document covering its fit and proper test, licence conditions, vehicle standards, taxi tariffs and fees. Read your own council's policy before you apply - examiners take questions from it.

What most knowledge tests cover

Council tests across England share a common core. You can expect questions on:

• The Highway Code and traffic signs
• Licensing law and your council's conditions (the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976)
• Safeguarding - protecting children and vulnerable adults, including child sexual exploitation and county lines
• Equality and disability - wheelchair users, assistance dogs and the Equality Act 2010
• Numeracy - working out fares and change
• Your local area - places, streets and routes
• Customer service and lost property

The five councils in this app show how the mix varies:

• Cambridge tests 100 questions across 8 sections, including general knowledge, points of interest, numeracy, conditions and policy, the Highway Code and signage.
• Sevenoaks sorts its questions into categories, including compulsory questions, policy and law, district routes, streets and places.
• Stroud has whole sections on Taxi Law & Policy and on the Highway Code, each with its own minimum score.
• Reigate & Banstead tests navigation with a map, plus three more topics including the Highway Code.
• North Yorkshire uses one combined paper, plus a shorter restricted paper for school or social care work.

Typical formats

Councils use several test formats:

• Written papers, answered in person (North Yorkshire; the Reigate & Banstead hackney test at the Town Hall).
• Computer-based multiple choice at a test centre or council office (Sevenoaks).
• Online tests taken at home with remote invigilation (the Cambridge test, run on the TestReach platform).
• Verbal tests, where the questions are read to you (offered by Stroud, on request).

Pass rules also differ. Some councils set one overall pass mark. Many set a minimum for each section, so you cannot pass on local knowledge alone while failing the law questions. Sevenoaks also has compulsory questions that must all be answered correctly, whatever your other scores.

Key fact: There is no national knowledge test outside London. Every council sets its own format, pass mark, fees and retake rules. Always check the current rules on your council's website before you book.

The five councils compared

The table below lists what each council published when this app's research was checked in September 2026. Where a value was not published, it says "check with the council".

Council	Format	Questions	Time	Pass mark	Retakes	Fee
Cambridge City	Online at home, remotely invigilated (TestReach)	100 multiple choice in 8 sections	Up to 2 hours	80% in each section	3 attempts within 12 months, then wait 6 months	£105; retest £75
North Yorkshire	Written paper	60 (combined test); 30 for a restricted school or social care licence	60 minutes (30 minutes restricted)	80%: 48/60 or 24/30	Retakes allowed	check with the council
Reigate & Banstead	Private hire: online at home, 4 sections of 5 multiple-choice questions, use of a map or Google Maps allowed; hackney: written at the Town Hall	Private hire: 20	Private hire: 45 minutes	Private hire: 90% (18/20); hackney: check with the council	First attempt and re-takes each carry a fee	Private hire £51; hackney £74
Sevenoaks	Computer multiple choice, questions picked at random; categories include compulsory questions	58 hackney; 56 private hire	90 minutes	80% in each category, and every compulsory question correct	No limit; pay for each attempt	£54
Stroud	At the council offices; multiple choice plus basic maths; can be taken verbally	85	Up to 1.5 hours	80% overall (67/85), plus at least 8/10 in Taxi Law & Policy and 8/10 in the Highway Code	Retakes allowed; fee each time	£71

Notes on the table:

• Fees change often. The figures above were the amounts shown on council pages in September 2026. Confirm the current fee, and what it covers, before you pay.
• Some councils publish study material you should use. Sevenoaks publishes its full question list as training material. North Yorkshire's guidance includes 10 sample questions. Cambridge's Taxi Handbook (Appendix K) lists the tested topics.
• Where a council does not publish a time limit (Cambridge, Stroud), this app's practice mocks use a generous allowance of 90 to 120 minutes. Ask the council about the real limit.

A study plan that works for all five councils

You can prepare for any council test with the same plan. Adjust the time spent on local knowledge to match how heavily your council tests it.

• Week 1 - law and conditions: study the law note in this app (the 1847 and 1976 Acts, touting, safeguarding, equality). Read your council's licence conditions and policy document.
• Week 2 - Highway Code and signs: revise the rules for drivers and learn every traffic sign. Both Stroud and Cambridge test this as its own section with its own minimum score.
• Week 3 - safeguarding and equality: learn the warning signs of child exploitation and county lines, and your duties towards disabled passengers, wheelchair users and assistance dogs.
• Week 4 - numeracy: practise fare and change calculations every day. Stroud includes basic maths, and this app's Reigate & Banstead mock includes a fares and numeracy section.
• Weeks 5 and 6 - local area: work with a map of your district. Learn stations, hospitals, schools, colleges, hotels, sports grounds, main streets and the routes between them. Sevenoaks candidates should learn the district's routes, streets and places, as tested.
• Every day: do 20 to 30 minutes of mock questions in this app and review every wrong answer until you can explain it.

Book your test only when your mock scores are comfortably above the pass mark in every section, not just overall.

On the day

• Bring what the council asks for - usually photo ID and your application or booking details. Check the instructions when you book.
• For an online test (Cambridge, Reigate & Banstead private hire): test your computer, camera and internet early, find a quiet room, and log in well before the start time.
• For in-person tests: arrive early, and for Stroud remember you can ask in advance for the test to be given verbally if reading is difficult for you.
• Read each question fully before answering. Watch the clock, but do not rush the law and Highway Code questions.
• If a section has a minimum pass mark (Cambridge, Sevenoaks, Stroud), every section matters. A strong local knowledge score cannot save a failed law section.
• Answer every question. If unsure, rule out the options you know are wrong and choose from what remains.

Quick check

• Which body licenses taxi and private hire drivers outside London? (local licensing councils - each sets its own test)
• What overall pass mark do North Yorkshire and Stroud require? (80%)
• In Sevenoaks, what score do you need on the compulsory questions? (100% - all of them correct)
• How many attempts does Cambridge allow within 12 months, and what happens after that? (3 attempts, then a 6-month wait)
• How many questions are in the Reigate & Banstead private hire test, and what is the pass mark? (20 questions; 90%, which is 18 out of 20)

Exam tips

• Learn your own council's numbers - question count, sections, pass mark and fees - because examiners and council officers expect you to know the local rules.
• Practise with the same format as the real test: timed multiple choice on screen for Sevenoaks and Cambridge, written answers for North Yorkshire.
• Use everything the council publishes: Sevenoaks' question list, North Yorkshire's sample questions, Cambridge's Taxi Handbook and Reigate & Banstead's sample paper and map reading guide.
• Never neglect the Highway Code section - it carries its own minimum at Cambridge and Stroud.
• Numeracy marks are the easiest to lose and the easiest to gain: practise fare, waiting time and change calculations until they are automatic.
• Fees, formats and pass marks change. Confirm everything on the council's website, or by calling the licensing team, before you book or pay.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.