Bristol City Council knowledge test

Bristol City Council requires every new hackney carriage and private hire driver to pass its knowledge test. There are two versions with the same length but different pass marks: hackney carriage drivers must reach a much higher standard. This note covers the format, the local rules you should learn and how to study. Always check the council's website before you book, because details can change.

Test format

Item	Detail
Questions	100 multiple-choice questions in both versions
Time	Up to 90 minutes
Pass mark - private hire	75% overall
Pass mark - hackney carriage	90% overall
Section minimum	40% or 50% in each section, depending on the section
Booking	Apply for a licence first, then book by phone and pay when booking
Fee	£69
Changes	Bookings cannot be changed - if you miss it, book and pay again

What the sections cover

• Both tests: safety (including child sexual exploitation); clubs, pubs, restaurants and hotels; districts and places of interest; change calculations and road safety; policy and legislation; equality.
• Hackney carriage only: offices and flats; places outside Bristol.

Key fact: A private hire driver who later wants a hackney carriage licence must pass the knowledge test again at the hackney (90%) standard.

The council does not publish which sections need 40% and which need 50%, how many questions are in each section, or any limit on attempts. Bristol's own example questions are on its website - use them, but do not expect the same questions on the day.

Other requirements

• Mandatory safeguarding training. The Gold Standard training and DVSA advanced taxi driving test are currently paused while new providers are found; you may be licensed first and told later when to pass them.
• DBS Update Service for as long as you hold a licence; DVLA history check at each 3-year renewal.
• Group 2 medical: every 5 years from 45, every year from 65.
• Driver licence fees (from May 2026): £140 for 1 year, £209 for 2 years, £251 for 3 years.

Reporting and returns

Event	Deadline
Arrest, interview, charge, caution, conviction or fixed penalty	In writing by close of business the next working day
Penalty points on your DVLA licence	In writing by the next working day
Accident causing damage or injury	In writing by the next working day
Badges after expiry, revocation or suspension	Return within 3 working days
Vehicle plates after revocation, suspension or expiry	Return within 7 days
Hackney meter after a tariff change	Recalibrate within 14 days

Conduct and private hire rules

• Be clean and respectable in dress and person; behave in an orderly and proper manner.
• Wear your badge on your upper body when outside the vehicle while working; never lend it.
• Do not park at or within 20 metres of a hackney rank (stopping only to set down).
• Take the most expedient route unless the passenger agrees otherwise. No luggage on the roof.
• Tell the council which operator you work for before starting; the operator keeps a copy of your licence.
• Ordinary lost property follows your operator's policy; a suspicious package goes straight to the police.

Vehicles, signs and CCTV

• Hackney carriages are all-over Bristol Blue; new private hire vehicles cannot have a blue livery.
• First licensing: under 3.5 years old. Over 8 years: 6-monthly inspection and a 6-month licence. New (non-replacement) hackneys must be ULEVs.
• Hackney plates on the front offside and rear offside; TAXI roof sign lit only when plying for hire and powered off when the meter runs. Card and contactless payment with no surcharge.
• CCTV may be fitted under ICO rules, but no audio and a sign must tell passengers. Dash cams face outward only. No radio scanners.
• Private hire vehicles: no roof fittings except an aerial; a vehicle cannot also be licensed by another council.

Hackney fares (April 2025)

Six tariffs: day, night, weekend day, weekend night, bank holiday, and Christmas and New Year. Tariff 1 (Mon-Fri 06:00-21:00) starts at £3.00 and adds 20p a unit; waiting is £20.00 an hour. Extras include 20p for an unbooked hire from Temple Meads, 50p per extra adult (not children under 14), 50p per large case and 30p per medium bag, capped at £6.00 in total. Fouling is up to £100. Assistance dogs and wheelchairs are carried free.

Worked example

Tariff 1 meter £8.20, hailed at Temple Meads, two adults, one large case: £8.20 + 20p + 50p + 50p = £9.40.

Local area study tips

• Learn the centre: Temple Meads (Station Approach), Cathedral and Marriott Royal (College Green), Hippodrome (St Augustine's Parade), Bristol Beacon (Colston Street), Old Vic (King Street), M Shed (Princes Wharf).
• Hospitals: Southmead (Southmead Road), Children's Hospital (Upper Maudlin Street), St Michael's (Southwell Street).
• Know what is outside the city: Bristol Airport (North Somerset), Cribbs Causeway and Parkway (South Gloucestershire).
• Main roads: M32 to the M4, the Portway (A4) to Avonmouth, Gloucester Road (A38), A4 Bath Road through Brislington.

Safeguarding and equality

• If a child may be in immediate danger, call 999. Know the Avon and Somerset Police "This Is Not An Excuse" campaign on child sexual exploitation.
• Assistance dogs are carried free under section 168 of the Equality Act; exemptions need detailed medical evidence and a displayed badge.
• Wheelchair passengers in a hackney normally face the rear, with a 3-point belt.

Quick check

• How many questions? (100)
• Hackney pass mark? (90%)
• When must an arrest be reported? (By close of business the next working day)