Oxford City Council knowledge and safeguarding test
908 words · checked 2026-10-03 · Free
Oxford City Council requires new drivers to pass its Local Knowledge and Safeguarding Test. It checks your knowledge of Oxford's roads and buildings, the conduct expected of licensed drivers, traffic rules, and your awareness of equality, safeguarding and disability. Hackney carriage and private hire applicants sit different versions. Always check the council's website before you book, because details can change.
Test format
| Section | Hackney carriage | Private hire |
|---|---|---|
| Identification of roads and streets | 15 | 15 |
| Identification of buildings and locations | 15 | 10 |
| Correct routes | 5 | - |
| Conditions and regulations | 20 | 20 |
| Safeguarding and equality | 5 | 5 |
| Disability awareness | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 65 | 55 |
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Time | 90 minutes |
| Pass mark | At least 80% in each section |
| Question style | Some sections are multiple choice |
| Booking | Online form on the council website |
| Retakes | If you fail, you are invited to sit again after paying a further test fee |
Key fact: 80% in every section. With only 5 questions in the safeguarding and disability sections, one wrong answer there leaves you on exactly 80% - a second means a fail.
The council does not publish a limit on attempts or a waiting period between attempts, and the test fee is not stated on the test page. The supporting materials say the test also includes Highway Code and road safety questions.
Conditions you must know
Reporting deadlines
| Event | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Arrest, bail, charge, conviction, caution or fixed penalty (including speeding) | 48 hours in writing |
| Change of address or phone number | 7 days in writing |
| Illness or injury affecting fitness to drive | As soon as possible, within 7 days |
| Away from home address for more than 28 days | Tell the council in advance |
| Accident (proprietor to Licensing Officer) | 48 hours |
| Lost property you cannot return | Follow Thames Valley Police procedure within 24 hours |
| Lost badge | As soon as you know |
Conduct
- Never lend your badge or licence; only a copy of the licence goes to your private hire operator.
- Wear your badge and company uniform as ID.
- Do not sound the horn on arrival. Respect a passenger who does not want to chat.
- Tell passengers your route if they ask; never prolong a journey without cause.
- Children aged 1 to 14 travel in the rear with the right restraint. Animals other than assistance dogs go in the rear.
- Agree if asked to wait until a passenger is safely inside, or to carry an unaccompanied child.
- No stopping at bus stops or in bus lay-bys; double yellow lines only to set down or pick up; bus lanes and restricted roads only where signs allow.
- Enrol with the DBS Update Service.
Private hire
- Never ply for hire, tout or park on a taxi rank. Do not ask your operator to make a booking for someone who approaches you.
- Do not wait without a booking in a prominent position (where people gather or near a rank).
- Record every hiring in a bound book, including the fare charged, and keep it for at least 12 months.
Hackney carriages and plates
- The first taxi on a rank must stay with it, ready for immediate hire. If a rank is full, go to another stand.
- You must accept a hiring that starts and ends in the city unless you have a reasonable excuse; you need not accept journeys ending outside the city.
- The plate goes securely on the rear bumper or rear bodywork unless an exemption notice is granted. Keep copies of insurance, compliance certificate and V5 in the vehicle.
Hackney fares (operative from 22 February 2024)
| Tariff | When | Start |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6am-10pm Mon-Fri; 6am-6pm Sat | £2.80 |
| 2 | 10pm-2am Mon-Fri; 6pm-2am Sat; public holidays (outside Tariff 3) | £3.00 |
| 3 | 2am-6am daily; 8pm 24 Dec to 6am 27 Dec; 8pm 31 Dec to 6am 2 Jan | £3.00 |
Tariff 1 waiting is £20 an hour. Extras include £2.00 per uncaged animal (not assistance dogs) and £1.00 per trunk (£1.50 on Tariff 3).
Worked example
Tariff 1 meter shows £9.70 with two trunks: £9.70 + 2 × £1.00 = £11.70.
Local area study tips
- Start from Carfax. Learn the council's road list, including Abingdon Road, Banbury Road, Botley Road, London Road, Headley Way and Between Towns Road (Cowley).
- St Giles' splits into Woodstock Road and Banbury Road; Cowley Road and Iffley Road start at The Plain.
- Hospitals: John Radcliffe (Headley Way), Churchill (Old Road), Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre - all in Headington.
- Centre: station (Park End Street), Gloucester Green Bus Station, New Theatre (George Street), Ashmolean (Beaumont Street), Sheldonian (Broad Street), Westgate Centre.
- Park and Rides: Seacourt (west), Thornhill (east), Redbridge (south), Water Eaton by Oxford Parkway (north). Kassam Stadium is on Grenoble Road.
Safeguarding and equality
- Trafficking has three elements: movement, control and purpose. One sign alone is not proof, but several together should concern you.
- Report to Thames Valley Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
- Sit lone passengers in the back unless agreed; never double up bookings; explain before using central locking.
- In effect all Oxford hackney carriages are designated wheelchair accessible. You cannot refuse a wheelchair user your vehicle can safely carry, or charge a disabled passenger more.
- Wheelchairs never travel sideways; attach restraints to the rear frame uprights and use the seat belt too.
Quick check
- How many questions in the private hire test? (55)
- Which section is hackney-only? (Correct routes)
- Deadline to report a fixed penalty? (48 hours)