Planning the most direct route
1,904 words · checked 2026-10-03 · Pro
Route planning is the biggest part of the TfL Topographical Skills Assessment. The three route questions are worth 66 of the 100 marks, and the pass mark for the whole assessment is 60%. This note explains how these questions are marked, a step-by-step method for planning a route, and the mistakes that lose marks.
What the route questions look like
You plan your route on a digital map on the computer. The start of the journey is shown by a green marker. The end of the journey is shown by a red marker. There are three route questions:
- one short route
- one short route with a road closure
- one long route
If a road is closed, the question tells you. In its own example, TfL asks for the most direct route between two places and states clearly that a named street is closed. Read every word of the question so you do not miss this. The points available for each question are shown within the assessment.
The assessment also has a section of true or false questions about route planning, before the route questions themselves.
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