People search for taxi knowledge test questions and answers because they want to know what the test will actually ask. The honest answer is that no council publishes its live question bank, but the topics are well known and several councils publish official samples. This page explains each kind of question you will meet, with worked examples, shows you which councils publish official material, and links free practice for every council we cover.
UK Driver Licence Prep is an independent study aid, not part of any council. All worked examples on this page are our own, built from councils' published policies and fare tables and from national law. The sample questions shown at the end of the page come from our City of York practice route, as an example of how one council's local questions look. Every council has its own practice route with its own local questions.
Why you won't find the live questions anywhere
Councils keep their question banks private so the test stays fair. Cambridge City Council, for example, refused to release its knowledge test bank under the Freedom of Information Act, relying on the exemption in section 31(1)(g) that protects a public body's regulatory functions. Other councils simply do not publish theirs.
That has two consequences for you:
- Any website or PDF claiming to hold a council's "exact" knowledge test questions should be treated with suspicion. The PDFs that rank for these searches are often generic text, copied from other sites, with no link to any council.
- The best preparation is the official material your council does publish, plus practice questions written for your council's topics and format.
Key fact: Councils do not publish their live knowledge test questions. Use the official samples and topic lists below, and practise on the topics, not on memorised answers.
Councils that publish official sample material
| Council | What it publishes | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sevenoaks | The full list of questions you may be asked, without answers | Sevenoaks question list |
| North Yorkshire | 10 example questions in its April 2026 guidance | North Yorkshire guidance |
| City of York | An example paper of 30 questions and a list of route locations | York knowledge test downloads |
| Bristol | Example questions on its test page | Bristol driver tests |
| Reigate & Banstead | A sample private hire paper and an example map reading guide | Reigate & Banstead knowledge test |
| Cambridge | Topic list in Appendix K of the Taxi Handbook | Cambridge policy and handbook |
Read these first if you are applying to one of these councils. If your council is not listed, look on its licensing pages for a policy document, licence conditions and any study guide. Our council taxi knowledge test hub compares the formats of all 15 councils we cover.
Taxi knowledge test questions by topic
Law: hackney carriage, private hire and plying for hire
Every council tests the basic legal split. A hackney carriage (taxi) can be hailed in the street or hired from a rank. A private hire vehicle must be booked in advance through a licensed operator. Plying for hire means making a vehicle available for immediate hire to someone who has not booked, and a private hire driver who does it commits an offence and is usually uninsured. The rules come from the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and Part II of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.
Questions often present a situation and ask what the driver may do. The test behind every one is the same: has this passenger booked through a licensed operator? Our guide to plying for hire explains the law and the grey areas, and the free law and policy note covers the national framework.
Licence conditions: the numbers differ by council
Conditions questions are where local study matters most, because the same event has a different deadline in different places. Reporting a conviction or arrest is a good example:
| Council | Deadline to report an arrest, charge or conviction |
|---|---|
| Oxford | 48 hours in writing |
| Wolverhampton | 48 hours |
| York | 48 hours in writing |
| Birmingham | 7 days in writing under the private hire conditions |
| Nottingham | 7 days in writing |
| Bristol | By close of business the next working day |
If you learned your rules from another council, or from a national website, you could pick the wrong number. Always learn your own council's conditions. The council pages, such as Oxford, Nottingham and Bristol, set out each council's tables.
Exam tip: When two options look right, check the exact number in your own council's conditions. Conditions questions are designed to catch drivers who know the general idea but not the local detail.
The Highway Code and road signs
Expect stopping distances, speed limits, signs, road markings, rules at junctions and roundabouts and rules for vulnerable road users. The Highway Code is free online. A typical numeracy-style Highway Code question uses the published stopping distances: at 30 mph the typical total stopping distance is 23 metres, made up of 9 metres thinking distance and 14 metres braking distance. At 70 mph it is 96 metres. Our Highway Code for taxi drivers guide picks out the rules that matter most for professional drivers.
Safeguarding
Councils test whether you can spot signs that a passenger may be at risk and know what to do. Typical areas are child sexual exploitation, county lines (gangs using children and vulnerable adults to move drugs), cuckooing, modern slavery and vulnerable adults. The key decision is who to contact: 999 if someone is in immediate danger, 101 for a non-emergency report to the police, and your council's or operator's safeguarding contact. Some councils add deadlines; Wolverhampton expects a safeguarding concern to be reported within 24 hours at most. See safeguarding questions for taxi drivers.
Equality and disability
These questions come from the Equality Act 2010. Drivers of designated wheelchair-accessible vehicles must carry wheelchair users, give reasonable help and not charge extra (section 165). All drivers must carry assistance dogs at no extra charge (sections 168 and 170) unless they hold a medical exemption certificate. Councils such as Wolverhampton make clear that emotional support dogs are not assistance dogs, while trainee assistance dogs are treated as assistance dogs. Our Equality Act for taxi drivers guide explains each duty and exemption.
Fares and numeracy
Many councils include fare sums. You read the council's table of fares, apply the right tariff and add the right extras. Here are three worked examples using councils' published tables.
Oxford (Tariff 1, from 22 February 2024). The meter shows £9.70 and the passenger has two trunks, at £1.00 each on Tariff 1. Fare: £9.70 + £2.00 = £11.70.
Sheffield (Tariff 1). The fare starts at £3.50 for the first 100 yards, then 20p for each 176 yards. For a 3,620-yard journey: 3,620 − 100 = 3,520 yards; 3,520 ÷ 176 = 20 units; 20 × 20p = £4.00. Fare: £3.50 + £4.00 = £7.50.
York (Tariff 1). The meter shows £8.60 with four adults and two cases in the boot. Extras are 50p each for the third and fourth passengers and 50p per item in the boot. Fare: £8.60 + £1.00 + £1.00 = £10.60.
The method is always the same: pick the tariff from the day and time, work out the metered amount, then add only the extras the table allows. If a unit is only partly used, check your council's rule; some count part units as whole units. Private hire fares are set by operators, not councils, so these questions are about hackney carriage fares.
Routes and local knowledge
Councils that test the local area ask where places are and how to get between them. Most want the shortest legal route, not the quickest: Birmingham's hackney test and Sheffield's routes section both say so. In a written test, name each road in order with the direction of travel. Some tests show a picture of a building and ask which road it is on, as Sheffield does. York publishes its route locations list, and Liverpool sends a list of addresses and routes to learn after you book.
Customer service, conduct and lost property
Councils also ask how a professional driver behaves. These questions look like common sense, but each has a rule behind it in the conditions. Lost property is a good example of local detail:
| Council | What to do with property left in the vehicle |
|---|---|
| Birmingham | To a West Midlands Police station within 72 hours |
| Sheffield (hackney byelaws) | Unclaimed property to the South Yorkshire Police lost property office within 24 hours |
| Nottingham | Unclaimed property to the Central Police Station within 24 hours |
| York | Private hire: to the Licensing Office within 48 hours |
| Wolverhampton | Private hire: tell the operator at once and take it to the operator within 48 hours |
Other conduct questions cover dress codes, wearing your badge, not using the horn to announce arrival, taking the shortest or cheapest route, not smoking or vaping in the vehicle, and how to deal with a passenger who is drunk or aggressive. Read the conduct section of your council's conditions line by line.
Common traps in knowledge test answers
- "Always" and "never". Options with absolute words are often wrong, except where the law really is absolute, such as never carrying an unbooked passenger in a private hire car.
- The helpful wrong answer. An option that sounds kind, such as taking a stranded person who waves you down, can still be illegal for a private hire driver.
- The other council's number. A 48-hour rule from one council may be 7 days in another. Know yours.
- The quickest route. Unless the question says quickest, give the shortest legal route.
- Extras that aren't allowed. No council lets you charge extra for an assistance dog or for helping a wheelchair user.
How question styles differ between councils
| Style | Where you meet it |
|---|---|
| Multiple choice, one answer | Almost every council |
| Multiple choice with pictures | Sheffield's points of interest |
| Written route answers | Birmingham hackney; some written papers |
| Fare and change calculations | Cambridge, Reigate & Banstead, Stroud, Nottingham and others |
| Spoken questions | Milton Keynes' assessment; Stroud on request |
| Map use allowed | Reigate & Banstead's private hire navigation section |
The printable PDF: what it is and what it isn't
Our free printable worksheets are a page of practice questions with an answer key for one council. Open the page, then print it or use your browser's "Save as PDF". Two examples: the York worksheet and the Wolverhampton worksheet. They are our own questions, written for that council's topics. They are not the council's test, and nothing on this site claims to be.
How to read the explanations
Every question in our practice has an explanation. Read it even when you got the answer right. It tells you why the right answer is right, why the tempting wrong answer is wrong, and where the rule comes from: the Highway Code rule, the Act and section, or the council's policy. If the source is your council's conditions, open the conditions and find the line. That habit turns one question into a rule you will remember on the day.
Practice for every council
Each council has a free diagnostic and a free full mock in its own format. Try the York diagnostic or Wolverhampton mock 1, or go to your own council's page: Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Liverpool, Sheffield, Cambridge, Sevenoaks, York and Reigate & Banstead. Pro unlocks mocks 2 to 10 and section practice for every council from £6.99 a week; see pricing. There is no pass guarantee.
Your study plan
- Today: download your council's official sample material from the table above, if it publishes any.
- This week: take your council's free diagnostic and read the free law and policy note.
- Next week: learn your council's reporting deadlines and fare table. Work three fare sums a day.
- Weeks 3 and 4: study the local area with a map and drill safeguarding and equality.
- Before booking: sit your council's free mock 1 and aim for 85% in every section. If you have not decided which licence you want, read how to become a taxi driver.
Example: one council's local questions
The questions below come from our City of York route and show how local questions sit alongside the shared core. If you are applying elsewhere, your council's page shows its own.
30 free York practice questions with answers
Try each one, then open the answer. For a timed experience use the free mock exam.
1. Which of these places is within the City of York Council licensing area?
- A. Selby
- B. Tadcaster
- C. Copmanthorpe
- D. Sherburn in Elmet
Show answer
C. Copmanthorpe
Copmanthorpe is inside the City of York Council area. The other three places are in neighbouring council areas.
2. Tadcaster is often used by York passengers. In which council area is it?
- A. North Yorkshire
- B. Leeds
- C. City of York
- D. East Riding of Yorkshire
Show answer
A. North Yorkshire
Tadcaster is in North Yorkshire, outside the City of York Council area. Journeys there end outside the district, so out-of-area fare rules may apply.
3. In York, on which road is York Hospital?
- A. Station Road
- B. Tadcaster Road
- C. Heslington Road
- D. Wigginton Road
Show answer
D. Wigginton Road
York Hospital is on Wigginton Road. Knowing the street for each major place helps you take passengers straight to the door.
4. Under the York byelaws, when may a hackney driver smoke tobacco in the licensed vehicle?
- A. When no passengers are aboard
- B. At no time
- C. With the passenger's permission
- D. At night only
Show answer
B. At no time
Byelaw 16 says the driver must not at any time smoke or burn tobacco when in the licensed vehicle.
5. Which description matches 'indirect discrimination'?
- A. A rule that applies to everyone but puts people with a protected characteristic at an unfair disadvantage
- B. Treating someone badly openly because of who they are
- C. Discrimination that is allowed if nobody complains
- D. Harassment of a passenger by another passenger
Show answer
A. A rule that applies to everyone but puts people with a protected characteristic at an unfair disadvantage
Indirect discrimination happens when the same arrangement for everyone unfairly disadvantages people with a protected characteristic.
6. Which York rank is NOT under the council's control?
- A. Tower Street
- B. Duncombe Place
- C. St Saviourgate
- D. York railway station
Show answer
D. York railway station
The council says the rank at York Railway Station is private and is not under council control.
7. What is the shortest route from York Railway Station (Station Road) to Askham Bryan College (Askham Fields Lane)?
- A. Station Road/Queen Street, Blossom Street, Holgate Road, Acomb Road, Wetherby Road, A1237, Askham Fields Lane
- B. Station Road/Queen Street, Blossom Street, The Mount, Mount Vale, Tadcaster Road, A64 westbound, Copmanthorpe junction, Askham Fields Lane
- C. Station Road, Leeman Road, Salisbury Road, Water End, Boroughbridge Road, A1237, Askham Fields Lane
- D. Station Road, Rougier Street, George Hudson Street, right into Micklegate, Tadcaster Road, Gale Lane, Askham Lane, A1237, Askham Fields Lane
Show answer
B. Station Road/Queen Street, Blossom Street, The Mount, Mount Vale, Tadcaster Road, A64 westbound, Copmanthorpe junction, Askham Fields Lane
York's example answer goes out along Tadcaster Road and the A64 westbound to the Copmanthorpe junction.
8. In York, on which road is the Jorvik Viking Centre?
- A. Tower Street
- B. Museum Street
- C. Coppergate
- D. Fossgate
Show answer
C. Coppergate
The Jorvik Viking Centre is on Coppergate. Knowing the street for each major place helps you take passengers straight to the door.
9. Which animals must you carry in a licensed vehicle if the customer asks, and can you charge extra?
- A. Guide dogs only, with no extra charge
- B. Any animal in a basket, with an extra charge
- C. Guide dogs, hearing dogs and other assistance dogs, with no extra charge
- D. Hearing dogs only, with no extra charge
Show answer
C. Guide dogs, hearing dogs and other assistance dogs, with no extra charge
Drivers must carry guide, hearing and other assistance dogs and must not charge extra for them (Equality Act 2010).
10. How often must a York licensed vehicle more than five years old be inspected?
- A. Once every two years
- B. Once every 12 months
- C. Only when sold
- D. Twice in every 12 months
Show answer
D. Twice in every 12 months
Vehicles over five years old get two inspections in every 12 months: the council inspection and a second check (or MOT) about six months later.
11. In York, on which road is the Dean Court Hotel?
- A. Tower Street
- B. Duncombe Place
- C. Station Road
- D. Walmgate
Show answer
B. Duncombe Place
The Dean Court Hotel is on Duncombe Place. Knowing the street for each major place helps you take passengers straight to the door.
12. From 22 November 2024, what colour may a York private hire vehicle be?
- A. White only
- B. Any colour but black
- C. Silver or grey only
- D. Black only
Show answer
B. Any colour but black
Private hire vehicles must be any colour other than black (executive vehicles with an exemption are excluded from this rule).
13. How long must a York applicant have held a full UK, EC or EEA driving licence?
- A. No minimum
- B. At least 3 years
- C. At least 12 months
- D. At least 6 months
Show answer
C. At least 12 months
A York driver licence cannot be granted to anyone who has not held a full UK, EC or EEA licence for at least 12 months.
14. What medical standard must York taxi and private hire drivers meet?
- A. DVLA Group 2
- B. A sports fitness test
- C. DVLA Group 1
- D. No medical at all
Show answer
A. DVLA Group 2
York applies the DVLA Group 2 medical standard. The medical must be done by the applicant's GP less than 6 months before applying.
15. In which direction is Heslington from York Minster?
- A. south-west
- B. south-east
- C. north-east
- D. north-west
Show answer
B. south-east
Heslington lies to the south-east of York Minster (about 3 km away).
16. In which direction is Askham Bryan from York Minster?
- A. north-west
- B. south-east
- C. south-west
- D. north-east
Show answer
C. south-west
Askham Bryan lies to the south-west of York Minster (about 6 km away).
17. St Saviourgate has two ranks. What is Rank B used as?
- A. A loading bay
- B. A private hire pick-up point
- C. A feeder rank
- D. A bus stop
Show answer
C. A feeder rank
St Saviourgate Rank A holds 12 cars and Rank B (4 cars) is a feeder rank.
18. Which York bridge over the Ouse is for pedestrians and cyclists only?
- A. Ouse Bridge
- B. Millennium Bridge
- C. Skeldergate Bridge
- D. Lendal Bridge
Show answer
B. Millennium Bridge
The Millennium Bridge, south of the centre near Rowntree Park, carries pedestrians and cyclists only.
19. In which direction is Copmanthorpe from York Minster?
- A. north-west
- B. south-east
- C. north-east
- D. south-west
Show answer
D. south-west
Copmanthorpe lies to the south-west of York Minster (about 7 km away).
20. Only one of these places is inside the City of York Council boundary. Which one?
- A. Easingwold
- B. Malton
- C. Pickering
- D. Strensall
Show answer
D. Strensall
Strensall is inside the City of York Council area. The other three places are in neighbouring council areas.
21. Under the York byelaws, when may a hackney driver remove the taximeter from the cab?
- A. To avoid recording a fare
- B. Never, in any situation
- C. When not in use, for safety
- D. During a paid hiring
Show answer
C. When not in use, for safety
Byelaw 8 bans tampering, but allows the proprietor or driver to remove the meter temporarily to a place of safety when the cab is not in use.
22. In York, on which road is the Grand Opera House?
- A. Cumberland Street
- B. St Leonard's Place
- C. Museum Street
- D. Station Road
Show answer
A. Cumberland Street
The Grand Opera House is on Cumberland Street. Knowing the street for each major place helps you take passengers straight to the door.
23. Which York tariff is used for journeys to and from York Racecourse on race days?
- A. Tariff 1
- B. Tariff 3
- C. Tariff 2
- D. Tariff 5
Show answer
B. Tariff 3
Tariff 3 applies on race days to and from York Racecourse, starting at £6.20.
24. A York applicant wants to drive a wheelchair accessible vehicle. What extra test must they pass?
- A. Nothing extra at all
- B. A wheelchair assessment
- C. A lorry driving test
- D. A bus driving test
Show answer
B. A wheelchair assessment
Anyone intending to drive a wheelchair accessible vehicle must also complete the wheelchair assessment with an approved supplier at the same time.
25. How long is a York driving assessment certificate valid for?
- A. 2 years
- B. For life
- C. 6 months
- D. 10 years
Show answer
A. 2 years
The council says the driving assessment certificate is valid for 2 years.
26. Which statement about types of adult abuse is correct?
- A. Only physical abuse counts as adult abuse
- B. Modern slavery is a crime but not a type of abuse
- C. Organisational abuse only happens to children
- D. Physical abuse, organisational abuse and modern slavery are all types of adult abuse
Show answer
D. Physical abuse, organisational abuse and modern slavery are all types of adult abuse
Adult abuse includes physical abuse, organisational abuse and modern slavery, among other types.
27. What must be displayed centrally on each front door of a York hackney carriage?
- A. A business advert
- B. The fares table
- C. The coat of arms decal
- D. The driver's name
Show answer
C. The coat of arms decal
Condition 17 says the official coat of arms decal, showing the licence number, must be displayed centrally on each front door panel.
28. What is the maximum length of a York driver licence?
- A. Ten years
- B. One year
- C. Five years
- D. Three years
Show answer
D. Three years
Driver licences are valid for a maximum of three years under section 53 of the 1976 Act, as amended by the Deregulation Act 2015.
29. An existing York driver reaches 8 points for minor motoring offences. What does the policy require?
- A. A free holiday and no action
- B. Nothing until they reach 12 points
- C. An immediate lifetime ban
- D. A warning, training and a driving test
Show answer
D. A warning, training and a driving test
Existing drivers with 7 to 9 points get a warning and must attend training and a practical driving test with an approved tester, at their own cost (two chances to pass).
30. In York, on which road is Bishopthorpe Palace?
- A. Bishopthorpe Road
- B. Fulford Road
- C. Wigginton Road
- D. Tadcaster Road
Show answer
A. Bishopthorpe Road
Bishopthorpe Palace is on Bishopthorpe Road. Knowing the street for each major place helps you take passengers straight to the door.
Frequently asked questions
+What questions are asked in a taxi knowledge test?
Expect questions on licensing law (hackney carriage versus private hire, plying for hire), your council's licence conditions, the Highway Code and road signs, safeguarding, disability and the Equality Act, fare calculations and local places and routes. The mix varies by council.
+Where can I find taxi knowledge test questions and answers?
Start with your council's licensing pages, because several councils publish sample papers, question lists or topic lists. Then use practice questions written for your council's format. Our practice routes cover 15 councils, each with free questions and explanations.
+Is there a taxi knowledge test questions and answers PDF?
Some councils publish sample papers as PDFs, but the files that circulate as 'questions and answers PDF' on other sites are often generic or copied text, not a council's test. Our printable worksheets give you free practice questions with an answer key that you can save as a PDF.
+Which councils publish sample knowledge test questions?
Sevenoaks publishes its full list of possible questions without answers. North Yorkshire includes 10 example questions in its guidance, York publishes an example paper and route locations, Bristol publishes example questions, and Reigate & Banstead publishes a sample private hire paper and map reading guide.
+Are the real knowledge test questions published?
No council we cover publishes its live question bank. Cambridge refused a Freedom of Information request for its bank, citing the need to protect the test. Anyone claiming to sell a council's exact questions should be treated with caution.
+How many questions are in a taxi knowledge test?
It depends on the council: 18 in Birmingham's private hire test, 28 in Wolverhampton, 40 in Sheffield, 60 in North Yorkshire, 100 in Bristol and Cambridge, and 110 in Liverpool. Check your council's page for its current format.
+How do I answer route questions in a knowledge test?
Give the route the council asks for, which is usually the shortest legal route, not the quickest. Name each road in order with the direction of travel, and check for one-way streets, banned turns and pedestrian zones on the way.
Study offline on your phone too
The UK Driver Licence Prep app has the same questions, works offline, and explains every answer in Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi, Arabic, Pashto, Farsi, Somali, Romanian or Polish, plus a map trainer for the Topographical.
Keep reading
- Council Taxi Knowledge Tests: Formats, Pass Marks and PracticeCouncil taxi knowledge tests compared: questions, time, pass rules and fees for 15 councils, what the tests cover and free practice for each.
- Highway Code for Taxi DriversThe Highway Code for taxi drivers: which council tests have a Highway Code section, the rules they ask about most with rule numbers, and where to practise.
- Plying for Hire: What It Means for DriversPlying for hire meaning in plain English: who may do it, the offences under the 1847 and 1976 Acts, touting, insurance and council penalties.
- Safeguarding Questions for Taxi DriversSafeguarding questions for taxi drivers: signs of exploitation, county lines, who to report to, worked scenarios and how TfL and councils test it.
- Equality Act Duties for Taxi DriversEquality Act duties for taxi drivers: assistance dogs, wheelchair users, no extra charges, exemption certificates and the 2022 changes, with scenarios.
- How to Become a Taxi Driver in the UKHow to become a taxi driver in the UK: choose TfL or your council, taxi or private hire, then the checks, tests, ages and costs, with 15 councils compared.