Driver knowledge test
Applicants for a licence to drive a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle will be required to take and pass the council’s knowledge test. This test is aimed at assessing the applicants knowledge of:
- Streets, locations, attractions, entertainment venues and general geography of the council’s administrative area
- Understanding of the hackney carriage and private hire legislation, as well as the council's Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2019-2023.
- The Highway Code
- Basic numeracy
The test will be conducted in English. It is a written test and applicants have 45 minutes to complete it. To pass the test, you must pass all five sections, and the pass rate is shown below. It is strongly recommended that applicants read the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2019-2023 before sitting the knowledge test.
Normal examination conditions will apply during the test. Any person found to be using unfair means during the test will be excluded and will be required to take a fresh test and pay the appropriate fee. This may also affect their fitness and propriety to be granted a licence.
The charge for the initial knowledge test is included in the licence fee. Where an applicant fails the knowledge test there is an additional fee for every subsequent test undertaken.
An applicant is permitted to take the knowledge test up to a maximum of three times per application, subject to the additional re-test fees being paid. Where an applicant fails the test three times, the application will be refused, subject to a manager who has responsibility for licensing permitting a further test or tests where the circumstances are considered appropriate.
The test consists of the sections listed below, shown with some sample questions and the required pass rate for each section:
| Section | Area covered | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
|
Section 1 (Applicants should refresh their knowledge of the Highway Code and basic vehicle maintenance) |
Vehicle maintenance / Highway Code Sample questions: When should tyre pressures be checked?
If there are no speed limit signs on the road, how is a 30 mph limit indicated?
|
4/5 |
|
Section 2 (Applicants should research the Shropshire Council administrative area. This includes the hackney carriage zones, A roads, highways/motorways, locations of market towns) |
Local knowledge of the Shropshire Council area Sample questions: Which market town is not in the Shropshire Council area?
What is the A road which runs between Market Drayton and Shrewsbury?
|
6/7 |
|
Section 3 (Applicants should research the differences between the two types of licensed vehicles, including the appearance and the different ways they can be hired by the public) |
Hackney carriage and private hire rules Sample questions: The driver of which licensed vehicle is allowed to accept bookings for immediate hire, directly from the customer?
All private hire journeys must be booked:
|
2/3 |
|
Section 4 (Applicants will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the sections regarding drivers, hackney carriages, private hire vehicles and private hire operators and the relevant conditions, as well as Appendix A – Child Exploitation and Trafficking of Children and Young People) |
Shropshire Council hackney carriage and licensing policy 2019-23 Sample questions: When can the plates be removed from a licensed vehicle?
Can a private hire vehicle display the word ‘taxi’ on the vehicle?
A child having a sexual knowledge beyond their development age could be a sign of sexual abuse:
|
8/10 |
|
Section 5 (Applicants are expected to demonstrate basic numerical skills including addition and subtraction) |
Numerical questions Sample questions If a fare from Oswestry to Much Wenlock costs £24.60 and the passenger pays you £25.00 and does not offer you a tip how much change would you give them?
If the fare is £8.77 and the customer pays with a £20 note, what change would you give:
|
4/5 |