Leicester taxi knowledge test
Based on Taxi licensing in Leicester (Leicester City Council, undated; fees shown apply from 1 June 2026) and 8 other sources. Checked .
A one-hour written test on paper: outline maps of Leicester plus multiple-choice and true or false questions on taxi rules.
The test at a glance
| Council | Leicester City Council |
|---|---|
| Licences | Hackney carriage and private hire |
| Format | Written, on paper, in person |
| Time | 1 hour |
| Questions | Multiple choice and true or false, with outline maps to mark places, streets, main roads and areas. A council committee was told in March 2022 that drivers were asked 50 questions |
| Pass mark | "A high level of accuracy" (current guidance). The last figure the Council published was 66%, in a 2015 committee report |
| Fee | £24 (from 1 June 2026) |
| Re-sits | Wait 28 days; a re-test fee is payable; up to 4 attempts in total |
| Help | Help understanding the questions is given if you need it |
How to book
- You do not book the test separately. When you apply, the Council arranges a test appointment for you.
- The £24 knowledge test fee is paid with your application.
- If you miss the test without reasonable notice, or fail, you pay a re-test fee and wait 28 days.
- After four failed tests the Council will refuse the application.
- Questions: licensing@leicester.gov.uk or 0116 454 3030.
Apply for a Leicester taxi driver licence
This site isn't the council. Booking and payment happen on the official site.
About the Leicester test
Leicester City Council issues one driver licence that covers both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. Every new driver must pass the Council's topographical knowledge test.
It is a written test on paper, taken in person, with one hour to finish. You use outline maps to find places, streets, main roads and areas, and you answer multiple-choice and true or false questions, mostly on the rules for taxi work. The Council's guidance says you need "a high level of accuracy" to pass. Council committee papers give older figures: a 66% pass mark in 2015, and 50 questions in 2022.
This page sums up what the Council publishes and gives you practice on the streets and places list and the rules in its driver guidance notes. We are not the Council.
Practise for the Leicester test
Steps to a licence in Leicester
- Be over 18 and have held a full UK or EU driving licence for at least 12 months.
- Apply online and pay the fees.
- Pass an enhanced criminal record (DBS) check.
- Pass a medical examination by your own GP.
- Pass the topographical knowledge test.
- Pass a practical driving test with IAM RoadSmart.
- Pass a spoken English assessment at Leicester College (£90), unless you were born in the UK.
- Prove your immigration status and complete the HMRC tax check.
- Complete a child sexual exploitation awareness course (£20) within three months of getting your licence.
- Join the DBS Update Service: the Council runs six-monthly DBS checks from April 2026.
Recent changes
- : New fees from 1 June 2026: knowledge test £24, new driver licence £121 (1 year) or £163 (2 years). (source)
- : Licensed drivers must be on the DBS Update Service for six-monthly DBS checks.
- : Driver guidance notes re-issued (updated 6 February 2026). They still describe the written test with outline maps. (source)
- : Officers told the Licensing and Public Safety Committee they were still procuring a replacement test: an online assessment with questions set by the Council, taken on Council premises under supervision. The Committee noted the report. The Council's February 2026 guidance still describes the paper test. (source)
- : The Licensing and Public Safety Committee looked at replacing the paper test, which officers called out of date. Members chose option (e): joining the knowledge test to the practical driving assessment, with the Council still setting and checking the questions. The minutes say drivers were then asked 50 questions. (source)
- : A report to the Licensing Committee gave the pass mark as 66%, with four attempts and a 12-month wait to reapply after that. It proposed a longer list of places and a move to a computer test. (source)
What Leicester doesn't publish
We couldn't confirm these from the council's own pages, so ask the licensing team if they matter to you.
- The current number of questions and pass mark. The guidance only says "a high level of accuracy" is required. The figures we give (50 questions in 2022, 66% in 2015) come from committee papers, and the Council may have changed them since.
- The amount of the re-test fee. The guidance says one is payable; the 2026-27 fee list shows only the £24 knowledge test fee, with no separate re-test line.
- Whether a new online or combined test has started. The March 2023 report said a replacement was still being procured, and no later committee paper we found reports one. The Council's February 2026 guidance still describes the paper test.
- Whether every name on the streets and places list is still current. The list is almost the same as the one attached to the 2015 committee report, and some shops, hotels and offices on it may have closed, moved or changed name.
Leicester taxi test questions people ask
What is in the Leicester taxi knowledge test?
Outline maps of Leicester on which you identify places, streets, main roads and areas or estates, plus multiple-choice and true or false questions. The true or false questions are mainly on the rules for hackney carriage and private hire work.
How long is the test and what is the pass mark?
You have one hour. The Council's guidance says "a high level of accuracy" is required but gives no number. A 2015 Council report gave the pass mark as 66%, and in 2022 a committee was told drivers were asked 50 questions. These may have changed, so ask the Council.
How much does it cost?
£24 from 1 June 2026, paid with your application. If you fail, or miss the test without reasonable notice, you pay a re-test fee.
What happens if I fail?
You must wait 28 days before you try again. You can take the test up to four times; after that the Council refuses the application.
Do I need good written English?
The guidance says help is given with understanding the questions and that you do not need to read or write English sentences for the test. You do need to pass a separate spoken English assessment at ESOL Entry Level 3 unless you were born in the UK.
What should I study?
The Council's list of streets, places and areas, a good Leicester street map (including the one-way system, pedestrian zones and dead ends), and the list of rules in the driver guidance notes.
Sources
- Taxi licensing in Leicester, Leicester City Council, undated; fees shown apply from 1 June 2026. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Driver guidance notes (hackney carriage and private hire drivers), Leicester City Council, file name says November 2019; the document footer says updated 06/02/2026. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Hackney carriage/private hire drivers' test: streets/places/areas included (Appendix B), Leicester City Council, undated; uploaded February 2026, file created 2015. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Licensing fees and charges 2026-2027, Leicester City Council, effective from June 2026. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Taxi driver knowledge test (report to Licensing and Public Safety Committee), Leicester City Council, date of meeting. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Review of Drivers' Topographical Knowledge Test (report to Licensing Committee), Leicester City Council, date of meeting. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Taxi driver knowledge test: minutes, Licensing and Public Safety Committee, Leicester City Council, date of meeting. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Taxi driver knowledge test: update report (in the public reports pack), Leicester City Council, date of meeting. The separate report file returns 'not found'; the same report is in the reports pack. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Printed minutes, Licensing and Public Safety Committee, Leicester City Council, date of meeting. Checked 29 October 2026.
Councils update their tests and policies, often yearly. If something here no longer matches your council's guidance, the council is right; please tell us so we can fix it.