Taxi Knowledge Test
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Leicester rules and regulations: questions and answers

39 practice questions for the Leicester City Council taxi and private hire knowledge test, with answers and explanations at the end.

Free from taxiknowledgetest.co.uk. Not an official council document: check your council's current guidance.

Questions

Hackney carriages and private hire

  1. Only a hackney carriage may pick up a passenger who waves it down in the street.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  2. A private hire vehicle may wait on a taxi rank if the driver has a valid badge.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  3. A person stops your private hire vehicle in the street and asks for a ride. What must you do?

    • A. Take them if the meter is switched on
    • B. Take them if the trip is short
    • C. Refuse: they must book first
    • D. Take them if they pay in cash

  4. In a hackney carriage, what is the most you may charge for a journey that starts in the city?

    • A. The fare on the Council's fare table
    • B. Any fare the passenger agrees to
    • C. The fare table plus a late-night extra
    • D. The fare a sat nav estimates

  5. A hackney carriage driver may charge less than the fare on the Council's fare table.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  6. A passenger books your hackney carriage by phone. You drive 2 miles to collect them. From where can you charge the approved fare?

    • A. From your home
    • B. From where you got the booking
    • C. From the rank you left
    • D. From where you pick them up

  7. When should you switch the taxi meter to 'hire'?

    • A. When the passenger starts the journey
    • B. When you accept the booking
    • C. When you leave the rank
    • D. When you arrive at the pick-up

  8. The seal on your taxi meter has come loose. You may fix it yourself if the meter still works.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  9. Your hackney carriage is first on the rank. Can you leave it to buy a drink?

    • A. Yes, for up to 5 minutes
    • B. No, not in the first or second place
    • C. Yes, if you lock the doors
    • D. Yes, if a driver behind agrees

  10. Your hackney carriage is fifth on a rank. The rule about not leaving it unattended applies only to the first and second places.

    • A. True
    • B. False

Time limits and reporting

  1. You move house. How long do you have to tell the Council?

    • A. 24 hours
    • B. 14 days
    • C. 28 days
    • D. 7 days

  2. You are not the owner of the car. It is damaged in an accident. When should you tell the proprietor?

    • A. Within 7 days
    • B. Immediately
    • C. Within 72 hours
    • D. At the next vehicle test

  3. What is the latest the proprietor must tell the Council about accident damage to a licensed car?

    • A. 24 hours
    • B. 7 days
    • C. 72 hours
    • D. 14 days

  4. A passenger leaves a bag in your car. Nobody claims it. Where must you take it?

    • A. To the Council office
    • B. To the Police
    • C. To your operator
    • D. To the bus station

  5. How long do you have to take lost property to the Police?

    • A. 24 hours
    • B. 48 hours
    • C. 72 hours
    • D. 7 days

  6. A police officer asks to see your licence. You do not have it with you. When must you produce it?

    • A. Within 24 hours at the Council
    • B. Within 14 days at any office
    • C. Within 28 days by post
    • D. At once or within 5 days

  7. A Council officer may inspect your licensed vehicle at any reasonable time.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  8. Your licence is suspended and the Council sends a notice asking for your badge. How long do you have to return it?

    • A. 7 days
    • B. 14 days
    • C. 28 days
    • D. 3 months

  9. You have a new licence. Within what time must you complete the child sexual exploitation awareness course?

    • A. 3 months
    • B. 1 month
    • C. 6 months
    • D. 12 months

Passengers and conduct

  1. Your car is licensed for 4 passengers. A group of 5 asks for one trip and offers to pay more. What do you do?

    • A. Take all 5 if a child sits on a lap
    • B. Take all 5 for a short trip
    • C. Take 4 and offer to come back
    • D. Take all 5 if they agree in writing

  2. Your friend wants to ride along while you carry a paying passenger. Is this allowed?

    • A. Yes, if they sit in the front
    • B. No, only paying passengers
    • C. Yes, if the passenger agrees
    • D. Yes, at night for safety

  3. When must you wear your driver's badge?

    • A. Only when on a rank
    • B. Only at night
    • C. Only when a passenger asks
    • D. At all times when working

  4. Which route must you take on a journey?

    • A. The one with the fewest traffic lights
    • B. The shortest practicable route
    • C. The route the meter suggests
    • D. Any route, if the fare is fixed

  5. You may shout to people in the street to offer them a taxi ride.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  6. A passenger has two large suitcases. What should you do?

    • A. Carry them and help load them
    • B. Ask them to load the cases
    • C. Charge before touching them
    • D. Refuse anything over one case

  7. You may put an advert for your cousin's shop in the car window.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  8. What safety item must you keep ready for use in the car?

    • A. A first aid kit
    • B. A torch
    • C. An approved fire extinguisher
    • D. A warning triangle

  9. You accept a booking for 9:00. What does the guidance say?

    • A. Arrive within 30 minutes
    • B. Attend on time
    • C. Arrive when you are free
    • D. Text if you will be late

  10. A passenger in a wheelchair asks to travel in their wheelchair in your accessible taxi. Can you charge extra?

    • A. Yes, a fixed £5 extra
    • B. Yes, for the loading time
    • C. Only at night
    • D. No, there is no extra charge

Your licence and the test

  1. What is the longest a Leicester driver's licence can last?

    • A. 3 years
    • B. 1 year
    • C. 5 years
    • D. 10 years

  2. How long must you have held a full driving licence before you apply?

    • A. 6 months
    • B. 12 months
    • C. 2 years
    • D. 3 years

  3. You fail the knowledge test. How long must you wait before you take it again?

    • A. 7 days
    • B. 14 days
    • C. 28 days
    • D. 3 months

  4. What is the most times you can take the knowledge test?

    • A. 2
    • B. 3
    • C. Unlimited
    • D. 4

  5. You miss your test without giving reasonable notice. You will have to pay a re-test fee.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  6. Your licence runs out and you apply again a week later. What happens?

    • A. It is treated as a renewal
    • B. You get a short-term licence
    • C. It is a new application with tests
    • D. You pay a late fee only

  7. You were born outside the UK. What spoken English level must you reach?

    • A. Entry Level 1
    • B. Entry Level 3
    • C. Level 2
    • D. GCSE grade 4

  8. Who can carry out the medical examination for your application?

    • A. Your own doctor with your records
    • B. Any doctor at a walk-in centre
    • C. A Council officer
    • D. A pharmacist

  9. Once licensed, at what age do you need a medical every year?

    • A. 50
    • B. 60
    • C. 70
    • D. 65

  10. The Council refuses your licence because it says you are not fit and proper. Where can you appeal?

    • A. To the Council's licensing team
    • B. To the Police
    • C. To the Magistrates' Court
    • D. To the DVLA

Answers

  1. A. True. True. Hackney carriages are the only vehicles allowed to pick up in the street or wait on taxi ranks.
  2. B. False. False. Only hackney carriages may stand on taxi ranks. A private hire vehicle can only carry passengers who booked in advance.
  3. C. Refuse: they must book first. A private hire vehicle can only pick up passengers who have booked in advance. A street pick-up is not allowed.
  4. A. The fare on the Council's fare table. You may charge the Council's approved fare or less. Charging more for a journey that starts in the city is illegal.
  5. A. True. True. The guidance says you charge according to the fare table 'or LESS'. You must never charge more.
  6. D. From where you pick them up. For a booked hackney carriage journey, you may only charge the approved fare from the pick-up point to the drop-off point.
  7. A. When the passenger starts the journey. Switch the meter to 'hire' only when the passenger's journey starts.
  8. B. False. False. You must not tamper with the meter in any way, and the seal must stay intact.
  9. B. No, not in the first or second place. You must not leave a hackney carriage unattended when it is in the first or second place on a rank.
  10. A. True. True. The guidance says you must not leave a hackney carriage unattended in the first or second place on a rank.
  11. D. 7 days. If you change your address, you must tell the Council within 7 days.
  12. B. Immediately. Tell the proprietor at once. The proprietor must tell the Council within 72 hours at the latest.
  13. C. 72 hours. The proprietor must notify the Council of accident damage within 72 hours (3 days) at the latest, and sooner if possible.
  14. B. To the Police. Lost property found in the car must be taken to the Police within 24 hours.
  15. A. 24 hours. You must take lost property found in the car to the Police within 24 hours.
  16. D. At once or within 5 days. You must produce your licence on request to a Council officer or police constable at once or within five days at the right place.
  17. A. True. True. An authorised officer or police constable has the right to inspect a vehicle at any reasonable time.
  18. B. 14 days. If a licence expires or is revoked or suspended, the Council may require the badge back within 14 days.
  19. A. 3 months. Newly licensed drivers must complete the child sexual exploitation awareness course within three months of the licence being granted.
  20. C. Take 4 and offer to come back. You must not carry more people than the car is licensed for, whatever the passengers offer.
  21. B. No, only paying passengers. The guidance says you must not carry any person other than the paying passenger or passengers.
  22. D. At all times when working. You must wear your driver's badge at all times when you are working as a hackney carriage or private hire driver.
  23. B. The shortest practicable route. You must take the shortest practicable route and not make the journey longer in distance or time without need.
  24. B. False. False. You must not look for business by shouting or otherwise approaching the public.
  25. A. Carry them and help load them. You must carry a reasonable amount of luggage and help with loading and unloading.
  26. B. False. False. You must not place advertising matter in the window of the vehicle.
  27. C. An approved fire extinguisher. You must keep the car clean and tidy and keep an approved fire extinguisher ready for use.
  28. B. Attend on time. You must attend punctually to any booking.
  29. D. No, there is no extra charge. Leicester's licensing page says drivers must carry passengers in their wheelchair if required, give mobility assistance and not charge extra.
  30. A. 3 years. A hackney carriage and private hire driver's licence lasts no more than three years from the date it was granted.
  31. B. 12 months. You must have held a full British or EU driving licence for at least 12 months. A provisional licence is not enough.
  32. C. 28 days. After a fail, 28 days must pass before you can retake the test.
  33. D. 4. You may take a maximum of four tests. After that, the application for a licence will be refused.
  34. A. True. True. A re-test fee is payable if you fail to attend without reasonable notice or fail to reach the pass mark.
  35. C. It is a new application with tests. If you apply after the old licence has expired, it is treated as a new application. You must retake the knowledge test and the driving test.
  36. B. Entry Level 3. Applicants not born in the UK take an English assessment and must meet ESOL Entry Level 3. Leicester College runs it for £90.
  37. A. Your own doctor with your records. The medical must be done by your own medical practitioner who has access to your medical records.
  38. D. 65. Medicals are needed at 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65, and every year from age 65.
  39. C. To the Magistrates' Court. If a licence is refused on fit and proper grounds, you have the right of appeal to the Magistrates' Court.

Sources

  • 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. https://www.leicester.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-02/Driver%20guidance%20notes%20November%202019.pdf
  • Taxi licensing in Leicester, Leicester City Council, Undated; fees shown apply from 1 June 2026. Checked 29 October 2026. https://www.leicester.gov.uk/business-and-licences/licences-and-permits/transport-and-street-licences-and-permits/taxi-licensing-leicester