TfL SERU assessment
Based on SERU for private hire drivers (Transport for London, undated) and 5 other sources. Checked .
A computer-based TfL assessment on the PHV Driver's Handbook, with multiple-choice questions and sentences to complete. It costs £40.
The test at a glance
| Run by | Transport for London |
|---|---|
| Licences | Private hire |
| Format | On a computer at TfL offices: multiple-choice questions, and sentences you complete by adding missing words |
| Based on | PHV Driver's Handbook, version 1.0, 10 sections |
| Fee | £40; re-sit £30 |
| Questions | TfL doesn't publish this; reported as 37 |
| Pass mark | TfL doesn't publish this; reported as 60% |
How to book
- Do TfL's online safeguarding awareness course before the assessment.
- TfL tells you what to expect on the day when your booking is confirmed.
- If you have a condition or disability and need extra support, email assessments@tph.tfl.gov.uk before you book.
- TfL offers no fast-track service. Report anyone who offers you one at a price to tphreport@tfl.gov.uk.
TfL: SERU for private hire drivers
This site isn't TfL. Booking and payment happen on the official site.
About the SERU test
SERU stands for safety, equality and regulatory understanding. It applies to new private hire applicants and to drivers renewing a licence. New applicants must pass it, and the speaking and listening test, before they can be licensed. TfL also uses SERU to judge your reading and writing, so it is the reading and writing half of the B1 English requirement.
The assessment is based on TfL's Private Hire Vehicle Driver's Handbook. It is on a computer at TfL offices, with multiple-choice questions and sentences you complete by adding missing words. TfL expects you to do its online safeguarding awareness course first.
It is not an easy test to pass. TaxiPoint reported from a Freedom of Information request in April 2026 that 54% of private hire candidates passed, with an average score of 64. Our practice has one topic for each section of the Handbook. Every question is written for this site, so read the Handbook as well.
Practise for the SERU test
Steps to a licence
- Be at least 21, with a full DVLA, Northern Ireland or other EEA licence held for at least three years, and the right to live and work in the UK.
- Apply online to TfL.
- Complete an enhanced DBS check and register with the DBS Update Service.
- Meet the DVLA Group 2 medical standard.
- Pass the topographical assessment, the speaking and listening assessment and SERU.
Recent changes
- : SERU fee set at £40, with a re-sit at £30. (source)
- : Taxi drivers began taking their own SERU assessment, based on the Taxi Driver Handbook. This page covers the private hire assessment.
- : New licensing rules that came after Handbook version 1.0, including DBS Update Service registration and reporting any arrest, charge, caution or conviction within 48 hours for licences granted from this date. (source)
- : New applicants must pass SERU and the speaking and listening test before they can be licensed.
What TfL doesn't publish
We couldn't confirm these from TfL's own pages, so ask the licensing team if they matter to you.
- The number of questions. Trade and driver sites report 37: 18 multiple choice, 17 complete the sentence and 2 reading comprehension.
- The time limit. It is reported as 45 minutes.
- The pass mark and the number of attempts. Uber and Addison Lee guidance from 2023 gives 60% and two attempts.
- Whether you can use the Handbook during the assessment. An open-book trial was announced in January 2024; we couldn't confirm whether it still applies. Ask TfL when you book.
SERU questions people ask
How many questions are in the SERU assessment?
TfL doesn't publish the number. It is reported as 37: 18 multiple choice, 17 complete the sentence and 2 reading comprehension. Our mock uses that split.
What is the SERU pass mark?
TfL doesn't publish it on its SERU page. Uber and Addison Lee guidance from 2023 gives 60%.
What should I read for SERU?
TfL's PHV Driver's Handbook. The assessment is based on it. TfL also has an audio version, videos for each section and an online assessment guide on its SERU page.
Are these the real SERU questions?
No. TfL doesn't publish its question bank. We wrote these questions from the rules in the Handbook.
Sources
- SERU for private hire drivers, Transport for London, undated. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Private Hire Vehicle Driver's Handbook, version 1.0, Transport for London, published 30 September 2021. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Apply for a private hire driver licence, Transport for London, undated. Checked 1 November 2026.
- TPH Notice 05/26: taxi and private hire licence fees, Transport for London, published 13 March 2026. Checked 29 October 2026.
- What is the SERU test and why are London private hire drivers struggling to pass?, TaxiPoint, 22 April 2026; news report of FOI figures, not a TfL document. Checked 1 November 2026.
- SERU assessment guidance, Uber, operator guidance, not a TfL document. Checked 1 November 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.