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Topographical test route planning: questions and answers

22 practice questions for the TfL topographical assessment, with answers and explanations at the end.

Free from taxiknowledgetest.co.uk. Not an official council or TfL document: check the current official guidance.

Questions

How TfL marks a route

  1. The map shows a green marker and a red marker. You start your route at the green marker.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  2. You start your route at the red marker because it is closer to you.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  3. You plan a good route, but you draw it from the red marker back to the green marker. This can lose you marks.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  4. Your route starts on a road near the green marker, not at the marker. You still get full marks.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  5. Your route is legal and reaches the red marker, but it is longer than it needs to be. You lose no marks.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  6. The map shows that a turn is not allowed. You make that turn to save time. This can lose you marks.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  7. You will plan three routes in the assessment: a short route, a short route with a road closure and a long route.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  8. The three route questions are worth less than half of the marks.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  9. A computer marks your route and nobody checks it.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  10. After the assessment, TfL will send you a copy so you can see each mistake.

    • A. True
    • B. False

London journeys

  1. You plan the most direct route from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner. It uses Park Lane.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  2. You plan the most direct route from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner. It uses Sloane Street.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  3. You plan the most direct route from Paddington station to Euston station. It uses Marylebone Road.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  4. You plan the most direct route from Paddington station to Euston station. It uses Oxford Street.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  5. You plan the most direct route from Holborn station to Waterloo station. It uses Waterloo Bridge.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  6. You plan the most direct route from Tate Britain to Waterloo station. It uses Vauxhall Bridge.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  7. You plan the most direct route from Clapham Junction station to Victoria station. It uses Chelsea Bridge.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  8. You plan the most direct route from Marylebone station to Oxford Circus. It uses Edgware Road.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  9. You plan a route from Waterloo station to Trafalgar Square. You must cross the River Thames.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  10. You plan a route from Victoria station to the Tower of London. You must cross the River Thames.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  11. You plan a route from Camden Town station to King's Cross station. You must cross the River Thames.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  12. You plan a route from the Tower of London to the Shard. You must cross the River Thames.

    • A. True
    • B. False

Answers

  1. A. True. TfL says the green marker is the start of the route and the red marker is the end.
  2. B. False. The red marker is the end of the route. You start at the green marker.
  3. A. True. TfL takes marks off for planning the route in reverse.
  4. B. False. TfL takes marks off if you do not start or end in the correct place.
  5. B. False. TfL takes marks off if you do not follow the most direct route.
  6. A. True. TfL takes marks off for a route or a turn that the symbols on the map do not allow.
  7. A. True. TfL says there are three route questions, and these are the three types.
  8. B. False. The three routes are worth 66 of the 100 marks. The multiple-choice questions share the other 34.
  9. B. False. A skilled assessor marks each route. A different assessor then checks the marking.
  10. B. False. TfL says it cannot give detailed feedback to each person or give copies of the assessment.
  11. A. True. True. A car route check from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner uses Park Lane, Knightsbridge.
  12. B. False. False. A car route check from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner uses Park Lane, Knightsbridge.
  13. A. True. True. A car route check from Paddington station to Euston station uses Marylebone Road and Euston Road.
  14. B. False. False. A car route check from Paddington station to Euston station uses Marylebone Road and Euston Road.
  15. A. True. True. A car route check from Holborn station to Waterloo station uses Kingsway, Waterloo Bridge, Waterloo Road.
  16. B. False. False. A car route check from Tate Britain to Waterloo station uses John Islip Street, Lambeth Bridge, Lambeth Palace Road.
  17. A. True. True. A car route check from Clapham Junction station to Victoria station uses Falcon Road, Battersea Park Road, Queenstown Road, Chelsea Bridge, Ebury Bridge Road.
  18. B. False. False. A car route check from Marylebone station to Oxford Circus uses Marylebone Road, Portland Place.
  19. A. True. True. Waterloo station is in Lambeth, south of the river. Trafalgar Square is in the City of Westminster, north of the river.
  20. B. False. False. Victoria station is in the City of Westminster, north of the river. The Tower of London is in Tower Hamlets, north of the river.
  21. B. False. False. Camden Town station and King's Cross station are both in Camden, north of the river.
  22. A. True. True. The Tower of London is in Tower Hamlets, north of the river. The Shard is in Southwark, south of the river.

Sources

  • Topographical assessment guidelines, Transport for London, No date printed; PDF file dated 29 April 2026. Checked 1 November 2026. https://content.tfl.gov.uk/topographical-assessment-guidelines.pdf
  • Topographical assessment, Transport for London, Undated. Checked 1 November 2026. https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/topographical-assessment
  • OSRM route checks, car profile, using OpenStreetMap data, Project OSRM, Live routing, read on the date checked. Checked 1 November 2026. https://project-osrm.org/
  • OpenStreetMap map data, read through Nominatim and Overpass. © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenStreetMap contributors, Live data, read on the date checked. Checked 1 November 2026. https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright