Taxi Knowledge Test

Nottingham taxi knowledge test

Based on Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver licence (Nottingham City Council, undated) and 6 other sources. Checked .

A 45-minute electronic Topography Test in five sections: licence conditions, premises and locations, numeracy, road signs and shortest route.

How to bookTake the mock test

The test at a glance

CouncilNottingham City Council
LicencesHackney carriage and private hire
FormatElectronic, in person, under exam conditions
Time45 minutes
SectionsLicence conditions; premises and locations; numeracy; road signs; shortest route
QuestionsNot published
Pass markNot published (the Council says "the required grade")
Fee£50 per attempt
WhereTaxi Licensing, Tamar Building, Eastcroft Depot, London Road, Nottingham NG2 3AH

How to book

  • The first test fee (£50) is part of the fee taken when you send your application.
  • Bring your driving licence or photo ID. An officer goes through the instructions before the test starts.
  • Stay silent, switch off your phone and do not bring notes. If you leave the room without permission you may not be let back in.
  • If you stop the test yourself, you lose the fee.
  • If you fail, you pay £50 again when you rebook. Email taxi.licensing@nottinghamcity.gov.uk to book a retest.

Nottingham City Council: apply for a combined driver licence

This site isn't the council. Booking and payment happen on the official site.

About the Nottingham test

Nottingham City Council issues a combined licence to drive both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. Every new driver must pass the Council's Topography Test.

It is an electronic test, taken in person at the Taxi Licensing office at Eastcroft Depot. It lasts 45 minutes and has five sections: licence conditions, premises and locations, numeracy, road signs and shortest route. The Council does not publish the number of questions or the pass mark.

This page sums up what the Council publishes and gives you practice for each section. We are not the Council; check the Council's licence page before you apply.

Practise for the Nottingham test

Download every Nottingham question and answer as a PDF

Steps to a licence in Nottingham

  1. Be at least 18 and have held a full British driving licence for at least one year.
  2. Apply for an enhanced DBS certificate and DVLA check through TaxiPlus, and register with the DBS Update Service.
  3. Get two written character references from people who have known you for 5 years or more (not relatives or your local councillor).
  4. For private hire, get an offer of work from an operator; for hackney work, a letter from a hackney carriage proprietor.
  5. Email the application form and documents to taxi.licensing@nottinghamcity.gov.uk; staff phone you to take the fee by card.
  6. Complete the Blue Lamp Trust taxi safeguarding e-learning course and send the certificate.
  7. Have a medical with AC Medical Services (£75).
  8. Pass a driving assessment with Green Penny or the Blue Lamp Trust (£60).
  9. Pass the Topography Test at Eastcroft Depot (£50).

Recent changes

  • : Drivers renewing a licence must first complete the Blue Lamp Trust safeguarding e-learning course. Drivers on yearly licences repeat it every third year.
  • : New initial application form and checklist in use.

What Nottingham 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 number of questions, the number in each section and the pass mark. The Council only refers to "the required grade", and we found no committee paper or FOI response that gives them. Some training websites give figures, but they do not agree and do not cite the Council.
  • Whether there is a waiting time between attempts or a limit on attempts. The licence page and the March 2025 checklist only say that you can ask for a retest and pay a further £50 each time.
  • Which premises, locations and routes the test uses. The Council does not publish a list.
  • Whether the £20 'Safeguarding Awareness' fee on the fees page is the Blue Lamp Trust course fee. The Council's safeguarding letter says the course is run by the Blue Lamp Trust, and the licence page says the renewal course fee is paid to the trust. The trust's own page lists its taxi safeguarding e-learning at £24 including VAT (£20 before VAT), but neither the Council nor the trust says the two fees are the same.
  • What the numeracy and road signs sections cover in detail.

Nottingham taxi test questions people ask

What is in the Nottingham Topography Test?

Five sections: licence conditions, premises and locations, numeracy, road signs and shortest route. It is done on a computer and takes 45 minutes.

Where do I take it?

At Taxi Licensing, Tamar Building, Eastcroft Depot, London Road, Nottingham NG2 3AH. Bring your driving licence or other photo ID.

How much does it cost?

£50. The first test fee is taken with your application, and each retest costs another £50.

What is the pass mark?

The Council does not publish one. Our mock uses 80% as a practice target only.

What should I read before the test?

The Council asks you to read the driver licence conditions and its 'Did you know' sheet. Learn the main places and roads in the city too.

What else do I need for a licence?

An enhanced DBS check through TaxiPlus, a medical with AC Medical Services (£75), a driving assessment (£60), the Blue Lamp Trust safeguarding course, two character references and right to work documents.

Sources

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.