Wolverhampton taxi knowledge test
Based on Taxi knowledge and practical test (City of Wolverhampton Council, published 29 July 2026) and 10 other sources. Checked .
A one-day course of about 6 hours, then a 28-question written multiple-choice test with a 75% pass mark and 8 key questions.
The test at a glance
| Council | City of Wolverhampton Council |
|---|---|
| Licences | Hackney carriage and private hire |
| Run by | Worcestershire County Council, for City of Wolverhampton Council |
| Course | One day, about 6 hours, then the test |
| Questions | 28, written multiple choice |
| Pass mark | 75% |
| Key questions | 8: 3 safeguarding, 3 plying for hire, 2 disability awareness |
| Cost | £50 per attempt (course and test) |
| Test-only resit | £20, only as your second attempt |
| Attempts | Pass within 3 attempts; fail all 3 and you wait 12 months to start again |
| Language | English only, with a face-to-face English assessment; no translation or interpreters |
| Hackney carriage | Part 1 knowledge test £50, Part 2 practical driving assessment £80 in your own approved vehicle |
| Retake rule | If you did the assessment before 19 September 2019, you must retake it |
How to book
- Private hire applicants book and pay online on the Worcestershire booking site. You need your National Insurance number, your driving licence number, a photo of your driving licence, a photo of a document showing your name and National Insurance number, an email address and a card to pay £50.
- Hackney carriage applicants (Part 1 knowledge test or Part 2 practical test) and existing drivers who must retake: the council says to email taxidrivertraining@worcestershire.gov.uk. Worcestershire's own page says to ring its Driver Training team on 01905 843000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm) to book a hackney carriage course.
- Bring your original photocard driving licence, proof of your National Insurance number and a copy of your booking email. If you arrive late you will not be let in and must pay again.
- Worcestershire gives a full refund only if you cancel at least 48 hours before the course starts.
- After you pass, if you have already applied for your private hire licence, email driver.lic@wolverhampton.gov.uk. You must apply for your licence within 12 months of passing.
Book on the Worcestershire County Council site
How to book the Wolverhampton taxi test
This site isn't the council. Booking and payment happen on the official site.
About the Wolverhampton test
City of Wolverhampton Council licenses both hackney carriage and private hire drivers. Before you get a licence you must do a one-day course and a written multiple-choice test. Worcestershire County Council runs the course and test for Wolverhampton, and you book with them, not with the council.
The test has 28 questions and you need 75% to pass. 8 of the questions are key questions: 3 on safeguarding, 3 on plying for hire and 2 on disability awareness. Learn those three areas first.
The Wolverhampton syllabus covers safeguarding, disability, plying for hire, licence conditions, customer care and safety, and the licensing process. The Highway Code and fare or numeracy questions are not on the Wolverhampton syllabus, so this section does not include them.
Wolverhampton licenses a very large number of private hire drivers, and press reports say most of them live and work outside the city. If that is you, the same test applies, and the same rule: you can only take pre-booked journeys through a Wolverhampton-licensed operator.
This site is not the council and not Worcestershire County Council. We are a free practice site. Always check the council's test page before you book.
Practise for the Wolverhampton test
Steps to a licence in Wolverhampton
- Check you have held a full DVLA driving licence (category B) for at least 12 months.
- Get a medical to DVLA Group 2 standard on the council's medical certificate form, with all eight pages of the D4 filled in, dated within four months of your application.
- Apply for an enhanced DBS check through TaxiPlus, for the position "Other Workforce [Taxi/Private Hire] Driver", and join the DBS Update Service. Without the Update Service you only get a six-month licence.
- Complete the right to work document assessment form and be ready to show your original documents.
- If you have lived outside the UK for three months or more in a row since age 18, get a certificate of good character or good conduct.
- Book and pass the one-day driver training course and test with Worcestershire County Council. You must pass within 3 attempts and apply within 12 months of passing.
- Apply online through the council's iApply portal with your own email address, making sure your name matches on every document.
- Wait for the council to process your application. If your record shows offences, you may be invited to a hearing.
Recent changes
- : The Regulatory Committee approved the current licensing policy, licence conditions and Guidelines on Fitness and Propriety after a public consultation (8 May to 7 August 2025). (source)
- : The policy says that, subject to a review in 2028, the council intends to license only new vehicles emitting under 75g CO2/km. Trade press reported the start date as 2030; the policy itself gives no date. (source)
- : Trade press (TaxiPoint, 13 October 2025) reported that refresher training can now be taken outside Wolverhampton and that internal licence plates in hackney carriages were removed. We have not confirmed these from council documents. (source)
- : The council published an updated policy file (dated 12 June 2026), with the Taxi CCTV Policy revised on 3 June 2026. (source)
- : The council updated its knowledge and practical test page: 28 questions, 75% pass mark, 8 key questions, £50 per attempt. (source)
What Wolverhampton doesn't publish
We couldn't confirm these from the council's own pages, so ask the licensing team if they matter to you.
- Whether getting one key question wrong means you fail the whole test. The council says there are 8 key questions but does not say what happens if you get one wrong.
- The time limit for the written test. The council only says the course lasts about 6 hours.
- Where the course and test are held. Neither council's page names a venue; check your booking email.
- What the hackney carriage Part 1 knowledge test covers, and whether it has the same 28-question format. The council gives its fee (£50) but not its content.
- Whether the £80 Part 2 practical driving assessment is charged again for a second attempt.
- The 2030 start date for the ultra-low emission vehicle rule, the removal of internal hackney carriage plates and refresher training outside the city. These come from trade press, not council documents we could read.
- How bookings are taken for hackney carriage courses: the council says email, Worcestershire's page says phone. Either contact should work.
Wolverhampton taxi test questions people ask
How do I book the Wolverhampton taxi test?
Private hire applicants book and pay £50 online on the Worcestershire County Council booking site. Hackney carriage applicants and drivers who must retake should email taxidrivertraining@worcestershire.gov.uk. See our booking guide.
How many questions are in the Wolverhampton taxi test?
28 multiple-choice questions, taken in writing after a one-day course. 8 of them are key questions: 3 on safeguarding, 3 on plying for hire and 2 on disability awareness.
What is the pass mark?
75%, which is 21 out of 28. You should also expect to need every key question right, although the council does not publish exactly what happens if you get one wrong.
How much does the Wolverhampton taxi test cost?
£50 for the course and test, paid on each attempt. A test-only resit costs £20, but only as your second attempt. Hackney carriage applicants also pay £80 for the Part 2 practical driving assessment.
Can I resit the test if I fail?
Yes. You must pass within 3 attempts. Your second attempt can be a £20 test-only resit; the first and third attempts are the full £50 course. If you fail all three, you must wait 12 months before you can start again.
Is the test only in English?
Yes. The course and test are in English only, and no translation or interpreter is allowed. There is a face-to-face English assessment, with a recorded interview if there are concerns. Worcestershire says you will not be able to sit the written test until they believe you meet the English standard.
I passed before 2019. Do I need to retake it?
Yes, if you did the theory assessment before 19 September 2019. The council says existing licence holders in that position must retake it. Email taxidrivertraining@worcestershire.gov.uk to book.
What is on the Wolverhampton taxi test?
The council lists 25 areas, including safeguarding and CSE awareness, county lines, modern slavery, counter terrorism, suicide awareness, disability awareness and assistance dogs, plying for hire, licence and vehicle conditions, lost badges, DBS, GDPR, the Health Act 2006 (smoking), the Environmental Protection Act 1990, customer care and personal safety. The Highway Code and fares are not listed.
Sources
- Taxi knowledge and practical test, City of Wolverhampton Council, page last updated 29 July 2026. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Private hire driver licence: apply online, City of Wolverhampton Council, page last updated 5 October 2026. Checked 29 October 2026.
- New hackney carriage driver's licence, City of Wolverhampton Council, page last updated 24 September 2026. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Taxi licence FAQs, City of Wolverhampton Council, page last updated 2 September 2026. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Policy (includes licence conditions, Taxi CCTV Policy, Guidelines on Fitness and Propriety and fees), City of Wolverhampton Council, file dated 12 June 2026; policy approved by the Regulatory Committee on 1 October 2025; CCTV policy section revised 3 June 2026. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Guidelines on Fitness and Propriety 2025, City of Wolverhampton Council, approved by the Regulatory Committee on 1 October 2025; the same text is also inside the licensing policy PDF. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Taxi Driver Training (Wolverhampton), Worcestershire County Council, undated page. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Taxi training course booking (BookSlot), Worcestershire County Council, undated booking page. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Safety Tips for Taxi and Private Hire Drivers (Driver Safety Advice booklet), City of Wolverhampton Council, published March 2023. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Consultation on Changes to Taxi Licensing Conditions, Policy and Guidelines, City of Wolverhampton Council, consultation ran 8 May to 7 August 2025. Checked 29 October 2026.
- Wolverhampton Council approves several key taxi and PHV licensing changes and sets 2030 ULEV plan, TaxiPoint (trade news, not the council), published 13 October 2025. 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.