Candidates will be required to pass a written test, covering locations of well-known destinations, routes and licence conditions/byelaws. Tests will be held every month, subject to demand, but must be booked in advance.
The test consists of three different sections, and the questions in each paper are selected randomly from our database, so every test taken will be different from the last. Applicants have up to two and a half hours to complete the entire paper. Once
the test has started, no breaks are permitted. All three sections of the test must be passed, but section passes from a previous attempt will be carried forward and will not have to be taken again on subsequent attempts.
If an applicant fails all three attempts within a year they must wait a period of three months following the final test before re-applying (previous pass marks will not be carried forward when making a renewed application).
The test includes questions covering the whole of the borough, with sets of questions for Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, and Other Areas (which includes Kings Langley, Great Gaddesden, Bovingdon, Chipperfield, Felden, Flamstead, Aldbury, Potten
End, Friars Wash, Frithsden, Wigginton, Little Gaddesden, Long Marston and Markyate).
A thorough knowledge of the whole of the Dacorum area is required in order to pass the test - it is not enough to simply know only part of the borough. Applicants must keep their knowledge of the borough up to date - for example, new businesses or change
of names of public houses/schools etc.
Please note that we do not provide example test papers or learning packs.
Section A - Places
This section tests the applicant's knowledge of locations of named buildings and places. Buildings likely to appear in this section include schools, pubs, restaurants, sports/leisure facilities, hotels, shops, residential homes, churches, police stations,
clubs, museums, council offices, railway and bus terminals, colleges, hospitals and other places of public interest. You will be asked to name the roads or streets on which they are found.
Example Question
Q: Greenway First and Nursery School (Berkhamsted)
A: Crossways
Pass marks
Hackney carriage applicants must answer a minimum of 33 questions correctly out of the total 43 to pass section A.
Private hire applicants must answer 15 correctly from the Hemel Hempstead questions and a total of eight from the Berkhamsted,
Tring and Other Areas questions to pass section A.
Section B - Routes
The questions in Section B give the name of two different roads. Applicants will be expected to describe the shortest, most direct route between these two places, naming all the streets and roads on the route they are taking.
Example question
Q: Westron Gardens to Okeford Drive (Tring)
A: Mortimer Hill, Brook Street, High Street, Christchurch Road
Pass marks
Hackney carriage applicants must answer a minimum of 33 questions correctly out of the total 43 to pass section B. Private hire applicants must answer 15 correctly from the Hemel Hempstead questions and a total of eight from the Berkhamsted, Tring and
Other Areas questions to pass section B.
Section C - Conditions and byelaws
This section tests the applicant's knowledge and understanding of the conditions and byelaws they will be subject to if they are granted a licence.
Before booking a knowledge test, applicants should ensure they are aware of the byelaws and conditions that appear in our
Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy (PDF 1.4MB).
Taxi and Private Hire Policy
Pass marks
Applicants must correctly answer 15 out of the 20 questions about the byelaws or conditions in order to pass Section C.