Learn more about
The 7 Stages
Join London's trade etc etc
7 Stages to Becoming a Licensed Taxi Driver
Stage 1: Self-assessment
To check you’re on the right track, within six months of starting you can take a self assessment, which is based on the first 80 runs in the Blue Book. This helps make sure that you’re learning the Knowledge in the right way, and helps you to identify any problems in your learning process and how to fix them. It also helps you to build confidence for the next stage.
Stage 2: Written examination
When you are ready, you will sit a written examination which tests your knowledge of the Blue Book runs and the major landmarks (points) along the way. This is a multiple choice test with a pass mark of 60 percent.
Stages 3-5: Appearances
This marks the start of a series of one to one oral appearances with an examiner. Each appearance usually consists of four questions about the shortest route between any two points in London.
An appearance takes about 20 minutes and you’ll get a mark from A to D. Depending on your score you will accumulate points. When you have enough points you will progress to the next stage, when appearances will become more frequent. On average you will have to score on four appearances to accumulate enough points to progress to the next stage.
Stage 6: Suburban examination
By this time, you will have demonstrated to examiners that you have an outstanding knowledge of London and will be an expert in route planning. You will then need to put all the skills you have learnt into practice one last time by learning additional runs to demonstrate that you have a good working knowledge of London’s suburbs.
Applicants for the All London Knowledge must learn the suburban routes from central London to the suburbs, and to and from Heathrow and London City airports. Applicants for the nine suburban sectors must have knowledge of runs from their sector into central London.
Stage 7: Licence application & pre-licensing talk
At this stage you can make the final application for your licence. You will then join a group of other successful candidates to receive advice about your responsibilities as a taxi driver from a Knowledge examiner. You will be given your long-awaited licence and are now ready to take to London’s streets and start working!