What's the taxi test like now?

I understand changes have been made over the years to taxi driver tests, can you please outline what the procedure is and what does the knowledge test entail now?

This is a question we are frequently asked, not just by new applicants but also by existing drivers who wish for sons / relatives / friends to become licensed.

The first test is a basic english and maths assessment. It consists of 12 questions and lasts 15 minutes. Typical question is" a fare comes to £7.20 and the passenger gives you a £20 note. How much change should you give ?" There are also some short letters to read and answer questions about.

The pass mark of the english and maths test is 10 out of 12. Applicants who fail the test and score 8 or 9 marks are invited to resit the test approximately 1 month later, giving them time to brush up on their skills.

Anyone who scores 7 or below on the english and maths test is referred to College for further free training.

The knowledge test has changed quite a lot since many drivers took it;

It lasts for 50 minutes maximum and is split into 4 parts; tests are conducted with an officer one to one.

Part 1 - there are around 120 districts of Sheffield. The applicant will be asked to name the main roads from town centre to any ten - for example - name the main roads on the route from Park Square to Shiregreen.

Part 2 - Places of interest. The applicant will be asked the location of any 6 places of interest in Sheffield - for example - on what street is Montgomery Theatre ?

Part 3 - Routes between places of interest - example - name the main roads (including the start and finish points) on the route between Graves Tennis Leisure Centre and Sheffield Wednesday FC ?

Part 4 - 15 multiple choice questions on taxi law, customer care questions etc - example - What should a driver do with property found in his vehicle ?

An applicant must score 27 out of 34 marks over parts 1,2 & 3 and score 12 out of 15 on part 4.