Sefton taxi knowledge test: how to use the Licensing Handbook to pass

Once you have submitted all the evidence for a new driver licence, Sefton asks you to sit the Knowledge Test. It has ten questions and you must answer at least seven correctly. All the answers are in the Licensing Handbook, and the handbook is available to you during the test.

Sefton explains that each question is headed with a subject, for example 'Guide Dogs', and that you can find the answer quickly by using the index. Its own example is that the index shows the Guide Dogs section on page 66.

The handbook calls it the 'Knowledge of Conditions' test, and says it must be passed without the aid of an interpreter.

Sources: New Drivers (Taxi Licensing) (opens in a new tab) (Sefton Council, 9. Knowledge Test)[1]; Hackney Carriage, Private Hire and Omnibus Licensing Scheme Handbook (opens in a new tab) (Sefton Council, Part 1. Driver Licences (All))[2]

The page numbers below are from the handbook's own index (version 3.3, revised 11 March 2024). Check the index of the copy you are given, in case it is a newer version. The table shows the parts most relevant to private hire drivers; parts and annexes not listed mainly cover hackney carriages, vehicles and other licence types.

Annex 1, the policy on the relevance of convictions, is worth reading even if you have a clean record: see our guide to criminal convictions and taxi licences.

Source: Hackney Carriage, Private Hire and Omnibus Licensing Scheme Handbook (opens in a new tab) (Sefton Council, Index (page 2))[2]

Numbers and time limits are easy to mix up under pressure. These are the ones in Part 2, the private hire driver conditions:

Test yourself on these time limits in the free Sefton practice test.

• Report any accident that causes injury or damage in writing within 72 hours, with your insurance policy that was valid at the time.
• Report a change of operator, a change of address, and any caution, endorsable fixed penalty, conviction or pending criminal charge in writing within 7 working days.
• Report any disqualification from driving within 24 hours, and return your driver's licence and badge within 7 working days.
• Report lost property to the police, or return it to its owner, within 48 hours.
• If an owner or operator has a dispute with you, they must return your licence to the council with details within 2 working days.

Source: Hackney Carriage, Private Hire and Omnibus Licensing Scheme Handbook (opens in a new tab) (Sefton Council, Part 2, Licence Conditions – Private Hire Drivers, conditions (b), (e) and (f))[2]

You can look things up, but knowing the main rules saves time for harder questions. From Parts 1 and 2:

• Leave your private hire driver's licence with the vehicle owner, and a copy with the operator, before you start work.
• Display your photo badge and licence number at all times when driving for hire, and show the badge to a police officer or authorised council officer on demand.
• Only drive vehicles licensed by Sefton as private hire vehicles when working.
• Check fluid levels, tyres, brakes and lights before starting work, whoever owns the vehicle.
• Do not play music or other media without the passenger's clear permission. A two-way radio is allowed.
• Give a written receipt for the fare if the passenger asks for one.
• If a journey cannot be finished, no fare is charged for the distance travelled unless the reason was beyond your control.
• New drivers need a Group II medical. The handbook says medicals are currently required on first licensing, at 45, 55 and 65, and every 3 years after that.
• Your driver, vehicle and operator licences must all be issued by Sefton (see private hire vs hackney carriage).

Source: Hackney Carriage, Private Hire and Omnibus Licensing Scheme Handbook (opens in a new tab) (Sefton Council, Part 1, Driver Licences (All); Part 2, conditions (a), (c), (d), (e) and (g); Annex 9, Frequently Asked Questions)[2]

Your first knowledge test is included in the non-refundable £50 new driver application fee. If you fail, or do not attend for any reason, each resit costs £10, and paid fees cannot be refunded. Sefton says you may re-take the test if you fail; it does not publish a limit on resits. Applicants whose last Sefton licence expired less than two years ago do not need to retake the test.

Plan your timing too. Sefton's medical certificates are only valid if less than four months old. The council expects all checks and tests, including a knowledge test pass, to be done in time for your licence to be issued within four months of your medical. The test comes after the other checks, such as the enhanced DBS check.

For every step of the application, from DBS to the One Stop Shop appointment, see how to apply for a Sefton private hire licence.

Source: New Drivers (Taxi Licensing) (opens in a new tab) (Sefton Council, New Driver Application Fee; 9. Knowledge Test; 5. Medical Check)[1]

Download the handbook from Sefton's website and practise finding topics with the index until it is quick. Then test yourself with our free Sefton practice test, which uses original questions written from the handbook, each showing the section the answer comes from.

The handbook also covers plying for hire and duties to disabled passengers and assistance dogs. Our guides to plying for hire and assistance dogs explain the law behind those questions.

Source: New Drivers (Taxi Licensing) (opens in a new tab) (Sefton Council, 9. Knowledge Test)[1]