Getting your London private hire (PCO) licence means passing TfL's topographical skills assessment, and there's a whole industry hoping you'll pay someone to "prepare" you for it. You don't have to. Every single thing you need to pass is free on tfl.gov.uk. This guide covers what to expect on the day and how to use those free materials to pass first time, without handing money to anyone but TfL.
First, clear up the confusion: the test is still mandatory
You may have read that the topographical test was "scrapped". It wasn't. As of 2026, the TfL topographical skills assessment is still required for a new London private hire driver licence. What changed is that TfL added other checks alongside it: the English-language assessment and the SERU (Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding) assessment both came in between 2021 and 2023, and they sit next to the topographical test rather than replacing it.
Two more things worth knowing:
- This is the private hire test, completely separate from the black-cab "Knowledge of London" and far smaller. Don't let anyone scare you by conflating the two.
- Some councils outside London dropped their own topographical tests, which has nothing to do with TfL. If you're licensing with TfL, you sit this test.
Where it fits in your application
The topographical assessment is one requirement among several for a new TfL PHV driver licence. To apply you generally need:
- to be at least 21
- a full driving licence held for at least 3 years
- the right to work in the UK
- "good character" (an enhanced DBS check)
- medical fitness to DVLA Group 2 standard
- an HMRC tax check (completed on gov.uk)
- the English-language speaking and listening assessment (B1 CEFR)
- the SERU assessment
- and this topographical assessment
If you're just starting out, our full walkthrough of how to get your PCO licence in London puts all of these in order.
What the test actually looks like
It's computer-based, worked with a mouse, and you sit it under exam conditions at a TfL driver assessment centre. The live TfL page currently lists the centre at Pier Walk, North Greenwich (SE10), though centres have moved before, so always check that page for the location you've been assigned.
The assessment covers:
- route-planning essentials (true/false)
- planning a route between two locations
- understanding map symbols
- finding places of interest
- finding specific streets
- identifying road numbers
- compass points and directions
The heart of it is three route-planning questions. Each one gives you a digital on-screen map with a green start marker and a red end marker, and you plot the route between them:
- one short route
- one short route with a road closure you must plan around
- one long route
You also get a map-reference page explaining the symbols, and it's there to be used. The route questions are human-marked by an assessor with a separate quality check on top; the rest are multiple choice, where some need one answer and some need two. Each question tells you which, so read the instruction on every one.
Two myths to bin right now:
- You don't get a paper "A-Z Master Atlas" any more, because the test is digital. Anything you read that says otherwise is out of date.
- TfL doesn't publish a total question count or a time limit, so when a third-party site confidently tells you it's "25 questions in 90 minutes", treat that as unverified noise. Nobody selling you a course knows TfL's exact numbers either.
How the marking works, and why routes are everything
The test is scored out of 100:
- the three route-planning questions come to 66 marks
- the multiple-choice questions come to 34 marks
- the pass mark is 60% (60 out of 100 or above)
Do the maths and the message is blunt: the routes decide it, because even a perfect 34 on the multiple choice can't get you to 60 on its own. If you're going to spend your prep time anywhere, spend it drawing accurate routes.
Is it hard? The only official pass rate ever published was 36%, and that was back in 2017 during a transitional period, so it isn't today's figure and there's little point reading too much into it. It's still a fair signal that the test isn't a rubber stamp. Prepare properly and you'll be fine.
The four ways people lose route marks
TfL spells out how route marks are lost, and there are only four. Drill them until they're automatic:
- Not starting or ending in the correct place. Begin on the green marker and finish on the red.
- Planning the route in reverse. Direction matters, so always work green to red.
- Not taking the most direct route. No scenic detours: plot the most direct legal route, which isn't always the shortest by distance.
- Making a turn the map symbols prohibit. Watch for one-way streets, no-entry and no-turn symbols.
Almost every avoidable fail comes from one of these, so read the map-reference page, respect the symbols and sanity-check your start, end and direction before you submit.
Your free study kit (this is all you need)
Everything here is free and official. Bookmark it:
- TfL: Topographical assessment page. The source of truth for format, centre and fee.
- TfL: Topographical Assessment Guidelines (PDF). Easily the most useful document of the lot, since it explains the sections, the marking and the symbols. Read it more than once.
- TfL: "What to expect" video. A walk-through of the assessment, so nothing on the day surprises you.
- Ordnance Survey: free beginner map-reading guide. Government-owned, and handy for brushing up symbols and compass points. It's general outdoor map skill rather than anything London-specific, so use it alongside the TfL materials rather than instead of them.
While you're at it, the SERU page and the PHV Driver's Handbook (PDF) are also free and worth a look for the rest of your application.
Please don't pay anyone for prep
We mean this one. There's a whole pattern of commercial sites selling paid "mock tests" and topographical "courses", and the tell-tale signs repeat:
- they dangle the word "free" as a hook, then push you toward a paid product
- their name or branding is dressed up to look like TfL, which it isn't
- they recycle outdated information: the paper A-Z, made-up question counts, invented time limits
You don't need any of it, because TfL's own Guidelines PDF and video cover everything the test asks. Trust only tfl.gov.uk and gov.uk. If a site is charging you for "official" prep or claiming inside knowledge of TfL's exact questions, close the tab.
Fee, booking and retakes
You book and pay through the TfL Taxi & Private Hire Portal.
- First attempt: £40. Re-sit: £30. Fees rose after September 2025, so any lower figure you see quoted is out of date.
- TfL revises fees periodically, so confirm the current price on the live TfL page before you pay.
On retakes, TfL guidance indicates you get two attempts per application, with the second at the reduced £30 fee. Fail both and the application is withdrawn, so you'd need to reapply to sit again. It's worth confirming that one with TfL directly, since the detail can change.
One more thing: check if you're exempt
Some people don't need to sit it at all. TfL may exempt:
- drivers who've already passed a TfL topographical assessment
- licensed London black-cab drivers
- professional London tourist guides (Blue Badge)
If any of those is you, check with TfL before booking rather than assuming.
Pass-first-time checklist
- Read the Guidelines PDF twice and watch the video.
- Learn the map symbols and compass points cold.
- For every route: green start, red end, right direction, most direct legal path, no prohibited turns.
- Remember that the routes carry 66 of 100 marks, so that's where you win.
- Book and pay only through the TfL portal, and pay no third party for prep.
- Confirm your centre, the fee and the retake terms on the live TfL page on the day.
Do that and you've given yourself every chance of passing first time, for the price of one £40 booking and none of the noise.
The driver assessments are only half of it. Your vehicle faces an annual TfL licensing inspection with its own published pass and fail limits.