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Taxi Driving Assessments – Book online now
Booking your assessment
You can book your taxi assessment by clicking “Book Online” at the top of this page, or by calling us on 0330 111 7230.
Can’t find a suitable appointment?
Alternatively, purchase your assessment and let our team arrange a suitable date, time and location for you.
Some local authorities require that you pass a driving assessment in order to be licensed as a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Driver. To find out if your local authority requires you to take a driving assessment, please contact them directly. You should also check that we already work with your local authority to carry out the driving assessment on their behalf.
Our Fees
Assessment Process
Passing your assessment
If you pass, you will receive:
Make sure your driving licence because we cannot amend the certificate after issuing it.
Failing your assessment
If you do not pass:
Amending or Cancelling Your Assessment
To amend or cancel, contact us at 0330 111 7230 or info@greenpenny.co.uk.
Please ensure you give enough notice to amend or cancel – you must give at least 4 clear working days notice so that you don’t lose your fee (working days = Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays. 4 clear working days, does not include the day you inform us you would like to cancel or the date of the assessment).
What does the assessment involve?
Standard Taxi Assessment
40 minutes assessment (Approximately).
A manoeuvre where you’ll be asked to turn your vehicle to face the opposite direction.
Following road signs without turn-by-turn directions for around 10 minutes.
Stopping at the side of the road as if picking up or dropping off a passenger.
Parking in a safe and convenient location.
Answering Cabology, Highway Code and traffic sign questions.
You may also be asked to demonstrate an emergency stop.
Wheelchair Assessment
You’ll need to bring a wheelchair accessible vehicle for a Wheelchair Assessment. You will need to demonstrate your ability to:
Safely load and unload the wheelchair in your vehicle.
Use the wheelchair brakes to secure and release it.
Fasten the seat belts or safety harnesses.
Secure any belts, straps or clamps required.
Enhanced Assessment
A combination of the Standard and Wheelchair Assessments.
First, you will complete the wheelchair exercise. You will then begin the driving assessment.
Assessment marking
You must make 9 or fewer faults to pass.
Too many faults in any given section of marking, or any serious or dangerous faults, will result in a fail.
Incorrect answers in Cabology, Highway Code & traffic sign questions contribute to the fault tally.
Quality assurance staff may observe some assessments.
What you must bring
A valid driving licence (photocard or old-style paper licence with passport). If you have the old style (non-photocard) licence, then you must also bring a valid passport.
A suitable vehicle (see below).
Vehicle Requirements
Vehicle condition and safety checklist
Your vehicle must be:
Roadworthy, taxed, and have a valid MOT (if over 3 years old). We reserve the right to cancel or terminate an assessment if we believe your vehicle poses a safety risk.
Be insured for the purposes of a driving test/assessment.
Your own vehicle or one that you have the owner’s permission to use. In either case, make sure your insurance covers driving assessments. If you use a hire vehicle, bring documentation confirming that its insurance covers the assessment.
Be a car with front and rear seats (vans are not permitted, except minibuses up to 8 passengers and 3,500 kg).
Not have any warning lights appear on the dashboard.
Have all external lights work correctly.
Have undamaged tyres with tread depths above the legal limit. Space-saver tyres are not permitted during the assessment.
Have a reasonably clean interior.
Smoke free. Please do not smoke in the vehicle shortly before or during the assessment. If the vehicle smells of smoke, we may cancel the assessment and you may lose your fee.
Have a passenger seat belt and head restraint for the assessor.
Be able to reach at least 62 mph and have a mph speedometer.
Licensed vehicles can only be used if you are an existing Hackney Carriage or Private Hire driver.
Green Penny reserves the right to check the tax and MOT status of your vehicle where there is reasonable concern that your vehicle is not roadworthy. If your vehicle is found without tax or a current MOT the assessment will not go ahead and you will lose your fee.
You must bring a vehicle that is suitable for the type of assessment you are taking: Standard assessment – you must bring a car with rear seats (vans or car derived vans are not acceptable e.g. Ford Transit Connect, except for a minibus designed to carry up to 8 passengers and up to 3,500 kg). Enhanced and wheelchair assessments – you must bring a vehicle that is suitable for transporting a wheelchair user i.e. a vehicle that has been adapted for the loading and transportation of wheelchair user.
Recording Policy
You must not make audio or visual recordings during the assessment.
Dashcams may be used if they are external-facing and do not record audio inside the vehicle.
If your vehicle does not meet requirements, the assessment will not proceed, and you will lose your fee.
Before the Assessment Starts
Ensure your clothing and footwear allow for safe vehicle control.
The assessor will ask you to read a vehicle number plate from 20 metres.
Therefore, if you need glasses or contact lenses to read the number plate, you must wear them throughout the driving assessment.
Failing the eyesight test means the assessment cannot continue, and you will lose your fee.
Council Specific Requirements
Some councils that accept our taxi assessment certificates require additional assessment criteria. Click on the link below to view the criteria.
After you book, we will send you a factsheet if your chosen council has additional criteria.
Amending or cancelling your assessment
You can easily amend or cancel your assessment once it has been booked. Please call us on 0330 111 7230 or email info@greenpenny.co.uk to do this. Please ensure you give enough notice to amend or cancel – you must give at least 4 clear working days notice so that you don’t lose your fee (working days = Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays. 4 clear working days, does not include the day you inform us you would like to cancel or the date of the assessment).