Test parts 1 and 2 explained: how the taxi exam has worked since 2022

From three parts to two

Until 1 November 2022 the taxi exam had three parts: Map reading (16+4 questions, 120 minutes), Safety and behaviour (35+5 questions, 40 minutes) and Legislation (35+5 questions, 40 minutes). When Transportstyrelsen's new regulation TSFS 2021:119 entered into force, map reading was merged into safety and behaviour. Today only two parts remain, and anyone who already had passes under the old rules was allowed to carry them over under the transitional provisions.

The reason for the change was that navigation in practice is inseparable from how a taxi journey is actually carried out – finding the right route is part of safety and service, not a stand-alone skill. Navigation is now one of eight subject areas within part 1, worth 10 of that part's 65 questions.

Part 1: Safety and behaviour – 65 questions, at least 48 correct

Part 1 runs for 50 minutes and covers eight subject areas with the exact distribution set out in the regulation: Navigation (10 questions), Driving economy (6), Environment (6), Safety (10), Customer care (12), Illness and disability (8), Work environment, judgement and risk awareness (6) and Vehicle knowledge (7) – 65 scored questions in total. In addition there are 5 trial questions that do not count towards your result, so the number of questions you actually see is higher than 65.

Customer care is the single largest area with 12 questions and covers everything from how you handle intoxicated passengers to how you estimate an approximate fare from the price information displayed on the car. Safety (10 questions) covers first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and how to act at an accident scene or in threatening and violent situations.

Part 2: Legislation – 46 questions, at least 34 correct

Part 2 also runs for 50 minutes and is split into exactly two equally sized subject areas: Taxi traffic legislation (23 questions) and Traffic legislation (23 questions) – 46 scored questions plus 4 trial questions that do not count. Taxi traffic legislation covers rules on the taxi driver licence itself, taximeter equipment, price information and rest periods, while traffic legislation covers traffic rules, road signs and basic vehicle definitions.

Part 2 is where most people fail. The reason is rarely that the legislation is incomprehensible, but that it demands disciplined memorisation of detail – exact threshold values, which authority is the right one, and precisely which documents must be carried during a vehicle check.

Test time, order and the six-month rule

You choose the order in which you take the parts, and you may take them on the same day or on separate occasions. The time allowed is 50 minutes per part, but if you have special reasons you can apply to Trafikverket for extended time – 75 minutes per part – before you book the test. To pass overall, both parts must be passed within six months counted from the date of the first passed part. If the deadline expires, the part that is no longer valid has to be retaken.