Transport for London (TfL) has announced that all new applicants, and existing private hire drivers applying to renew their licence for the first time since the introduction of this new requirement, must now meet the equivalent of a B1 English language requirement. This will include Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Transport for London has also set a transition time. This means new and renewal applicants will get the private hire licence but will have until the end of April 2019 to provide sufficient certification or proof of their ability to communicate in English.

Applicants from 1st of April 2017 will need to have the evidence ready at the time of applying to become a Private Hire Driver in London.

The English Language Requirement is for ALL new and renewal drivers, regardless of if they were born in the UK or have UK Citizenship.

Examples of suitable evidence

This is a list of examples of suitable evidence you can supply to prove you meet the requirement. The list is not exhaustive. The subject of the qualification does not matter as long as it was taught in English.

• UK GCSE/O level (or equivalent) certificate at grades A* to G
• UK AS-Level/A level certificate
• UK NVQ*/B-Tech/City & Guilds qualification, along with confirmation from the awarding body that the qualification provided is equivalent to GCSE or above (for example, a Blue Badge Guide qualification)
• UK BA Hons, BSc Hons degree or higher i.e. master’s, PhD
• UK HNC/HND qualification
• SELT certificate at B1 level or higher, issued by Trinity College London or IELTS showing proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening

At People Learning Academy, we can prepare you for B1 English Language Test for your Private Hire Driver’s Licence application with TFL .We can provide you full training and book your test.

For more information on our English Language Test for Private Hire Drivers course prices, follow the link.