September 10, 2026 · 2 min read
What Is the SERU Assessment? A Plain-English Guide for London PHV Drivers
By SeruPass team — Independent SERU study app, fact-checked against TfL guidance
If you're applying for a London private hire licence, you'll hear "SERU" a lot. It stands for Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding, and it's the assessment Transport for London (TfL) uses to check that new private hire drivers know the rules, the law and their responsibilities before they start carrying passengers.
What the SERU assessment covers
SERU isn't a driving test. It's a knowledge assessment built around the things a professional driver in London has to get right:
- Your obligations as a licensed driver under the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 and its regulations
- TfL's policies and guidance for private hire
- Equality and disability — including the Equality Act 2010, protected characteristics and assistance dogs
- Safeguarding — protecting children and adults at risk from harm and abuse
- Passenger and driver safety, and road and vehicle safety
Our SERU study guide walks through each of these topics in order.
What the test looks like
The assessment is taken on a computer and has around 36 questions in a few formats: multiple choice, sentence completion, and a couple of reading-and-understanding questions. You need 60% to pass, and you have roughly an hour. It's open book — you can refer to the Private Hire Driver's Handbook — but it's timed, so you can't look everything up. We cover the details in our guide to the SERU pass mark and format.
Where it fits in your licence application
SERU is one step in getting licensed, alongside the enhanced DBS check, a medical, the topographical assessment and TfL's English language requirement. See how to get a PCO licence in London for the full sequence.
How to get ready
The drivers who pass first time know the material well enough that the handbook is only a safety net. Start with free SERU practice questions, read the SERU questions and answers, and keep going until you're comfortably clearing 60%.
SeruPass is an independent study app and isn't affiliated with Transport for London. Always check the latest rules on the TfL SERU page.
Frequently asked questions
What does SERU stand for?
SERU stands for Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding. It's Transport for London's assessment for private hire (PHV) drivers.
Who has to take the SERU assessment?
New applicants for a London private hire driver's licence take it as part of the licensing process. TfL tells you when and how to book once your application has been reviewed.
Is the SERU assessment the same as the topographical test?
No. The topographical test checks map-reading and route planning. SERU checks your knowledge of safety, equality and the regulations you work under.
Related guides
How Hard Is the SERU Test? An Honest Look
Is the TfL SERU assessment hard? What makes it tricky — the time limit, scenario questions and the reading element — and how to make it straightforward.
How to Get a PCO Licence in London: The Step-by-Step Process
The steps to a London private hire (PCO) driver's licence: eligibility, DBS check, medical, applying to TfL, the SERU, topographical and English assessments, and how long it takes.
TfL's English Language Requirement for Private Hire Drivers: B1, SERU and Exemptions
What TfL's English language requirement means for London private hire drivers: the B1 level, the speaking and listening test, how SERU covers reading and writing, and exemptions.