The French taxi exam, paper by paper
Of the seven written papers, two belong to taxis alone, and one of those is set locally.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The taxi exam in France is run by the regional chambers of trades (CMA, chambres de métiers et de l’artisanat) in two stages. The written stage has seven papers. Five are shared with VTC and motorbike-taxi candidates: passenger transport rules, business management, road safety, French and English. Two are taxi-only: F(T), on knowledge of the local area and local rules, and G(T), on the national taxi regulations. Together they carry 6 of the 17 weighting points. You pass the written stage with a weighted average of 10/20 or more and no paper below 6/20 (4/20 for English). The practical test lasts up to 45 minutes, at least 20 of them driving, in a car fitted with a meter, a receipt printer and a card terminal, and you need 12/20. The full exam costs €241 in 2026, and the resulting card is valid only in the département where you sat it.
Taxi practical test: your mark out of 20
Practical test mark
12.5 /20
| Outcome | pass |
| Pass mark | 12 /20 |
| Points missing | 0.0 |
Seven written papers and how they are weighted
The written stage takes 230 minutes in all. Multiple-choice questions (QCM) are marked automatically; short-answer questions (QRC) are marked by examiners appointed by the CMA. The table follows the exam rules in their December 2024 version, which reflects the order of 20 March 2024: paper A now includes preventing discrimination and sexual and sexist violence.
| Paper | Questions | Time | Fail below | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A T3P regulations, preventing discrimination and sexual and sexist violence | 10 multiple choice, 5 short answer | 45 min | 6/20 | 3 |
| B Business management | 16 multiple choice, 2 short answer | 45 min | 6/20 | 2 |
| C Road safety | 20 multiple choice | 30 min | 6/20 | 3 |
| D French | 7 multiple choice, 3 short answer | 30 min | 6/20 | 2 |
| E English | 20 multiple choice | 30 min | 4/20 | 1 |
| F(T) Local area knowledge and local rules | 6 multiple choice, 2 short answer | 20 min | 6/20 | 3 |
| G(T) National rules specific to taxis | 12 multiple choice, 4 short answer | 30 min | 6/20 | 3 |
Each mark is multiplied by its weight, the total is divided by 17, and the result, rounded to two decimals, must reach 10/20. A single mark below the elimination threshold sinks you whatever your average. The two taxi papers account for 35 % of the total, so a weak showing on local knowledge cannot be rescued by English, which carries a weight of only 1. For candidates whose first language is not French, the French paper and the short written answers are where preparation pays off most.
F(T): the paper that varies by area
This is the only written paper whose content is not national. The order of 6 April 2017 devotes it to knowledge of the area and local rules, and the questions are set by the regional CMA rather than CMA France. The detailed syllabus is annexed to that order in the Journal officiel, and we do not paraphrase it here. The rest of the exam points the way, though: during the driving test the examiners ask about landmarks, monuments, stations and hospitals along the route, and service-public says the examiner checks your geographical, cultural and tourist knowledge of the area. Local rules are set by each département’s prefect, by order.
Format: 6 multiple-choice and 2 short-answer questions in 20 minutes, weight 3, fail below 6/20. It is short, and it is where people who recently moved to the area drop marks. A road map of the département and the prefecture’s local orders are better revision than any national textbook.
G(T): national taxi rules
The second taxi paper is longer: 12 multiple-choice and 4 short-answer questions in 30 minutes, weight 3. The order of 6 April 2017 says it covers the national regulation of taxi work and the business management specific to it: in other words, what the Transport Code and its implementing texts require of every taxi in France, from the ADS licence to working outside your area. Everyone in the country sits the same paper. Our pages on becoming a taxi driver and the taxi licence set out the main rules with their sources.
The VTC equivalents are different papers, on business development and VTC rules, described on the VTC exam page. Because the common core is shared, moving from one trade to the other does not mean sitting it twice.
The practical test: drive, inform, take payment
Once you pass the written stage, the CMA calls you to the practical test within 2 months, in the département where you want to work. It lasts no more than 45 minutes, with at least 20 minutes of driving. Two examiners act as passengers: a CMA officer, and a taxi driver with at least 5 years’ experience and a card valid in that département. VTC drivers never examine taxi candidates.
You draw a scenario at random, which may add a twist such as weather, time of day, luggage or an intermediate stop. The examiner reads out the address no more than twice and will not spell it. You then have 6 minutes to program the full route into a GPS or phone, point to the start and finish on a map, and switch on the taxi’s special equipment. If you have not set off when the time is up, you fail.
The taxi marking scale
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Route preparation and execution | 2 |
| Safe, smooth driving within the Highway Code | 10 |
| Passenger care, customer relations, tourist information | 5 |
| Billing and use of special equipment | 3 |
Compared with the VTC scale, the taxi scale moves one point from route preparation to billing, which is worth 3 points. At drop-off, the taxi candidate stops the meter, prints the receipt, hands it over and takes payment on the card terminal. Forget to stop the meter, fumble the printer or the terminal, and those points go on a test where 12/20 is the pass mark. The calculator at the top of the page shows how each criterion moves your score.
That billing step mirrors working life. Service-public requires a receipt for any fare of €25 or more including VAT, and for every medical transport whatever the amount, with a copy kept for 2 years; see the taxi fares and equipment page.
Automatic fails
- going over the 6-minute preparation time;
- being unable to reach the destination;
- any examiner intervention on the dual controls or steering wheel, for instance after entering a bus lane that local rules do not open to taxis;
- a non-compliant car, missing documents, open-backed shoes, or signs of alcohol or drugs; in these cases the attempt is not counted, but you pay again to resit.
Registering and paying
You register on the CMAs’ national exam platform. The file contains an ID document (non-EU nationals need a French residence permit that allows work), a category B licence past its probationary period, a photo, a signature and proof of address under three months old. As the CMA FAQ notes, no medical certificate or first-aid certificate is needed at this point; those are for the card.
The CMA has 5 working days to check your documents. Once the file is accepted, it guarantees you can sit the exam and get your driving-test result within 4 months of filing. The national calendar sets 11 written sessions a year, and every region holds at least one each quarter.
| Option | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Full exam | €237 | €241 |
| Professional mobility (taxi papers and driving test) | €165 | €168 |
| Driving test only | €116 | €118 |
Fees are non-refundable once the file is accepted, except for force majeure documented in writing within 7 days after the exam. The start-up cost calculator adds the card, the doctor, first aid and training for a full budget.
Switching from VTC: professional mobility
If you passed the full VTC (or motorbike-taxi) written stage, you have 3 years from the notification of your results to sit only F(T) and G(T). You need an average of 10/20 or more over those two papers with no mark below the threshold, then the taxi driving test. Attach your written-stage transcript when you register. The fee is €168 in 2026.
One catch: a VTC card obtained through recognised work experience does not qualify, because its holder never sat the common core. Since that route closed on 12 August 2026, this only affects older cards.
After you pass
The CMA issues a certificate of professional aptitude. With it, the approved doctor’s opinion and your first-aid certificate, you apply to the prefecture for the card, which will cover the exam département only unless you later take a mobility course. Status, licence and the remaining steps are set out in how to become a taxi driver, and getting an ADS is covered on the taxi licence page.
To challenge a result, write to the CMA president within 2 months of the decision. You may view your written script on site for a year, but photos and copies are not allowed.