2.1 Format, Timing & Dual Pass Marks

Quick Answer: You have 45 minutes for both parts of the Hong Kong Taxi and Ride-hailing Vehicle Combined Written Test. Part A is 30 Taxi and Ride-hailing Vehicle Operation questions (pass ≥25). Part B is 35 Road Users' Code questions (pass ≥30). Fail either part and you fail overall — there is no averaging across parts.

What the Dual-Part Structure Means

The Transport Department (TD) combined written test is not a single pool of 65 mixed questions scored as one percentage. It is two independent assessments delivered in one sitting. Part A tests taxi and ride-hailing operation, locations and routes from the current combined Operation Booklet. Part B tests general road-user knowledge from the Road Users' Code, in the same style used for private car, light goods vehicle (LGV), and motorcycle written tests.

Because each part has its own pass criterion, you must study both banks to a high standard. Within Part A, operation, location and route answers all count toward the single 25/30 threshold: stronger performance in one component can offset mistakes in another. TD does not publish a separate pass mark for each Part A component. A higher Part A total still cannot compensate for a Part B total below 30/35.

Shared Clock: 45 Minutes for Everything

TD allows 45 minutes in total for both Part A and Part B. There is not a separate 20-minute block for locations and another block for the Road Users' Code. Once the test starts, the same countdown covers the full paper.

That is roughly 41.5 seconds per question if you attempt all 65 items evenly (2,700 seconds ÷ 65). In practice, Part A location and route items often need more map-thinking time, while many Part B rules questions can be answered faster if you know the Code cold. Plan a conscious pacing strategy before test day:

1. Move quickly through regulation items you know with certainty.
2. Flag or revisit location/route items that need a second look.
3. Leave a short buffer near the end to review unanswered questions.
4. Remember that unfinished items count as wrong for pass-mark purposes if they remain blank.

Part A — Taxi and Ride-hailing Vehicle Operation (30 Questions)

Part A is the operation, location and route part of the paper. Its internal mix is fixed by TD's published guide:

Pass mark for Part A: answer 25 or more correctly. You may make no more than 5 mistakes across the entire 30-question block. All 20 operation, 9 location and 1 route questions contribute to that total.

Operation questions draw on current taxi and ride-hailing requirements, including permissions, platform and owner-driver duties, as well as taxi legislation and operational duties: taximeter and receipts, stands and for-hire rules, fares and extras, passenger and baggage duties, Journey Recording Systems, offence-points regime, and related Cap. 374 framework rules covered later in this guide. Location questions expect recognition of major destinations and landmarks used in taxi work. The route item asks you to choose the most appropriate of three route options for a given journey context.

Part B — Road Users' Code (35 Questions)

Part B is the general driving-knowledge half:

Do not treat Part B as "easier" simply because it has three options instead of four. A 30/35 threshold is about 86% accuracy — stricter than many international learner theory pass marks. Candidates who only cram taxi regulations and ignore the Code often fail overall despite a strong Part A.

Overall Result Logic: Both Parts or Nothing

TD awards an overall PASS only when both parts meet their criteria:

There is no combined raw score that can override a part fail. Scoring 29/30 on Part A and 29/35 on Part B is still an overall fail. Scoring 24/30 and 35/35 is also an overall fail. Your revision plan must protect both thresholds.

Computerized Interface and Language Lock

The combined written test is computerized. You answer using a touch screen and/or mouse at the test terminal. After you choose your on-screen language, TD allows about five minutes to read the instructions. When that instruction window ends, the test auto-starts — do not assume invigilators will wait for you to finish reading casually.

Language cannot be changed after the test has started. Choose Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, or English carefully before the instruction countdown. If you are bilingual, pick the language in which you studied the official booklets and in which you process map names fastest under time pressure.

Why the Dual Threshold Changes How You Study

Many candidates prepare as if the paper were "get 70% overall." That mindset is wrong for this exam. A realistic target is:

• Part A practice: consistently 28–29+ / 30 as an editorial practice target above the official 25/30 minimum.
• Part B practice: consistently 32–34+ / 35 so five mistakes remains a cushion.
• Timed mixed mocks under a 45-minute total clock so location items do not cannibalize Part B time.

Know the official structure and both pass marks so that you can pace your revision and the sitting. The quizzes below check preparation logistics; their inclusion does not imply that TD asks test-format questions on the live paper.