What is the PDVL and TDVL test?
To drive passengers for reward in Singapore you need a vocational licence from the Land Transport Authority (LTA). A Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL) lets you drive private hire cars, for example on Grab, Gojek or other ride-hail apps. A Taxi Driver's Vocational Licence (TDVL) lets you drive both taxis and private hire cars.
Before LTA issues either licence, you attend a training course and then take the test with a provider listed by LTA. Nanyang Polytechnic took over as the testing provider for TDVL, PDVL and conversion tests from 17 August 2026.
Who can apply
LTA lists these requirements for both licences:
- You are at least 30 years old when you apply, and a Singapore Citizen.
- You have held a valid Class 3 or 3A Singapore driving licence for more than 1 year.
- You can speak and read basic English, shown by at least a D7 in GCE O or N Level English, or a Level 3 pass in the WPLN Listening, Reading and Speaking modules.
- If you are self-employed, your MediSave contributions are up to date.
- You have a clean criminal record.
You apply on the GoBusiness portal. If your documents are in order, LTA sends an Approval to Attend Course (ATC) letter within 15 working days. You then do a medical check-up and chest X-ray, register for the course and test with a course provider LTA lists, and sit the test. If you pass, you get a Temporary Vocational Licence the same day and a Digital LTA Vocational Licence in the Singpass app within 20 working days.
The test format
| Papers | Paper A: road safety and engaging with passengers. Paper B: rules and regulations for taxi and private hire car drivers. Paper C: route planning with a printed street directory and digital navigation tools. |
|---|---|
| Conversion test | PDVL holders converting to a TDVL take a shorter course and a 2-paper conversion test. |
| Number of questions, time and pass mark | Not published by LTA. We could not verify them from any official page, so check with your course provider. |
| Format | A test taken with an LTA-listed provider, after the course. |
Because the real question count is not published, our timed mock is a practice format, not a copy of the real test. Use it to check that you know the rules well, then rely on your course provider for the exact test arrangements.
What our questions cover
Our site does not show pictures or maps, so we do not cover Paper C. Everything else is described in words, in five topic areas built from the rules that Papers A and B are about:
- Licence rules and eligibility: who can apply, the application steps, licence validity, renewal, refresher courses, medical checks from age 50, on-road assessments at 70, 73 and 74, and converting a PDVL to a TDVL.
- Bookings, fares and refusing passengers: why PHCs cannot be street-hailed, ride-hail bookings and booking fees, taximeters, receipts, routes, refusing or ending a hire, soliciting and courier jobs.
- Conduct and passenger care: civil behaviour, passenger safety, child restraints and booster seats, seat belts, in-car cameras, lost property and what to do with it.
- Demerit points and penalties: the Vocational Licence Demerit Points System, suspension bands, revocation above 20 points, and the points for common offences.
- Stopping, pick-ups and road rules: the 9-metre bus stop rule, P2P stops, taxi stops and stands, CBD restricted roads and hours, airports, bus lanes and PHC decals.
General driving theory such as road signs and expressway driving is covered in our Final Theory Test pack, so we do not repeat it here.
Free official resources, and what we add
LTA's OneMotoring pages explain the application and renewal steps for free, and LTA publishes the list of offences and demerit points for PDVL holders. Your course provider also teaches the syllabus. Start with those.
TestReady SG is an independent practice platform. It is not affiliated with LTA, any polytechnic, any course provider or any ride-hail company, and our questions are not official test questions. Here is what our pack adds:
- 170 original questions so you can test yourself again and again before the e-test.
- An explanation for every answer that names the rule, the demerit points table or the LTA page it comes from, so you can check it yourself.
- Practice one topic at a time, which helps with the parts people find hard to memorise, like demerit points and the CBD stopping hours.
- No Singpass or course account needed.
How to prepare
- Read LTA's vocational licence pages and the offences list for PDVL holders.
- Take the free 10-question test here to see where you stand.
- Practise topic by topic and read every explanation, including for questions you got right.
- Learn the key numbers: 9 metres from a bus stop, 1.35 m for child restraints, 24 months for demerit points, suspension at 6 or more points and possible revocation above 20.
- Sit full timed mocks until you score close to 100% every time, then focus on Paper C's route planning with your course materials.
Practice questions with answers
Tap a question to see the correct answer and explanation.
What is the minimum age to apply for a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL)?
- 25 years old
- 21 years old
- 30 years old
- 35 years old
Answer: C, 30 years old. Applicants for a TDVL or PDVL must be at least 30 years old at the point of application, and below 75. LTA OneMotoring, Vocational Licence Application page; PSV Vocational Licences and Conduct Rules (R 8), Fourth Schedule Part II.
A passenger tries to wave down your private hire car (PHC) at the roadside. What does the law say?
- You must not pick them up: PHCs cannot be street-hailed
- You may pick them up outside the CBD only
- You may pick them up if the ride-hail app shows you as available
- You may pick them up if you agree the fare first
Answer: A, You must not pick them up: PHCs cannot be street-hailed. A private hire car must not ply for hire on a road, parking place or public stand. Passengers can only book a PHC through a ride-hail operator. Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Rules (R 14), r 40(1); LTA, Getting a Ride page.
How close to a bus stop may a taxi or PHC driver stop to pick up or set down a passenger?
- Right at the bus stop if no bus is there
- No closer than 5 metres
- No closer than 3 metres
- No closer than 9 metres
Answer: D, No closer than 9 metres. A taxi or PHC driver must not stop within 9 metres of a bus stop, measured from the outer edge of the yellow box or from the tip of the bus bay, unless the car has broken down. PSV Vocational Licences and Conduct Rules (R 8), r 22B(1)(a).
Under the vocational licence demerit points system, what can happen if a driver collects more than 20 demerit points within the relevant period?
- The licence is suspended for 2 weeks
- The vocational licence may be revoked
- The driver gets a warning letter only
- The driver must resit Paper C only
Answer: B, The vocational licence may be revoked. A vocational licence may be revoked if the total demerit points awarded within a relevant period exceed 20. VL Demerit Points System Rules 2017, r 4(3).
A 6-year-old passenger who is 1.20 m tall gets into the back of your private hire car. What must the child be secured with before the trip?
- An approved child restraint, or a booster seat cushion with a seat belt
- An adult must hold the child on their lap
- Nothing, because rear-seat children are exempt in every kind of car on the road
- The child should sit in the front seat so that you can keep an eye on them
Answer: A, An approved child restraint, or a booster seat cushion with a seat belt. A passenger below 1.35 m must be secured by an approved child restraint, or by a seat belt while seated on a booster seat cushion. The rear-seat exemption applies to taxis only, not PHCs. Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Wearing of Seat Belts) Rules 2011, r 8.
Which licence lets you drive both a taxi and a private hire car?
- A Bus Driver's Vocational Licence (BDVL)
- A Taxi Driver's Vocational Licence (TDVL)
- A Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL)
- A Class 3A driving licence on its own
Answer: B, A Taxi Driver's Vocational Licence (TDVL). TDVL holders may provide chauffeured services in a taxi or a private hire car. PDVL holders may only drive private hire cars. LTA OneMotoring, Vocational Licence Application page.
When may a taxi driver start the taximeter?
- Whenever the roof sign is switched to hired
- When the driver sets off towards the pick-up point of a booked job
- After all passengers have boarded and the hiring is accepted
- As soon as the passenger is seen waiting at the taxi stop
Answer: C, After all passengers have boarded and the hiring is accepted. The taximeter may be started only after the passenger (or all of the passengers) have boarded and the driver has accepted the hiring. PSV Vocational Licences and Conduct Rules (R 8), r 23(1)(d).
You find a wallet in your car after a trip. In general, what must you do?
- Keep it if nobody asks for it within 24 hours
- Post it on social media and wait for the owner
- Keep it for 2 weeks in case the owner calls you
- Hand it in as soon as reasonably practicable
Answer: D, Hand it in as soon as reasonably practicable. Drivers must deposit property left in the vehicle, in the state in which they found it, as soon as reasonably practicable, with the person the rules specify. PSV Vocational Licences and Conduct Rules (R 8), r 39(1).
What colour are the lines that mark a P2P stop on the road?
- Red
- Yellow
- White
- Blue
Answer: D, Blue. A P2P stop is shown by its own sign and marked on the road with blue lines. Taxi stops and taxi stands are marked with yellow lines. PSV Vocational Licences and Conduct Rules (R 8), r 2 (definitions of P2P stop, taxi stop and taxi stand).
A PDVL holder drives passengers while his vocational licence has expired. How many demerit points does this carry?
- 3
- 21
- 6
- 12
Answer: B, 21. Driving a chauffeured private hire car or taxi with an expired vocational licence carries 21 demerit points. VL Demerit Points System Rules 2017, First Schedule Part 1, item 2.
Who may apply for a TDVL or PDVL?
- Singapore Citizens only
- Citizens, PRs and Work Permit holders
- Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents
- Anyone holding a Class 3 licence
Answer: A, Singapore Citizens only. One of LTA's requirements for both the TDVL and the PDVL is that you are a Singapore Citizen. LTA OneMotoring, Vocational Licence Application page.
Under LTA's rules, a ride-hail operator needs a Ride-Hail Service Operator Licence once it has how many vehicles on its platform?
- 800 or more
- 100 or more
- 300 or more
- 2,000 or more
Answer: A, 800 or more. P2P operators that provide ride-hailing or car-pooling services and have 800 or more vehicles on their platforms must hold an operator licence. Smaller operators are licence-exempt. LTA, Taxi and Private Hire Cars regulation page.
Which basic duty applies to every taxi and PHC driver carrying passengers for reward?
- Keep the radio on for passengers
- Behave in a civil and orderly manner
- Offer passengers bottled water
- Use the expressway when possible
Answer: B, Behave in a civil and orderly manner. A licensee driving a vehicle used to carry passengers for gain must behave in a civil and orderly manner. PSV Vocational Licences and Conduct Rules (R 8), r 21(1)(a).