TLC Practice Test

This page is for applicants seeking a TLC Driver License in New York City who must take the TLC Driver License Exam at a PSI test center. It gives you free practice sets by topic, worked explanations for sample questions, a study plan, and the exam facts that matter: 80 multiple-choice questions, 70% to pass, and a $49 fee per attempt.

TLC Exam at a Glance

What changed for TLC in 2026

• Oct 26, 2026: Delivery changed to Computer-based at PSI test centers in all five NYC boroughs (previously Computer-based at PSI test centers in the five NYC boroughs).^[2]
• Oct 26, 2026: Registration deadline changed to Complete all steps, including passing the exam, within 90 days of applying (previously Complete all steps within 90 days of applying).^[1]
• Oct 26, 2026: Renewal changed to Every 3 years; TLC Driver License Renewal Course required (previously Every 3 years; continuing education course).^[1]
• Oct 26, 2026: Eligibility changed to Age 19+, valid DMV chauffeur license (Class A, B, C or E) (previously Age 19+, valid DMV chauffeur license (Class A, B, C or E), 3-day course completed first).^[4]
• Oct 26, 2026: Score release changed to On screen right away; PSI emails results after 48 hours (previously On screen right away; PSI emails results within 48 hours).^[2]
• Oct 26, 2026: Exam fee changed to $49 per exam, paid to PSI (previously $49 per exam attempt, paid to PSI).^[3]

What the TLC is and how it works

According to New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC); exam delivered by PSI Exams, “The exam is made up of 80 multiple-choice questions.”^[1]

The TLC Driver License Exam is part of getting a TLC Driver License from the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. After you finish the TLC Driver Education course, you take the exam on a computer at a PSI test center in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens or Staten Island.

The exam is made up of 80 multiple-choice questions, and you have up to 2 hours to finish. You need 70% or higher to pass, which means 56 of 80 correct. Your result shows on screen right away, and PSI emails the results 48 hours after you finish.

To apply, you must be at least 19 and hold a valid DMV chauffeur license (Class A, B, C or E). The exam fee is $49, paid to PSI by card, cashier's check or money order, and it cannot be paid at the exam site. You pay $49 for every attempt, including retakes. All steps, including passing the exam, must be completed within 90 days of applying. The license application fee is $252 for a 3-year license, and you take a renewal course every 3 years.

Exam sessions are open year-round and are available at least 6 weeks in advance. Fees, rules and scheduling can change, so check the TLC and PSI pages before you book. The questions on this site are our own practice questions, not real exam questions.

Worked examples: how to reason through TLC questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: A TLC driver notices their vehicle is emitting visible black smoke from the exhaust. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

1. Continue driving since some smoke is normal during cold starts
2. Report the issue to the base and take the vehicle out of service for inspection
3. Drive faster to burn off the excess fuel causing the smoke
4. Add more engine oil to fix the burning issue

Answer: B. Report the issue to the base and take the vehicle out of service for inspection

Explanation:

The correct answer is to report the problem to the base and take the vehicle out of service for inspection. Visible black smoke points to incomplete combustion and a likely emissions violation, so the vehicle should not keep carrying passengers until it is checked.

Continuing to drive is wrong because some smoke on a cold start does not explain black smoke that stays visible, and driving on leaves a faulty, polluting vehicle in service. Driving faster does not burn off anything useful and adds risk. Adding engine oil is wrong because oil level does not fix a fuel and air problem, and it can make the engine worse.

The rule to remember: when you see a visible sign of a mechanical or emissions fault, stop using the vehicle, report it, and have it inspected before it returns to service.

Example 2

Question: On a one-way street in Manhattan, a driver needs to head east. Which direction must they travel if they are on an even-numbered street?

1. West
2. East
3. North
4. South

Answer: B. East

Explanation:

The correct answer is east. In Manhattan, even-numbered streets generally run eastbound, so a driver on an even-numbered street who needs to head east travels east.

West is wrong because it is the usual direction for odd-numbered streets, which run the opposite way. North and south are wrong because those are the directions of the avenues, which run up and down the island. The numbered streets cross town, so they carry traffic east or west, not north or south.

The rule to remember: numbered streets run across Manhattan and are paired by even and odd direction, while avenues run lengthwise. Check the posted signs too, because there are exceptions such as wider two-way crosstown streets, and signs always override a general rule.

Example 3

Question: Which of the following fuels results in the LOWEST greenhouse gas emissions per mile for a TLC vehicle?

1. Regular unleaded gasoline
2. Diesel fuel
3. Compressed natural gas (CNG)
4. Electricity from the grid

Answer: D. Electricity from the grid

Explanation:

The correct answer is electricity from the grid. A vehicle charged from the grid produces significantly lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions per mile than the fuel-burning options.

Regular unleaded gasoline is wrong because burning it in the engine produces tailpipe emissions on every mile driven. Diesel fuel is wrong for the same reason, since it is also a petroleum fuel burned in the engine. Compressed natural gas is wrong because it generally burns cleaner than gasoline or diesel, but it is still combusted in the engine and still produces greenhouse gases.

The rule to remember: compare fuels across the whole chain, from production to use. Options that avoid burning fuel in the vehicle, charged from the grid, generally come out lowest per mile.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official material. Read the TLC Driver Education course content and the PSI candidate information bulletin so you know the format, the rules on the day, and what the TLC expects drivers to know.

Next, take our practice sets one topic at a time. Begin with the sets closest to daily driving: Traffic Laws & Regulations, Passenger Safety & Service, and Licensing & Registration. Read the explanation after every question, including the ones you got right, and write down the rule behind each miss. Then move on to the remaining sets, such as Fare & Payment Procedures, Vehicle Inspection & Maintenance, Defensive Driving Techniques and Navigation & Route Planning.

Once you have been through every topic, repeat the sets where you missed the most. Treat a repeated mistake as a sign to go back to the official course material rather than to memorise the answer. Because our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions, use them to find weak areas, not to predict what will appear.

In the last days before the exam, do mixed practice under timed conditions on a computer, since the real exam is computer-based. Aim to finish with time left to review. Book your session early enough that the date suits you, and keep the 90-day deadline in mind.

Sources & last verified

1. New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC); exam delivered by PSI Exams — number of questions, passing score, renewal, registration deadline (official source). “The exam is made up of 80 multiple-choice questions.” Verified Oct 26, 2026 · source checked Oct 20, 2026.
2. New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC); exam delivered by PSI Exams — time limit, retake fee, delivery, score release (official source). “The exam is 80 questions and you will have 2 hours to complete it.” Verified Oct 26, 2026.
3. test-takers.psiexams.com — exam fee, testing window (official source). “You will be charged $49.00. You may pay using a credit card, debit card, cashier's check, or money order. There is not an extra fee…” Verified Oct 27, 2026 · source checked Oct 27, 2026.
4. New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC); exam delivered by PSI Exams — validity, eligibility (official source). “$252 – For a three (3) Year License” Verified Oct 26, 2026 · source checked Oct 26, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.