London's 161-year-old taxi exam is so hard that one man only passed on his 41st try

Most people would probably quit after failing the same exam a few times. But for aspiring London black cab drivers, persistence is practically part of the job description. 'The Knowledge,' introduced in 1865, is considered one of the toughest taxi exams in the world. The test was made mandatory for taxi drivers, requiring them to memorize 320 routes and more than 25,000 streets to find the quickest shortcut when driving passengers. 60 Minutes (@60minutes) shared two stories of aspiring cab drivers, Steven Fairsbrass and Anshu Moorjani, who attempted 'The Knowledge' more than 10 times. The video was shared on Instagram on May 18, 2026, and received 183,000 views, 5,793 likes, and 119 comments.

Cleared on the 41st attempt

Fairbrass revealed he was attempting the test for the 20th time. When the examiner asked him the way to the Riding House Café, he looked nervous as he was trying to recollect the fastest routes and streets to the café. However, Fairbrass fumbled after mentioning Portland Place and failed the test. He would have to reattempt to get his badge. Anshu Moorjani, on the other hand, finally cleared the Knowledge of London test on his 41st attempt. He had been working towards getting the license for five years. He will be receiving his license the same week.

No London without a black cab

Anderson asked the question that everybody was wondering: "Why spend years studying for a Black cab license instead of just driving an Uber?" Fairbrass responded, saying that many would want to drive one of the most famous cabs in London. It is almost considered a badge of honor. For Moorjani, the reason was that he wanted to be a part of 100 years of history. Fairbrass added, "It means a lot to the people of London. It's like London without the queen, I would say." Anderson reiterated, "You can't have London without a king or queen. You can't have London without a black cab," to which both men agreed.

Green and Yellow Badge

There are two taxi drivers, as per Transport for London: All London, which requires a green badge, and Suburban, which requires a yellow badge. But to receive one or both of these badges, a cabbie must clear the seven stages of 'The Knowledge' test. This includes a self-assessment test, a written examination, oral appearances with an examiner (Stages 3-5), a suburban examination, and an application for a license and a pre-licensing talk.

Several people want to become black cab drivers, but it is not easy to qualify. On average, people take around four years to become an All London Green Badge taxi driver, and around three years to become a Suburban Yellow Badge taxi driver. Between 2007-8 and 2014-15, only 21,058 people were accepted into the Knowledge of London (KOL) course, but only 6,684 passed to become licensed taxi drivers.

Readers respond with confusion about the 'digital age'

Several people in the comments applauded the effort and determination the two men have put into preparing for the test. However, others pointed out that all this was not needed since people can use digital maps and GPS now. @overdue_media wrote, "In this age, where digital maps exist? I think this is overkill." @rach-bhatia seemed to understand what the cabbies are striving for, wrote, "It is London. The cabbies are an institution & the knowledge is so much more than getting from A to B."

You can follow 60 News (@60news) on Instagram for more news-related content.

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