What the practical test checks
This guide concerns the French VTC examination. Service Public describes a driving route of about 20 minutes, including preparation and anticipation of difficulties, followed by checks of local knowledge and the ability to welcome a customer. The official exam text and your CMA instructions govern assessment; the rehearsal below is advice, not an official scoring sheet.
For new applications, professional experience no longer replaces the exam from 12 August 2026 according to the current French guidance. Earlier card applications require the dated distinction explained in the access-rules guide.
Before the session
- Read the invitation: time, location, identity and licence documents.
- Confirm the required test-vehicle conditions and arrangements directly with the CMA.
- Check who provides the vehicle and what happens if it is unavailable.
- Use the current official instructions for authorized equipment, marking and disqualifying faults.
A compliant vehicle for everyday VTC work is not, by itself, proof that the vehicle meets the practical-exam conditions. Confirm that distinction before booking a rental.
A complete rehearsal you can repeat
Suggested exercise, not an exam scenario: arrange a mock transfer from a station to a hotel with a qualified instructor where appropriate. Use a different destination each time so you must prepare rather than memorize.
- Before departure, identify the destination, a reasonable route, possible works and a safe permitted pickup point.
- Welcome the mock passenger, confirm the destination and discuss luggage and comfort without distracting from safety.
- Drive smoothly, observe limits and anticipate pedestrians, cyclists and lane changes.
- If a road is closed, explain a safe alternative briefly; do not make an unsafe manoeuvre to preserve the original route.
- At arrival, choose a permitted stopping point and complete the customer interaction professionally.
- Debrief: record one planning error, one driving point and one communication improvement, then repeat.
Turn feedback into targeted preparation
If driving is safe but customer communication is weak, rehearse the greeting and destination confirmation aloud. If planning is slow, practise route preparation without driving first. Ask the instructor for specific observations rather than a vague reassurance that you will pass.
This exercise does not predict a result. Only the examination authority decides success under the applicable rules.
After passing
Retain the success certificate and follow the professional-card application process. Do not accept paid services simply because you passed. Complete the separate business, insurance, vehicle and operator-registration requirements; keep current REVTC driver and vehicle records consistent with the official instructions.
Sources and scope
Légifrance: official taxi and VTC examination programme (check the applicable version)
Service Public: practical test, current access and operating requirements
Service Public: card application after the exam
The legal and tax references concern France. Examples are illustrative unless expressly attributed to a source; they are not tariffs or promised results.