Knowledge of London applicant numbers show PROMISING signs of improvement as applicants on course for near DECADE long high
- Perry Richardson
- Nov 16, 2025
- 2 min read
Fresh figures released by Transport for London (TfL) reveal how the Knowledge of London has shifted over the past decade, with entry numbers, completion volumes and test performance all changing shape since 2015. The data was provided in response to a Freedom of Information request covering activity up to September 2025.
The number of new entrants have remained well below the peak seen in the last ten years, when 1,315 applicants began the process in 2015. Numbers fell sharply after that year and only started to recover post-pandemic onwards. The total of 605 applicants by September 2025 already exceeds all annual totals since 2018, suggesting interest is moving upward again and is on course to become its highest totals since the 2015 peak.
TfL confirmed 1,260 candidates are currently progressing through the stages of the Knowledge as of September 2025.
Completions have been falling for several years. In 2016, 870 candidates finished the process. By 2023 this had dropped to 114 and by 2024 just 110. Only 91 have completed so far in 2025. The fall reflects a smaller pipeline of applicants in previous years and longer average completion times. With more students joining the Knowledge in 2025 it may take 2-3 years for these applicants to complete the process.
TfL does not record annual withdrawals, so there is no clear data on dropout trends over the decade.
The average time taken to complete the Knowledge rose steadily from 2015 through to 2021, peaking at over five years. Times only began to fall again from 2022. Candidates completing in 2025 finished in an average of 38 months, which is the quickest since the mid-2010s. The shorter period likely reflects a smaller more focussed cohort, improved exam scheduling after the pandemic period or changes in candidate ability.
Pass rate data, measured on stages three to five, offers a mixed picture. The pass rate dropped from 53 per cent in 2019 to 46 per cent in both 2023 and 2024. It stands at 38 per cent for 2025 so far. This raises questions about exam preparedness when making the move from learning the ‘Blue Book’ routes to being able to call-over routes asked by the examiner.
