Guided sightseeing tours with a blue badge tour guide in London and the the UK
Blue Badge
Tourist Guides throughout the
United Kingdom
The national professional association for Blue Badge Tourist Guides
with members in every part of Britain

Guide Training in London
Pre-Entry Test Download this page as a PDF file

See also:
London - Prospectus
Guide Training Introduction
Frequently Asked Questions

The Pre-Entry test will take the form of a two-hour "quick question" paper (requiring one or two word answers) covering the subjects listed below.
Europe Basic questions on Europe: its capitals, its great historic centres or items of cultural interest.
Architecture Questions will reflect those of an informed tourist to London and will have a bias towards London. It is likely to include new major buildings/ architects and some basic architectural features.
Geography Questions will reflect a familiarity with a map of the British Isles including physical features. As Britain is also part of the European Union, a general awareness of a map of Europe will be needed.
History Familiarity with a general outline of the chronology of British history is sought, together with a basic knowledge of nationally important personalities.
Literature Much literature is familiar to visitors to London through television and films, whilst our theatre is world-renowned. Questions will be designed to reveal a basic knowledge of some major playwrights, novelists and poets and their works.
Music & Painting Questions will reflect those of the well-informed tourist to London. Knowledge of the general contents of the major museums and galleries in London will be sought.
London Questions are designed to test general knowledge of major tourist attractions.
Current Events Questions will test awareness of major events.

Preparation for Pre-entry test:

For those who feel they need to prepare for the pre-entry test, the following are suggestions, many of which will be available from good libraries:

Familiarity with a map of London and reading a "pocket guide book" to the capital is a good start. You need to know where major tourist attractions are and how to get to them. Take a guided coach tour around London. Evan Evans, Premium Tours and Golden Tours use Blue Badge guides, (but check that the tour you are taking is not being conducted by an unqualified guide. The open top buses do NOT use Blue Badge Guides).

Read a national newspaper regularly. The Evening Standard is good for London news and events, as is “Time Out”.

A basic book on English Literature (such as the Oxford Book of Literature) or Poets’ corner in Westminster Abbey is a good preparation, together with the theatre review pages in the newspapers.

Any simple single-volume history of England is valid, including children’s books. ‘Now I Remember’ by Ronald Hamilton, or A Concise History of England’ by F E Haliday are both recommended (but are not always in print).

A number of beginners' guides to Architecture are available, particularly at the R.I.B.A. shop in Great Portland Street, W.1.

For out of London general knowledge the Pitkin series on Oxford, Stratford-on-Avon, Bath, Canterbury, Stonehenge, Windsor and Salisbury are excellent for basics.

Guild Home Page

Use a Blue Badge Tourist Guide to make the best of your visit
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Tel: 020-7403 1115 . Fax: 020-7378 1705
E-mail: guild@blue-badge.org.uk
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