Ontario Security Guard Test 2026: Format, Booking, Pass Mark and Rewrites

To work as a security guard in Ontario you need a security guard licence, and before you can apply for one you must finish a basic training course and pass the basic ministry test. This guide sets out what the Government of Ontario and its test provider say about that test: its format, the cut score, the training you need first, how booking and the fee work, what happens if you fail, and the licence application that follows. It ends with a study plan built on the ministry’s own training syllabus and study guide.

ProSyllabus is an independent study site. It is not part of the Government of Ontario, the Ministry of the Solicitor General or its test provider, and nothing here is the ministry test. Every rule on this page is quoted or summarised from the official pages listed at the foot of the page.

Ontario’s basic training page says all new security guards must complete a basic training course and pass the required test before applying for a licence. The security guard course must be at least 40 hours long, including certification in emergency first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It can be classroom-based or web-based; a web-based course must allow real-time interaction with an instructor. If you already hold a valid first aid and CPR certificate from a St. John Ambulance or Workplace Safety and Insurance Board certified instructor, you can opt out of that part of the course. The syllabus then sets the minimum in-class time at 33.5 hours instead of 40.

The ministry says it does not endorse or recommend any trainer or training program, and asks you to do your own research. The test provider’s FAQ adds two first aid points: without a valid first aid and CPR certificate your training is incomplete and you cannot book the test, and first aid training for new applicants must be attended in person for at least 6.5 hours. O. Reg. 26/10 requires you to give the test administrator a valid St. John Ambulance Emergency First Aid Certificate, or its equivalent, before you take the test.

The test provider’s booking page says every test session must be prepaid and booked in advance, before 3:00 p.m. on the day before the test, and that online booking is preferred. You need your training completion number and a Visa or MasterCard; a pre-paid MasterCard or VISA Vanilla card can also be used, though some pre-paid cards must first be authorised for online use by calling the number on the back. You book the security guard and the private investigator tests separately; a dual-licence candidate cannot take both in one session.

The provider’s FAQ lists what an online test needs: a desktop or laptop computer (no tablets or phones) with a reliable high-speed connection, a webcam that can show the whole room, a microphone and speakers (no headphones or earbuds), its online exam browser installed before test day, and approved photo ID at sign-in. The invigilator checks your ID and does a full 360-degree room check; you must be alone in a quiet room, so a library or other public computer will not do. If your equipment does not meet the requirements on the day there is no refund, and the provider strongly encourages an in-person booking if you do not have the equipment an online test needs.

Because the ministry gives no per-question feedback, the only way to find your weak sections before test day is to practise against the syllabus yourself and keep track of which sections cost you marks.

The testing page says the questions are based on the topics covered in the basic training courses, and the study guide says its subjects align with the ministry’s Training Syllabus for Security Guards. The syllabus has twelve sections, each with suggested hours. The ministry does not publish how many test questions come from each section; the hours below show only how much course time each section is given.

Legal Authorities (section 8) carries the most course time: 7.5 hours in class plus 10 outside class, 17.5 in all, covering the Criminal Code (arrest, offences, defence of property and defence of persons), the Trespass to Property Act, privacy law and other provincial Acts. The syllabus also says, for every section, whether students need working or detailed knowledge of it.

The provider’s FAQ says you must book another appointment and rewrite the whole test, not just the parts you missed, and that there is no set waiting period between attempts, apart from booking by 3:00 p.m. the day before. Each attempt is a new booking and a new fee. Your training completion number does not expire, so it can be used to book again.

Once licensed, section 35 of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act requires you to carry your licence and, on request, identify yourself as a security guard and produce it; ServiceOntario says a digital or printed copy will do.

The study guide suggests glancing through the whole test first, budgeting your time, answering the questions you know first and coming back to difficult ones, reading each question carefully (two or more times if needed), eliminating obviously wrong answers, and changing an answer only if you have a good reason. It also says to use all the time you are given: there are no prizes for finishing first.