Checked 25 October 2026. The questions follow the current qualification content and the law of England and Wales as read on 25 October 2026. The SIA says new qualifications will launch later in 2027; laws are amended, so check the current version of a section before you rely on it.
These are three practice questions for the SIA licence-linked unit exams: one from the common unit included in both current full qualifications, one from the door supervisor unit and one from the security officer unit. Each has four options and one correct answer, and the answer below it explains the reason. They are ProSyllabus’s own questions, written from the published qualification content and the law of England and Wales, and they are the three questions of our practice test’s free sample. None comes from an exam or an awarding organisation’s sample paper.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site. It is not the Security Industry Authority (SIA) or an awarding organisation, and nothing here is an official exam. This guide summarises the official sources listed at the foot of the page.
Exam facts: SIA, Get Training, and Pearson’s door supervisor and security officer specifications (Issue 2, September 2023), read 25 Oct 2026.
FreeTests: Citizen's arrest · Searching · Access and egress control
SIA Licence Exam Practice Test: free sample
Answer 3 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 5 minutes · free · no sign-in.
3 questions to answer
Start nowabout 5 minThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
How to use these questions
Choose an answer before you open "Show the answer". The point is to find out what you would have picked in the exam room, not to recognise the right answer once you have seen it. Then read the reason: the qualification content includes the legal powers and limits of a security operative, and the reason is what lets you answer a differently worded question on the same rule.
| Question | Unit | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Principles of Working in the Private Security Industry (common unit) | The power of arrest of a person who is not a police officer |
| 2 | Principles of Working as a Door Supervisor | A customer who refuses a search that is a condition of entry |
| 3 | Principles of Working as a Security Officer | A visitor with no pass and no appointment |
Question 1: the common unit
Question 1 · Principles of Working in the Private Security Industry
Under section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, a person other than a police officer may arrest without a warrant anyone who is in the act of committing:
- (A) Any offence, including a summary-only one
- (B) A breach of the venue's house rules
- (C) An indictable offence
- (D) A civil wrong such as trespass
Show the answer
Answer: (C) An indictable offence. Section 24A(1) allows a person other than a constable to arrest anyone who is in the act of committing an indictable offence, or whom they have reasonable grounds for suspecting to be committing one. The other conditions in section 24A(3) must also be met.
An original ProSyllabus question written from the published qualification content and the law of England and Wales. Not a question from an SIA unit exam.
Why it matters: security operatives have no special powers of arrest, only the same powers as everyone else. The limits in section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 are what keep a citizen’s arrest lawful, and getting them wrong can lead to action against the person who made the arrest.
FreeTests: Citizen's arrest · Searching · Access and egress control
SIA Licence Exam Practice Test: free sample
Answer 3 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 5 minutes · free · no sign-in.
3 questions to answer
Start nowabout 5 minThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
Question 2: the door supervisor unit
Question 2 · Principles of Working as a Door Supervisor
Searching is a condition of entry to a venue. A customer refuses to be searched. What should the door supervisor do?
- (A) Politely refuse them entry and record the refusal, following venue policy
- (B) Search them anyway, using reasonable force to hold them still while you do it
- (C) Let them in, but ask a colleague to watch them on the CCTV
- (D) Hold them at the door until the police arrive to search them
Show the answer
Answer: (A) Politely refuse them entry and record the refusal, following venue policy. A door supervisor may only search with the person's permission, as a condition of entry. If someone refuses consent, they should be refused entry, venue policy followed and the refusal recorded in the search register or other report.
An original ProSyllabus question written from the published qualification content and the law of England and Wales. Not a question from an SIA unit exam.
Why it matters: a door supervisor’s right to search comes from the customer’s consent as a condition of entry, not from the licence. Refusing entry, rather than forcing a search, keeps the door supervisor within the law.
Question 3: the security officer unit
Question 3 · Principles of Working as a Security Officer
A visitor arrives at a site's reception with no pass and no appointment. Following access control procedures, what should the security officer do?
- (A) Refuse to speak to them and ask them to leave without checking anything
- (B) Let them in straight away, provided they say that they work for one of the companies on site
- (C) Send them through to look for the person they want to see on their own
- (D) Check their authority to enter first, and record their details if they are admitted
Show the answer
Answer: (D) Check their authority to enter first, and record their details if they are admitted. Access control duties include checking authority to enter the premises, controlling the issue and return of visitor passes, recording visitor information and refusing entry to unauthorised persons.
An original ProSyllabus question written from the published qualification content and the law of England and Wales. Not a question from an SIA unit exam.
Why it matters: access control exists so that the site knows who is on it at any time and lets only authorised people in. A visitor’s word alone is not authority to enter.
The rules behind the three questions
Each question tests one rule, and the specification for the unit sets out the rest of the topic around it. These are the points worth revising alongside each question.
Arrest (common unit)
The common unit specification says arrest is to take away someone’s liberty, and that a security operative should arrest only as a last resort: false arrest can lead to civil or criminal prosecution of the person who made it, and their own safety can be at risk. If you do arrest, tell the person they are under arrest, give the reason and say that the police will be called; use witnesses where possible and only reasonable and necessary force. The arrested person is then your responsibility until you hand them over to the police, explain the reason for the arrest and tell them of any extra evidence, such as witnesses, CCTV or property.
Searching (door supervisor unit)
The door supervisor specification lists four types of search: general, when everyone is searched; random, such as every fourth person; specific, when particular people are searched for particular reasons; and premises searches. A door supervisor searches only with the person’s permission, as part of the admissions policy and as a condition of entry. It lists precautions such as a dedicated search area, searching in pairs and in view of CCTV where possible, protective gloves and self-search techniques, and says to politely explain the reason for the search before refusing entry to someone who does not consent.
Access control (security officer unit)
The security officer specification says access control lets only authorised people in, records who is on site at any given time and gives information in an evacuation or emergency. The officer checks authority to enter, issues and takes back visitor passes and records visitor information. Statutory agencies, such as police officers, fire officers and health and safety inspectors, must provide valid proof of identity and must not be prevented from carrying out their duties.
FreeTests: Citizen's arrest · Searching · Access and egress control
SIA Licence Exam Practice Test: free sample
Answer 3 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 5 minutes · free · no sign-in.
3 questions to answer
Start nowabout 5 minThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
The five unit exams, and what our practice test covers
| Unit exam | Part of the qualification for | Questions and time | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principles of Working in the Private Security Industry (common unit) | Door supervisors and security officers | 72 in 110 minutes | 70% |
| Principles of Working as a Door Supervisor in the Private Security Industry | Door supervisors | 50 in 75 minutes | 70% |
| Principles of Working as a Security Officer in the Private Security Industry | Security officers | 60 in 90 minutes | 70% |
| Application of Conflict Management in the Private Security Industry | Door supervisors and security officers | 20 in 30 minutes | 70% |
| Application of Physical Intervention Skills in the Private Security Industry | Door supervisors | 30 in 45 minutes | 80% |
SIA, Get Training, and Pearson specifications (Issue 2, September 2023).
| Fact | Unit exams (SIA and awarding body) | ProSyllabus mocks |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | As in the table above | One mock per unit exam, at the same number of questions |
| Time | As in the table above | The same time as the unit exam, on a clock |
| The questions | Externally set and marked by the awarding organisation | Written by ProSyllabus from the qualification content and the law of England and Wales |
| Practical parts | Externally set and internally assessed; 100% pass mark | Not practised |
Want the full practice test?
Your training course comes first. If you also want timed practice, the ProSyllabus SIA practice test has one mock for each of the five unit exams at the published length, with your score by topic, your time per question and the reason behind every answer. These three questions are the free part; the mocks are paid. Our own questions, not the exams’, and not made or endorsed by the SIA or any awarding organisation. For the pass marks, the practical parts and the steps to a licence, see the SIA exams and pass marks guide.
FreeTests: Citizen's arrest · Searching · Access and egress control
SIA Licence Exam Practice Test: free sample
Answer 3 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 5 minutes · free · no sign-in.
3 questions to answer
Start nowabout 5 minThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
Frequently asked questions
Are these real SIA exam questions?
No. They are ProSyllabus’s own questions, written from the published qualification content and the law of England and Wales. None comes from an exam or a sample paper.
Is there an SIA mock test for each unit?
The ProSyllabus practice test has one timed mock for each of the five multiple-choice unit exams, at the published number of questions and time. It is independent practice, not an official mock.
What do I need to score to pass?
70% in the common unit, door supervisor unit, security officer unit and conflict management exams, and 80% in the physical intervention exam.
Will passing the ProSyllabus mocks mean I pass the exam?
No. A practice score is not an exam result and does not guarantee a pass. The questions are ours, not the awarding organisation’s.
More in this series
Sources
- official — SIA: Get Training, requirements for awarding organisations and training centres (last updated April 2022)
- official — Pearson BTEC Level 2 Award for Door Supervisors in the Private Security Industry, specification, Issue 2 (September 2023)
- official — Pearson BTEC Level 2 Award for Security Officers in the Private Security Industry, specification, Issue 2 (September 2023)
- official — GOV.UK (SIA): Check what training you need to get an SIA licence
- official — GOV.UK (SIA): Read the specifications for SIA licence-linked training
- official — GOV.UK (SIA): SIA consults on changes to security licence qualifications (28 August 2026)
- official — legislation.gov.uk: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, section 24A (England and Wales)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
