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Free SIA security mock test
Seventy two questions in 110 minutes on the private security industry, the law, health and safety, fire, emergencies, communication, terror threats and safeguarding, the paper every SIA licence shares.
Each attempt picks a new set of questions from a bank of 84, so you can practise as often as you like.
Attackers often study a site beforehand to find weaknesses. Alert security staff can spot and disrupt this planning stage.
Ongoing distress after an incident is common. Encourage the colleague to seek help and let a manager know so support can be arranged.
After a citizen's arrest the person must be handed to the police as soon as practicable. Holding or questioning them for longer than necessary could be unlawful.
Radio link schemes, Pubwatch and business crime reduction partnerships let venues, shops and the police share warnings about offenders and incidents in real time.
If a casualty is unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR straight away. Early chest compressions greatly improve the chance of survival.
The arrest must be necessary to prevent injury, prevent loss or damage to property, or stop the person making off before a constable can take over.
Guarding premises against unauthorised access, theft and damage is security guarding. Close protection is about guarding individuals and public space surveillance is CCTV work.
Once you are safe, call the police on 999 and tell them where the attackers are, what they look like and what weapons they have.
The question bank has 84 questions across these topics. Every attempt mixes them at random.
Every SIA licence course starts with the same unit, the principles of working in the private security industry, and it is the biggest paper you will sit. It is the common ground of the job: who the SIA is and what the Approved Contractor Scheme does, the difference between civil and criminal law, what a licence holder may and may not do, when a citizen's arrest is lawful, the duty of care under health and safety law, the fire triangle and which extinguisher is for what, how to raise the alarm and evacuate, how to report by radio, and the counter terrorism knowledge from the ACT e-learning: threat levels, hostile reconnaissance, suspicious items and Run, Hide, Tell. It ends with safeguarding, recognising a vulnerable person and knowing what to do.
Not the depth, the breadth. No single topic is difficult, but there are forty of them and the paper can ask about any. Candidates who fail Unit 1 usually ran out of revision, not ability.
Use practice mode topic by topic, then sit the full 72 question paper with the timer on at least twice. If the terror threat questions give you trouble, do the free ACT training again, because the paper follows it closely.
All three new licence courses. Door Supervisor, Security Guard and CCTV Operator each begin with the principles of working in the private security industry, and the paper is the same for all of them.
Seventy two questions in 110 minutes. The pass mark is 70 per cent, so you need 50 correct answers.
Because it covers everything that applies to every licence holder: how the industry is regulated, criminal and civil law, equality, data protection, arrest powers, health and safety, fire, emergencies, communication, terrorism awareness and protecting vulnerable people.
Usually not. If you hold a current licence and add another, the centre can normally exempt you from Unit 1 and you sit only the new licence's own paper. Ask us before you book.
Questions last checked: 20 October 2026. These are practice questions written for London SIA Course, not the official exam papers.
Practise with our free mock tests until you pass comfortably, then book your course.