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The common unit every door supervisor, security guard and CCTV operator sits. Practise a full 72-question paper in 110 minutes, covering the law, citizen's arrest, health and safety, fire, emergencies, terrorism and vulnerable people.
Each attempt picks a new set of questions from a bank of 110, so you can practise as often as you like.
Civil cases are decided on the balance of probabilities, meaning more likely than not. Criminal cases need proof beyond reasonable doubt.
The SIA standards of behaviour say a security operative must never solicit or accept a bribe or other consideration, and must not show preferential treatment. Report all incidents to management.
A fire blanket smothers the fire and cuts off its supply of oxygen. Leave it in place and turn off the heat source if it is safe to do so.
Raising the alarm warns everyone and starts the evacuation. Only tackle a small fire if you are trained and it is safe, and never let the fire come between you and your exit.
Reflecting helps identify what went well and what could improve, spot trends and prevent the same problem happening again. Contributing to this makes the workplace safer for staff and customers.
Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Refusing someone because of their assistance dog is likely to be unlawful discrimination.
The SIA protects the public by licensing individuals in designated roles, setting standards of conduct and training, and managing the Approved Contractor Scheme. Premises licences come from the local licensing authority.
The Act aims to raise standards, increase public confidence and safety, and remove criminal elements from the industry. It set up the SIA and licensing, but gave security staff no special powers.
The question bank has 110 questions across these topics. Every attempt mixes them at random.
Unit 1 is the longest exam on any SIA course and the one that covers the most ground. It is the foundation for every front line licence, so it tests what all security staff need to know whatever their job.
The paper covers:
You get just over 90 seconds a question. Work through the paper once, answer everything you are sure of and flag the rest, then use the remaining time on the flagged questions. Never leave a question blank, as there is no penalty for a wrong answer. The full mock test gives you the same 110 minutes to practise this.
All three new licence courses. Door supervisors, security guards and CCTV operators all sit the same principles of working in the private security industry paper, so this one mock exam covers it for everyone.
72 multiple choice questions in 110 minutes. You need 50 correct to pass, which is just under 70%.
Yes. You also write a short witness statement under Section 9 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967, which your trainer marks on the course.
Most training centres teach it first and call it Unit 1, but the awarding bodies don't all number their units the same way. The full title is the principles of working in the private security industry.
Questions last checked: 17 October 2026. These are practice questions written for BookCourse, not the official exam papers.
Practise with our free mock tests until you pass comfortably, then book your course.