Contents
England and Wales, and where the figures come from
The question numbers, times and pass marks below come from the SIA’s “Get Training” document, last updated April 2022, and we checked them against Pearson’s published specifications for the same qualifications. Awarding organisations and training centres run the exams, so check the figures with your centre before the day. The SIA consulted until 23 October 2026 on new qualifications due in 2027 and has not published the outcome, so the structure may change then, but nothing has changed yet. Scotland has its own SIA-linked qualifications at SCQF Level 6, which this guide does not cover. It is not legal advice.
The short version
- Each licence has several papers. Door supervisor has four multiple-choice papers, security officer three and CCTV operator two.
- The pass mark is 70 per cent for every paper except physical intervention, which is 80 per cent.
- Practical tests are separate and are marked pass or fail. The pass mark for each is 100 per cent.
- The SIA does not publish a pass rate that we could find, and its document says nothing about resits. Those rules come from your awarding organisation and training centre.
How many questions, by licence
An externally set paper means the awarding organisation writes it and marks it, not your trainer.
| Paper | Questions | Time | Pass mark | Door supervisor | Security officer | CCTV operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principles of Working in the Private Security Industry | 72 | 110 minutes | 70% | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Principles of Working as a Door Supervisor | 50 | 75 minutes | 70% | Yes | No | No |
| Principles of Working as a Security Officer | 60 | 90 minutes | 70% | No | Yes | No |
| Principles and Practices of Working as a CCTV Operator | 40 | 60 minutes | 70% | No | No | Yes |
| Application of Conflict Management | 20 | 30 minutes | 70% | Yes | Yes | No |
| Application of Physical Intervention Skills | 30 | 45 minutes | 80% | Yes | No | No |
That gives a door supervisor 172 questions across four papers, a security officer 152 across three and a CCTV operator 112 across two. Pearson’s specifications turn the percentages into whole marks: 50 of 72 on the first paper (Pearson’s door supervisor specification, Issue 2, writes it as “70% (50/72)”, which is 69.4 per cent, so ask your centre which whole mark it uses), 35 of 50, 42 of 60, 28 of 40, 14 of 20, and 24 of 30 on the physical intervention paper. Other awarding organisations follow the same SIA document, but ask your centre for its own figure.
The first paper is the same for all three licences. The SIA’s learning outcomes for it include the main characteristics of the industry, legislation, safe working practices, fire procedures, terror threat awareness and post-incident management.
The practical assessments
Each qualification also has practical work, assessed by your trainer and marked pass or fail, with a pass mark of 100 per cent. In all three, the first unit has an incident report activity.
- Door supervisors are observed searching and using communication devices, and take part in a conflict management scenario. For physical intervention the trainer only passes you when you have shown every technique successfully, and there is a question-and-answer session on the critical points.
- Security officers are observed searching and using communication devices, and take part in a conflict management scenario.
- CCTV operators complete a practical CCTV scenario with a portfolio and observation sheet, and a workbook. The pass mark for the short-answer part of the workbook is 80 per cent.
The SIA says centres must video the practical assessments and keep the recordings for at least a year, unless the learner is under 18.
Before you can sit the papers
- First aid. Door supervisors and security officers need a first aid qualification before the training starts. GOV.UK says it must be valid for at least another 12 months. Check the first aid and renewal rules if you are renewing.
- Language. The centre must make sure you are competent enough in English or Welsh, with reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, before it enters you. The SIA’s document gives a B2 level as the minimum.
- Age. The SIA’s document says 16 and 17 year olds can enrol in the security officer and CCTV qualifications but not door supervisor, and cannot hold a licence until they are 18.
- An approved centre. GOV.UK says you must get your training from an approved training provider.
What if you fail
The SIA’s document does not set a limit on attempts, a waiting time or a fee for a resit. We found no official SIA rule on it. Pearson’s specification says resit opportunities are at the discretion of centres, and that a learner who fails the practical can retake another practical assessment. What the SIA does say is that the SIA only accepts a qualification you have fully passed, from an endorsed awarding organisation. So you need every paper and every practical, not an average.
In practice the retake rules differ between awarding organisations and between centres: how soon you can resit, whether you pay, and whether you resit only the paper you failed. Ask your centre in writing before you book. If you have not passed everything, you cannot apply.
The clock also matters. GOV.UK says that if you apply for a licence for the first time, you must have got your qualification within the last 3 years.
Results
The SIA’s document gives no turnaround time for results. Marking is by the awarding organisation, so the wait depends on which one your centre uses and on the centre. Ask when you enrol. Do not book your licence application or a Post Office visit until you hold the certificate.
Practise before the papers
Our free practice tests give you 25 original questions each, with the answer and the source: door supervisor, security officer and CCTV operator. If you want more, there are paid banks of original questions in the same style for the three licences: 295 for door supervisors (£9), 312 for security officers (£19) and 256 for CCTV operators (£19). They are practice questions we wrote, not the real papers, and not from the SIA or any awarding organisation.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the SIA door supervisor exam?
Four multiple-choice papers: 72 questions on the principles of the industry, 50 on the door supervisor role, 20 on conflict management and 30 on physical intervention. That is 172 in total, according to the SIA’s Get Training document (April 2022).
What is the pass mark for the SIA exam?
70 per cent on every multiple-choice paper except physical intervention, where it is 80 per cent. Practical assessments need 100 per cent.
Is there a pass rate for the SIA exam?
We found no official pass rate from the SIA. Training providers sometimes quote their own rates, which depend on who they teach.
Can I resit an SIA exam?
The SIA’s document is silent on it. The awarding organisation and your centre set the rules, so ask them how many attempts you have, how soon you can resit and what it costs.
Sources
Last checked 2 November 2026. Dates in brackets are when each page says it was last updated.
- Get Training: requirements for awarding organisations and training centres, SIA (April 2022), as linked from GOV.UK’s page on teaching SIA licence-linked training courses: papers, questions, times, pass marks, practical assessments, age and language rules
- Pearson BTEC Level 2 Award for Door Supervisors in the Private Security Industry: specification, Pearson (Issue 2, September 2023): whole-mark pass thresholds and resit wording. The security officer and CCTV specifications give the same figures for their papers
- Check what training you need to get an SIA licence, GOV.UK (20 August 2026)
- Get Licensed: SIA licensing criteria, SIA (May 2026): full certification and the 3-year rule
- Apply for an SIA licence, GOV.UK (19 June 2026): the application steps and Post Office visit
- Proposed changes to SIA licence-linked qualifications, SIA consultation (28 August to 23 October 2026): new qualifications planned for 2027
Changes to this guide
- 7 November 2026: The note on the first paper’s pass mark now says that 50 of 72 is Pearson’s published figure, written as 70% (50/72) in its door supervisor specification, and that it is 69.4 per cent, so readers ask their centre which whole mark it uses. The SIA’s own document gives only the percentage. Re-checked the sources.
- 2 November 2026: The consultation on new qualifications has closed, so the note now says the SIA consulted rather than is consulting. Re-checked the sources.
- 26 October 2026: Draft written and fact-checked. Corrected the 72-question pass threshold to 50 (not 51) and updated the language wording and the Get Training link.
This guide is general information written from the official sources listed above and checked on 7 November 2026. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and Plainfiles is not endorsed by any government body. Rules change, so check the linked official pages for your own situation. Written and designed by Plainfiles with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, then checked against the official legislation and guidance listed in the sources. How we write and check our guides.