Pubs and personal licence holders
Scottish Personal Licence Refresher Question Bank: SCPLH Refresher
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- Two A4 PDFs (question bank, and answers and notes) and one self-marking HTML file that opens in any modern web browser and works offline
- Version 1.0.0, free updates to that version
- Every source linked, last checked 9 November 2026
275 original practice questions for the Scottish personal licence refresher exam (SCPLH Refresher), each with the answer, an explanation and the section of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 it relies on.
This pack is for Scottish personal licence holders who have to complete refresher training every five years (Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, section 87) and sit the Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (Refresher) at SCQF level 6. It has 275 original multiple-choice questions, written by Plainfiles from the public SQA unit specification and the legislation: the 237 questions of the first-time SCPLH bank, plus 38 on the refresher duty itself, what has changed since 2005 and minimum pricing. Questions on associated law and on who the refresher is for are extra practice outside the paper and are marked as such; they are left out of the mock exam.
The refresher exam is one multiple-choice paper of 40 questions, set to take no more than one hour, with a pass mark 28 of 40, per the SQA unit specification; check with your centre. The self-marking quiz draws a 40-question mock exam in the weighting the specification gives for the refresher.
Formats: Two A4 PDFs (question bank, and answers and notes) and one self-marking HTML file that opens in any modern web browser and works offline.
Version 1.0.0, checked 9 November 2026. Updates to this version are free.
What is inside
Who makes this, and how it is checked
- Made by
- Plainfiles, run by TurboKast Ltd (company number SC881077), registered in Scotland. 29 Commercial Street, Dundee, DD1 3DG.
- Checked
- Against 28 official sources on 9 November 2026. Every source is linked below.
- Reviewed
- The free guide for this kit was reviewed by Liam Humphreys on .
- If a file is faulty
- We fix it, replace it or refund you. Terms of sale and refunds.
- Who can buy
- Buyers in the UK only, for now. Payment is handled by Stripe; you download the files straight after paying.
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 work.
What is included
- Question bank (PDF, 41 pages)All 275 questions grouped by the topics of the Scottish Personal Licence Holder Standard (Refresher), with a summary of the exam and an answer sheet to print.
- Answers and notes (PDF, 38 pages)An answer key, then the correct answer to every question with a one-line explanation and the section of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 or the guidance it relies on.
- Self-marking quiz (HTML file)A timed 40-question mock exam drawn in the weighting the SQA specification gives, marked at the end, and practice by topic that shows the answer, explanation and source straight away.
What it is not
- These are original practice questions, not the real exam. The real exam is set by an awarding body and will word its questions differently, and passing these questions does not guarantee a pass.
- The questions are not from any awarding body. The pack is not issued, endorsed or checked by an awarding body, a regulator or a licensing authority, and it contains no questions from any real exam or past paper.
- It is for people who already hold a Scottish personal licence. If you are working towards your first licence, you need the first-time SCPLH question bank instead.
- It is not legal advice. The law changes, so check the sources before you rely on an answer.
- It does not book the exam or the training. You book it yourself through a centre that offers the SCPLH Refresher, and you must give the evidence to the Licensing Board that issued your licence.
Five sample questions from the bank
Copied word for word from the 275 questions in the kit. None of them is one of the 25 free ones. Pick an answer, then open it to see the explanation and the source.
Sample question 1
Overview of the licensing function
Which of the following sales of alcohol is outside the general prohibition on unlicensed sale in section 1?
Show the answer
Answer D. A sale to a person for the purposes of that person’s trade
Section 1(2) disapplies the prohibition for sales on exempt premises and sales to trade. The other sales need a premises or occasional licence.
Relies on: Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 s.1(1)-(2).
Sample question 2
Licensing and operational responsibilities
Which of the following steps can a Licensing Board take at a premises licence review hearing?
Show the answer
Answer D. Issue a written warning, vary the licence, suspend it or revoke it
The Board’s powers on review are a written warning, variation, suspension or revocation. Fines and imprisonment are for the courts.
Relies on: Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 s.39(2).
Sample question 3
Control of order
What is the maximum period of an emergency closure order?
Show the answer
Answer B. 24 hours
The period of closure specified in an emergency closure order must not exceed 24 hours, though it may be extended by a further period not exceeding 24 hours.
Relies on: Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 s.97(5); s.99(1).
Sample question 4
Associated law
Under section 29 of the Equality Act 2010, what must a service provider such as a licensed premises not do?
Show the answer
Answer C. Discriminate against a person requiring the service by not providing it, or by treating them worse in its terms
A service provider must not discriminate against, harass or victimise people requiring the service. Refusing a drunk or violent person for the behaviour itself is not discrimination on a protected characteristic.
Relies on: Equality Act 2010 s.29(1)-(3).
Sample question 5
Social responsibility
A customer asks for a glass of tap water in a bar. What do the mandatory conditions require?
Show the answer
Answer D. Tap water fit for drinking must be provided free of charge on request, where alcohol is sold for consumption on the premises
Schedule 3 paragraph 9 requires free tap water on request and other non-alcoholic drinks at a reasonable price.
Relies on: Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 Sch.3 para 9(1)-(3).
What £9 adds to the free quiz
The free 25-question quiz is free to use and stays free. The kit gives you:
- All 275 questions, not 25, grouped by topic.
- Printable PDFs: the question bank, and an answers and notes book that explains every answer and gives its source.
- A self-marking file with timed mock papers and practice by topic, which opens in any browser and works offline.
Sources and checking
Checked against these official sources on 9 November 2026:
- SQA unit specification J50G 46, Scottish Personal Licence Holder Standard (Refresher): 40 questions, pass mark 28 of 40, per the SQA unit specification; check with your centre, assessment no more than one hour, at least 3 hours of training, topic list and weighting
- SQA page: Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (Refresher): externally set, 40 multiple-choice questions; refresher due within five years of the licence being issued
- Personal Licence (Training) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 (SSI 2013/261), regulations 2 and 3
- Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, section 87 (licence holder’s duty to undertake training) and sections 74, 77, 78, 83, 84, 84A, 84B
- Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015, Part 2 (alcohol licensing)
- Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012, sections 1 and 2
- Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012 (Continuation) Order 2024 (SSI 2024/127)
- Alcohol (Minimum Price per Unit) (Scotland) Order 2018, article 2 as amended (SSI 2018/135)
- Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, Schedule 4 paragraph 5A (minimum price for occasional licences)
- Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, Schedule 5 and section 12 (temporary changes to section 87, expired 1 October 2022)
- Scottish Government: Scottish Liquor Licensing Statistics 2022-23 (personal licences in force and revocations under section 87(3))
- Scottish Government letter to stakeholders, 15 October 2020: updated SCPLH and refresher qualifications from 1 December 2020
- Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, Schedule 4 (amends the 2005 Act; shown as prospective, not relied on)
- SQA unit specification J50F 46, Scottish Personal Licence Holder Standard (December 2020): 40 questions, pass mark 28 of 40, per the SQA unit specification; check with your centre, topic list and weighting
- SQA information for centres: SCPLH is a 40-question, one-hour multiple-choice paper
- Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 on legislation.gov.uk
- Alcohol (Minimum Price per Unit) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2024 (65 pence per unit from 30 September 2024)
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, section 8
- Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005, sections 1 and 2
- Equality Act 2010, section 29
- Private Security Industry Act 2001, section 3
- NHS: calculating alcohol units
- NHS: the risks of drinking too much
- Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988, articles 2, 3 and 5A (standard measures)
- Gambling Act 2005, section 282 (gaming machines in alcohol-licensed premises)
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, sections 16 and 19 (playing music in public)
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, Part 4 Chapter 1 and Schedule 20 (unfair commercial practices)
- Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015, section 41 (licensing objectives)
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. These kits are independent templates to help you organise your paperwork. They are not legal, tax or financial advice, are not issued or endorsed by any government body, regulator or council, and do not guarantee a licence, rating or any other outcome.
Free guides that go with this kit
- Scottish personal licence refresher practice quiz (SCPLH Refresher): 25 free questions Exam practice
- Scottish personal licence refresher training: the 5-year deadline and what happens if you miss it Alcohol licensing
- SCPLH practice questions: 25 free Scottish personal licence exam questions Exam practice
- How to get a personal licence: England and Wales against Scotland Alcohol licensing
Get the SCPLH Refresher Question Bank
Price: £9
One-off purchase. Instant download. UK buyers only, for now.
Secure checkout by Stripe. You confirm at checkout that you want the download straight away.
Faulty file? We fix it, replace it or refund you. Terms of sale and refunds.
Still working towards your first licence? See the first-time SCPLH question bank.