Door supervisors and security staff
SIA Security Guard Refresher Question Bank (England and Wales)
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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
96 original practice questions for the SIA security guard (security officer) refresher knowledge paper (England and Wales), each with the answer, an explanation and the law or guidance it relies on.
This pack is for security guards (security officers) renewing an SIA licence. Since 1 April 2025 you must hold a refresher qualification before you can renew, and the refresher has one multiple-choice knowledge paper. It has 96 original questions, written by Plainfiles from the published refresher specification and GOV.UK guidance and from the legislation, on searching (including vehicles, and children and young people), keeping vulnerable people safe and terror threats. Some questions on Martyn’s Law, the renewal rule and the first aid requirement are extra practice outside the assessment criteria and are left out of the mock paper. The law covered is that of England and Wales only.
In Pearson’s refresher specification (Issue 2, November 2025), the paper has 28 questions in 45 minutes with a pass mark of 20 (71 per cent). Check with your awarding organisation, because question counts, times and pass marks can differ between awarding organisations. The self-marking quiz draws a timed 28-question mock paper. The practical assessment (searching people and their possessions) and the first aid qualification are not covered. The SIA consulted in 2026 on new specifications, with new qualifications planned for later in 2027; this pack follows the current refresher specification.
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 18 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, 14 pages)All 96 questions grouped by the topics of the refresher unit, with a summary of the exam paper and an answer sheet to print.
- Answers and notes (PDF, 18 pages)An answer key, then the correct answer to every question with a one-line explanation and the statute section or guidance it relies on.
- Self-marking quiz (HTML file)A timed mock paper (28 questions, with the time allowed and the pass mark), 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 papers are set by an awarding organisation and will word their questions differently, and passing these questions does not guarantee a pass.
- The questions are not from the SIA or any awarding body. The pack is not issued, endorsed or checked by the SIA, an awarding body or a training centre, and it contains no questions from any real paper or sample paper.
- It covers the law of England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different arrest, licensing and drug law, and this pack does not adapt the content for them.
- It is for renewing a licence. If you are training for your first licence, you need the first-time 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 your training or the exam, and it does not apply for your licence. You take the course and the assessments with a training centre, and you apply to the SIA yourself.
Five sample questions from the bank
Copied word for word from the 96 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
Unit 1, topic 1: Searching
Which of these is search equipment listed in the unit content?
Show the answer
Answer C. An archway metal detector
Listed equipment includes handheld and archway metal detectors, x-ray scanning of baggage, search mirrors, gloves, a torch and search dogs trained for specific threats.
Relies on: Refresher Unit 1 AC 1.3 (SIA-required unit content, Pearson BTEC security officer refresher specification, Issue 2, Nov 2025).
Sample question 2
Unit 1, topic 2: Keeping vulnerable people safe
Which approach helps to prevent anti-social behaviour in and around a venue?
Show the answer
Answer A. Visible, high-profile patrols with early intervention and positive, non-aggressive communication
The unit content lists vigilance, high-profile patrols, early intervention, positive communication, prompt reporting and accurate recording, with liaison with the police and other agencies.
Relies on: Refresher Unit 1 AC 2.7 (SIA-required unit content, Pearson BTEC refresher specification, Issue 2, Nov 2025).
Sample question 3
Unit 1, topic 3: Terror threats
What information do the emergency services need when a terror incident is reported?
Show the answer
Answer A. What has happened, who is involved and what they look like, and where and when it happened
Give what you have seen and what has happened, who you saw and what they looked like or wore, where it happened and where you are, and when it happened.
Relies on: Refresher Unit 1 AC 3.3 (SIA-required unit content, Pearson BTEC security officer refresher specification, Issue 2, Nov 2025).
Sample question 4
Unit 1, topic 3: Terror threats
Which UK threat level means an attack is possible but not likely?
Show the answer
Answer A. Moderate
Moderate means an attack is possible but not likely. Low means highly unlikely and substantial means likely.
Relies on: GOV.UK, Terrorism and national emergencies, https://www.gov.uk/terrorism-national-emergency.
Sample question 5
Extra practice, not in the refresher paper: Martyn’s Law and renewal rules
What first aid requirement applies before starting security guard refresher training?
Show the answer
Answer B. A current first aid qualification that stays valid for at least another 12 months
GOV.UK says you must hold an up-to-date Emergency First Aid at Work qualification or equivalent, valid for at least another 12 months, and show it to your training provider.
Relies on: GOV.UK, Check what training you need to get an SIA licence, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-what-training-you-need-to-get-an-sia-licence.
What £9 adds to the free quiz
The free 25-question quiz is free to use and stays free. The kit gives you:
- All 96 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:
- GOV.UK, Check what training you need to get an SIA licence (refresher and first aid requirements)
- GOV.UK, Changes to the training you need for an SIA licence (refresher qualification required for renewal from 1 April 2025)
- Pearson BTEC Level 2 Award for Security Officers in the Private Security Industry (Refresher), specification Issue 2 (Nov 2025): units, assessment criteria and test format used to organise the topics (an awarding body’s published implementation of the SIA requirements)
- Pearson BTEC Level 2 Award for Door Supervisors in the Private Security Industry (Refresher), specification Issue 2 (Nov 2025): the vulnerable people and terror threat outcomes are worded the same in the door supervisor refresher
- Pearson BTEC Level 2 Award for Security Officers in the Private Security Industry, specification Issue 2 (Sept 2023): search procedures (Unit 2 topic 6) that the shared searching questions were first written from
- Pearson BTEC Level 2 Award for Door Supervisors in the Private Security Industry, specification Issue 2 (Sept 2023): the first-time qualification content that the reused questions in this pack were first written from (Unit 1 topics 9 and 10)
- GOV.UK, Teaching SIA licence-linked training courses: awarding organisations for door supervision and security guarding (last updated 20 Aug 2026)
- GOV.UK, SIA consults on changes to security licence qualifications (28 Aug 2026): consultation closed 23 Oct 2026, new qualifications planned for later in 2027
- SIA, Get Training: requirements for awarding organisations and training centres delivering SIA licence to practise qualifications (first published Feb 2021, updated Apr 2022)
- SIA, Knowledge and Skills Specification: Security Guarding (Feb 2021)
- Equality Act 2010, section 4
- Department for Education, Child sexual exploitation: definition and a guide for practitioners (Feb 2017)
- Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 67A
- Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn’s Law), sections 2 and 37
- Home Office, Martyn’s Law overarching factsheet (GOV.UK, updated 24 July 2026)
- GOV.UK, Terrorism and national emergencies: threat levels
- NaCTSO, Unattended and suspicious items (GOV.UK, withdrawn 30 May 2022; current guidance is on ProtectUK)
- ProtectUK, HOT protocol
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
- SIA security guard refresher practice quiz: 25 free questions Exam practice
- SIA door supervisor refresher practice quiz: 25 free questions Exam practice
- SIA security officer practice questions: 25 free exam questions with answers Exam practice
- How to get an SIA licence: cost, training and how long it takes SIA licensing
Get the SIA Security Guard 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.
Renewing as both a security guard and a door supervisor? Both refresher banks together are £14. Training for a first licence? See the first-time security officer question bank.
Both refresher banks, £14
SIA Door Supervisor Refresher Question Bank and SIA Security Guard Refresher Question Bank together, as one purchase: all six files, £4 less than buying them one by one (£18). Same files, same instant download.