Security Officer Mock Test

This free practice test was written by the ESO Training NW trainers' team to give you a taste of what you will cover before you book, and to help you prepare for and check your progress during the Level 2 Award for Security Officers in the Private Security Industry (the SIA licence-linked qualification for security guarding). Our SIA licence-linked qualifications are awarded by Laser Trident (Laser Learning Awards), an Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation. It is not the real exam, and the questions are not taken from any awarding organisation's exam papers. They are based on the SIA's published learning outcomes and general UK law and good practice (England and Wales). Your real exams are set by your awarding organisation, and your trainer will tell you what to expect. All questions are reviewed by ESO's trainers.

Written for England and Wales. Some laws differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Last reviewed: 26 September 2026.

Principles of Working in the Private Security Industry

1. Which organisation regulates the private security industry in the UK?

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) The local police force The Health and Safety Executive The local council licensing team

The SIA was set up under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to license individuals and run the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme. Local councils license premises, not security staff.

2. What is the main difference between criminal law and civil law?

Criminal law only applies at night-time venues Criminal law deals with offences against the state and can lead to punishment; civil law settles disputes between people or organisations, usually through compensation Civil law cases are always heard in the Crown Court There is no real difference; the terms mean the same thing

Criminal cases are usually brought by the state (for example, the Crown Prosecution Service) and can end in fines or prison. Civil cases are between private parties and usually result in damages or an injunction.

3. In England and Wales, a member of the public (including a security operative) can generally make a citizen's arrest for which type of offence?

Any breach of the venue's house rules Parking offences near the venue Indictable offences, such as theft or serious assault Any behaviour that is rude or offensive

Section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 gives a limited power of arrest for indictable offences, and only when certain conditions apply. In Scotland the rules are different and come from common law.

4. You have made a citizen's arrest. What should you do next?

Search the person's home address Let them go once they apologise Hold them in a back room until the end of your shift Make sure the police are called and hand the person over to them as soon as possible, keeping them safe in the meantime

A citizen's arrest is only a short-term measure. The person should be passed to the police as soon as possible. You stay responsible for their welfare until then, and you must record what happened.

5. When is it lawful for a security operative to use force?

Only when the force is reasonable and necessary in the circumstances Whenever a customer is disrespectful Whenever a manager tells them to Never, under any circumstances

The law allows reasonable force in certain situations, for example self-defence, preventing a crime or making a lawful arrest. The force must be necessary and proportionate. Using too much force can be a criminal offence.

6. Which three elements must be present for a fire to start and keep burning?

Smoke, flames and heat Heat, fuel and oxygen Fuel, water and air Oxygen, carbon dioxide and heat

This is the 'fire triangle'. Take away any one of the three elements and the fire goes out, which is how fire extinguishers and fire prevention work.

7. Which type of fire extinguisher is generally the most suitable for a fire involving electrical equipment?

Water (red label) Foam (cream label) Carbon dioxide (black label) Wet chemical (yellow label)

CO2 extinguishers are designed for electrical fires because CO2 doesn't conduct electricity. Water should never be used on live electrical equipment. Only tackle a fire if you are trained and it is safe to do so.

8. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, what is one legal duty of employees?

To write the company's health and safety policy To pay for their own personal protective equipment To carry out the fire risk assessment for the building To take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others affected by their work

Employers have the main duties, but employees must also take reasonable care and co-operate with their employer on health and safety.

9. What does RIDDOR relate to?

Reporting certain serious workplace injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences Rules for searching customers Recording the number of people inside a venue Refusing entry to intoxicated customers

RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. Certain incidents must be reported to the enforcing authority. Follow your employer's accident reporting procedure.

10. What is the highest level in the UK national terrorism threat level system?

Severe Critical Substantial High

There are five levels: low, moderate, substantial, severe and critical. Critical means an attack is highly likely in the near future.

11. You find an unattended bag. The 'HOT' principles help you decide whether it could be suspicious. What does HOT stand for?

Hazardous, Official, Tagged Heavy, Open, Taped Hidden, Obviously suspicious, Typical Handle, Observe, Take away

Ask: has it been deliberately Hidden? Is it Obviously suspicious? Is it Typical of what you'd expect to find in that place? If it isn't typical, or it looks suspicious, follow your emergency procedure.

12. Which of these is NOT part of the '4 Cs' approach to a suspicious item?

Confirm Clear Control Collect

The 4 Cs are Confirm, Clear, Communicate and Control. You should never touch, move or 'collect' a suspicious item.

13. Late in the evening you notice a young woman on her own outside the venue. She is very drunk, upset and has lost her friends. What is the best course of action?

Treat her as potentially vulnerable: keep her somewhere safe, help her contact friends or family or arrange safe transport, and get help if needed Tell her to move away from the entrance Leave her alone because she is not inside the premises Let a stranger who offers to walk her home take her

Security operatives have a duty of care to vulnerable people. Being drunk, alone and distressed can make someone a target. Use schemes such as Ask for Angela or local welfare services where they exist, and record what you did.

14. A friend asks you to send them CCTV footage from your workplace of an argument they were involved in. What should you do?

Send it from your phone, as they were involved Refuse, and direct them to your employer's formal process for requesting personal data Post it online so everyone can see what happened Delete the footage to avoid problems

CCTV images of identifiable people are personal data under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Only authorised people should release footage, through the proper process. Deleting evidence is also wrong.

15. Which of the following makes a good incident record or notebook entry?

Written several days later, from memory Including your personal opinions about the people involved Written as soon as practicable, clear, accurate and based on facts: what you saw, heard and did Written in pencil so it can be corrected later

Records may be used as evidence, including in court. Write them promptly and factually, in ink, without gaps or rubbing out. Sign and date any corrections.

16. Under the Equality Act 2010, which of these is NOT a protected characteristic?

Religion or belief Disability Sexual orientation The football team someone supports

There are nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Security staff must not discriminate on these grounds.

Principles of Working as a Security Officer in the Private Security Industry

17. How does a control room usually support security officers working on site?

It replaces the need for officers to patrol It monitors alarms and CCTV, logs check calls and incidents, and co-ordinates help or the emergency services when needed It handles the officers' pay and holiday requests It only operates during office hours

A control room gives officers back-up. It keeps an overview of the site, records what happens, checks on lone workers and can send help quickly. It supports patrols; it doesn't replace them.

18. What is the main purpose of access and egress control?

To make visitors feel unwelcome To count how many staff arrive late To make sure only authorised people, vehicles and property enter or leave the site, protecting people and assets To stop anyone from leaving the building in an emergency

Access (entry) and egress (exit) control keeps out people who shouldn't be there and helps stop property leaving without authority. Exits must never be blocked in a way that stops people getting out safely in an emergency.

19. A person without a pass walks through a secure door straight behind a member of staff before it closes. What is this method of gaining unauthorised access called?

Queue jumping Check calling Signing in Tailgating

Tailgating is one of the most common ways people get into places they shouldn't. Others include using a borrowed or fake pass, pretending to be a contractor or delivery driver, and using a confident manner to talk their way in. Challenge politely and follow your site procedure.

20. Someone arrives at reception saying they are an inspector from a statutory agency, such as the Health and Safety Executive, and asks to come in. What should you do?

Check their official identification, confirm it through the proper channels if you have any doubt, follow your assignment instructions, inform the client or manager, and record the visit Refuse entry to anyone who is not an employee Let them in without checking, because officials never need to show ID Ask them to come back when the site manager is on holiday

Some statutory agencies (for example the police, fire and rescue service and HSE inspectors) have legal powers of entry in certain situations, so you should not obstruct them. Still check their ID carefully, because people sometimes pretend to be officials. If you need to confirm it, use a phone number you have found yourself, not one they give you.

21. On a night shift, an intruder alarm goes off in an empty part of the building. What is the best response?

Reset the alarm straight away and carry on with your shift Assume it's a false alarm because the area is empty Follow your assignment instructions: inform the control room, identify the zone on the alarm panel, and only investigate if it is safe to do so, with back-up or the police if needed Go and investigate on your own without telling anyone

Treat every activation as genuine until you know otherwise. Your assignment instructions will explain how to respond to different alarms (for example intruder, fire, panic or technical faults). Record the activation, what you found and what you did.

22. Which of these is an example of a PHYSICAL protection measure, rather than an electronic one?

An intruder alarm Perimeter fencing, locks and gates CCTV cameras A card-reader access control system

Physical measures include fences, walls, gates, locks, bollards, barriers and secure doors. Electronic systems include CCTV, intruder alarms and electronic access control. They work best together, and security officers are often responsible for checking both are working.

23. You are working alone, patrolling a large site at night. Which of these does MOST to protect your personal safety?

Following the lone working procedure, including making check calls to the control room at the agreed times so that help is sent if you miss one Turning your radio off so it doesn't give away your position Only telling a friend where you are working Taking the same route every night so you know it well

Check calls confirm that you are safe. If a call is missed, the control room follows an agreed escalation procedure, such as trying to contact you, sending a colleague or calling the police. Always keep your communication equipment charged and working.

24. What is one of the main purposes of a security officer wearing a body-worn camera (BWC)?

To record staff conversations during breaks To replace the need for written incident reports To film members of the public and share the footage online To help discourage aggressive behaviour and provide an accurate record of incidents that can be used as evidence

People often calm down when they are told they are being recorded. The footage can support your written report but does not replace it. BWC footage is personal data, so it must be used, stored and shared in line with data protection law and your employer's policy.

25. While patrolling a shopping centre, which of these could be a sign of drug dealing?

A group of people waiting at a bus stop A shopper asking where the toilets are The same person making lots of short meetings with different people in a quiet area, with small items or cash quickly changing hands A delivery driver unloading stock at the loading bay

Other signs can include people hanging around with no clear reason, frequent phone use followed by brief meetings, and lookouts. Don't confront suspected dealers on your own. Observe, note descriptions and times, report through the proper channels and follow your site policy.

26. You find a used hypodermic needle on the floor of a stairwell during your patrol. What should you do?

Pick it up carefully with your fingers and put it in a general waste bin Keep people away from it and follow site procedure: only handle it with the correct equipment, such as puncture-resistant gloves and tongs, put it in an approved sharps container, and record it Put the cap back on the needle before throwing it away Kick it into the corner so nobody treads on it

Needle-stick injuries can spread infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Never recap a needle or handle it with bare hands. If you don't have the right equipment or training, guard the area and report it so that it can be removed safely. If you are injured, get medical advice straight away.

27. Staff at a warehouse agree to random exit searches as part of their conditions of employment. A worker refuses to be searched when leaving. What should you do?

Stay calm, explain the policy, do not force the search, and record and report the refusal in line with your assignment instructions Search them anyway, because it's in their contract Lock the gates so they can't leave until they agree Take their bag from them and search it yourself

Security officers have no general legal power to search people. Searches are carried out with consent, for example as a condition of entry or employment. Searching someone without consent could be an assault, and stopping them leaving could be unlawful detention. The employer decides what happens next.

28. Why should security patrols avoid always following the same route at the same times?

Because patrol routes must be changed by law every week Because it uses more fuel Because the client won't pay for repeated routes Because a predictable pattern can be watched and used by criminals to avoid being seen

Varying the route and timing (sometimes called random or irregular patrols) makes it harder for criminals to plan around you. Make sure you still cover all the areas and checkpoints set out in your assignment instructions.

29. On a night patrol you find a forced door and hear movement inside the building. What should you do?

Go inside on your own to catch the intruders Shout a warning and then go home Don't go in alone: move to a safe position, contact the control room and the police, observe and note what you see, and protect the scene until the police arrive Close the door and carry on your patrol

Your personal safety comes first, and an intruder could be armed. By calling the police and keeping watch from a safe place you can give useful information, such as descriptions and vehicle details. Don't touch the damaged door or anything else that could be evidence.

30. Using the phonetic alphabet, how would you say the vehicle registration letters 'KD' over the radio?

Kilo Delta King David Kilo Dog Kite Delta

The NATO phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and so on) helps avoid mistakes when radio signals are poor or letters sound similar. Keep radio messages short and clear, and follow the correct call-sign procedure.

31. After hours you find someone on a closed site who has no right to be there. They are not causing damage or committing any other offence. In England and Wales, what is the general position?

Trespass is always an indictable offence, so you should arrest them Trespass on its own is usually a civil matter, so ask them to leave and show them the way out, record it, and call the police if an offence is committed or you feel at risk You must let them stay until the morning You should take their photo and post it on social media

Simple trespass is generally a civil wrong, not a crime, so a citizen's arrest would not normally be lawful. There are exceptions, such as aggravated trespass, trespass on certain protected sites, or causing damage (criminal damage). Follow your assignment instructions and stay safe.

Application of Conflict Management in the Private Security Industry

32. Which of these is a common cause of conflict for a security officer working on access control?

Saying good morning to staff Refusing entry to someone who has forgotten their pass or isn't on the visitor list Helping a visitor find the lifts Handing out visitor passes to people who are expected

Enforcing rules, such as refusing entry or checking ID, is one of the most common triggers of conflict. Others include long waits, feeling unfairly treated and misunderstandings. Explaining the reason politely and offering a solution helps prevent problems.

33. Why should you know your employer's and the site's policies on workplace violence before you start work there?

So that you know what you can and can't do, how to get help, and how incidents must be reported It isn't necessary, because every site is the same So that you can decide which rules to ignore Only because the client might test you on them

Policies and assignment instructions explain things like how to call for back-up, when to call the police, lone working arrangements, and how to report and record incidents. Knowing them in advance helps you act quickly and safely.

34. You need to speak to an angry contractor in a small site office. Where is the best place to position yourself?

Between the contractor and the only door, so that they can't leave As close to them as possible, so they can hear you clearly At a safe distance, where both of you have a clear exit route and you are not blocking the door Behind them, where they can't see you

Keeping a clear way out for yourself means you can leave if things get worse. Giving the other person space and an exit route also stops them feeling trapped, which could make them more aggressive.

35. A visitor keeps swearing at reception staff. Which response is ASSERTIVE rather than aggressive or passive?

Shouting back so that they know who is in charge Ignoring it and hoping they stop Threatening to throw them out straight away Calmly and firmly saying the language is not acceptable, explaining what will happen if it continues, and offering to help sort out the problem

Being assertive means being clear and firm while staying calm and respectful. It sets boundaries without attacking the person. Aggression tends to make the conflict worse, and being passive can let the unacceptable behaviour carry on.

36. A visitor who is Deaf is getting frustrated at the security barrier because they can't follow your instructions. What is the best way to overcome this communication barrier?

Speak louder and faster Face them, speak clearly, and use gestures, written notes or other aids, being patient and giving them time Ask them to come back with someone who can hear Refuse them entry because they can't communicate

Barriers to communication can include hearing loss, language differences, noise, stress, alcohol or drugs, and learning disabilities. Adapting how you communicate helps avoid conflict and meets your duties under the Equality Act 2010. Many people who are Deaf lip-read, so face them and don't cover your mouth.

37. A delivery driver arrives at the gate without a booking and demands to be let in. Which response is most likely to lead to a 'win-win' outcome?

Explain calmly why you can't let them in yet, and offer to contact the goods-in team to check or arrange a slot while they wait somewhere safe Let them in to avoid an argument Tell them to leave and not come back Ignore them until they drive away

Problem solving looks for an outcome that works for both sides: the site's security rules are kept, and the driver gets a way forward. Showing that you're trying to help builds trust and lowers tension.

38. During a heated conversation, the person you're dealing with reacts badly to you personally. How can a colleague help?

By joining in and backing you up loudly By filming the argument on their phone By taking over the conversation, if it's safe, because a fresh face can sometimes calm things down By leaving the area so there are fewer people around

Working as a team is an important de-escalation skill. A colleague can take over, provide back-up, call for help or keep watch for other risks. Agree simple signals with colleagues in advance so that you can hand over smoothly.

39. Which of these best describes passive-aggressive behaviour?

Openly shouting and threatening someone Stating your needs clearly and calmly Staying quiet and going along with everything Showing hostility in indirect ways, such as sarcasm, sulking or deliberately being unhelpful

Recognising different behaviour types (passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive and assertive) helps you choose how to respond. Passive-aggressive behaviour can build up into open conflict, so address it calmly and assertively.

40. You work in a control room. A caller is shouting and being abusive about a delay in getting a response. What is the best approach?

Stay calm, let them speak, acknowledge their frustration, explain what you can do, and follow your policy if the abuse continues, such as giving a warning, ending the call and logging it Hang up immediately without saying anything Shout back so that they stop Put the phone down on the desk and let them carry on

On the phone, the other person can't see your body language, so your tone of voice and choice of words matter even more. Speaking calmly, using their name and summarising what they've said all help to lower the tension.

41. While patrolling a car park, you challenge someone who then pulls out a knife. What should you do?

Try to take the knife from them Put your safety first: create distance, get to a safe place if you can, call the police on 999 and inform the control room, and note a description Turn your back and carry on talking Keep challenging them so they know you are not scared

This is a high-risk situation. Security officers are not expected to tackle armed people. Your priorities are to keep yourself and others safe, get help and gather information for the police. Know the limits of your responsibility and follow your employer's procedures.

41 questions. Answer them, then press “Mark my test”.

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