PASMA Practice Test

PASMA Exam at a Glance

What changed for PASMA in 2026

• Oct 26, 2026: Passing score (Towers for Users) changed to 80% (previously 80% (multiple-choice theory assessment)).^[1]
• Oct 26, 2026: Passing score (Towers for Managers) changed to 80% (previously 80% (open book, written answers + multiple choice)).^[2]
• Oct 26, 2026: Time limit (Towers for Users) changed to 1 day (previously 1-day course (theory + practical)).^[1]

What the PASMA is and how it works

According to Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers' Association, “Theory assessment Open book Written answers and multiple choice 80% pass mark”^[2]

PASMA is the trade association for prefabricated access suppliers and manufacturers. Its training leads to a qualification in using mobile access towers, or in managing people who use them. This is a training course with an assessment, not a stand-alone exam you book separately.

Training takes place either at an approved training centre or at your own facility. The theory part of your course may also take place online. The Towers for Users course lasts 1 day, and its qualification length is 5 years, though this may vary regionally.

The Towers for Users theory assessment is multiple choice with an 80% pass mark, and test papers are available in a number of languages. The Towers for Managers assessment is open book, with written answers and multiple choice, and also has an 80% pass mark.

Towers for Users suits anyone who will use towers at home or at work, including people who have never used one. Towers for Managers suits site managers, safety professionals, company directors and anyone who supervises tower operatives. Neither needs prior experience.

Course dates and prices are set by each approved training centre. PASMA does not set prices, so contact your nearest centre. If you fail an assessment you fail the course, and you retake the full course. To renew, take the same course again before the expiry date. Check the official PASMA site for the current rules in your region.

Worked examples: how to reason through PASMA questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: How does rain affect the safety of working on a tower scaffold?

1. Rain has no effect on tower safety
2. Rain creates slip hazards on platforms and ladders, reduces visibility, and can make components slippery and harder to grip
3. Rain improves stability by adding weight
4. Rain only affects wooden towers

Answer: B. Rain creates slip hazards on platforms and ladders, reduces visibility, and can make components slippery and harder to grip

Explanation:

The correct answer is that rain creates slip hazards on platforms and ladders, reduces visibility and makes components slippery and harder to grip. Wet aluminium is slippery underfoot and in the hand, and poor visibility can hide defects during inspection.

The option saying rain has no effect ignores all of this. The option saying rain improves stability by adding weight confuses a little extra water with a safe base; stability depends on the tower's height, base and outriggers, not on rain. The option saying rain only affects wooden towers is wrong because the problem here is wet aluminium and wet hands.

Rule to remember: weather changes the risk, so reassess before and during the work, and stop if conditions make it unsafe.

Example 2

Question: What is the recommended method for assembling a mobile aluminium tower scaffold?

1. Advance guard rail method (AGR)
2. Traditional method from a ladder
3. Freestanding climb method
4. Rope and pulley method

Answer: A. Advance guard rail method (AGR)

Explanation:

The correct answer is the advance guard rail method. With it, the operative builds the tower so that guard rails are already in place before they step onto each new platform level. Protection comes first, then access.

Assembling from a ladder is wrong because the person has no edge protection while working at height. The freestanding climb method is wrong because it has the operative climbing the outside of the structure without protection. The rope and pulley method is not an assembly method at all; ropes may help lift components, but they do not protect the person building.

Rule to remember: choose the method that keeps guard rails between you and the edge at every stage of the build, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for the specific tower.

Example 3

Question: What is the correct internal access method for climbing a tower scaffold?

1. An external ladder leaning against the tower
2. Climbing the diagonal braces on the outside
3. Using the built-in internal ladder frames via the trapdoor hatch
4. Scaling the outside frames hand over hand

Answer: C. Using the built-in internal ladder frames via the trapdoor hatch

Explanation:

The correct answer is to use the built-in internal ladder frames through the trapdoor hatch. You climb inside the tower's footprint, so your weight stays within the base and you pass through a protected opening onto the platform.

An external ladder leaning against the tower is wrong because it can push or pull the tower and does not give a protected route onto the platform. Climbing the diagonal braces is wrong because braces are not designed as steps and the climber is outside the structure. Scaling the outside frames hand over hand is wrong for the same reasons, with a greater fall risk.

Rule to remember: climb only by the designed internal access, and never use the outside of the tower as a way up.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official PASMA page for the course you are taking, so you know whether your assessment is multiple choice or open book. Then work through the practice sets by topic rather than in a random mix.

Begin with Tower Assembly Methods and Tower Inspection Procedures, since those are the tasks you will do first on site. Move on to Stability and Outriggers and Safe Use of Platforms. Finish with Working at Height Regulations, Environmental Considerations and Rescue and Emergency Procedures.

After each set, write down every question you got wrong and the rule behind the right answer. Do not memorise option letters; our questions are practice material written by us, not real assessment questions. Retake a set only after a break, and aim to explain the answers aloud.

In the last days before your course, go over your notes and your course materials, and ask your instructor about anything still unclear. The assessment follows the training, so the course itself is your main preparation.

Sources & last verified

1. Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers' Association — time limit, passing score, validity, eligibility (official source). “Duration: 1 day” Verified Oct 26, 2026.
2. Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers' Association — passing score, eligibility (official source). “Theory assessment Open book Written answers and multiple choice 80% pass mark” Verified Oct 26, 2026.
3. Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers' Association — exam fee, retake policy, renewal, delivery (official source). “That’s up to individual training centres to decide. PASMA doesn’t get involved in setting prices and in fact, as a trade association, we can’t get…” Verified Oct 26, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.