BIIAB Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders (APLH) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What are the four licensable activities covered by the Licensing Act 2003?

The sale of alcohol by retail, the supply of alcohol in clubs, regulated entertainment, and the provision of late night refreshment (Correct answer)
Operating a bar, hosting events, selling tickets, and providing entertainment
Selling tobacco, gambling, serving food, and selling alcohol
Selling alcohol, operating a nightclub, playing live music, and serving food

Correct answer: The sale of alcohol by retail, the supply of alcohol in clubs, regulated entertainment, and the provision of late night refreshment

The four licensable activities under the 2003 Act are: sale of alcohol by retail, supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club, provision of regulated entertainment, and provision of late night refreshment (hot food/drink 11pm–5am).

Question 2: What is the legal obligation on a licensee if they believe a fight is about to break out in their premises?

Take immediate steps to prevent disorder, including instructing security or calling the police, to fulfil their duty to promote the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety objectives (Correct answer)
Only the police are responsible for preventing disorder — the licensee has no obligation
Call the licensing authority for guidance before acting
Wait for the fight to start before intervening

Correct answer: Take immediate steps to prevent disorder, including instructing security or calling the police, to fulfil their duty to promote the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety objectives

Licensees have a duty to manage their premises responsibly — anticipating and preventing disorder is part of promoting the licensing objectives, and failure to act can be used as evidence of irresponsible management at a review.

Question 3: What is a 'violence reduction zone' condition that may be imposed on a premises licence?

A condition (often including plastic glass requirements, search policies, or CCTV) designed to reduce the risk of violence at or near the premises (Correct answer)
A condition requiring all staff to complete a violence awareness course
A condition requiring the premises to close by midnight in high-violence areas
A condition prohibiting the sale of alcohol in glass containers

Correct answer: A condition (often including plastic glass requirements, search policies, or CCTV) designed to reduce the risk of violence at or near the premises

Licensing authorities can impose conditions tailored to violence reduction — these may include polycarbonate containers to prevent glass weapons, SIA door supervision, search policies, or CCTV requirements.

Question 4: Which of the following is a licensable activity requiring authorisation under the Licensing Act 2003?

Serving coffee during daytime hours
Providing outdoor seating for customers
The retail sale of alcohol (Correct answer)
Providing live music between 8am and 11pm

Correct answer: The retail sale of alcohol

The retail sale of alcohol is one of the four licensable activities defined under the Licensing Act 2003 and requires authorisation through a premises licence or other permission.

Question 5: What happens to a premises licence for alcohol if there is no DPS named on it?

The premises may not sell alcohol until a new DPS has been nominated and the premises licence has been varied accordingly (Correct answer)
The licence continues to operate normally without a DPS for up to 6 months
The premises may continue to sell alcohol if a personal licence holder is present
The licence is automatically revoked after 28 days without a DPS

Correct answer: The premises may not sell alcohol until a new DPS has been nominated and the premises licence has been varied accordingly

A premises licence authorising the sale of alcohol must always name a DPS — without one, the sale of alcohol is not authorised, and the licence cannot be used for alcohol sales until a new DPS is nominated.

Question 6: What is the 'mandatory code' relating to irresponsible drinks promotions?

A national advertising standard applied by the ASA
A condition attached only to nightclub premises licences
The Licensing Act (Mandatory Conditions) Order 2010, which prohibits irresponsible promotions including activities that encourage rapid or excessive alcohol consumption (Correct answer)
A voluntary code of practice issued by the British Beer and Pub Association

Correct answer: The Licensing Act (Mandatory Conditions) Order 2010, which prohibits irresponsible promotions including activities that encourage rapid or excessive alcohol consumption

The Mandatory Conditions Order 2010 prohibits irresponsible promotions — deals that reward speed of consumption, games that require drinking forfeits, or promotions linked to downing drinks are all prohibited.

Question 7: What is the annual premises licence fee used for under the Licensing Act 2003?

It is deposited in a central government fund for public health
It is paid to the police to fund licensing enforcement
It pays for compulsory training for DPS holders
It is paid to the licensing authority to fund the costs of administering and enforcing the licensing regime (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It is paid to the licensing authority to fund the costs of administering and enforcing the licensing regime

The annual fee (set by the Secretary of State on a tiered basis by rateable value) is retained by the licensing authority to fund its licensing administration and enforcement functions.

Question 8: When submitting a premises licence application, who must the applicant give notice to?

Only the environmental health department
Only the fire and rescue service
All relevant responsible authorities (Correct answer)
Only the local police force

Correct answer: All relevant responsible authorities

The applicant must give notice of the application to all relevant responsible authorities, which include the police, fire service, environmental health, trading standards, and other specified bodies.

Question 9: A Licensing Authority receives an application for a new personal licence. The applicant meets all the criteria, including holding the APLH qualification and having no relevant convictions. However, the authority believes there are already too many licence holders in the area. On what grounds can they refuse the application?

On the advice of local businesses who feel there is too much competition.
They cannot refuse the application if no objection is made by the police. (Correct answer)
On the grounds of 'cumulative impact'.
On the grounds that there are sufficient licence holders already.

Correct answer: They cannot refuse the application if no objection is made by the police.

For a personal licence application, if the applicant meets the statutory criteria (age, qualification, no unspent relevant convictions, right to work), the Licensing Authority MUST grant the licence unless the Chief Officer of Police objects within 14 days on the grounds that granting it would undermine the crime prevention objective. 'Cumulative impact' applies to premises licences, not personal licences.

Question 10: What is 'cumulative impact' in licensing policy?

The cumulative effect of a high concentration of licensed premises in an area creating serious problems of crime, disorder, or nuisance beyond what individual premises assessments would reveal (Correct answer)
The financial impact of multiple licence applications on the licensing authority's resources
The environmental impact of waste produced by licensed venues
The combined impact of all alcohol units consumed per week by a regular customer

Correct answer: The cumulative effect of a high concentration of licensed premises in an area creating serious problems of crime, disorder, or nuisance beyond what individual premises assessments would reveal

Cumulative impact policies recognise that even well-run individual premises can, in combination, create problems — a Special Policy (formerly Cumulative Impact Policy) allows the authority to apply a rebuttable presumption against new licences in a hotspot area.

Question 11: What is a 'mandatory condition' relating to age verification that must appear on all premises licences that authorise the sale of alcohol?

A mandatory condition requiring CCTV at the point of sale
Challenge 21 is a mandatory licence condition
A mandatory condition requiring the premises to operate an age verification policy (Challenge 25 or equivalent) under which persons appearing under 25 are asked for proof of age (Correct answer)
A mandatory condition requiring all staff to complete underage sales training annually

Correct answer: A mandatory condition requiring the premises to operate an age verification policy (Challenge 25 or equivalent) under which persons appearing under 25 are asked for proof of age

The Licensing Act (Mandatory Conditions) Order 2010 introduced mandatory conditions, including a requirement that premises operate an age verification policy as a condition of their licence to sell alcohol.

Question 12: What are 'embedded conditions' in the context of a premises licence?

Conditions carried over automatically from previous legislation when the Licensing Act 2003 came into force (Correct answer)
Conditions specifically requested by responsible authorities during the application
Conditions relating to the physical structure of the premises
Mandatory conditions set by the Secretary of State that apply to all licences

Correct answer: Conditions carried over automatically from previous legislation when the Licensing Act 2003 came into force

Embedded conditions are those that were automatically carried over from previous licensing legislation and built into premises licences when the Licensing Act 2003 replaced the old system in November 2005.

Question 13: When a personal licence holder is convicted of a relevant offence, what can the court do?

Nothing — the court has no power over licensing matters
The court can only issue a formal warning to the licence holder
The court may order forfeiture or suspension of the personal licence as part of the sentence (Correct answer)
Only the licensing authority can sanction the personal licence holder

Correct answer: The court may order forfeiture or suspension of the personal licence as part of the sentence

Under s.129 Licensing Act 2003, a court convicting a personal licence holder of a relevant offence may order forfeiture or suspension of the licence, in addition to any other sentence imposed.

Question 14: Which of the following is a fundamental component of a new premises licence application that details how the applicant will uphold the four licensing objectives?

The DPS (Designated Premises Supervisor) consent form
The statement of licensing policy
The operating schedule (Correct answer)
The community impact assessment

Correct answer: The operating schedule

The operating schedule is a mandatory part of the application for a premises licence. It must detail the licensable activities, operating hours, and, crucially, the steps the applicant will take to promote the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

Question 15: What is the maximum duration that a single Temporary Event Notice can cover?

24 hours
168 hours (7 days) (Correct answer)
336 hours (14 days)
72 hours

Correct answer: 168 hours (7 days)

A single Temporary Event Notice can cover a continuous period of no more than 168 hours, which is equivalent to 7 days.

Question 16: What is the purpose of a 'log book' or 'incident register' at a licensed premises?

To record the personal licence holder's hours worked
To record incidents of disorder, refusals of service, and other significant events, providing evidence for the licensing authority and management to identify patterns and improve risk management (Correct answer)
To comply with a mandatory condition imposed on all premises by the 2003 Act
To record all stock deliveries from suppliers

Correct answer: To record incidents of disorder, refusals of service, and other significant events, providing evidence for the licensing authority and management to identify patterns and improve risk management

An incident register documents events that occur on the premises — it demonstrates a responsible management culture, helps identify recurring problems, and provides a contemporaneous record if a licence review is triggered.

Question 17: A licensed premises operates a 'Challenge 25' policy. Which statement best describes the legal principle behind adopting this policy?

It is a mandatory condition on all premises licences issued after 2014.
It legally prohibits anyone who looks under 25 from buying alcohol, even if they are over 18 without ID.
It grants staff the legal authority to confiscate fraudulent identification.
It helps the business establish a 'due diligence' defence against a charge of selling alcohol to a person under 18. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It helps the business establish a 'due diligence' defence against a charge of selling alcohol to a person under 18.

While having an age verification policy is mandatory, the specific use of 'Challenge 25' is a voluntary, best-practice scheme. Its primary benefit is that it provides strong evidence that the business has taken all reasonable steps to prevent underage sales, thereby supporting a 'due diligence' defence if an illegal sale accidentally occurs.

Question 18: What is the significance of the DPS being 'responsible for the day-to-day management' of the premises?

It requires the DPS to be present for all alcohol deliveries
It means the DPS is responsible for financial management of the premises
It means the DPS is the personal licence holder who accepts accountability for ensuring the licensing conditions are followed in practice and the licensing objectives are promoted (Correct answer)
It means the DPS must be the premises' general manager

Correct answer: It means the DPS is the personal licence holder who accepts accountability for ensuring the licensing conditions are followed in practice and the licensing objectives are promoted

Day-to-day management responsibility means the DPS is accountable for the culture, systems, and practices that determine whether the licensing objectives are being promoted — it is a responsibility of substance, not just title.

Question 19: How many days' notice is required before a Temporary Event Notice may take effect?

24 hours
10 working days (Correct answer)
3 working days
28 days

Correct answer: 10 working days

A standard TEN must be submitted to the licensing authority and copied to the police and environmental health at least 10 working days before the event — a late TEN can be submitted with as little as 5 working days' notice.

Question 20: What is the relationship between 'drunk and disorderly' behaviour and the licensing objectives?

It is unrelated to licensing — it is solely a police matter
It only becomes a licensing concern if physical violence occurs on the premises
It engages only the prevention of public nuisance objective
Premises that permit or contribute to drunk and disorderly behaviour are failing the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety licensing objectives, which can trigger a licence review (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Premises that permit or contribute to drunk and disorderly behaviour are failing the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety licensing objectives, which can trigger a licence review

Drunk and disorderly behaviour linked to a premises engages both the crime and disorder objective (disorder is crime-adjacent) and potentially public safety — the premises licence can be reviewed if the operator fails to prevent this.

Question 21: A premises licence condition requires a door supervisor SIA badge to be recorded in a door register. This condition primarily promotes which objective?

Public safety
Prevention of crime and disorder, by ensuring only licensed and accountable security personnel operate at the venue (Correct answer)
Protection of children from harm
Prevention of public nuisance

Correct answer: Prevention of crime and disorder, by ensuring only licensed and accountable security personnel operate at the venue

Recording door supervisor SIA badges creates accountability — it deters unregistered security operatives and provides an audit trail for investigating incidents of crime or disorder at the venue.

Question 22: Which staff practice is essential to prevent disorder in a licensed premises?

Monitoring customers' alcohol consumption, refusing service to those who are becoming intoxicated, and maintaining a safe environment with adequate security (Correct answer)
Playing loud music to mask noise from intoxicated customers
Serving alcohol as quickly as possible to reduce waiting time frustration
Allowing customers to bring their own alcohol if the premises are at capacity

Correct answer: Monitoring customers' alcohol consumption, refusing service to those who are becoming intoxicated, and maintaining a safe environment with adequate security

Responsible alcohol service — monitoring consumption, refusing service to those who appear drunk, and maintaining order — is fundamental to promoting the prevention of crime and disorder licensing objective.

Question 23: Which legislation governs the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales?

The Health Act 2009
The Sale of Goods Act 1979
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
The Licensing Act 2003 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The Licensing Act 2003

The Licensing Act 2003 is the primary legislation that regulates the sale and supply of alcohol, regulated entertainment, and the provision of late night refreshment in England and Wales.

Question 24: What is the Licensing Act 2003's approach to premises used for regulated entertainment that was previously exempt (e.g., small live music venues)?

The Live Music Act 2012 and Deregulation Act 2015 deregulated live and recorded music in licensed premises between certain hours, removing the need for additional entertainment authorisation in many cases (Correct answer)
All entertainment venues require a premises licence regardless of size
Live entertainment is now entirely unregulated
Only venues with more than 500 seats require entertainment authorisation

Correct answer: The Live Music Act 2012 and Deregulation Act 2015 deregulated live and recorded music in licensed premises between certain hours, removing the need for additional entertainment authorisation in many cases

Amendments through the Live Music Act 2012 and Deregulation Act 2015 mean that live and recorded music in premises licensed for alcohol is no longer separately regulated as entertainment between 8am and 11pm for audiences up to 500.

Question 25: What does the term 'staggered closing times' mean and why might a licensing authority favour it?

A requirement imposed on venues to close at different times on weekdays versus weekends
Different opening times for different types of licensed venues
A policy of encouraging licensed premises to have varying closing times rather than all closing simultaneously, so as to reduce the sudden release of large numbers of intoxicated people at the same time (Correct answer)
Closing times that vary according to the level of disorder on any given night

Correct answer: A policy of encouraging licensed premises to have varying closing times rather than all closing simultaneously, so as to reduce the sudden release of large numbers of intoxicated people at the same time

Staggered closing times prevent the 'vertical drinking' mass-exit problem where thousands of intoxicated people are simultaneously ejected from all venues — spreading the flow of departing customers reduces disorder and transport pressure.

Question 26: What happens if a licensing authority grants a premises licence with no representations from responsible authorities or interested parties?

The licence must still be considered at a full hearing
The licensing authority must grant the licence in the terms set out in the operating schedule, and may only add conditions that are consistent with the operating schedule (Correct answer)
The licence is granted subject to a 3-month probationary period
The licensing authority may refuse the application without explanation

Correct answer: The licensing authority must grant the licence in the terms set out in the operating schedule, and may only add conditions that are consistent with the operating schedule

If there are no representations, the authority must grant the licence and may only attach conditions that are consistent with the operating schedule — it cannot impose additional conditions unilaterally when there are no objections.

Question 27: What is the 'designated public place' regime and how does it affect licensed premises?

It allows local authorities to designate public places where police can confiscate and require people to stop drinking alcohol in public, targeting street drinking near licensed premises (Correct answer)
It requires all licensed premises to provide outdoor seating areas
It designates premises for priority policing resources
It gives local authorities power to revoke licences in disorder hotspots

Correct answer: It allows local authorities to designate public places where police can confiscate and require people to stop drinking alcohol in public, targeting street drinking near licensed premises

Designated public place orders (DPPOs, now Public Spaces Protection Orders) allow police to confiscate open containers and direct people not to drink in specified public areas, helping to manage disorder near licensed premises.

Question 28: Which licensing objective is engaged when a late-night venue's music causes residents to complain about excessive noise?

Prevention of crime and disorder
Protection of children from harm
Prevention of public nuisance (Correct answer)
Public safety

Correct answer: Prevention of public nuisance

Noise, smells, light pollution, and queuing behaviour that disturbs residents all engage the prevention of public nuisance objective — licensing conditions can be attached to address these impacts.

Question 29: A community group organises a ticketed event in a village hall, selling wine and beer to raise funds. They do not hold a premises licence and have not obtained a Temporary Event Notice (TEN). What is the potential maximum penalty for this offence?

An unlimited fine and/or up to 6 months imprisonment. (Correct answer)
A fixed penalty notice of £1,000.
A written warning from the Licensing Authority and a requirement to apply for a TEN retrospectively.
A fine of up to £5,000 and a ban on future events for one year.

Correct answer: An unlimited fine and/or up to 6 months imprisonment.

Under Section 136 of the Licensing Act 2003, carrying on a licensable activity (such as the sale of alcohol) without an appropriate authorisation is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty is an unlimited fine, up to 6 months in prison, or both.

Question 30: What is the Licensing Act 2003's provision for dealing with premises where 'after the event' evidence shows disorder linked to alcohol?

The police must obtain a court injunction to address the problem
A responsible authority or interested party can apply to the licensing authority for a review of the premises licence at any time, citing the disorder evidence (Correct answer)
Only the DPS can initiate remedial action following disorder
The licensing authority conducts automatic annual reviews of all premises with disorder incidents

Correct answer: A responsible authority or interested party can apply to the licensing authority for a review of the premises licence at any time, citing the disorder evidence

The review mechanism allows any responsible authority or interested party to bring a premises back before the licensing authority when there is evidence of disorder — the authority can then modify or revoke the licence.

BIIAB Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders (APLH)

The APLH is the mandatory qualification required to apply for a personal licence to sell or authorise the sale of alcohol in England and Wales. It tests knowledge of the Licensing Act 2003, licensing objectives, and the responsibilities of personal licence holders and designated premises supervisors.

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35 min

Time Limit

70%

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