SIA CP Study Guide 2026

Everything you need to pass the SIA CP exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.

SIA CP exam key facts

Training for the Level 3 Certificate required for an SIA Close Protection Licence must include at least 194 delivery hours over a minimum of 18 days. Source
An SIA Close Protection Licence application costs £204 for one licence, and the fee is not refundable. Source
An SIA Close Protection Licence is valid for 3 years. Source

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📚 SIA CP Topics to Study (49)

Vehicle and Motorcade Security · 7 cards Close Protection Principles & Threat Assessment · 6 cards Close Protection Principles & Threat Assessment · 6 cards Close Protection Principles & Threat Assessment · 6 cards Close Protection Principles & Threat Assessment · 6 cards Close Protection Principles & Threat Assessment · 6 cards Close Protection Principles & Threat Assessment · 6 cards Communication and Teamwork · 6 cards Communication and Teamwork · 6 cards Communications & Radio Procedures · 6 cards Communications & Radio Procedures · 6 cards Communications & Radio Procedures · 6 cards Communications & Radio Procedures · 6 cards Communications & Radio Procedures · 6 cards Communications & Radio Procedures · 6 cards Emergency First Aid · 6 cards Emergency First Aid · 6 cards Legal Powers · 6 cards Legal Powers · 6 cards Medical First Aid for Close Protection · 6 cards Medical First Aid for Close Protection · 6 cards Medical First Aid for Close Protection · 6 cards Medical First Aid for Close Protection · 6 cards Medical First Aid for Close Protection · 6 cards Medical First Aid for Close Protection · 6 cards Route Planning · 6 cards Route Planning · 6 cards Surveillance Detection & Counter-Surveillance · 6 cards Surveillance Detection & Counter-Surveillance · 6 cards Surveillance Detection & Counter-Surveillance · 6 cards

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✍️ Sample SIA CP Questions & Answers

1. Why is it important for close protection team members to maintain physical fitness?

✓ Because the role may require sprinting, sustained physical exertion, carrying the principal, or engaging in physical confrontation

CP operatives may need to sprint, physically shield the principal, carry an injured person, engage in physical confrontation, or work long hours under stress. Physical fitness is essential to perform these duties effectively.

2. Why should a CPO avoid using names on an open (unencrypted) radio channel?

✓ Names could identify the principal or team members to hostile parties monitoring the channel

Using names on an open channel reveals the identity of the principal and team members to anyone monitoring the frequency, potentially enabling a hostile party to identify and target them.

3. What is the purpose of 'actions on' drills in close protection?

✓ Pre-planned and rehearsed responses to specific emergency scenarios, ensuring the team reacts quickly and correctly

'Actions on' are pre-planned, rehearsed responses to specific scenarios (e.g., 'actions on' an ambush, 'actions on' a bomb threat). Rehearsing ensures the team responds instinctively under pressure.

4. When conducting a threat assessment, what does 'intent' refer to?

✓ Whether a potential adversary has the desire and motivation to carry out an attack

Intent refers to whether a potential threat actor has the motivation, desire, and willingness to carry out an attack against the principal. Intent combined with capability determines the level of threat.

5. What is the correct first aid for a suspected fractured femur?

✓ Immobilise with a traction splint if available, keep the casualty warm and warm to prevent shock and call for urgent evacuation

A fractured femur can involve 1–2 litres of internal bleeding; traction splint reduces pain and bleeding, warmth prevents hypothermia and urgent evacuation to surgery is required.

6. What is a 'decoy' movement in a CP protective plan?

✓ A movement by a decoy vehicle or person to draw surveillance or attack away from the principal

A decoy movement uses a vehicle or person mimicking the principal's movement to draw hostile surveillance or attack away, protecting the real principal who travels separately and discreetly.

🎯 Free SIA CP Practice Tests

Vehicle and Motorcade Security · 7 questions Emergency First Aid · 6 questions Emergency First Aid · 6 questions Communication and Teamwork · 6 questions Communication and Teamwork · 6 questions Legal Powers · 6 questions Legal Powers · 6 questions Close Protection Principles & Threat Assessment · 6 questions Close Protection Principles & Threat Assessment · 6 questions Route Planning · 6 questions

📖 SIA CP Guides & Articles

Your SIA CP Study Path

1. Learn with Flashcards → 2. Drill Practice Tests → 3. Take the Full Exam Simulation

🃏 SIA CP Flashcards (295)

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How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

gov.uk — Registration, renewal, retake fee, test delivery, eligibility, fees, score validity, exam information · verified Oct 2026
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk — Exam format, passing score, time limit · verified Oct 2026