SIA Door Exam at a Glance

Facts verified Oct 20, 2026 against Security Industry Authority (SIA), UK Home Office sponsored regulator. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.

Free SIA Door Supervisor Study Tools

Interactive SIA Door Supervisor resources on PracticeTestGeeks, free to start:

• SIA Door Health & Safety at Work 1 — 7 questions with answer explanations
• SIA Door Supervisor flashcards — review key terms and concepts card by card
• SIA Door Supervisor study guide — topic-by-topic overview of what the exam covers
• SIA Door Supervisor cheat sheet — one-page printable summary for last-minute review

What the SIA Door is and how it works

According to Security Industry Authority (SIA), UK Home Office sponsored regulator, “Externally set and marked MCQ exam made up of 20 questions (30 minutes) Pass mark = 70%”^[1] Practice with the free SIA Door Supervisor practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (7 questions with answer explanations).

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the UK regulator, sponsored by the Home Office, that licenses door supervisors. You cannot apply for a licence until you hold a licence-linked qualification. That qualification is assessed through multiple-choice exams that are set and marked externally and taken through your training provider.

The SIA's training guidance lists these exams:

• Principles of Working in the Private Security Industry: 72 questions, 110 minutes, pass mark 70%
• Principles of Working as a Door Supervisor in the Private Security Industry: 50 questions, 75 minutes, pass mark 70%
• Application of Conflict Management in the Private Security Industry: 20 questions, 30 minutes, pass mark 70%
• Application of Physical Intervention Skills in the Private Security Industry: 30 questions, 45 minutes, pass mark 80%

To hold a licence you must be 18 or over and have the licence-linked qualification. You also need an Emergency First Aid at Work certificate, English at B2 CEFR level or equivalent and the right to work in the UK, and you must pass criminality checks. An application costs £204 per licence and is non-refundable. Licences last 3 years.

Your training provider and awarding body set exam booking, retakes and any changes to the format. Before test day, confirm the current details with them and read the SIA's licence guidance on gov.uk.

Worked examples: how to reason through SIA Door 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: Which document records the conditions attached to a premises licence?

1. The premises licence itself and its summary
2. The DPS certificate
3. The SIA register
4. The local authority inspection report

Answer: A. The premises licence itself and its summary

Explanation:

Correct: the premises licence itself and its summary. The premises licence is the legal document that sets out the conditions the venue has to follow, and the summary repeats them in short form. A copy of the summary must be displayed prominently at the premises. The DPS option is wrong because the designated premises supervisor is a named person responsible for the venue, and their paperwork does not record the venue's conditions. The SIA register lists licensed security operatives, not the conditions of a venue. A local authority inspection report records what was found on a visit, but the conditions themselves are not set there. Rule to remember: the conditions are on the premises licence. If you are unsure what a venue must do about things like searching or entry policy, check the licence summary.

Example 2

Question: What are the signs of ketamine intoxication?

1. Dissociation, confusion, inability to feel pain and appearing unconscious while awake
2. Extreme confidence and rapid speech
3. Pinpoint pupils and sedation
4. Excessive energy and sweating

Answer: A. Dissociation, confusion, inability to feel pain and appearing unconscious while awake

Explanation:

Correct: dissociation, confusion, inability to feel pain and appearing unconscious while awake. Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic. It makes people feel cut off from their surroundings and their own body, and at higher doses they can seem semi-conscious while still awake. Extreme confidence and rapid speech are typical of stimulants such as cocaine. Pinpoint pupils and sedation point to opioids such as heroin. Excessive energy and sweating also suggest a stimulant, for example ecstasy or amphetamine. Rule to remember: stimulants speed people up, opioids slow them down and shrink the pupils, and dissociatives detach people from reality. Treat a person showing ketamine signs as a welfare concern, because they may not feel an injury, and get first aid help.

Example 3

Question: What is 'active listening' in a communication context?

1. Giving full attention, using non-verbal cues and reflecting back what you have heard to show understanding
2. Listening while completing other tasks
3. Waiting for your turn to speak
4. Only listening when directly addressed

Answer: A. Giving full attention, using non-verbal cues and reflecting back what you have heard to show understanding

Explanation:

Correct: giving full attention, using non-verbal cues and reflecting back what you have heard. Active listening means focusing completely on the speaker. You show it through eye contact, nodding and an open posture, and you paraphrase what they said so both of you know the message was understood. Listening while doing other tasks splits your attention, so you miss detail and look uninterested. Waiting for your turn to speak means you are planning your reply rather than understanding the other person. Listening only when someone addresses you directly misses information and warning signs. Rule to remember: in conflict management, active listening helps calm people down. Someone who feels heard is less likely to escalate, so reflect their words back before you give your own answer.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official material: your training provider's course notes and the SIA licence guidance on gov.uk. Then take the free SIA Door practice test without revising first, so you can see which areas are weak.

1. Law and licensing: Licensing Law, the Licensing Act and Security Legislation and Powers of Arrest.
2. Safety: Emergency Procedures, Fire Safety and First Aid Basics and Health and Safety at Work.
3. Searching, drugs and terrorism: Search Procedures and Drug Awareness, Drug Awareness, Counter-Terrorism and Terrorism Awareness.
4. People skills: Conflict Management, Physical Intervention, Physical Intervention and Conflict and Documentation and Communication.

After every wrong answer, read the explanation and find the matching section in your course notes. Physical intervention techniques are taught in person on your course, so use these sets only for the knowledge side. Shortly before your exam, retake the full practice test under the time limit your provider confirms, and aim to score above the pass mark rather than just reach it.