SIA Door Supervisor Mock Test

What is the SIA Door Supervisor exam?

The SIA Door Supervisor qualification is the licence-linked course you must complete before applying for an SIA front-line Door Supervisor licence in the UK. The qualification combines classroom learning, practical assessment of physical intervention skills, and a series of multiple-choice exams. Each exam covers a specific unit of the syllabus, and you must pass every one before the awarding body certifies you. Door Supervisor work is now one of the most regulated entry-level security roles in the country, and the exam is intentionally detailed to make sure that anyone working a door understands both the law and the practical responsibilities of keeping people safe.

Topics covered in the SIA Door Supervisor exam

The SIA Door Supervisor syllabus is built around four core themes. Most candidates pass the units on the law and on conflict management more easily than the units that involve practical decision-making, so it pays to know what is in each one:

• Working in the private security industry — the role of the SIA, licence types, the Private Security Industry Act 2001, standards of behaviour and the law around use of force.
• Conflict management — how aggression develops, communication and de-escalation skills, body language, calming and reasoning techniques, and reporting incidents.
• Physical intervention — when force is lawful, the SIA's approved disengagement and escorting techniques, positional asphyxia, and post-incident procedures.
• Door supervision specifics — drugs and weapons awareness, searching, queue management, ejecting customers safely, working with the police, fire safety, emergency procedures and licensing law (including the Licensing Act 2003).

How the SIA Door Supervisor exam is scored

Each unit is sat as a closed-book multiple-choice paper, usually on paper at your training centre, with one mark per question and no negative marking. You typically need around 70% to pass each unit, and you have to pass all of them to be awarded the qualification. There is no overall combined score — failing one unit means you have to resit that unit on its own. That is actually good news, because it means you can focus your practice on the topics that are weakest. The most common borderline unit is conflict management, where the answers often look similar and you have to read the scenario carefully to choose the option that best reflects best practice.

How to use this SIA mock test

1. Begin in practice mode. Each question shows the correct answer plus a plain-English explanation as soon as you submit, so you build understanding rather than just memorising answers.
2. Drill weak topics. If you keep losing marks on physical intervention or licensing law, repeat those blocks until you can answer them quickly and consistently.
3. Switch to exam mode. Once you score above 85% in practice, do a full timed mock under exam conditions. That tells you whether you can actually perform when the clock is ticking and a tutor is in the room.
4. Review your wrong answers. Every wrong answer is a free lesson — read the explanation slowly and make a note of why the trap option was tempting.

Tips for passing the SIA Door Supervisor exam

• Read the question, then re-read it. Many wrong answers come from candidates spotting a familiar word and rushing.
• Spot "always" and "never". Absolute words are usually a sign that an answer is wrong — door supervision is rarely black and white.
• Default to de-escalation. Where a scenario offers both a calm communication option and a physical response, the calm option is almost always the correct exam answer.
• Know the licensing basics. Age limits, drink-driving limits, the four licensing objectives and what a Designated Premises Supervisor does are easy marks if you memorise them.
• Sleep before the exam. The course is front-loaded with intense days of training — sit the test rested, not exhausted.

What to expect after you pass

When all the units are passed and your practical assessment is signed off, your training provider issues a certificate and uploads your result to the SIA portal. From there you apply for your front-line Door Supervisor licence directly via the SIA, providing identity documents, paying the licence fee and undergoing a criminality check. The licence is valid for three years, after which you complete the Door Supervisor Top-Up training and renew. Many newly qualified door supervisors also choose to take the SIA CCTV Operator and Close Protection qualifications to broaden the work they can take on.