PSA

Anyone providing, or being employed to provide, a security service in a category the PSA regulates needs the appropriate licence. Employee licences cover individuals; contractor licences cover businesses and their principals. The PSA publishes the full list of licensed categories and any exemptions, so check your specific role against that list before paying for training.

Assessment is by multiple-choice questions, typically delivered after approved training with the training provider. The PSA sets the requirements for approved training and assessment, so confirm the exact format for your category with your provider. Do not assume one format applies across every licence type, because requirements differ between categories.

The PSA and its approved training providers publish the current assessment arrangements for each licence category. Question counts and durations are not fixed across all categories and are subject to change, so treat any figure you hear second-hand with caution and verify it directly with the PSA or your approved provider before your test date.

The PSA publishes current fees and assessment requirements on its official website. Fees can differ between employee and contractor licences and can change, so check the PSA site rather than relying on a forum post or an old training handout. Your training provider can also confirm what is included in their course price.

Most candidates who complete approved training and read the material carefully pass comfortably. Difficulty comes from the legal content, not from trick questions: distinguishing civil from criminal matters, knowing the limits of a security operative's authority, and applying use-of-force rules to realistic scenarios. Candidates who memorise answers without understanding the reasoning tend to struggle.

Retake arrangements are set by the PSA and your approved training provider, so ask about resit policy, waiting periods and any additional fee before you sit the assessment. Use the gap to review the domains where you lost marks rather than rereading everything. The PSA website carries the current rules for your licence category.

Licence validity periods and renewal requirements are set by the PSA and can vary by category. Check the expiry date on your licence and the PSA's renewal guidance well in advance, because letting a licence lapse can affect your ability to work. Renewal may also depend on up-to-date training or vetting.

Start with the Private Security Services Act and the code of practice for your sector, then move to arrest, detention and use of force, and finish with criminal law, health and safety, fire, conduct and reporting. Practise scenario questions and write sample statements. Spend most time on the legal powers domain, where candidates most often lose marks.

Overestimating a security operative's powers is the classic error: assuming a guard can search, detain or use force more freely than the law allows. Other frequent mistakes are confusing civil and criminal liability, ignoring equality and human-rights duties, and writing vague incident reports. Read each scenario literally and ask what authority the person actually has.