Free Security Guard Practice Test 2026
200 questions on legal powers, use of force, patrol, access control, report writing and emergency response. Tuned for mobile. No account needed.
Train on mobile
Test on desktop
How It Works
Training by Domain
Four sets: role, ethics and legal powers; observation, patrol and access control; report writing and communication; and emergencies, safety and terrorism awareness. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
Practice Tests
Four 50-question tests weighted the way guard card exams are, with the legal section carrying the most questions and an explanation of why each answer is right and the common wrong pick is wrong.
Built on the Pre-Assignment Curriculum
Every state's unarmed guard course teaches the same core: what a guard may and may not do, how to observe and report, how to control access and how to respond when something goes wrong. The practice tests here weight the legal section most heavily because that is where candidates lose the most points.
We Just Launched!
The security guard practice test is brand new. If a question looks wrong or your state's course teaches a topic differently, tell us.
Send Us FeedbackHow to Pass the Security Guard Exam
1. Learn the limits of your authority
A guard has the powers of a private citizen and the property owner, not a police officer. Know the use of force continuum, when a detention becomes false imprisonment, why searches need consent and why most companies tell you to observe and report instead of making a citizen's arrest. When a question offers an aggressive option and a cautious one, the cautious one is almost always right.
2. Think observe, deter, report
Exam writers test whether you understand the job. Suspicion comes from behavior, not appearance; patrols are varied so they cannot be timed; doors are tested by hand; unknown packages are not touched; and anything unusual goes in the log. If an answer has you leaving your post, ignoring a hazard or acting alone in a dangerous situation, eliminate it.
3. Memorize the acronyms
Who, what, when, where, why and how for reports. PASS for extinguishers and RACE for fire response. Fire classes A, B, C, D and K. Run, Hide, Fight for an active threat. The phonetic alphabet from Alpha to Zulu. These are the questions you should never miss.
4. Add your state's specifics
This practice covers the universal material. Your state's manual adds the licensing agency, training hours, renewal period, which crimes allow a citizen's arrest and any rules on handcuffs or pepper spray. Read those sections once, then drill here until you clear 85 percent on every set.
Security Guard Exam Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a security guard license or guard card?
Most states license unarmed guards through a state agency such as the department of public safety, the state police or a licensing board. The usual steps are a background check with fingerprints, a pre-assignment training course of roughly 8 to 40 hours depending on the state, and a written exam. A few states have no state license and leave requirements to employers, so check your state's rules.
What is on the security guard exam and what score do I need to pass?
Guard exams cover the role of private security, legal powers and limits including arrest and use of force, observation and patrol, access control, report writing and communication, emergency response, and safety and terrorism awareness. Most are multiple choice with a pass mark of around 70 percent, though the exact number of questions and passing score vary by state.
Does this practice test cover my state's law?
No. These questions cover the universal portion of guard training that is common nationwide. Arrest powers, training hours, licensing bodies, weapons rules and renewal periods vary by state, so study your state's training manual or statute for those details alongside this practice.
Does this include armed guard or firearms content?
No. This practice test is for the unarmed guard exam. Armed guard permits require separate firearms training, range qualification and a separate exam in every state that issues them, and that content is not included here.
Who can take the security guard exam, and is the TigerTest practice test free?
The minimum age is typically 18 for unarmed guards, with a clean criminal background check; some states set 21 for armed work. The TigerTest practice test is free: all four practice tests and all training sets, with no account required. Create a free account if you want progress saved across devices.
Related practice tests
Every test on TigerTest is free and needs no account to start.