The Door Supervisor Refresher, the qualification the SIA has required for every door supervisor licence renewal since 1 April 2025, has two multiple-choice exams and two practical assessments. This guide covers the exams: how many questions, how long, the pass marks and what they test, taken from the current Highfield specification for the Level 2 Award for Door Supervisors in the Private Security Industry (Refresher).
The two papers at a glance
| Paper | Questions | Time | Pass mark | Correct answers needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1: Principles of working as a door supervisor (Refresher) | 35 | 55 minutes | 71% | 25 of 35 |
| Unit 2: Application of physical intervention skills (Refresher) | 30 | 45 minutes | 80% | 24 of 30 |
Both papers are externally set and marked by the awarding body, graded pass or fail, and each must be passed on its own. Every question is multiple choice with one correct answer. There is no negative marking, so answer every question. You have about 90 seconds a question on both papers.
Unit 1: the refresher paper
Thirty-five questions on the parts of the door supervisor role that have changed most and matter most, drawn from the current full qualification: your responsibilities and the law as it now stands, the SIA and licensing, search procedures and the right to search, drugs awareness, terror threats and what a door supervisor does during an attack, keeping vulnerable people safe including the current safeguarding expectations, communication and recording, and post-incident management.
If you qualified years ago, do not assume you know this. The 2021 specification added content on terror threat awareness and on vulnerability that was not in older courses, and the refresher paper tests it. The 71 per cent pass mark on 35 questions means you can get ten wrong and no more.
Unit 2: the physical intervention paper
Thirty questions, 45 minutes, pass mark 80 per cent. It covers the law and implications of using physical intervention, the risk factors, the signs and symptoms of acute behavioural disturbance and psychosis, positional asphyxia, the dangers of prolonged intervention, dealing with interventions on the ground, how to manage and monitor a person's safety during a hold, and when and how to disengage. The same knowledge is tested orally by the assessor during the practical, so learning it properly pays twice.
Twenty-four correct out of thirty is a high bar. Six wrong answers is a fail.
How the exams are run
- Each paper is sat after its unit has been taught, under exam conditions with a clock in view.
- The trainer who taught you the unit does not invigilate it and is not in the room while you sit it.
- We run the papers digitally and mark them on the day, so you leave knowing your result. Certificates follow once Highfield has processed the course, usually within a few working days, and the SIA system then shows the qualification on your account.
- Reasonable adjustments are available through the awarding body's policy if arranged before the exam, so tell us when you book.
How to revise
- Finish the e-learning as study. Your Highfield login is sent when you book and the refresher e-learning covers the knowledge in Unit 1.
- Do the Door Supervisor mocks for the door supervisor and physical intervention units. Our free SIA mock exams are sorted by course and unit. The refresher papers draw on the same content.
- Learn the physical intervention risk factors cold. Positional asphyxia, acute behavioural disturbance, prolonged restraint, ground interventions, monitoring. They are in the paper and in the practical questions.
- Read the terror threat and vulnerability sections twice. They are the newest content and the most likely gap for experienced staff.
If you do not pass first time
You resit only the paper you missed. On courses that include the ASA Exam Warranty, your next two attempts at that exam are covered at no extra cost, provided you attended, took part and book the retake promptly. Because renewal has a deadline, tell us your licence expiry date when you book so any resit is scheduled with time to spare.
Start with the mock exams, then read what the Refresher practical assessments involve. The full picture of renewal is in our Door Supervisor renewal guide, and dates and current prices are on the calendar.
FAQ
How many exams are there on the Door Supervisor Refresher?
Two multiple-choice papers: 35 questions on the door supervisor refresher unit and 30 on physical intervention. Each unit also has a practical assessment.
What is the pass mark for the Refresher exams?
71 per cent on the door supervisor paper and 80 per cent on the physical intervention paper.
Is the Refresher exam easier than the full Door Supervisor exams?
It is shorter. The questions are at the same level and the physical intervention paper is the same length and pass mark as on the full course.
Do I sit the Unit 1 industry paper again?
No. The Refresher has its own two papers. The 72-question industry paper from the full course is not repeated.
Ready to book your course?
Current prices and dates are on our calendar. Everything about A Security Academy, the SIA-approved training centre in Hayes, West London, is on the home page.