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Pennsylvania Security Guard Vocabulary Game

Exam terms with clues and explanations by OpenExamPrep.

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4 Games
20 Terms
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Topics in the Pennsylvania Security Guard Vocabulary Game

2 terms

Course introduction

3 terms

PA Crimes Code

2 terms

Principles of justification

2 terms

Legal authority

2 terms

Limited authority

1 term

Constitutional restrictions

1 term

Incident investigation

1 term

Court testimony

2 terms

Skills training

3 terms

Firearms module

1 term

Training and testing

Sources for these terms (21)

About the PA Act 235 Exam

The Pennsylvania Act 235 Lethal Weapons Training Certification is the mandatory credential for privately employed agents — security officers, armored car personnel, watch guards, and private investigators — who carry a lethal weapon as an incidence of their employment in Pennsylvania. Under 22 P.S. §§ 41-50.1 and 37 Pa. Code Chapter 21, lethal weapons include firearms (a pistol, revolver, rifle or shotgun) and billy clubs, whether concealed or not; chemical mace and similar substances are expressly excluded from the definition. The program consists of a 40-hour course at a PSP-certified school: a 26-hour academic module covering course introduction, legal authority, constitutional restrictions, principles of justification, the Pennsylvania Crime Code, limited authority, incident investigation reports, testifying in court, skills training, and the final examination; plus a 14-hour firearms module covering firearms introduction, combat shooting, handgun familiarization and qualification, and shotgun introduction and familiarization. A candidate must score at least 70% on the academic examination and, for firearms certification, at least 75% in the firearms module. Certification is valid for five years and is renewed through an 8-hour program for firearms agents or a 3-hour program for nonfirearms agents.

Exam sponsor: Pennsylvania State Police - Lethal Weapons Certification Unit. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

50 questions

Time Limit

2 hours for the academic module final examination (37 Pa. Code § 21.36(1)(ii))

Passing Score

70% academic module; 75% firearms module (37 Pa. Code § 21.19(3)(i))

Exam / Certification Fees

$104.95 in PSP fees ($50 application + $24.95 fingerprints + $30 certification), plus school tuition

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Not published. The Pennsylvania State Police do not publish an Act 235 pass rate. Under 37 Pa. Code § 21.19(3)(i) a candidate must attain a minimum score of 70% in the academic module and, if applicable, 75% in the firearms module; a candidate who fails a module must repeat that entire module before the Commissioner's approval to attend training expires. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the PA Act 235 vocabulary game free?

Yes. The game is free to play with no sign-up. Signing in adds AI explanations for any term.

How do the PA Act 235 vocabulary games work?

There are 4 games built on 20 PA Act 235 terms. In Guess the Term, a clue describes one term and you have six tries to spell it, with green, yellow and gray letters showing how close you are. In Term Match, six terms appear as colored tiles; swap neighbors to line up three or more of the same term, and each match shows what the term means. In Term Pairs, twelve face-down cards hide six pairs of terms; flip two at a time to find each pair, and every pair you find shows what the term means. In Term Search, five terms hide in a grid of letters, reading across, down or diagonally; drag across a term to circle it, and each term you find shows what it means.

Where do the PA Act 235 terms come from?

OpenExamPrep researched each term from the Pennsylvania State Police - Lethal Weapons Certification Unit content outline and primary sources, listed under Sources on this page. The game is independent study material, not an official exam resource.

What is PA Act 235 and who administers it?

PA Act 235 is the Lethal Weapons Training Act of 1974 (22 P.S. §§ 41-50.1), administered by the Pennsylvania State Police under 37 Pa. Code Chapter 21. It certifies privately employed agents — watch guards, protective patrolmen, detectives, and criminal investigators — who carry a lethal weapon as an incidence of their employment.

What counts as a lethal weapon under Act 235?

Under 22 P.S. § 43, lethal weapons include but are not limited to firearms and other weapons calculated to produce death or serious bodily harm, and a concealed billy club is named specifically. 37 Pa. Code § 21.1 defines firearm as a pistol, revolver, rifle or shotgun and adds that a nonconcealed billy club is also a lethal weapon. Chemical mace or any similar substance is expressly excluded from the definition.