About the ABST Exam

What Is the ABST Licensing Exam?

The Alberta Basic Security Training (ABST) Licensing Exam is the mandatory provincial final exam you must pass to get a security service worker licence in Alberta. It is administered under the Security Services and Investigators Act (SSIA) by Security Programs, part of Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services (the ministry was called Justice and Solicitor General when the ABST manual was written). Without passing this exam and obtaining a licence, you cannot legally work as a security professional in the province.

The exam is not a formality. It is the province's mechanism for verifying that every licensed security worker has demonstrated a baseline of knowledge covering the legal system, basic procedures, communication, documentation, emergency response, and health and safety. The exam draws on all seven modules of the ABST curriculum and, per official alberta.ca guidance, requires a high pass mark.

Quick Answer: The ABST Licensing Exam is a provincially-administered, proctored, multiple-choice final exam. The official passing score is 80% or higher. Training providers report approximately 50 questions and approximately 1 hour to write it, although alberta.ca does not officially publish the question count or time limit.

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Exam Facts at a Glance

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Why the 80% Pass Mark Matters

The 80% pass mark is higher than most provincial licensing exams and is set deliberately. Security professionals in Alberta exercise real legal authority on private property, interact with the public under stressful conditions, and may be required to arrest individuals under Criminal Code s. 494 (citizen's arrest). An 80% threshold ensures candidates have mastered the legal boundaries of that authority rather than merely recognizing terminology.

A common mistake is to assume that because the ABST course is entry-level, the exam is easy. It is not. The heaviest tested area is the Canadian legal system and the security professional's authority — the material from Module 2 — and questions are written to test whether you understand when you may act, not just that you may act. Treat the 80% threshold as a floor, not a target: aim for 90%+ on practice attempts so that exam-day variance does not put you below the line.

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Format and Proctoring

The exam is provincially-administered and proctored. A Ministry proctor or a certified proctor who is not an employee of the training provider supervises the sitting. This separation between training and proctoring is an integrity safeguard: the person who taught you cannot be the person who certifies your exam.

Two delivery options are available:

• Online with a certified proctor — you write the exam remotely under live proctor supervision.
• In-person at an approved proctoring site — you attend a physical location supervised by an approved proctor.

Both routes carry the same content and the same 80% pass mark. Choose the route your training provider supports and that fits your location, but plan ahead: proctoring slots must be scheduled, and you cannot walk in unannounced.

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Retake, Challenge, and Grade Review

Failing the ABST exam is not the end of the road. Alberta's rules give candidates several paths forward:

• Rewrites: You may rewrite the exam as many times as necessary for up to 2 years from the start of your training course. Each rewrite requires another sitting fee through your provider, but there is no cap on attempts within that 2-year window.
• Challenge exam: If you have substantial experience or equivalent training, you may submit a written request to the Registrar to challenge the exam without completing the full 40-hour course. The Registrar decides eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
• Grade review: If you believe your failing grade was recorded in error, you may request a grade review within 30 days of receiving the failing notification.

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Zero-Tolerance Cheating Policy

Security Programs applies a zero-tolerance cheating policy. Anyone caught cheating on the ABST exam is ineligible for licensing under the SSIA. Given that the exam is proctored precisely to protect the integrity of the licensing process, the consequences are not a deduction or a rewrite — they are exclusion from the profession. Do not bring notes, do not communicate with other candidates, and do not attempt to circumvent proctoring controls. The short-term gain is never worth losing the ability to work in the industry.

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What Happens After You Pass

Once you pass the exam, your training provider reports the result to Security Programs. Your certificate of completion is emailed to you — typically within approximately 1 week of Security Programs receiving the training report. With certificate in hand, you apply for your security service worker licence (the licence itself is covered in the next section). You cannot work as a security professional until the licence is issued and in your possession.