1.3 Exam Format, Scoring & Administration Logistics

The private investigator test is the last step before a licence application. The ministry sets the content and the pass mark, and a contracted provider runs the bookings, test sessions and result delivery. This section summarizes the verified test facts and the candidate rules most likely to cost you a test fee.

Who Develops and Delivers the Test

• Content and cut score: subject matter experts from the private security and investigative industry wrote and validated the questions with the ministry's test development consultant, CASTLE Worldwide Inc., and set the pass marks (ministry Private Investigator Study Guide).
• Delivery: the ministry engaged Serco Canada Inc. to administer the tests (the ministry guide also names the agent "Serco DES Inc."). Bookings, payment and results run through ontariosecuritytesting.com or Serco's call centre at 1-866-248-2555.
• Results to ServiceOntario: Serco sends your result to ServiceOntario electronically. Serco does not process licence applications.
• Questions about content: contact the ministry's Private Security and Investigative Services Branch (PSISB), not Serco.

Test Specifications

Sixty questions in 75 minutes gives you 75 seconds per question. The ministry publishes a percentage cut score and describes no penalty for wrong answers, so never leave a question blank.

Eligibility to Book

• You need a Training Completion Number (TCN) from your training provider.
• An unlicensed candidate must finish ministry-prescribed basic training before registering.
• A current licensee may take only the test for the licence they hold or for which they completed approved training.
• A dual licence requires passing both the security guard and the private investigator tests in different sessions.

Booking, Payment and Cancellation Rules

• Book in advance online (24/7) or by phone, by 3:00 p.m. the day before the test. Walk-ins are not permitted.
• Payment: online with a Visa or Mastercard credit card (prepaid Visa/Mastercard cards work). Serco also lists certified business or personal cheques, bank drafts and money orders. Cash, debit, Visa Debit, traveller's cheques and e-transfers are not accepted.
• No cancellations or reschedules. Once booked, the fee is non-refundable. The exceptions are death in the immediate family (death certificate), sickness or injury of the candidate or immediate family (medical note), and jury duty (summons).
• If Serco cancels a session for weather or an emergency, it reschedules at no charge.
• Arriving late, failing to bring acceptable ID or a name mismatch forfeits the fee.

Option 1: In-Person Testing at DriveTest Centres

Tests run at select DriveTest centres, often in the evening or on weekends:

• Arrive at or slightly before your appointment time. Late arrival counts as a candidate cancellation.
• The invigilator hands out test papers. All materials are provided and must be returned. No aids of any kind are allowed.
• Coats, bags and phones may come into the room but must be turned off and stowed under the desk. Only your photo ID stays on the desk.
• No food, drink or washroom breaks once the session starts. Leaving without permission forfeits the test.
• If you finish early, raise your hand and wait to be called up. Only one candidate leaves at a time.
• Guests cannot wait in the centre, and doors may be locked after evening sessions.

Option 2: Online Testing

Online sessions are invigilated live by video conference:

• Equipment: a desktop or laptop (no tablets or phones), a reliable high-speed connection, a webcam able to show the entire room, and a microphone and speakers. Headphones, headsets and earbuds are not allowed.
• Software: download Serco's online exam browser (Safe Exam Browser) and run the system check before test day. Only one monitor may be connected, virtual machines are banned and no other applications may run.
• Room: a quiet, private room with no other people, visual aids or secondary audio devices. Public computers and public places do not qualify. The invigilator performs a 360-degree room check.
• Timing: log in 15 minutes early. Late arrivals are not admitted. The exam clock auto-submits at zero, and you may review your answers before submitting.
• Conduct: you must stay at your workspace, and reading questions aloud, talking or using any device ends the test.
• Tech problems: Serco grants a one-time complimentary reschedule only if you completed the required setup steps and reported the issue on time.

Acceptable Identification

Both delivery options require one original, valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID from any country. The name must match the name used to book and the name on your TCN. Acceptable examples include:

• any valid driver's licence or Ontario enhanced driver's licence;
• a valid passport from any country;
• an Ontario Photo Card;
• a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship card with photo;
• a Canadian Department of National Defence ID card;
• a Secure Certificate of Indian Status card or Certificate of Indian Status; and
• a Permanent Resident Card (Serco's list specifies cards issued before February 4, 2021).

Health cards and Social Insurance Number cards are not acceptable. For online tests, a photo of your ID on a phone or computer is not accepted. If your TCN name differs from your ID, email Serco at least one business day before the test.

Misconduct

The invigilator can end a test for talking, sharing materials, reading aloud, using electronic devices, smoking, eating or drinking. The fee is forfeited. Cheating, using unauthorized materials, removing test material or impersonating a candidate results in a mark of zero.

Preparing for Test Day

The ministry's study guide recommends these strategies:

1. Study the syllabus, not just one topic. The test is built from the eight training sections. The PSISA and Code of Conduct, criminal and civil law, and investigative techniques carry the most training hours.
2. Manage test anxiety. Reduce it to a manageable level rather than trying to eliminate it. Sleep well, eat normally, and avoid unfamiliar stimulants.
3. Budget your time. Answer the questions you know first, mark difficult ones and return to them.
4. Read each question carefully, two or more times if needed, before choosing an answer.
5. After the test, note topics that felt weak so you can study them if you need to rewrite.