SIA CCTV Operator Practice Test 2026

1. Question 1 of 25

   When is an SIA Public Space Surveillance (CCTV) licence needed?

   • AWhenever someone owns a doorbell camera at home
   • BOnly when installing or repairing cameras for a client, not when watching screens
   • CWhen a person is contracted to use CCTV to monitor the public or identify people
   • DOnly when working for the police
   Show answer

   Answer: C. When a person is contracted to use CCTV to monitor the public or identify people

   Under the Private Security Industry Act 2001, monitoring the public with CCTV under a contract for services is a licensable activity.

2. Question 2 of 25

   Which is a main purpose of public space CCTV?

   • ATo watch people inside their homes
   • BTo help prevent and detect crime and support public safety
   • CTo sell footage to news companies
   • DTo check what people buy in shops for marketing and advertising
   Show answer

   Answer: B. To help prevent and detect crime and support public safety

   Public space CCTV is used for clear, lawful purposes such as crime prevention and public safety.

3. Question 3 of 25

   Which laws mainly govern how CCTV footage of people is used?

   • AThe Licensing Act 2003
   • BThe Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
   • CThe Road Traffic Act 1988
   • DThe UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018
   Show answer

   Answer: D. The UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018

   Images of identifiable people are personal data, so CCTV operators must follow data protection law.

4. Question 4 of 25

   Which organisation enforces data protection law for CCTV systems?

   • AThe Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
   • BThe local fire service
   • CThe Security Industry Authority
   • DThe Health and Safety Executive
   Show answer

   Answer: A. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

   The ICO regulates the use of personal data, including CCTV images.

5. Question 5 of 25

   Why must CCTV signs be displayed?

   • ATo advertise the company that sold, installed and maintains the cameras
   • BSo people know they are being recorded, who runs the system and why
   • CBecause cameras do not work without them
   • DTo scare people away from shops
   Show answer

   Answer: B. So people know they are being recorded, who runs the system and why

   Transparency is a data protection requirement. Signs should be clear and give contact details for the operator.

6. Question 6 of 25

   How long should CCTV footage be kept?

   • AExactly 10 years
   • BNo longer than necessary for the purpose it was collected for
   • CForever, in case it is needed
   • DUntil the hard drive is full, then all of it should be printed
   Show answer

   Answer: B. No longer than necessary for the purpose it was collected for

   Storage limitation is a data protection principle. Each system should have a set retention period based on its purpose.

7. Question 7 of 25

   A person asks for a copy of CCTV footage of themselves. What is this?

   • AA RIPA authorisation
   • BAn SIA licence check
   • CA freedom of movement request
   • DA subject access request
   Show answer

   Answer: D. A subject access request

   People can ask for their own personal data, including images. The organisation should normally respond within one month and protect other people's privacy, for example by blurring them.

8. Question 8 of 25

   Which Human Rights Act right is most relevant to CCTV operators?

   • AThe right to respect for private and family life (Article 8)
   • BThe right to free elections (Protocol 1)
   • CThe right to marry (Article 12)
   • DThe right to a fair trial (Article 6)
   Show answer

   Answer: A. The right to respect for private and family life (Article 8)

   Watching people can interfere with privacy. CCTV use must be lawful, necessary and proportionate.

9. Question 9 of 25

   Under which Act was the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice issued?

   • AThe Equality Act 2010
   • BThe Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
   • CThe Licensing Act 2003
   • DThe Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
   Show answer

   Answer: D. The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

   The code was issued under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and sets out 12 guiding principles for surveillance camera systems in England and Wales.

10. Question 10 of 25

    How many guiding principles are in the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice?

    • A8
    • B20
    • C12
    • D5
    Show answer

    Answer: C. 12

    The 12 principles include having a clear purpose, transparency, clear responsibility, restricted access to images and keeping images no longer than needed.

11. Question 11 of 25

    According to the Surveillance Camera Code, every system should be used for:

    • AA specified purpose in pursuit of a legitimate aim and to meet a pressing need
    • BEntertainment in the control room
    • CCollecting as much footage as possible, in case any of it is useful to the police later
    • DAny purpose the operator finds interesting
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    Answer: A. A specified purpose in pursuit of a legitimate aim and to meet a pressing need

    The first guiding principle says systems must have a specified purpose that is legitimate and necessary.

12. Question 12 of 25

    What is "directed surveillance" under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA)?

    • ACovert surveillance for a specific investigation, likely to obtain private information
    • BAny CCTV camera that the operator can move
    • COpenly watching a large crowd at a football match from the stadium control room
    • DFollowing an incident as it happens on screen
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Covert surveillance for a specific investigation, likely to obtain private information

    Directed surveillance by public authorities needs authorisation. Normal overt CCTV monitoring is not directed surveillance.

13. Question 13 of 25

    The police ask a CCTV operator to secretly follow a named person over several days as part of a planned investigation. What should the operator check?

    • AThat a valid RIPA authorisation is in place
    • BWhether the person has a criminal record
    • CNothing, because the police can ask for anything
    • DWhether the cameras have been cleaned recently
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    Answer: A. That a valid RIPA authorisation is in place

    Planned covert surveillance of a specific person is likely to be directed surveillance and needs authorisation. In Scotland the equivalent law is RIP(S)A 2000.

14. Question 14 of 25

    Does an operator need RIPA authorisation to follow a person who has just committed a crime in view of the camera?

    • AOnly if the person is under 18
    • BYes, always, before moving any camera to follow a particular person
    • CNo, an immediate response to events does not need authorisation
    • DYes, from the person being watched
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    Answer: C. No, an immediate response to events does not need authorisation

    RIPA excludes surveillance carried out as an immediate response to events where it would not be practical to get authorisation.

15. Question 15 of 25

    A camera can see into the windows of a private home. What should the operator do?

    • ANot view private areas, and use privacy masking
    • BShare the images with colleagues
    • CZoom in briefly to check that everything is fine
    • DRecord it in case it is useful later
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Not view private areas, and use privacy masking

    Viewing private spaces is an unjustified intrusion into privacy. Systems should use privacy zones where needed.

16. Question 16 of 25

    Why is access to a CCTV control room restricted?

    • ATo protect the security and confidentiality of the images and the system
    • BBecause visitors are not allowed to see screens of any kind under the law
    • CTo stop operators taking breaks
    • DTo keep the room warm
    Show answer

    Answer: A. To protect the security and confidentiality of the images and the system

    Only authorised people should enter. Visitors should be logged and supervised.

17. Question 17 of 25

    What should be recorded when a visitor enters a CCTV control room?

    • ATheir name, the reason for the visit and the times they entered and left
    • BNothing, as long as a supervisor has said that they are allowed in to the room
    • COnly their mobile phone number
    • DOnly their car colour
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Their name, the reason for the visit and the times they entered and left

    A visitors' log shows who had access to the system and when.

18. Question 18 of 25

    Which is a duty of a CCTV operator?

    • AMonitoring screens, responding to incidents and keeping accurate records
    • BChanging camera laws for the council
    • CArresting suspects seen in the street
    • DDeciding who should be charged with a crime after watching all the footage
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Monitoring screens, responding to incidents and keeping accurate records

    Operators watch, assess, communicate with others such as the police and record what they see and do.

19. Question 19 of 25

    What does a pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) camera allow an operator to do?

    • AMove the camera left and right, up and down, and zoom in and out
    • BSee through walls and closed doors
    • CSwitch street lights on and off
    • DRecord clear sound from people's private conversations in the street
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    Answer: A. Move the camera left and right, up and down, and zoom in and out

    PTZ cameras give operators control over the view, which is useful for following incidents.

20. Question 20 of 25

    What does an ANPR camera do?

    • ARecords phone calls
    • BCounts people entering a crowded area automatically
    • CDetects smoke in buildings
    • DReads vehicle number plates automatically
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Reads vehicle number plates automatically

    Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras read registration plates and can check them against databases.

21. Question 21 of 25

    Under Home Office guidance, a person who fills 100% of the screen height can be:

    • ASeen as a moving shape
    • BOnly detected
    • COnly monitored as part of a crowd
    • DIdentified
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Identified

    The traditional guide is: monitor 5%, detect 10%, observe 25%, recognise 50% and identify 100% of screen height.

22. Question 22 of 25

    What is an "operational requirement" for a CCTV system?

    • AThe camera manufacturer's warranty and servicing schedule
    • BA list of operators' lunch times
    • CA statement of what the system must achieve and why
    • DA police warrant
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    Answer: C. A statement of what the system must achieve and why

    An operational requirement sets out the problem the system addresses and the image quality needed.

23. Question 23 of 25

    In evidence handling, what does "continuity" mean?

    • AUsing the same operator for every shift during an investigation
    • BBeing able to show who has handled the evidence at every stage
    • CKeeping cameras pointing in one direction
    • DRecording without stopping for 24 hours
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    Answer: B. Being able to show who has handled the evidence at every stage

    An unbroken record of handling shows the evidence has not been changed. Gaps can make it unusable in court.

24. Question 24 of 25

    When footage is copied for the police as evidence, what should happen to the original (master) copy?

    • AIt should be edited to show the best parts
    • BIt should be sealed, labelled as an exhibit and stored securely
    • CIt should be posted online so that any witnesses can come forward
    • DIt should be deleted to save space
    Show answer

    Answer: B. It should be sealed, labelled as an exhibit and stored securely

    The master copy is kept unaltered. Working copies are used for viewing.

25. Question 25 of 25

    What information should be recorded when CCTV footage is handed to the police?

    • ANothing, if the officer is in uniform
    • BThe camera's purchase price
    • COnly the operator's own opinion of who the suspect probably is, and why
    • DThe date, time, officer's details, what was handed over and signatures
    Show answer

    Answer: D. The date, time, officer's details, what was handed over and signatures

    A full record supports continuity of evidence and data protection accountability.

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.

The real test: 70% in each multiple-choice exam (72 questions and 40 questions)