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Ontario Private Investigator Practice Test 2026 – Free Ontario Private Investigator Questions

Original questions written from the official Ontario handbook, with an explanation for every answer.

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  • 139 questions
  • 5 practice tests
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What is the minimum in-class time for basic private investigator training?

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All Ontario Private Investigator practice tests

5 sets of 30 questions. Each set is fixed, so you can repeat it until you score 100%.

Exam facts

Key facts: Ontario Private Investigator Licence Test

Free Ontario private investigator practice tests written from the ministry's own Private Investigator Study Guide, the Training Syllabus for Private Investigators and the laws they point to: the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 and its regulations, the Criminal Code, PIPEDA, the Trespass to Property Act and the Evidence Acts. Every question is original, explains why the right answer is right and names the section it comes from. No sign-up, and your progress stays on your device.

The ministry's private investigator test has 60 multiple-choice questions, a 75-minute time limit and a cut score of 77 percent, which is higher than the security guard test. Our full mock exams copy that format, and the topic tests follow the sections of the study guide so you can drill the areas where you are weakest, such as privacy law, evidence, arrest powers, surveillance and statements.

What the test covers

Topics and question bank

Every question is tagged to one topic from the official handbook. Pick a topic to drill just that area.

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Sample Ontario Private Investigator questions

Tap a question to see the answer. The full interactive test is at the top of the page.
  1. 1What is the minimum in-class time for basic private investigator training?
    • A. 33.5 hours
    • B. 40 hours
    • C. 50 hours
    • D. 29 hours

    The syllabus sets at least 50 in-class hours for the private investigator program. The 40 and 33.5 hour figures belong to security guard training, and 29 is the suggested total of outside-class pre-reading hours.

  2. 2A knife is to be presented in court as real evidence. What is usually needed to show it is the same object?
    • A. A signed statement from the accused's employer
    • B. A witness explains where and how it was found and where it was kept
    • C. A photograph of a similar knife from a store catalogue
    • D. The investigator's own opinion that the knife looks the same as the one at the scene

    For real evidence the main reliability issue is identity, so a witness normally introduces the object and explains where and how it was found and where it has been kept since. An opinion or a similar item does not prove identity.

  3. 3Which skill does the study guide link to acting under stress?
    • A. Knowing how to write a business plan
    • B. Knowing how to bill overtime correctly when a surveillance runs late
    • C. Knowing how to repair a broken camera
    • D. Knowing how to react if exposed during surveillance

    Acting under stress includes knowing how to react if exposed while conducting surveillance, how to control situations by asking questions, and when to identify yourself.

  4. 4How must a public complaint against a licensee normally be filed with the Registrar?
    • A. In writing and signed, within 90 days of the events
    • B. In person at a police station within one year
    • C. By phone to ServiceOntario within 30 days
    • D. Online and anonymously at any time after the events

    Section 19(2) requires a complaint to be in writing, signed by the complainant and filed within 90 days after the events, or later with the Registrar's consent. Anonymous, phone or police-station complaints do not meet the rule.

  5. 5Section 494(1)(b) allows any person to arrest someone they believe committed a criminal offence when that person is:
    • A. Escaping and freshly pursued by people with authority to arrest
    • B. Known to have committed similar offences in the past
    • C. Seen on video committing the offence a week earlier
    • D. Named as a suspect by a reliable witness who calls you the next morning

    Section 494(1)(b) covers a person believed on reasonable grounds to have committed a criminal offence who is escaping from and freshly pursued by persons with lawful authority to arrest. Old video, later tips or past conduct are not enough.

  6. 6PIPEDA is described as a consent-based statute. What does that mean for an investigation agency?
    • A. It may never collect information without the subject present
    • B. It is limited in what it may collect or share without consent
    • C. It may collect anything about anyone once a client has signed a contract
    • D. It must get a court order before collecting any information

    Because PIPEDA is consent-based, a licensed business is limited in what third-party personal information it can collect, use and disclose without the person's consent. Exceptions exist, but a client contract is not one, and court orders are not routinely required.

  7. 7When might two or more investigators be assigned to one surveillance?
    • A. Whenever the subject lives in a large city
    • B. When the subject drives aggressively or the site has several exits
    • C. Whenever the file is the investigator's first case and a mentor is available
    • D. Whenever the client's budget allows overtime

    Most surveillance is done alone, but teams are used for reasons such as the subject's aggressive driving, multiple exits from a location, or the subject's ability to run counter-surveillance.

  8. 8Under section 10 of the Charter, which right does everyone have on arrest or detention?
    • A. To be released once they give a home address
    • B. To retain and instruct counsel without delay and be told of it
    • C. To make one phone call to a family member of their choice before questioning
    • D. To refuse to be arrested by anyone but police

    Section 10 gives everyone on arrest or detention the right to be told the reasons promptly, to retain and instruct counsel without delay and be informed of that right, and to habeas corpus. The other options are not Charter rights.

  9. 9A client asks you, a licensed PI, to collect overdue accounts from tenants. What does the PSISA say?
    • A. You may do it if you hold a dual licence
    • B. You may do it if you identify yourself as a private investigator first
    • C. A PI licensee must not act in the collection of accounts
    • D. You may do it if the client is a licensed landlord

    Section 9(1) bars anyone licensed as a private investigator or security guard from acting or offering to act in collecting accounts, as a bailiff, or in an eviction under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. No licence type or disclosure makes it allowed.

  10. 10Under section 322 of the Criminal Code, when is theft committed?
    • A. When something is taken fraudulently and without colour of right
    • B. Only when the item taken is worth more than $5,000 and is sold afterwards
    • C. Only when the item leaves the building
    • D. Only when the owner is present and sees it

    Theft is taking or converting anything fraudulently and without colour of right, with intent such as depriving the owner. Section 322(2) says theft is complete when the thief moves the item or begins to make it movable.

About the test

About the Ontario Private Investigator Licence Test

In Ontario anyone who is paid to do work that mainly consists of investigations to provide information needs a private investigator licence under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 (PSISA). That includes information about a person's character, actions, business, occupation or whereabouts. Some people are outside the Act, such as lawyers practising law, licensed insurance adjusters and peace officers, while retail loss prevention staff count as security guards rather than investigators. The licence is issued through ServiceOntario on behalf of the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

The path has three steps. First you complete basic training with an approved provider: a public university, an Ontario college, a registered career college, a licensed business entity, or a registered employer that has hired you or made you a conditional job offer. The ministry syllabus sets at least 50 hours of in-class time, and only students who attend the full course may take the test. Second, you book and pass the ministry's private investigator test using the training completion number from your provider. Third, you apply for the licence with your test completion number, a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, two pieces of government ID and a photo.

The test is written in a 60-question multiple-choice format. The appointment is two hours long and 75 minutes of it is the time you have to answer. The study guide sets the cut score at 77 percent. The testing site says results are available within 2 business days of the exam date; the study guide, last updated in 2021, still says five. You can write the test online or at select DriveTest centres, and it must be booked in advance. The ontario.ca pages we checked do not publish the test fee or the languages the test is offered in, so confirm both with the testing provider when you book. If you want a dual licence, you must pass the security guard test as well.

The questions are drawn from the eight sections of basic training. The syllabus gives the most class time to investigative techniques (14 hours) and to criminal and civil law (12 hours), followed by communication, provincial and federal statutes, and self-management skills. In practice that means surveillance, locating and research, interviews and statements, report writing, evidence handling, privacy law, citizen's arrest under section 494 of the Criminal Code, intimidation and harassment, serving civil documents and the PSISA Code of Conduct. Our topics follow the same material.

This site is independent. It is not affiliated with the Ministry of the Solicitor General, ServiceOntario, the testing provider or any training school, and passing our practice tests does not give you a licence or count toward your training. The ministry does not publish its test questions, and we have not used any training course material: every question is written from the free official study guide, the syllabus and the public laws, so check the cited section whenever you are unsure.

Study plan

How to prepare

  1. 1Read the ministry's Private Investigator Study Guide from start to finish. It is free on ontario.ca, it is written for the test, and every question on this site cites one of its sections or a law it refers to.
  2. 2Spend the most time on investigative techniques. The study guide's longest section covers locating, research, surveillance, interviews, statements, reports, undercover work, email monitoring and serving documents, and many questions describe a field situation.
  3. 3Learn the legal limits that come up again and again: you have only a citizen's arrest powers, you never record a conversation you are not part of without a party's consent, you observe a person at home only from public property, and you place a GPS tracker only with the vehicle owner's permission.
  4. 4Know your evidence vocabulary. Be able to tell direct, circumstantial, hearsay, documentary, real, trace and opinion evidence apart, and memorise the six core steps for containing evidence: collect, secure, preserve, identify, continuity and log.
  5. 5Read the PSISA sections the guide points to, especially sections 34 to 40 and 45, and the one-page Code of Conduct regulation. Questions often turn on exact wording, such as the banned words detective and officer or the undercover exception to carrying your licence.
  6. 6Take one topic test per section, then reread the cited section for every question you miss. The explanations name the condition that makes the answer right, and that condition is usually what the real question tests.
  7. 7Because the cut score is 77 percent, aim higher than you would for most tests. When you score 50 or more out of 60 on two different mock exams in a row, you have a safe margin above the 47 correct answers the cut score works out to.

FAQ

Ontario Private Investigator test questions people ask

How many questions are on the Ontario private investigator test?

The ministry test has 60 multiple-choice questions based on the topics covered in basic training. You have 75 minutes to answer them, within a two-hour appointment. Our mock exams use the same 60-question, 75-minute format.

What is the passing score for the private investigator test in Ontario?

The ministry's study guide sets the cut score for the private investigator test at 77 percent. On a 60-question test that works out to at least 47 correct answers by our arithmetic; the ministry publishes the percentage, not a raw score. It is a higher bar than the security guard test, so practise until you are well above it.

How much does the private investigator test cost?

The ontario.ca private investigator pages we checked do not publish the test fee, so we do not quote one. The testing provider gives payment details when you register. The licence itself is a separate $80 fee paid to ServiceOntario when you apply, or $160 for a dual security guard and private investigator licence.

Can I take the private investigator test online?

Yes. The ministry says you can write the test either online or at select DriveTest centres across Ontario. All tests must be booked in advance, and you need the training completion number from your basic training provider to register.

How many hours of training do I need before the test?

The Training Syllabus for Private Investigators requires at least 50 hours of in-class time, delivered by an approved provider such as a college, university, registered career college or licensed business. Live online courses with real-time instructor contact qualify, but only students who attend the whole course may take the test.

Who needs a private investigator licence in Ontario?

Anyone paid to do work that mainly consists of investigations to provide information, such as information on a person's character, actions, business or whereabouts. You must be 18 or older, entitled to work in Canada, hold a clean criminal record and complete the training and test. Lawyers, licensed insurance adjusters and peace officers acting in those roles are outside the Act.

How long is an Ontario private investigator licence valid?

A new licence expires on your second birthday after the day it is issued, and each renewal runs for two years tied to your birth date. You can renew up to 90 days before it expires. Licences are digital, and you must carry a digital or printed copy whenever you work as an investigator, except when you are working undercover.

Can I call myself a private detective?

No. Section 40 of the PSISA bans private investigators from using the words detective or private detective, law enforcement, police and officer, or variations of them. You also may not carry a badge or any symbol of authority other than your licence.

Do I need both tests for a security guard and private investigator licence?

Yes. The ministry runs separate basic tests for security guards and private investigators, and a dual licence requires passing both. Even with both licences, you cannot act as a security guard and a private investigator at the same time.

What happens if I fail the private investigator test?

The ontario.ca pages we checked do not state a waiting period or a limit on attempts, and the testing site says results are available within 2 business days of the exam. Contact the testing provider about rebooking, and spend your next study sessions on the sections you found hardest.

Are these the real test questions?

No. The ministry does not publish its test questions. Every question here is original, written from the free official study guide, the training syllabus and the laws they cite, and each one names the section it comes from so you can check it yourself.

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