What is the cheapest way to prepare for the California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) exam?

Start with what costs nothing: 200 practice questions on PrepPass, with explanations and no signup. If you want it taught in one file you keep, the full study guide is $9.99 once; the printable cram sheet for the last days is $6.99. No subscription on any of them.

Who administers the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration)?

Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), California Department of Consumer Affairs — exam delivered by a BSIS-approved training school, or the employer where it has a Bureau-qualified instructor. There is no statewide test vendor. 16 CCR § 628(b) allows the training and the examination to be given by an approved training school or by the employer, provided the employer has a designated instructor knowledgeable in the Power to Arrest manual.

How many questions are on the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration)?

Not published by BSIS. BSIS releases the examination and its answer key only to licensed training facilities and instructors on request, and publishes no question count. The 42 numbered items inside the training manual are headed “Review Questions” and are not the final examination.

How long is the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration)?

The examination is untimed: BSIS instructs administrators to allow unlimited time. What BSIS does schedule is the course — Power to Arrest 3 hours, Appropriate Use of Force 5 hours — which is course length, not exam length.

What is the passing score for the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration)?

100%. 16 CCR § 628(b): “An employee must receive a score of 100% on said examination.” The examination is open-book and may be retaken after review, so a first-attempt failure is not a barrier — but nothing below 100% completes the training.

How much does the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration) cost?

$60 — Security guard registration — initial application (BSIS, one-time, from 2025-10-01); $44 — Security guard registration — renewal (BSIS, every two years, from 2025-10-01). BSIS prints two columns, “Prior to 10/1/2025” and “On or After 10/1/2025”, and notes that the date an application is submitted decides which applies; the later column is the one in force. Unreconciled conflict between official sources: 16 CCR § 640(f) still states $50 and $35 — the regulation was never conformed to the fee change. There is no separate examination fee: the exam is given inside the training course, whose tuition is set by each training facility and is not published by BSIS.

What languages is the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration) offered in?

Not published by BSIS. BSIS publishes one Power to Arrest training manual, in English, with no translated editions and no list of examination languages. What it does publish is an accommodation instruction: administrators are to assist employees who cannot read or write, including by reading the examination aloud.

Does the California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) cram sheet come as a PDF?

Yes — California Guard Card — Cram Sheet (2026) downloads as PDF, 27 pages. The download link is emailed the moment payment clears and does not expire.

How much does the California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) cram sheet cost?

$6.99, once. There is no subscription and no account to create; the PDF file is yours to keep.

What is the difference between the California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) study guide and the cram sheet?

The study guide ($9.99) teaches the material chapter by chapter and is meant to be read over weeks. The cram sheet ($6.99, 27 pages) drops the teaching and keeps the figures: every number on the exam grouped by value so the confusable ones sit together, each reference page paired with a recall page that blanks the answers, and four routes by days left — 14, 7, 3, or tonight. They are separate purchases; neither replaces the other.

Is this the official California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) cram sheet?

No. This is an independent cram sheet and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the exam's awarding body. It is written from CA BSIS / B&P §7580+ / Penal Code / 16 CCR. Always confirm current requirements with the body that issues your licence.

California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) · 2026 Edition

California Guard Card — Cram Sheet (2026)

Every figure the California Guard Card exam turns on, pooled by value on reference sheets with a recall twin — and four routes through them: 14 days, 7, 3, or tonight.

27-page printable cram packet: the figures without the teaching, each reference page paired with a recall page you fill in from memory
Cross-referenced against CA BSIS / B&P §7580+ / Penal Code / 16 CCR
200 free practice questions for this exam stay free on PrepPass

PDF · English · 27 pages · $6.99 one-time

This cram sheet is written in English.

Instant download after payment — no account needed, no subscription.

14-day money-back guarantee: not satisfied for any reason? Email support@preppass.org within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. Refund policy

Look inside the book

Three real pages, rendered straight from the PDF you download — a reference page, a teaching page, and a worked question, always in that order. Nothing here was redrawn to look better.

How it's taught
PDF page 2
An explanation page: the material taught in prose, in the order the exam tests it.
How it's taught
PDF page 14
An explanation page: the material taught in prose, in the order the exam tests it.
How it's taught
PDF page 15
An explanation page: the material taught in prose, in the order the exam tests it.

About the exam itself

California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration) — Exam facts
Administering body	Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), California Department of Consumer Affairs — exam delivered by a BSIS-approved training school, or the employer where it has a Bureau-qualified instructor Source: 16 CCR § 628(b) — BSIS Regulations (BSIS-published compilation, PDF)
Questions	Not published by BSIS What we read and found nothing in: BSIS — Power to Arrest Answer Key (released to instructors on request)
Time limit	The examination is untimed: BSIS instructs administrators to allow unlimited time. What BSIS does schedule is the course — Power to Arrest 3 hours, Appropriate Use of Force 5 hours — which is course length, not exam length. What we read and found nothing in: BSIS — Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Training Manual (revised July 2023, PDF)
Passing score	100% Source: 16 CCR § 628(b) — BSIS Regulations (BSIS-published compilation, PDF)
Fees	$60 — Security guard registration — initial application (BSIS, one-time, from 2025-10-01) $44 — Security guard registration — renewal (BSIS, every two years, from 2025-10-01) Source: BSIS — Licensing Fees (fee schedule dated September 2025, PDF)
Languages offered	Not published by BSIS What we read and found nothing in: BSIS — Resources and Training Materials

Exam facts, with a source for every line

Questions buyers ask

What is the cheapest way to prepare for the California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) exam?: Start with what costs nothing: 200 practice questions on PrepPass, with explanations and no signup. If you want it taught in one file you keep, the full study guide is $9.99 once; the printable cram sheet for the last days is $6.99. No subscription on any of them.
Who administers the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration)?: Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), California Department of Consumer Affairs — exam delivered by a BSIS-approved training school, or the employer where it has a Bureau-qualified instructor. There is no statewide test vendor. 16 CCR § 628(b) allows the training and the examination to be given by an approved training school or by the employer, provided the employer has a designated instructor knowledgeable in the Power to Arrest manual.
How many questions are on the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration)?: Not published by BSIS. BSIS releases the examination and its answer key only to licensed training facilities and instructors on request, and publishes no question count. The 42 numbered items inside the training manual are headed “Review Questions” and are not the final examination.
How long is the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration)?: The examination is untimed: BSIS instructs administrators to allow unlimited time. What BSIS does schedule is the course — Power to Arrest 3 hours, Appropriate Use of Force 5 hours — which is course length, not exam length.
What is the passing score for the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration)?: 100%. 16 CCR § 628(b): “An employee must receive a score of 100% on said examination.” The examination is open-book and may be retaken after review, so a first-attempt failure is not a barrier — but nothing below 100% completes the training.
How much does the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration) cost?: $60 — Security guard registration — initial application (BSIS, one-time, from 2025-10-01); $44 — Security guard registration — renewal (BSIS, every two years, from 2025-10-01). BSIS prints two columns, “Prior to 10/1/2025” and “On or After 10/1/2025”, and notes that the date an application is submitted decides which applies; the later column is the one in force. Unreconciled conflict between official sources: 16 CCR § 640(f) still states $50 and $35 — the regulation was never conformed to the fee change. There is no separate examination fee: the exam is given inside the training course, whose tuition is set by each training facility and is not published by BSIS.
What languages is the California Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Examination (security guard registration) offered in?: Not published by BSIS. BSIS publishes one Power to Arrest training manual, in English, with no translated editions and no list of examination languages. What it does publish is an accommodation instruction: administrators are to assist employees who cannot read or write, including by reading the examination aloud.
Does the California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) cram sheet come as a PDF?: Yes — California Guard Card — Cram Sheet (2026) downloads as PDF, 27 pages. The download link is emailed the moment payment clears and does not expire.
How much does the California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) cram sheet cost?: $6.99, once. There is no subscription and no account to create; the PDF file is yours to keep.
Are there free California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) practice questions?: Yes — 200 of them, free to use with no signup and an explanation on every one. They are separate from this cram sheet, which is what you are buying here.
What is the difference between the California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) study guide and the cram sheet?: The study guide ($9.99) teaches the material chapter by chapter and is meant to be read over weeks. The cram sheet ($6.99, 27 pages) drops the teaching and keeps the figures: every number on the exam grouped by value so the confusable ones sit together, each reference page paired with a recall page that blanks the answers, and four routes by days left — 14, 7, 3, or tonight. They are separate purchases; neither replaces the other.
Is this the official California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) cram sheet?: No. This is an independent cram sheet and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the exam's awarding body. It is written from CA BSIS / B&P §7580+ / Penal Code / 16 CCR. Always confirm current requirements with the body that issues your licence.

Free California Guard Card (BSIS Security Guard) practice questions and study chapters →

What's included — and what isn't

Included

A RECALL twin of every REFERENCE sheet: same rules, same positions, figures blanked — print double-sided, cover, write, flip
A concept self-test for the rules with no figure to blank
Four routes through the same pages: 14 days, 7 days, 3 days, tonight
Every rule id links to the free chapter that teaches it

Not included

No printed copy is shipped — this is a file you download and can print yourself
No video course, instructor or tutoring comes with the book — the free videos on the site are separate
Not your exam registration or the testing centre's fee, which you still pay to the official body

Before you buy

How do I get it?: Pay, and the download appears on this page straight away. The links are also emailed to you. No account is required.
What if it isn't for me?: Email us within 14 days for a full refund, no questions asked.
Is the free practice going away?: No. Every practice question, the timed mock and the free chapters on this site stay free. This packet is the exam's figures arranged for recall, not a gate around the free half.
Can I read it on my phone?: Yes — it is a PDF, which opens on phones, tablets and computers and prints cleanly. There is no EPUB edition of this one.

Full refund policy

The details

Every figure the California Guard Card exam turns on, pooled by value on reference sheets with a recall twin — and four routes through them: 14 days, 7, 3, or tonight.

PrepPass team · Verified against CA BSIS / B&P §7580+ / Penal Code / 16 CCR · How we review

Format: PDF download · 27 pages
200 free practice questions for this exam on PrepPass, included at no cost
$6.99 one-time — no subscription
14-day money-back guarantee · refund policy
Cross-referenced against: CA BSIS / B&P §7580+ / Penal Code / 16 CCR
Last updated: September 2026

Verified from the official source(CA BSIS / B&P §7580+ / Penal Code / 16 CCR)
200 free practice questions
Instant download, yours for life

What the cram packet is for

The practice questions and timed mock stay free. This $6.99 packet is not a shorter study guide: it drops the teaching and keeps the exam's figures, set out for the last days before the exam.

Reference pages of the exam's figures, each paired with a recall page that blanks them — print double-sided, cover, write, flip
Four routes through the same pages, by days left: 14, 7, 3, or tonight
Print-ready PDF — made to be printed and written on
Yours for life — one-time $6.99, instant download, no subscription

And it's risk-free: 14-day money-back guarantee — not satisfied? Email us for a full refund, no questions asked. See the refund policy.

Get the PDF — $6.99 ↑

14-day money-back guarantee · full refund, no questions asked.

One-time purchase, lifetime access to the download. The download is a single PDF. Educational summary, not professional or legal advice — always confirm the current rules with the official source. Last updated: September 2026.