- 75 questions, 90 minutes, 70% passing score, closed book, silent nonprogrammable calculator allowed.
- PSI fee is $125 per attempt; company, fingerprint, and bond costs are separate.
- Legal, Ethical, and Professional Standards is the biggest domain at 30% of the exam.
- Eligibility lasts one year and covers up to three attempts before you must reapply.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers
This is a one-page, print-and-pin reference for the Georgia Private Detective Agency Licensure Exam (GA-PDA) - the PSI-administered examination the Georgia State Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies requires of a detective-company designee or Authorized Business Agent. It is not a substitute for full preparation; pair it with the GA-PDA Study Guide 2026 and the domain-by-domain breakdown in the GA-PDA Exam Domains 2026 guide. Use this page during your final review week to confirm numbers, deadlines, and domain weights before you schedule with PSI.
Exam Format at a Glance
Know these numbers cold before test day. They come directly from the PSI-administered Private Detective Licensure Examination bulletin tied to the Georgia Board.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Delivery | Computer-delivered, at an approved PSI test center |
| Question count | 75 standard multiple-choice questions |
| Experimental items | 5-10 unscored items may be added; time on these is excluded from the stated allowance |
| Time limit | 90 minutes (scored portion) |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Book policy | Closed book |
| Calculator | Silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator permitted |
| Fee | $125 per attempt, paid to PSI |
The presence of unscored experimental questions means you can't reverse-engineer your score by counting how many questions "felt strange." Answer every item as if it counts, and don't burn extra time trying to identify which ones are experimental. For a deeper look at how tough the format actually plays out in practice, see How Hard Is the GA-PDA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Key Takeaway
70% of 75 scored questions means you need roughly 53 correct answers. Don't chase perfection - chase consistent domain coverage, especially in the two heaviest domains.
Registration, Eligibility, and Fees
Registration for this exam is not a solo process - it runs through the linked company and designee application in GOALS, and you need Board approval before PSI will let you schedule.
- Application path: Submit the linked company application and designee application together in GOALS.
- Board approval first: You must be approved by the Board before scheduling your PSI appointment.
- Eligibility window: Once approved, eligibility lasts one year and allows up to three attempts. If you don't pass within that window or those attempts, you file a new application.
- Exam fee: $125 per attempt paid to PSI - separate from company application fees, fingerprinting, training costs, and financial-responsibility instruments.
- Admission requirements: Follow the identification and test-center appointment instructions in the bulletin exactly; arrive prepared with accepted ID.
A full cost breakdown - including the pieces that are easy to underestimate, like fingerprinting and financial-responsibility instruments - is covered in GA-PDA Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you're still confirming whether you qualify to apply at all, review GA-PDA Requirements 2026 before you spend the $125.
Three Ways to Qualify
- Two years as a licensed private detective working with a licensed agency.
- Two years in qualifying law enforcement experience.
- A four-year criminal-justice or related degree from an accredited university.
The full-time experience route specifically requires at least two years working a minimum of 30 hours per week, plus the background checks and other statutory qualifications the Board applies. Note also that the separate 70-hour basic detective training requirement is a distinct obligation - completing it does not exempt you from sitting the PSI licensing exam.
The Five Domains, Fast
The bulletin (last updated September 29, 2020, and tied to current Georgia laws and rules) organizes the exam into five weighted domains. Memorize the weights - they tell you exactly where to spend your remaining study hours.
Domain 1: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Standards - 30%
The largest domain by far. Expect questions on licensing law, statutory authority and limits of a private detective, professional conduct standards, and the legal boundaries of investigative activity in Georgia.
- Board rules governing agency and designee conduct
- Scope-of-authority and liability issues distinct from law enforcement
- Confidentiality, disclosure limits, and licensing violations
Domain 2: Observation/Surveillance - 15%
Covers surveillance planning, documentation, and the practical judgment involved in observation work.
- Surveillance methodology and record-keeping
- Recognizing legal limits during observation activities
Domain 3: Rules of Evidence and Evidence Handling - 23%
The second-heaviest domain. Focus on chain-of-custody discipline and how evidence must be gathered, preserved, and documented to remain usable.
- Chain-of-custody procedures
- Proper collection, labeling, and storage of physical and documentary evidence
Domain 4: Interviewing/Interrogation - 21%
Nearly as heavy as evidence handling. Covers techniques and legal/ethical constraints around obtaining statements.
- Interview versus interrogation distinctions
- Documenting statements accurately and ethically
Domain 5: Case Management, Administration, and Reporting - 11%
The lightest domain but still worth mastering for quick, reliable points.
- Report writing standards and case file organization
- Administrative responsibilities tied to running a case
Together, Domain 1 and Domain 3 account for more than half the exam's weight. If your time is limited, that's where your review hours should concentrate first. For a question-style walkthrough of each area, revisit the GA-PDA Exam Domains 2026 guide.
Financial Responsibility Options
Passing the PSI exam is only one piece of licensure. The agency must also demonstrate financial responsibility through one of three routes:
- A $25,000 surety bond, or
- $1 million in general liability insurance, or
- A certified audited statement showing net worth over $50,000, subject to Board review.
Renewal Dates You Cannot Mix Up
Two renewal cycles exist, and they are easy to conflate if you're new to the field:
| Item | Renewal Cycle | Additional Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Company license | June 30, odd-numbered years | None specified beyond standard renewal |
| Private detective employee registration | August 31, odd-numbered years | 16 hours biennial continuing education (first renewal exempt) |
Keep company renewal, registered-employee continuing education, and any firearms-related obligations mentally separate - they run on different tracks with different owners of responsibility. Mixing them up is a common way agencies lapse without realizing it.
Final-Week Review Plan
If you're using this cheat sheet in your last week before the PSI appointment, sequence your remaining hours by domain weight rather than by comfort level.
Domain 1: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Standards
- Re-read Board rules and statutory authority sections
- Drill scenario questions on licensing violations and scope of authority
Domain 3 and Domain 4
- Rehearse chain-of-custody sequencing for evidence handling
- Compare interview vs. interrogation scenarios and documentation standards
Domain 2 and Domain 5
- Review surveillance documentation practices
- Confirm reporting and case-file administration norms
Full-length practice and logistics
- Take a timed 75-question practice run under a 90-minute limit
- Confirm PSI ID requirements and appointment details from the bulletin
Timing your practice runs against the real 90-minute limit matters - you want the pacing to feel automatic, not like a new constraint on exam day. Full-length practice questions modeled on this weighting are available at the main practice test site, and additional pass-rate context is in GA-PDA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
Last-Minute Mistakes Checklist
- Applying before you're eligible: Confirm your qualification route (experience, law enforcement, or degree) is documented before submitting the GOALS application.
- Assuming training equals exam readiness: The 70-hour basic detective training requirement is separate from the PSI exam - completing one doesn't clear the other. See GA-PDA Training for how the two fit together.
- Skipping the heaviest domains: Don't spend equal time on Domain 5 (11%) and Domain 1 (30%). Weight your review to match the exam's weight.
- Forgetting financial responsibility: Passing the exam doesn't satisfy the bond, insurance, or net-worth requirement - plan for that separately.
- Confusing renewal dates: Company license (June 30, odd years) and employee registration (August 31, odd years) are not the same deadline.
If you're still weighing whether this credential fits your career plans, the honest breakdown in Is the GA-PDA Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and the GA-PDA Salary Guide 2026 can help you decide before you commit the $125 attempt fee. And once you're ready to test your recall against real question formats, start a practice run here.
FAQ
75 standard multiple-choice questions with a 90-minute time limit for the scored portion. PSI may add 5-10 unscored experimental questions, and time spent on those is excluded from the 90 minutes.
70%. See GA-PDA Passing Score 2026 for a full breakdown of exactly how that translates to correct answers.
The PSI fee is $125 per attempt. Company application, fingerprinting, training, and financial-responsibility costs (bond, insurance, or audited net-worth statement) are all separate.
Eligibility lasts one year and permits up to three attempts. If you exhaust the attempts or the year lapses, you must submit a new application through GOALS.
No. Company licenses renew June 30 in odd-numbered years. Private detective employee registrations renew separately on August 31 in odd-numbered years and require 16 hours of biennial continuing education, with a first-renewal exemption.