What the Smart Serve test is
In Ontario, everyone involved in the sale, service, sampling or delivery of liquor, or in taking orders for it, must hold a valid certificate from a training course approved by the board of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). That includes bartenders, servers, managers, delivery staff and the security staff a licensee employs. For bars, restaurants and other liquor sales licensees, Smart Serve is the only approved program.
The course is online and takes about four to five hours. It ends with a proctored, multiple-choice final test that you write with a webcam on and your government-issued photo ID ready.
| Part of the test | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Format | Multiple choice, written online after you finish the course modules |
| Pass mark | 80% or higher, with no test-rule infractions (79% is not rounded up) |
| Time limit | None, so you can take your time |
| Attempts | Two attempts with each course purchase |
| Deadline | Finish the course and test within 30 days of buying it |
| Supervision | Proctored: webcam, screen monitoring and original photo ID |
| Certificate | Valid for five years, then you must recertify |
Smart Serve does not publish how many questions are on the full-course final test, and it does not show the correct answers afterwards, only which questions you missed. Our timed mock exams use 40 questions with four options each, so you can check your pace and your score against the 80% mark.
The four topic areas in our question bank
Our questions are grouped into four sections, and you can practise any one of them on its own.
- Liquor Licence and Control Act. The hours of sale and service (9 a.m. to 2 a.m., and until 3 a.m. on New Year's Day), the 45-minute clean-up rule, the types of licences, endorsements and permits, bring-your-own-wine and takeout rules, minimum drink prices, contests and promotions, Sandy's Law signs and who needs training.
- Checking ID and minors. The legal drinking age of 19, the minimum age of 18 to serve or handle liquor, what counts as valid ID, how to spot a fake, the parent exception at home, and the fines and licence suspensions for serving a minor.
- Intoxication and BAC. What a standard drink is, the factors that raise blood alcohol, the signs of intoxication the AGCO describes, how to slow drinking down, and the blood alcohol limits for drivers under the Criminal Code and Ontario's Highway Traffic Act.
- Refusing service and liability. The ban on serving anyone who is or appears to be intoxicated, asking people to leave, the use of force, police powers, civil liability under section 52 of the Act, and the penalties licensees and staff can face.
Rules that trip people up
- "Appears to be." The law bans serving anyone who appears to be under 19 or appears to be intoxicated, not only those who actually are. You must check ID for anyone who looks under 19.
- Valid ID. It must be government-issued, current, and show a photo and date of birth. Expired ID, photocopies and photos on a phone are not acceptable.
- Parents in a bar. A parent may give their child a drink at home, but a licensee or server must never let a person under 19 have liquor on licensed premises, even with a parent there.
- Civil liability. If you overserve someone who then injures another person, the injured person can claim compensation from the business whose staff sold the liquor.
- Standard drinks. In Canada, one standard drink is 17.05 mL of pure alcohol: a 341 mL bottle of 5% beer, a 142 mL glass of 12% wine, or a 43 mL shot of 40% spirits.
How to prepare
Work through the Smart Serve course carefully, since the final test is based on it. Then use practice questions to find gaps. Start with the free sample, drill your weakest section, and finish with full mock exams. Read every explanation, including on questions you got right: many questions turn on a single word such as "appears," a time such as 2 a.m., or an age such as 18 or 19. Aim to score well above 80% in practice so that a few tricky questions on test day do not sink you.
Aptitude Tests Canada is an independent practice platform. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Smart Serve Ontario, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario or the Government of Ontario. Our questions are original practice questions written from the public laws and official guidance, not real exam questions.
Three worked examples
One question from different sections of the full pack, with the answer and explanation.
On New Year's Eve, until what time may a licensed establishment sell and serve liquor?
- Until 3 a.m. on January 1
- Until 4 a.m. on January 1
- Until 2 a.m. on January 1
- Until 1 a.m. on January 1
Under O. Reg. 746/21, before liquor is sold or served, the licensee must make sure ID is inspected for:
- Only people who look under 16
- Only people who order spirits
- Only first-time customers
- Anyone who appears to be under 19
According to Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health, which of these equals one standard drink?
- A 341 mL bottle of 5% beer
- A 341 mL bottle of 9% beer
- A 750 mL bottle of 5% beer
- A 473 mL can of 7% beer