Sheet 39Exam fact
How long is the STSC exam?
Two hours. BCSP gives you 120 minutes for the STSC, and any break you take comes out of that same clock.
- ExamSTSC
- SourceBCSP, A Complete Guide to Safety Certification, 12th ed. (June 2026)
- CheckedOct 12, 2026
You have two hours to complete the STSC, and the exam clock keeps running during self-scheduled breaks (BCSP Complete Guide, as of October 2026).
Source: BCSP, A Complete Guide to Safety Certification, 12th ed. (June 2026) · checked Oct 12, 2026
Checkpoints for an even pace
| Checkpoint | Clock used | Items answered |
|---|---|---|
| Each item | 1.2 min | 1 |
| Quarter mark | 30 min | 25 |
| Halfway | 60 min | 50 |
| Three-quarter mark | 90 min | 75 |
| Time called | 120 min | 100 |
BCSP sets the two hours and the 100-item count; the checkpoints are a planning aid. Some items will take you longer than others, so being a few behind at the halfway mark is fine.
Breaks, the tutorial and marked items
Breaks are yours to schedule, and BCSP is clear about the cost: "Your examination clock continues to run during these self-scheduled breaks." You sign out, step outside the testing room but stay in the area Pearson VUE controls, and the minutes keep going. A ten-minute break leaves 110 for the items.
The tutorial at the start does not eat into your time. According to BCSP's guide, the clock starts once you agree to BCSP's Code of Ethics and exam-security rules and begin the exam itself.
Items come one per screen. You can mark one or skip it, and at the end you can jump back to any marked or skipped item by its number. What you may bring, from ID to calculator, is listed under test-day rules.
When the clock is running
Is there a scheduled break during the STSC?
None is built in. BCSP lets you take self-scheduled breaks, and the two-hour clock keeps running while you are away (Complete Guide, 12th ed., as of October 2026).
Does the tutorial count against the two hours?
No. BCSP's guide says the exam clock starts after the tutorial, once you accept the ethics and security rules and begin the exam (as of October 2026).
What does two hours work out to per question?
1.2 minutes each across 100 items. That is our arithmetic; BCSP publishes only the total time.
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