SCADA Practice Test

The SCADA Practice Test is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) knowledge — system architecture with HMIs, PLCs, RTUs and historians, industrial communication protocols, operations, alarms and data, and OT cybersecurity with the Purdue model and ISA/IEC 62443 — written to NIST SP 800-82 Rev. 3, ISA/IEC 62443, ANSI/ISA-18.2 and protocol specifications for Modbus, DNP3 and OPC UA for 2026. Security content covers defence only. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable SCADA Readiness certificate (SOA-S6). Every question is based on published standards and research — including NIST SP 800-82 Rev. 3 Guide to Operational Technology (OT) Security (NIST), ISA-18 series: management of alarm systems for the process industries (ANSI/ISA-18.2) (International Society of Automation), DNP3 (IEEE 1815) protocol (DNP Users Group) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free SCADA Practice Test, updated for 2026 and 2027. It measures architecture and components, communication protocols, operations, alarms and data and OT cybersecurity and gives instant results with a shareable certificate.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a SCADA Readiness certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: NIST SP 800-82 Rev. 3 Guide to Operational Technology (OT) Security (NIST); ISA-18 series: management of alarm systems for the process industries (ANSI/ISA-18.2) (International Society of Automation); DNP3 (IEEE 1815) protocol (DNP Users Group); Modbus application protocol and Modbus TCP specifications (Modbus Organization); OPC Unified Architecture (OPC Foundation); ISA/IEC 62443 Series of Standards (International Society of Automation). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Architecture and Components (Field devices, Servers and historians and SCADA versus DCS); Communication Protocols (Modbus, DNP3 and IEC 60870-5-104 and OPC UA and networks); Operations, Alarms and Data (Alarm management, HMI design and Data quality); OT Cybersecurity (Purdue model and segmentation, ISA/IEC 62443 and Defensive practice). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

SCADA engineer or technician, Controls or automation engineer, Utility or pipeline control-room operator, OT or ICS security analyst and Instrumentation technician. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show SCADA knowledge in 2026 and 2027, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

SCADA engineers design and support systems that monitor and control distributed assets such as pipelines, water networks and power grids. They need to understand field devices (PLCs and RTUs), communication protocols, HMI and historian software, alarm management and OT cybersecurity.

SCADA usually supervises geographically spread assets over wide-area communications, with control logic in remote PLCs or RTUs. A distributed control system (DCS) typically controls a single plant with tightly integrated controllers and fast local networks.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.