Trade test - Saudi Arabia
Saudi SVP Skills Verification Test: Format, Fees and How to Pass
The SVP test, which many people call the Takamol test, decides whether you get a Saudi work visa in a trade, or keep your work permit if you are already there. This page covers what it costs, what it tests, and what nobody can honestly promise you.
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In short
The Skills Verification Program (SVP), often called the Takamol test, is a Saudi trade test for foreign skilled workers. If your visa occupation is on the list for your country, you must pass it at home before the work visa is issued. Inside the Kingdom your employer books it, and passing is needed to issue or renew a work permit in a covered occupation. It costs USD 85 abroad from 9 September 2026 and SAR 702.6 in the Kingdom. The pass mark is 50%, and you get three attempts.
It was USD 50. Many blogs and agents still quote USD 50.
PACC SVP FAQ, pacc.qiwa.sa, checked 13 October 2026
No source gives separate pass marks for the computer test and the practical.
Exam instructions on the SVP International portal, checked 13 October 2026
PACC SVP FAQ, checked 13 October 2026
Older sources say 5 years for everyone. That is now wrong for computer-only tests.
PACC SVP FAQ, checked 13 October 2026
855 are switched on for India and Pakistan, 714 for Bangladesh, 161 for Sri Lanka and 44 for Nepal.
SVP International public API, fetched 13 October 2026
Who has to sit it
- Workers recruited from abroad into an occupation that the portal shows as 'activated' for their country. You sit the test at home before the visa is issued, and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) checks the certificate against the occupation code on the visa.
- Workers already in Saudi Arabia in a covered occupation, when the work permit is issued or renewed. The employer registers the worker on the SVP Local portal and pays.
- Workers inside the Kingdom who are changing the profession on their iqama to a covered occupation. The employer's portal has a separate 'Book Appointment to Change Occupation' option.
- Drivers in covered driving occupations. The catalogue even lists 'Private Car Driver - Musaned', so household drivers can be in scope where that occupation is activated for their country. Drivers may be able to use RPL with a home driving licence instead of sitting a test.
Who does not
- Saudi nationals. They may take it voluntarily (HRSD procedural guide, May 2021).
- Anyone whose occupation is not on the mandatory list for their country. The official FAQ says: 'If your occupation is not among the mandatory occupations, it is not required to take the professional accreditation test.'
- Engineers, who register with the Saudi Council of Engineers instead, and health workers, who go to the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. The PACC search sends those occupations elsewhere.
- Professional, non-trade jobs where a degree and experience are checked. That is a different programme, the Qualification Verification Program (QVP), at USD 280 per request.
The exam at a glance
- Type of test
- Computer-based only, or computer-based plus a practical, depending on the occupation
- PACC SVP FAQ, checked 13 October 2026
- Length
- Up to 120 minutes. Older sources say 75 minutes, 30 + 30 minutes or, for Nepal, three hours. The current FAQ figure is the maximum.
- PACC SVP FAQ, checked 13 October 2026
- Pass mark
- 50%
- SVP International portal exam instructions, checked 13 October 2026
- Number of questions
- Not published. The questions are random and vary between candidates.
- HRSD procedural guide, May 2021
- Languages
- 9: Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Filipino, Sinhala, Tamil, Bengali, Nepali. You choose at booking from the options offered.
- PACC SVP FAQ, checked 13 October 2026
- Ways to take it
- In person at a test centre (computer test on Prometric, plus a practical marked by an assessor), online with remote proctoring where offered for your occupation and country, or RPL, a document review with no test
- SVPI Individual User Guide V7, November 2025, and portal text
- If you pass one part only
- Pass the practical but fail the computer test and you retake the whole test, because the two parts count together
- PACC SVP FAQ, checked 13 October 2026
- On the day
- Original passport (or iqama inside the Kingdom) and the printed ticket. Arrive 30 minutes early. The user guide says 15; use the stricter figure.
- PACC SVP FAQ; SVPI User Guide V7, November 2025
- Result
- Usually at once, sometimes up to 5 days
- PACC SVP FAQ, checked 13 October 2026
- Certificate valid for
- 2 years (computer-only or RPL) or 5 years (with a practical)
- PACC SVP FAQ, checked 13 October 2026
What it costs
- Test outside Saudi Arabia
- USD 85
- Old fee still quoted online
- USD 50
- Test inside Saudi Arabia
- SAR 702.6
- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
- USD 85
- Each retake
- The full fee again
- Pakistan, in rupees
- PKR 23,500-24,500
- Cancelling a booking
- Account credit, not cash
From 9 September 2026. Paid by Visa or Mastercard on the portal. Mada is not accepted on the international portal.
Correct until 8 September 2026. The official user guide screenshots (November 2025) and news reports up to July 2026 still show it.
Paid by the employer through the SVP Local portal, which sells test packages.
A review of your training certificate or driving licence, with no test. The certificate lasts 2 years.
Up to 3 attempts in total.
NAVTTC's figure for USD 85, which moves with the exchange rate.
Allowed once, at least 72 hours before the test. The credit can only be used for the same method. If you do not turn up, you get nothing back.
Abroad, the worker pays at booking. The booking screen makes you confirm that your employer should refund the fee, for one test in the occupation on your work visa. Inside the Kingdom the employer must register the worker and pay. Press reports from Bangladesh (2023, 2025) and Nepal (2026) say workers pay in practice. No official rupee figure for India or taka figure for Bangladesh is published: you pay USD by card, so your bank's exchange rate decides the amount.
How to register and book
- 1
Check your occupation and country
On pacc.qiwa.sa, search for the occupation written on your visa and choose your country. If it says 'activated', expect to need the test. If it is not activated, the official FAQ says you do not need it.
- 2
Sign up on svp-international.qiwa.sa
Upload your passport and enter your first name, last name and passport number. Check the number twice: it cannot be changed later. Enter the passport number, not the serial number. The old address svp-international.pacc.sa redirects to this site.
- 3
Finish your profile and verify
Upload a personal photo, add your ID number and education level, set a password, and confirm the code sent to your email or phone. Then sign in.
- 4
Start Verification and choose your occupation
From the dashboard, click Start Verification and choose the occupation. It must match your visa exactly, because MOFA checks the code. If you choose wrongly, the occupation cannot be changed.
- 5
Choose the method, city and language
Pick in-person, online or RPL, depending on what your country offers for your occupation. Then pick the city and one of the languages on offer.
- 6
Accept the centre and time you are given
You cannot choose the centre. The official user guide says the time and location 'will be assigned automatically and randomly'. Anyone offering you a particular centre is not describing the official process.
- 7
Pay by card
Review the summary and pay USD 85 by Visa or Mastercard. The ticket arrives by email or SMS. Print it.
- 8
Sit the test
Bring your original passport and the ticket, and arrive 30 minutes early. In Pakistan, NAVTTC says your passport and CNIC are the only documents you need.
- 9
Get the result and certificate
The result usually shows at once, sometimes after up to 5 days. Download the certificate from your dashboard. The embassy and MOFA pick it up electronically when your visa is processed.
- 10
Already in Saudi Arabia? Your employer books it
The employer signs in to the SVP Local portal with Qiwa, buys a test package and books you. You bring your original iqama, or passport, and the ticket.
What the exam covers
This is not a syllabus. No official syllabus exists. These are some of the 135 exam trades listed on the SVP International portal on 13 October 2026, grouped by us so you can find yours. Your occupation is tested under one of these trades. The questions inside each trade are not published.
Electrical
- Electrician
- Building Electrician
- Electrical Technician
- Electrical Mechanic
- Electrical Devices Maintenance Technician
- Power Cable Connector
- Power Lines Operator
- Instrument Technician
- Electronic Telecom
Plumbing and pipework
- Plumber
- Plumbing
- Pipe Installer
- Pipe and Fitting Assembling Technician
- Pipe and Tube Fabricator
- Pipe and Boiler Insulation Worker
HVAC, welding and metal
- HVAC Mechanic
- Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning
- Thermal Insulation Technician
- Welding
- Manual Welder
- Sheet Metalworker
- Structural Steelworker
- Blacksmith
Automotive and driving
- Auto Mechanic
- Auto Electrician
- Car body Repair
- Vehicle Spray Painter
- Heavy Equipment Technician
- Car, Taxi, Bus, Truck and Trailer Truck Drivers
- Forklift driver
- Crane Operator
Construction
- Construction Worker
- Builders
- Carpentry
- Concrete
- Tile setter
- Plasterer
- Gypsum Worker
- Painting
- Stone mason
- Scaffold Laborer
Food, cleaning, logistics and other
- Chefs
- Kitchen Workers
- Bakery and Pastries
- Barista
- Offices and Facilities Cleaning Workers
- Load and unload workers
- Warehouse Worker
- Sellers
- Barber
- Tailoring
Try 15 practice questions
Original questions written to the published specification, not recalled or leaked exam content. Pick an answer to see why it is right and where the rule comes from.
Sit all 39 as a timed mock →Or sit only your own:
An electrician has switched off and locked off the circuit breaker for a lighting circuit. What must be done next, before touching any conductor?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
An RCD is installed to give additional protection to general-use socket-outlets. What is the highest rated residual operating current it may have?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
Why is a Type C miniature circuit breaker often chosen instead of a Type B for a circuit that supplies electric motors?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
A final circuit in a TN system with U0 = 230 V is protected by a 32 A Type B circuit breaker. Using the IEC 60364-4-41 condition that Zs x Ia must not exceed U0, with no extra voltage factor, what is the maximum earth fault loop impedance Zs?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
What is the main purpose of the trap fitted under a washbasin?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
Why is an air gap left between the outlet of a tap and the spill-over level of the basin below it?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
To control the growth of Legionella bacteria, at what minimum temperature should water be stored in a hot water cylinder?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
A new pipework system is to be pressure tested. Why is a hydraulic test with water normally preferred to a pneumatic test with air?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
Why must a technician wear safety glasses and gloves when connecting a refrigerant charging hose?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
A split air conditioner needs a new compressor. What should the technician do with the refrigerant before opening the system?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
When brazing copper refrigerant pipe, why should a low flow of dry nitrogen pass through the pipe?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
R-32, used in many new split units, has safety class A2L. What does this class mean for the technician?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
Why should a welder avoid wearing clothing made of synthetic fibres such as polyester?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
Why must acetylene cylinders be stored and used in an upright position?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
Why are low-hydrogen electrodes such as E7018 kept in a heated holding oven after the pack is opened?
Pick an answer to see the reason.
Liked those? The full bank has 200 at this standard, with timed mocks at the real length and your weak topics tracked.
Get the full bank - AED 149There is no official syllabus, and the official site says so
The official FAQ on pacc.qiwa.sa asks whether there are resources workers can review before the test. Its answer, checked on 13 October 2026: 'There are no resources for the professional verification test as it's based on the general information for the test taker occupation.' No question bank, sample paper or standards document is published on the portal.
So anyone selling 'SVP past papers', 'Takamol dumps' or 'the real questions' is selling something the authority says does not exist. The 2021 ministry guide adds that questions are random and vary between candidates. What you can prepare is the trade itself: safe working practice, the right tools and their names, basic theory, and the standard way the job is done.
The nearest thing to a map is the list of 135 exam trades on the portal, which tells you which trade your occupation is tested under. The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) was a launch partner in 2021, but no document we found says its occupational standards are what the test is built on.
What happens if you fail
Abroad, no certificate means no work visa for that occupation. Ministerial Decision 137860 of 2021 makes passing a basic requirement for an entry visa for skilled workers. You can try three times, paying the full fee each time. The Kathmandu Post reported in July 2026 that workers who fail all three attempts cannot travel to Saudi Arabia for that work. No official waiting time between attempts is published.
Inside the Kingdom, passing is a condition for issuing or renewing the work permit in a covered occupation, and for changing your iqama profession into one. The 2021 ministry guide says a worker who fails three times 'will not be granted a work permit for the tested occupation'. A work permit is needed to renew an iqama, so in practice the iqama cannot be renewed in that occupation. That last step is our reading of two sources, not one official sentence.
Some websites say three failures lead to final exit or deportation. We found no official source for that. The official guide talks only about the work permit for the tested occupation. Treat deportation claims as unconfirmed. If someone uses them to frighten you into paying for help, ask them to show you the official document.
How to tell a real centre or website from a fake
You cannot choose your centre. The official user guide (version 7, November 2025) says the time and location 'will be assigned automatically and randomly'. An agent who promises a particular centre, an easy centre or a guaranteed pass is not describing the official process. Anyone, including your employer, can check a certificate on the portal's public 'Check certificate' and 'Labor result' pages.
Book on svp-international.qiwa.sa. The older address svp-international.pacc.sa redirects there. On 13 October 2026, search results also showed svp-internationalpaccsa.com, with no dot before 'pacc', which is not the official site. Pay only by card on the official portal. Pakistan's NAVTTC says you need only your passport and CNIC, and that Takamol is not a training or job provider.
Middlemen have charged well over the fee. In Bangladesh in August 2023, Prothom Alo found workers paying Tk 7,500 to 10,000 through agents and computer shops, and agents at one Dhaka centre asking Tk 10,000 to 12,000, against a USD 50 fee. In Nepal, the Kathmandu Post reported in July 2026 that Rs10,000 was collected against a fee of about Rs7,500, and the government sealed the Kathmandu ITI centre for lacking legal authorisation.
Which occupations need it, and why the numbers never match
On 13 October 2026 the official catalogue held 1,250 occupations. 855 were 'activated' for India and Pakistan, 714 for Bangladesh, 161 for Sri Lanka and 44 for Nepal. They are tested under 135 exam trades, one of which is an internal system category. Press figures of 5, 19, 33 or 73 trades are old snapshots of a list that keeps growing.
'Activated' is the portal's own word. We read it as 'the test is required for this visa occupation from this country', and the FAQ supports that: if your occupation is not among the mandatory ones, you do not need the test. But no official page says it in exactly those words. Check your own occupation and country on pacc.qiwa.sa rather than trusting a list on any blog, including this one.
Lists differ by country. Bangladesh lacks 27 occupations that India and Pakistan have, mostly in mining, quarrying, metal processing and drilling. Nepal's 44 are mostly sellers, cleaners, loaders and construction workers. On 30 July 2026 the Saudi embassy suspended visas for SVP jobs for Nepalis after the Kathmandu centre was sealed. We found no later report saying whether that has changed.
What you do not need to pay anyone for
You do not need an agent to book. Registration is direct on the portal with a passport and an email address or phone number. The fee is USD 85 to the portal, and nothing else is required. You do not need to buy a syllabus, because none exists. If an employer is recruiting you, the booking screen itself says the employer should refund one test fee for your visa occupation.
What may be worth your time is practice in your own trade: safety, tools, basic theory and good practice. That is general trade knowledge, not leaked questions, and nobody honest can sell you more than that. For scale, Pakistan's NAVTTC reports an overall pass rate of 80% up to 30 June 2026. No Saudi body publishes a pass rate.
Traps, scams and mistakes
- Choosing the wrong occupation. It cannot be changed once chosen, and it must match the occupation on your visa because MOFA checks the code.
- Typing the passport serial number instead of the passport number at sign-up. The number cannot be changed later.
- Budgeting for USD 50. The fee abroad has been USD 85 since 9 September 2026.
- Assuming the certificate lasts 5 years. A computer-only test or RPL certificate lasts 2 years.
- Paying an agent for a 'chosen' or 'easy' centre. Centres are assigned at random by the portal.
- Booking on a lookalike site such as svp-internationalpaccsa.com. The official site is svp-international.qiwa.sa.
- Missing the test. If you do not turn up you lose the fee. You can reschedule once, at least 72 hours before.
- Confusing SVP with QVP (USD 280, for degree and experience checks) or with the Saudi Council of Engineers registration for engineers.
- Assuming a home-country trade certificate replaces SVP. The 2021 guide says foreign certificates 'cannot be equated'. Since then RPL accepts approved certificates and licences, but only for a 2-year certificate.
- Thinking an SVP certificate for a driving occupation replaces a Saudi driving licence. It does not.
What we could not confirm
Stated rather than guessed. Check these with the authority before you rely on them.
- The number of questions in the test. No official figure is published.
- Separate pass marks for the computer test and the practical. Only the overall 50% is published.
- How long you must wait between attempts. No official figure was found.
- The exact length of the test for each trade. Sources range from 60 to 75 to 120 minutes to 'three hours' for Nepal. The FAQ gives 120 minutes as the maximum.
- What 'activated' means in law. We treat it as 'required', but the portal never says 'mandatory' next to it.
- How many listed centres are active today. The portal lists 53 for Pakistan, while NAVTTC says 62, of which 44 are active.
- The official fee in Indian rupees or Bangladeshi taka. Neither is published.
- India's National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) role in SVP. Only Fragomen, a law firm, has said so; no Indian government source was found.
- Bangladesh's current trade count (71 or 73) and whether the 2025 relaxations for cleaners and loaders still apply. Press reports only, from 2025.
- Nepal's status after 30 July 2026, when the Saudi embassy suspended visas for SVP jobs. No later source was found.
- Which Saudi visa system reads the certificate, Enjaz or Musaned. Official pages name only MOFA and the embassy.
- Whether TVTC national occupational standards are the basis for the test.
- That workers can check on Qiwa, with their iqama number, whether they still need the test. Third-party guides say so; no official page does.
- The step from failing SVP to losing iqama renewal. The work-permit rule is official (2021). The iqama step is our reading of two sources.
- Claims that failing three times leads to final exit, deportation or being 'sent back'. No official source supports them.
- Any official Saudi warning about SVP scams, and any news report of fake SVP certificates being sold in India or Pakistan. We found neither.
- Pass rates beyond Pakistan's 80% (NAVTTC) and Bangladesh's roughly 70-80% (press).
Frequently asked
USD 85 per attempt if you take it outside Saudi Arabia, from 9 September 2026. Before that it was USD 50, which is why many blogs still say USD 50. Inside the Kingdom the fee is SAR 702.6, paid by the employer. RPL, the document review for people with an approved certificate or licence, also costs USD 85. Source: the official PACC FAQ, checked 13 October 2026.
50%, according to the exam instructions on the official SVP International portal. No official source gives separate pass marks for the computer test and the practical. If your trade has both parts and you pass the practical but fail the computer test, the FAQ says you retake the whole test, because the two parts count together.
Up to three attempts, and you pay the full fee for each one. The official FAQ says: 'Yes, you should pay fees for each attempt.' No official waiting period between attempts has been published; you simply book again on the portal. Abroad, failing all three means no work visa for that occupation, as reported by the Kathmandu Post in July 2026.
It depends on the test. A certificate from a computer-only test lasts 2 years. One from a test that included a practical lasts 5 years. An RPL certificate, given after a document review, lasts 2 years. Many older sources say 5 years for everyone, which is now wrong. Source: the official PACC FAQ, checked 13 October 2026.
No. The official FAQ says there are no resources to review, because the test 'is based on the general information for the test taker occupation'. Questions are random and vary between candidates. Anyone selling real SVP questions is selling something the authority says does not exist. Prepare the trade itself: safety, tools, basic theory and good practice.
No. The official user guide (November 2025) says the time and location 'will be assigned automatically and randomly' after you choose your method, city and language. You can reschedule once, at least 72 hours before the test. An agent who says they can get you a particular centre is not describing the official process.
Not directly. Passing is required to issue or renew the work permit in a covered occupation, and the work permit is needed to renew the iqama. So in practice, if you are in a covered occupation and fail, your iqama cannot be renewed in that occupation. That chain comes from two sources; no single official sentence mentions the iqama.
Abroad, you cannot get a work visa for that occupation. Inside Saudi Arabia, the 2021 ministry guide says you 'will not be granted a work permit for the tested occupation'. Some websites say you will be deported or given final exit. We found no official source for that, so treat it as unconfirmed, and ask anyone who says it to show you the official text.
Nine: Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Filipino, Sinhala, Tamil, Bengali and Nepali. You choose the language at booking from the options offered for your occupation and country. In 2021 there were only five, so older guides give a shorter list. Source: the official PACC FAQ, checked 13 October 2026.
The official portal has public 'Check certificate' and 'Labor result' pages that anyone can use, including employers. The certificate also reaches the embassy electronically: the FAQ says that if it does not appear at the embassy, you send the certificate, visa application and passport to support. A certificate that cannot be found on the official portal should not be trusted.
Where these figures come from
PACC Professional Accreditation portal, SVP FAQ and terms (official)
Used for: Fees (USD 85, SAR 702.6, RPL USD 85), validity 2/5/2 years, 3 attempts and paying per attempt, 9 languages, up to 120 minutes, no resources to study, rescheduling and cancelling, results within 5 days, QVP USD 280. Checked 13 October 2026.
SVP International portal (official)
Used for: Fee update notice dated 9 September 2026, 50% pass mark, test methods, MOFA occupation check, employer refund declaration, online Prometric option. Checked 13 October 2026.
SVP International public API: categories, occupations, test centres (official)
Used for: 135 exam trades, 297 bookable occupations, 1,250 catalogue occupations and activation by country, 282 centres. Fetched 13 October 2026.
SVPI Individual User Guide, English V7 (official)
Used for: Booking steps, random centre and time, passport and ticket, USD 50 screenshots. Dated November 2025, linked from the portal.
SVP Local portal for employers in Saudi Arabia (official)
Used for: Employer packages, iqama or passport on test day, change-of-occupation booking.
HRSD news: launch of the Professional Verification programme (official)
Used for: Launch on 7 March 2021 and the two tracks.
HRSD: Ministerial Decision 137860 (official)
Used for: Legal basis: passing is required for an entry visa and for issuing or renewing a work permit. Published 26 May 2021.
HRSD SVP procedural guide, Arabic (official)
Used for: No work permit after three fails, profession change, foreign certificates not equated, random questions, Saudis voluntary. May 2021.
NAVTTC Pakistan, Takamol (SVP) page (official, Pakistan)
Used for: USD 85 as PKR 23,500-24,500, passport and CNIC only, automatic centre assignment, 80% pass rate to 30 June 2026, Takamol not a job provider.
Prothom Alo: the burden of extra cost
Used for: Agents in Bangladesh charging Tk 7,500-12,000 against a USD 50 fee. 29 August 2023.
The Business Standard (Bangladesh), three reports
Used for: Bangladesh trade counts, cleaners and loaders, relaxations, workers bearing the cost. July, September and November 2025.
Kathmandu Post: Saudi Arabia halts visas for Nepali workers needing skill certificates
Used for: Nepal scope, Rs10,000 charged against about Rs7,500, Kathmandu ITI centre sealed, three attempts, visa suspension. 30 July 2026.
Fragomen: Saudi Arabia professional verification scheme expanded
Used for: The unconfirmed claim of India's NSDC involvement. 4 January 2023.
Madhyamam: things to know about the professional verification programme
Used for: Unapproved centres not accepted; the unconfirmed 'sent back' claim. 2021.
Life in Saudi Arabia: Saudi professional verification programme
Used for: The unconfirmed 'final exit after three fails' claim. Undated, about 2021.
edoxi: Skill Verification Program exam schedule and eligibility
Used for: A secondary claim of deportation after failing, and a conflicting test length. 19 May 2026.
ARY News: Saudi Arabia skill verification certificate fee 2026
Used for: An example of the old USD 50 fee still being reported. 16 January 2026.
Al-Madina (search snippet only)
Used for: A work permit as a precondition for iqama renewal. About 2021.
Last reviewed October 2026. Fees and rules change without notice; tell us if one is stale and we will check it.
Keep reading
- Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) examFor engineers and SCE-registered technicians, who register with SCE rather than sit SVP.
- Saudi iqama profession mismatch: correction or paid changeIf the occupation on your iqama is not the job you do, sort that out before booking a test in it.
- Iqama renewal in Saudi ArabiaFees, the Absher and Muqeem flow, and what blocks approval.
- Saudi work visa: the employer's process and costsWhere the SVP certificate fits in recruitment from abroad.
- Saudi work permit guide
- Jawazat and Tasheel centres in Saudi Arabia