# Intoxication and over-service: practice quiz > Practise the intoxication part of Serving It Right: signs to watch for, standard drinks, BAC limits, and factors like food, weight and tolerance. Answers explained. Canonical: https://servingitrighttest.ca/practice/intoxication Last updated: 2026-10-26 Questions on how intoxication happens, what to watch for, standard drink math and BAC, all from the Serving It Right manual and BC law. This page has an interactive practice test (Serving It Right practice test): a random draw from 124 questions, pass mark 80%. Every question and answer is listed below. ## Numbers to know *From the Serving It Right manual (Province of BC, July 2026).* | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | One standard drink | 0.6 oz (13.6 g) of pure alcohol | | Beer, 5% | 12 oz | | Wine, 12% | 5 oz | | Spirits, 40% | 1.5 oz | | Liver processing rate | About one standard drink an hour | | BC Motor Vehicle Act | BAC 0.05: provincial penalties | | Criminal Code | BAC 0.08: criminal offence | To work out any drink: ounces × alcohol percentage ÷ 0.6 = standard drinks. A 20 oz pint of 6% beer is 20 × 0.06 = 1.2 oz, or two standard drinks. ## Study every question ### Alcohol, intoxication and preventing over-service (32) **BC law says you must not sell or serve liquor to a person who is…** A. Intoxicated or showing signs of intoxication B. Over 65 C. Not eating D. Drinking alone Answer: A. No one may sell, serve or give liquor to an intoxicated person or a person showing signs of intoxication. **As well as not serving intoxicated people, licensees and staff must not…** A. Serve anyone more than three drinks B. Allow a person in the service area to become intoxicated C. Serve doubles D. Serve after 11 p.m. Answer: B. The Act also forbids allowing a person in the service area to become intoxicated, so your job starts before the signs show. **How much 5% beer makes one standard drink?** A. 5 oz B. 8 oz C. 12 oz D. 20 oz Answer: C. 12 oz of 5% beer holds 0.6 oz of pure alcohol: one standard drink. **How much 12% wine makes one standard drink?** A. 2 oz B. 3 oz C. 9 oz D. 5 oz Answer: D. 5 oz of 12% wine holds 0.6 oz of pure alcohol: one standard drink. **How much 40% spirits makes one standard drink?** A. 1.5 oz B. 1 oz C. 2 oz D. 3 oz Answer: A. 1.5 oz of 40% spirits holds 0.6 oz of pure alcohol: one standard drink. **In Canada, a standard drink contains how much pure alcohol?** A. 0.3 oz (8.5 g) B. 0.6 oz (13.6 g) C. 1 oz (28 g) D. 1.5 oz (43 g) Answer: B. A Canadian standard drink is any drink with 0.6 oz (13.6 grams) of pure alcohol. **A drink made with 3 oz of 40% spirits is about how many standard drinks?** A. One B. One and a half C. Two D. Three Answer: C. 3 oz × 0.40 = 1.2 oz of alcohol. That’s 0.6 oz twice over, so two standard drinks. **A 20 oz pint of 6% craft beer is about how many standard drinks?** A. Half B. One C. Three D. Two Answer: D. 20 oz × 0.06 = 1.2 oz of alcohol, which is two standard drinks of 0.6 oz each. **A 9 oz glass of 12% wine is about how many standard drinks?** A. Almost two B. One C. Half D. Three Answer: A. 9 oz × 0.12 = 1.08 oz of alcohol, close to two standard drinks (1.2 oz). **About how fast does the liver process alcohol?** A. Three standard drinks an hour B. About one standard drink an hour C. One standard drink every 15 minutes D. It depends only on how much water they drink Answer: B. The liver processes alcohol at a fairly fixed rate of about one standard drink (0.6 oz) an hour. Drinking faster than that builds up intoxication. **What actually sobers a person up?** A. Black coffee B. A cold shower C. Time D. Dancing Answer: C. Only time sobers a person up. Coffee, showers and exercise don’t speed it up. **On an empty stomach, alcohol can reach the brain in as little as…** A. One hour B. 30 minutes C. 15 minutes D. About three minutes Answer: D. Alcohol can be absorbed and reach the brain in as little as three minutes. **How does food affect alcohol?** A. It slows how fast alcohol gets into the bloodstream, but doesn’t soak it up B. It absorbs the alcohol so it has no effect C. It speeds absorption D. It makes no difference Answer: A. Food slows absorption; it doesn’t absorb the alcohol. The effect still comes, just more slowly. **Which food does the most to slow alcohol absorption?** A. Salty snacks B. Food high in fat and protein C. Sugary desserts D. Plain crackers Answer: B. Fat and protein digest slowly and slow alcohol’s movement into the blood. Sugary or starchy food helps less, and salty food makes people thirsty. **Two patrons both weigh 85 kg. Which one is likely to become intoxicated sooner?** A. The more muscular one B. They’ll be exactly the same C. The one with more body fat D. The taller one Answer: C. Fatty tissue holds less water than muscle, so at the same weight the person with more body fat dilutes alcohol less. **Why do females generally become intoxicated faster than males?** A. They drink faster B. They choose stronger drinks C. They don’t; it’s a myth D. More body fat, less body water and lower levels of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol Answer: D. Females generally have more body fat, less body water and less of the enzyme that metabolizes alcohol. **A regular with a high tolerance has had many drinks but seems fine. What’s the risk?** A. They may not show early signs, so you can underestimate how intoxicated they are B. They can’t become intoxicated C. Tolerance lowers their BAC D. There’s no risk Answer: A. People with high tolerance may not show the early signs, but they do become intoxicated. Count drinks as well as watching behaviour. **A patron comes in after a long shift on very little sleep. How might that affect them?** A. Alcohol will affect them less B. Alcohol may affect them more C. No effect at all D. They’ll sober up faster Answer: B. Physical, mental or emotional fatigue and stress make a person more susceptible to alcohol. **What’s the most useful thing to watch for when judging intoxication?** A. How much they tip B. What they order C. A change in their behaviour since they arrived D. Whether they came with friends Answer: C. Assess patrons when they arrive. A later change in speech, mood or coordination is often the first sign. **Which of these is a sign of changing coordination?** A. Ordering a glass of water B. Asking for the bill C. Talking about work D. Fumbling with a wallet or missing the straw Answer: D. Struggling with a card, fumbling change or missing a straw are early coordination changes; bumping into furniture is a later one. **A patron switches to shooters and keeps forgetting where they left their drink. This points to…** A. Impaired judgment B. A good mood C. High tolerance D. Nothing in particular Answer: A. Forgetting things and speeding up with bigger or faster drinks such as shooters are signs of impaired judgment. **Which condition can produce symptoms that look like intoxication?** A. Sunburn B. Diabetes or hypoglycemia C. A cold sore D. Hiccups Answer: B. Diabetes, hypoglycemia, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and some disabilities can look like intoxication. Your first assessment matters. **A patron seems confused after just one drink and is wearing a medical alert bracelet. What do you do?** A. Eject them for being drunk B. Serve them another drink C. Stop alcohol service, ask if they feel ill and help them get medical attention D. Ignore it Answer: C. Ask whether they feel ill and check for a medical alert bracelet. Stopping service and getting medical help could save a life. **What does combining alcohol and cannabis usually do?** A. The two cancel each other out B. Makes people more alert C. Nothing different D. Causes more intense intoxication than either one alone Answer: D. Using alcohol and cannabis together generally produces a more intense intoxication. Edibles may not smell, so stay alert. **Why is mixing alcohol with energy drinks risky?** A. The caffeine can hide how drunk a person feels, so they drink more B. Energy drinks contain alcohol C. It lowers blood alcohol D. It’s illegal Answer: A. Caffeine can mask feelings of intoxication, leaving someone “wide awake and drunk” and likely to overconsume. **Alcohol is a…** A. Stimulant B. Depressant C. Hallucinogen D. Painkiller Answer: B. Alcohol is a depressant. A mild early lift is followed by a down feeling as people drink more. **In BC, what happens to a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 or more?** A. Nothing B. An automatic Criminal Code charge C. Provincial penalties under BC’s Motor Vehicle Act D. Only a warning Answer: C. BC’s Motor Vehicle Act treats 0.05 as the level where driving is affected. It isn’t a criminal offence, but provincial penalties are significant. **Driving with what blood alcohol concentration is a criminal offence under the Criminal Code?** A. 0.02 B. 0.05 C. 0.10 D. 0.08 Answer: D. The Criminal Code sets driving impairment at a BAC of 0.08. **After someone’s last drink, how long can it take for their blood alcohol to peak?** A. Up to 30 minutes B. About 5 minutes C. About 3 hours D. About 12 hours Answer: A. It may take up to 30 minutes after the last drink to reach the highest BAC, so someone can seem fine at last call and be worse at the door. **Does mixing different kinds of drinks make someone more intoxicated?** A. Yes, much more B. No; the amount of alcohol is what counts, though mixing can make hangovers worse C. Only beer and wine together D. Only spirits Answer: B. Mixing drinks doesn’t raise intoxication; total alcohol does. It can make a hangover or nausea more likely. **What are the only accurate ways to measure blood alcohol?** A. Counting drinks B. Watching behaviour C. An approved screening device such as a breathalyzer, or a blood test D. Asking the patron Answer: C. Only an approved screening device or a blood test measures BAC accurately. Counting standard drinks gives servers a practical estimate. **Which order gives a patron the most alcohol in one drink?** A. A light beer B. A 5 oz glass of 9% wine C. A 12 oz bottle of 5% beer D. A double, or a drink with more than one kind of liquor Answer: D. Doubles and drinks made with several liquors usually hold more alcohol than a single, so they speed up intoxication. ## Sources - [Serving It Right program manual, July 2026 (Province of British Columbia, PDF)](https://www.responsibleservicebc.gov.bc.ca/files/4309-BC_SIR_FINAL-JULY-29-2026-pdf) (checked 2026-10-26) - [Liquor Control and Licensing Act, SBC 2015, c. 19 (BC Laws)](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/15019) (checked 2026-10-26) Not affiliated with the Government of British Columbia, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch or the Serving It Right program. ## Related - [Serving It Right practice test](https://servingitrighttest.ca/serving-it-right-practice-test) - [Checking ID and minors: practice quiz](https://servingitrighttest.ca/practice/checking-id) - [Liquor law and licensee duties: practice quiz](https://servingitrighttest.ca/practice/liquor-law) - [Serving It Right for bartenders](https://servingitrighttest.ca/for/bartenders)