# Smart Serve vs Serving It Right

> Smart Serve (Ontario) vs Serving It Right (BC): cost, test, pass mark and expiry side by side, and whether either certificate counts in the other province.

Canonical: https://smartservepracticetest.ca/vs/smart-serve-vs-serving-it-right
Last updated: 2026-10-26

**Smart Serve** is Ontario’s responsible alcohol service program; **Serving It Right** is British Columbia’s. They teach the same idea under different laws, and they don’t simply swap. Here’s how they compare, from each program’s own pages.

## Side by side

*From smartserve.ca and responsibleservicebc.gov.bc.ca, checked October 26, 2026.*
|  | Smart Serve (Ontario) | Serving It Right (BC) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Course cost | $44.95 (Full Course) | Free course |
| Exam cost | Included | $40 plus tax for 3 attempts |
| Exam | 33 questions | 35 questions |
| Pass mark | 80% (27 of 33) | 80% (28 of 35) |
| Time limit | About 30 minutes, one sitting | None |
| Attempts | 2 per purchase | 3 per exam purchase |
| Proctored | Yes, by webcam | Taken online |
| Languages | English, French, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Punjabi | English |
| Valid for | 5 years | 5 years |

## Moving from Ontario to BC

BC’s Serving It Right FAQ says **servers** relocating to BC with a valid, current certificate from another Canadian jurisdiction are exempt from BC’s training requirement. That exemption doesn’t cover **licensees, managers or retail liquor store workers**, who still need Serving It Right, and BC notes your employer may still ask for it.

## Moving from BC to Ontario

In Ontario, the AGCO says **Smart Serve is the only Board-approved program** for the broader liquor sector (bars, restaurants, events). Other approved programs are limited to retail stores or delivery. A Serving It Right certificate isn’t on the AGCO’s list, so plan to take Smart Serve before you work with alcohol in Ontario.

## Which one do you need?

- **Working in Ontario:** Smart Serve (or, in a retail store only, an approved retail course).
- **Working in BC as a server with a valid Smart Serve:** you may be exempt; check with your employer.
- **Managing or licensing in BC:** Serving It Right.

## Questions people ask

### Is Smart Serve valid in BC?

BC exempts servers who move there with a valid, current certificate from another Canadian jurisdiction. Licensees, managers and retail liquor store workers still need Serving It Right, and employers may require it anyway.

### Is Serving It Right valid in Ontario?

It isn’t on the AGCO’s list of approved programs. In Ontario, Smart Serve is the only program approved for bars, restaurants and the broader liquor sector.

### Which is harder, Smart Serve or Serving It Right?

Both need 80%. Smart Serve has 33 questions with about 30 minutes; Serving It Right has 35 questions and no time limit. The content follows each province’s own laws.

## Sources

- [Smart Serve Ontario: home page (courses and prices)](https://smartserve.ca/) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [Smart Serve Ontario: Smart Serve Full Course](https://smartserve.ca/full-course/) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [Smart Serve Ontario: Proctored Testing](https://smartserve.ca/proctored-testing/) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [Responsible Service BC: Serving It Right FAQs](https://www.responsibleservicebc.gov.bc.ca/support/serving-it-right-faqs) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [AGCO: Responsible liquor sale, service and delivery training](https://www.agco.ca/en/alcohol/responsible-liquor-sale-service-and-delivery-training) (checked 2026-10-26)

Not affiliated with Smart Serve Ontario or the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

## Related

- [How to get your Smart Serve certificate](https://smartservepracticetest.ca/smart-serve-certificate)
- [The Smart Serve test: what to expect](https://smartservepracticetest.ca/smart-serve-test)
- [Smart Serve practice test](https://smartservepracticetest.ca/smart-serve-practice-test)
- [Smart Serve vs food handler certificate](https://smartservepracticetest.ca/vs/smart-serve-vs-food-handler-certificate)