Oklahoma Locksmith Practice Exam

What function describes a lockset that permits emergency access when locked, but allows free egress?

1. Deadbolt

2. Privacy

3. Passage

4. Entry

The correct answer is: Privacy

The correct choice is one that describes a lockset designed for safety and accessibility. A privacy lockset allows for locking from the inside to ensure privacy, while still providing a mechanism that enables free egress (the ability to exit) even when locked. This is particularly important in situations where individuals may need to leave a space quickly during emergencies, such as in bathrooms or bedrooms, ensuring that while the inside can be secured for privacy, there remains no impediment to exit when necessary. This type of lockset is intentionally designed without a key mechanism on the exterior, yet it still incorporates a simple mechanism for opening from the inside, ensuring both safety and compliance with building codes regarding exit requirements. Other options, like deadbolts, focus more on security than egress, while passage locks don’t provide any locking feature at all, and entry locks usually require a key to unlock from the outside without provisions for emergency access.