BC Security Guard (BST) Mock Exam 1

All 75 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. How do responders confirm that everyone has left a building during an evacuation?

   1. Head counts at designated gathering points
   2. By checking the parking lot for cars
   3. By asking the last person out
   4. By waiting for phones to stop ringing

2. Who has the power to arrest an intoxicated person in a public place under LCLA section 74?

   1. The bar's general manager
   2. Any licensed door security guard
   3. Any adult who sees the person
   4. A police officer

3. Which licensed security workers may the registrar permit to carry a firearm on duty?

   1. Armoured car guards only
   2. Mobile patrol guards at night
   3. Guards at banks and jewellers
   4. Guards with ten years of experience

4. The employer says the work is safe but the guard still refuses. What happens next?

   1. The guard must do the work right away or be dismissed for insubordination
   2. The guard's licence is suspended
   3. A second investigation with a worker representative present
   4. The client decides the matter

5. A crowd is cheering on a fight in a mall food court. What should the guard do with the crowd?

   1. Direct them to leave, saying exactly where to go
   2. Ignore them and focus only on the fighters
   3. Let them stay and watch so that they can act as witnesses for police later
   4. Ask them to film the fight for evidence

6. Which feature is banned on a vehicle used for security patrols?

   1. A siren
   2. A spotlight for reading signs
   3. A dash camera
   4. A first aid kit in the trunk

7. May a licensed security company assign an unlicensed new hire to patrol a site for one night?

   1. Yes, for up to one week of on-the-job training
   2. No, it may assign only licensed workers
   3. Yes, if a licensed supervisor is on call by phone
   4. Yes, if the client agrees to it in writing

8. How long must a security business keep its use-of-force reports?

   1. At least 7 calendar years
   2. At least 1 calendar year
   3. At least 6 months
   4. At least 2 calendar years

9. Who must be consulted when setting check-in intervals for lone work?

   1. The building's landlord only
   2. The local police department
   3. The joint committee or worker rep, and the worker
   4. The client's insurance company and its loss-prevention adviser only

10. Which approach does CCOHS recommend with a person who keeps acting unreasonably?

    1. Take their side against the business
    2. Promise them anything they ask for
    3. Set ground rules and calmly explain the consequences
    4. Bargain with them until they finally agree to leave the premises

11. A suspect calmly walks away after a minor theft and is no danger to anyone. What is often the wiser choice?

    1. Chase the suspect into traffic to recover goods
    2. Block the suspect's car with a security vehicle
    3. Tackle the suspect before they reach the door
    4. Observe, note a description and call police

12. A co-worker asks you to sign a report saying you saw something you did not see. What does the code say?

    1. It is allowed if a supervisor approves the wording first
    2. False statements, and helping others break the rules, are banned
    3. It is allowed if the co-worker personally witnessed the event in question
    4. It is allowed when the report stays inside the company

13. A guard stands in a doorway to stop a person from leaving. Is this force under the B.C. rules?

    1. No, force requires touching the person
    2. No, only weapons and handcuffs count
    3. Yes, blocking access to or from a location is force
    4. Only if the person ends up injured as a result of being blocked in

14. What do the guidelines say about signs for video cameras?

    1. Signs should be posted only after an incident
    2. Signs must list each camera's serial number
    3. Signs are optional as long as the cameras themselves are easy to see
    4. Post clear notice before people enter, with a contact

15. What does the Criminal Code require an arrester to tell the person, where feasible?

    1. The arrester's home address
    2. The value of the property involved
    3. The reason for the arrest
    4. The penalty the person will receive

16. A person leaves when told, then walks back in ten minutes later. What does the Trespass Act say?

    1. It is an offence only if a sign is posted
    2. They have a fresh right to enter each day
    3. Re-entering after a direction to leave is an offence
    4. It is allowed as long as they are a paying customer of the business

17. Who may the registrar issue a temporary security worker licence to?

    1. A peace officer who wants a second job on weekends and holidays
    2. Any person who has failed the BST exam once
    3. A person offered a job by a licensed security business
    4. A tourist who wants to work one summer season

18. Under the B.C. Trespass Act, what is a security guard hired to manage a site usually?

    1. An authorized person for the occupier
    2. A conservation officer
    3. The legal owner of the premises
    4. A peace officer with full powers of arrest under the Act

19. What defence does a licensee have if a minor gets into a bar with very good fake ID?

    1. The minor came in with an adult friend who vouched for the minor's age
    2. They asked for, examined and reasonably believed the prescribed ID
    3. The minor looked older than 25 years
    4. The bar was very busy at the time

20. Who can be an 'occupier' of premises under the B.C. Trespass Act?

    1. Only the person registered as owner at the land title office
    2. A person in control of who may enter the premises
    3. Only a person who lives on the premises full time
    4. Only a tenant who has a written lease for over one year

21. Which rule applies whenever a security dog is working?

    1. It must be trained to bite and hold any person who runs away from it
    2. It may be handled by any guard on site who knows its name
    3. It may patrol alone inside a locked building after closing time
    4. It is controlled by an authorized guard and wears the business's ID tag

22. Why should a water extinguisher never be used on a burning electrical panel?

    1. Water freezes when it hits hot metal
    2. Water makes the fire spread to paper nearby
    3. Water is only for Class A fires and conducts electricity
    4. Water extinguishers are too small to reach the back of an electrical panel

23. Under B.C.'s Personal Information Protection Act, what is personal information?

    1. Only health and banking information
    2. Any information stored on a computer
    3. Only information a person writes down themselves
    4. Information about an identifiable individual

24. What standard of belief does s. 494 (1) (b) require about the fleeing person's offence?

    1. A hunch based on the person's appearance
    2. A written complaint signed by the victim
    3. Belief on reasonable grounds that they committed a criminal offence
    4. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt, the same standard a criminal court uses

25. When may a B.C. worker refuse to do a task under WorkSafeBC rules?

    1. With reasonable cause to believe it creates an undue hazard
    2. Whenever they find the task boring, unpleasant or outside their usual routine
    3. Only after the task has caused an injury
    4. Only if a co-worker agrees with them

26. What does the PASS method stand for when using a fire extinguisher?

    1. Push, Activate, Spray, Stop
    2. Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
    3. Point, Alert, Spray, Signal
    4. Pull, Alarm, Shout, Seal

27. Where is overt video surveillance clearly inappropriate according to the privacy commissioners' guidelines?

    1. Around banking machines and automated teller machines
    2. In washrooms and spa treatment rooms
    3. In a parking garage
    4. At a store's main entrance

28. What must a violence risk assessment consider?

    1. Only the guard's own height and weight
    2. Only incidents reported in the last month
    3. Only the opinions of the client's customers collected in a short survey
    4. Past incidents there, similar workplaces, and location and circumstances

29. Which security workers are exempt from showing their licence to anyone who asks?

    1. Door security at liquor establishments and armoured car guards
    2. Guards on night shifts and guards posted at hospitals or health clinics
    3. Mobile patrol guards and alarm responders
    4. Guards working fewer than 20 hours a week

30. A door guard doubts a patron is 19. How many pieces of ID should be checked?

    1. Two pieces
    2. Three pieces
    3. None, a verbal answer is enough
    4. One piece

31. Which of these meets the training requirement for a full B.C. security guard licence?

    1. A first aid and CPR certificate
    2. A licence from Quebec's security bureau
    3. A security worker licence from Alberta
    4. Two years as a retail cashier

32. Besides the word SECURITY, what else must a guard's uniform display?

    1. The name of the business that employs the guard
    2. The guard's home city and province
    3. The guard's security licence number printed in large digits
    4. The phone number of the local police

33. What is the longest term for which a regular B.C. security worker licence can be issued?

    1. 3 years
    2. 5 years
    3. 1 year
    4. 2 years

34. Where should you aim a fire extinguisher?

    1. At the top of the flames
    2. At the smoke above the fire
    3. At the wall behind the fire
    4. At the base of the fire

35. A guard tells a trespasser, 'I'm basically a police officer here.' What has the guard done?

    1. Misrepresented the nature of their legal authority
    2. Complied with the code's duty to co-operate with the police
    3. Given lawful notice under the Trespass Act
    4. Used a lawful method of de-escalation

36. Why may a witness not watch the trial before giving evidence?

    1. So other witnesses' testimony does not influence them
    2. Because only lawyers may watch trials
    3. Because the courtroom has limited seating
    4. Because witnesses must wait in the jury room until the trial has ended

37. Does door staff at a B.C. licensed bar need a security worker licence?

    1. Yes, door security is a security guard service
    2. No, bar staff are exempt from the Act
    3. Only if the bar holds more than 200 people
    4. Only if they also patrol the parking lot

38. Section 35 protects a guard acting for a person in peaceable possession of property who does what?

    1. Holds a trespasser's belongings until the trespasser pays for any damage done
    2. Reasonably prevents entry by, or removes, a person with no right to be there
    3. Locks a trespasser inside until morning
    4. Uses any act needed to punish a trespasser

39. When may personal information be collected without consent for an investigation under PIPA?

    1. Whenever a manager signs a form approving it
    2. Whenever a guard has a feeling that some investigation might start in the future
    3. Whenever the information has already been posted publicly on social media sites
    4. When asking would compromise the information and it is reasonable for the investigation

40. After stepping away from a threatening person, what should the guard not do?

    1. Go back alone if the person may be a physical threat
    2. File an incident report afterwards
    3. Call police or other security help
    4. Tell other staff to leave the area until the situation is under control

41. Which code of conduct rule applies most directly to writing incident reports?

    1. Never wilfully or negligently make a false statement
    2. Always type reports on a computer instead of writing them by hand
    3. Always write reports in the third person
    4. Always let the client edit the report first

42. A guard at a warehouse sees a man spray graffiti on the warehouse wall. Under s. 494 (2), what must the offence be?

    1. An offence committed during business hours
    2. An offence worth more than $5,000 in damage
    3. An offence that is also reported by a second, independent witness
    4. A criminal offence on or in relation to the property

43. Can a B.C. guard make a citizen's arrest for trespass under the provincial Trespass Act?

    1. No, the Act gives arrest power only to peace officers
    2. Yes, if the trespasser still refuses to leave after one full hour
    3. Yes, but only on land that is fully fenced
    4. Yes, after giving the trespasser one warning

44. What is the minimum age to apply for a full security guard licence in British Columbia?

    1. 21 years old
    2. 19 years old
    3. 18 years old
    4. 16 years old

45. A member of the public complains about a guard 18 months after learning of the incident. What may the registrar do?

    1. Must investigate every complaint regardless of timing
    2. Refer it to WorkSafeBC as a workplace matter
    3. Refuse to investigate, because over a year has passed
    4. Close it only if the guard has left the industry

46. Under B.C.'s Human Rights Code, a guard controlling entry to a mall must not refuse service because of what?

    1. A person's past theft at the mall
    2. A person's religion
    3. A person's intoxication
    4. A person's refusal to follow mall rules

47. A friend asks a guard what happened at their work site last night. What does the code of conduct require?

    1. Share only the names of people who were involved
    2. Share it once the guard's shift has ended
    3. Share it freely, as long as the friend promises not to post it anywhere online
    4. Keep work information confidential unless disclosure is required

48. Which of these is NOT 'premises' under the Trespass Act while it is being used?

    1. A storage trailer on a lot
    2. A boat moored at a dock
    3. A parked car on private land
    4. A train while it is in operation

49. Which sign is enough to give notice that cycling is prohibited?

    1. A sign giving the store's opening hours
    2. A green circle around a bicycle symbol
    3. A sign reading 'Bicycles at own risk'
    4. A bicycle symbol with an oblique line through it

50. Can a guard rely on section 34 to protect a cashier who is being attacked?

    1. Only if the cashier asks for help aloud
    2. Yes, it covers defending another person
    3. No, it covers only defending yourself
    4. Only if the cashier is a family member

51. When may an owner's agent arrest a suspect a reasonable time after a property offence?

    1. When the suspect comes back to the same property within one week of the offence
    2. When the stolen item is worth more than $5,000
    3. When the client's manager signs a written arrest order
    4. When they reasonably believe police cannot feasibly make the arrest

52. A banned person returns to a store and refuses to leave. What is the guard's best course?

    1. Take their phone until police arrive
    2. Arrest them under the Trespass Act right away as an authorized person
    3. Repeat the direction, record details and call police
    4. Lock the doors so they cannot leave

53. A guard monitors cameras live. When do the guidelines suggest turning recording on?

    1. Only when the client is on the premises
    2. Whenever an attractive customer appears
    3. Only during the first hour of each shift
    4. When unlawful activity is suspected or observed

54. Under WorkSafeBC rules, when is a guard 'working alone or in isolation'?

    1. Only when the guard has no phone or radio at all
    2. Only when no other person is within one kilometre
    3. When help would not be readily available if they were hurt or ill
    4. Only when the guard works alone between midnight and 6 a.m. in a building

55. Cameras in an apartment garage were installed for safety. Which use of the footage is acceptable?

    1. Tracking when a tenant comes home each night
    2. Selling footage of the lot to a marketing firm
    3. Giving footage of a car break-in to police
    4. Sharing clips of tenants on a staff group chat

56. A store keeps one worker alone after 11 p.m. Which measure is one of the required options?

    1. Keeping all cash in the till so that change can be made quickly
    2. Turning off the lights to look closed
    3. Asking customers to pay only in cash
    4. A locked barrier between the worker and the public

57. Section 494 (1) (b) allows a citizen's arrest of someone who has committed a criminal offence and is doing what?

    1. Refusing to give their name and address to the store's manager on request
    2. Leaving the premises after a staff argument
    3. Escaping while freshly pursued by people who may arrest
    4. Sitting in a car parked outside the property

58. Which class of fire involves energized electrical equipment?

    1. Class A
    2. Class K
    3. Class C
    4. Class B

59. A guard could not tell a struggling suspect why they were arrested. What is the effect under s. 29?

    1. It does not by itself remove the guard's protection
    2. The guard's security licence is suspended for 30 days by the registrar
    3. The suspect must be released immediately
    4. The arrest becomes automatically unlawful

60. When may a guard service use an unmarked vehicle?

    1. When the guard owns the vehicle and pays for its insurance personally
    2. When the customer asks in writing and the registrar agrees
    3. When the vehicle is a rental for under a month
    4. When patrols happen only after midnight

61. A guard protects a client's computer servers from theft of data. Is data 'property' under the Security Services Act?

    1. No, only land and buildings count as property
    2. Only when the data belongs to a government body
    3. Yes, property includes information and data
    4. Only if the data is stored on paper records

62. When may a B.C. security guard carry handcuffs on duty?

    1. Whenever the employer issues them to the guard for the shift
    2. Only on night shifts at high-risk sites
    3. After completing any online handcuff course
    4. Only with the registrar's authorization

63. Which worker information must a security business keep in its records?

    1. Each worker's grades from high school
    2. Each worker's political and religious views
    3. Each worker's personal social media account names and passwords
    4. Dates, hours and type of security work each shift

64. After signing a statement, a guard remembers an important detail. What should they do?

    1. Post it on the company's social media page
    2. Keep it to themselves to avoid confusion
    3. Give it to police as soon as they can
    4. Wait and mention it only if a lawyer happens to ask about it in court

65. A guard wants to work as a self-employed contractor for several clients. What licensing does B.C. require?

    1. Both a worker licence and a business licence
    2. A municipal business licence in place of both
    3. Only a business licence for the company name
    4. Only the worker licence, if they work alone

66. A guard finishes an incident report naming a shoplifter. How should it be handled?

    1. Posted on the store's front door as a warning to other shoppers
    2. Stored securely and shared only with those entitled
    3. Left on the counter for the next shift
    4. Sent to the guard's friends for advice

67. What must a marked guard-service vehicle display on both sides?

    1. The licence number of every guard who drives it
    2. The word PATROL in letters at least 15 cm high
    3. The word SECURITY in letters at least 7.5 cm high
    4. A reflective checkerboard band in blue and white

68. When may a security company collect a visitor's personal information under PIPA?

    1. Only if the visitor is suspected of a crime
    2. With consent, deemed consent, or where PIPA permits
    3. Only after a police officer has approved the request in writing
    4. Whenever the information might be useful later

69. A person asks a company for the personal information it holds about them. What does PIPA generally require?

    1. Provide it, and say how it was used, subject to exceptions
    2. Refuse, since records belong to the company
    3. Provide it only if the person asking is an employee of the organization
    4. Provide it only through a court order

70. Patrons outside a bar start to fight and threaten more violence. What does the law expect?

    1. Call the police immediately
    2. Close the doors and ignore the street
    3. Wait to see if the fight stops by itself
    4. Ask other patrons to break it up

71. After a guard reports a new criminal charge to the province, may they keep working?

    1. Yes, unless the Security Programs Division says to stop
    2. No, any criminal charge automatically suspends the guard's licence
    3. Only after a hearing clears them of the charge
    4. Only if their employer signs a written guarantee

72. A guard directs a loiterer to leave. When does the person commit an offence?

    1. Only if they damage property on the way out
    2. Only after a third warning from the guard
    3. If they do not leave as soon as practicable
    4. Only if they are back on the site within 24 hours

73. Which use of force does the B.C. code of conduct prohibit?

    1. Any force at all, even in self-defence
    2. Force that is reported the same day
    3. Force used by guards under age 25
    4. Unnecessary force

74. Which of these jobs is part of a security guard service under the Security Services Act?

    1. Selling body armour to the public
    2. Rekeying locks for a landlord
    3. Door security at a licensed bar
    4. Installing a home alarm panel

75. A guard gave police a written statement. Can it become trial evidence without the guard testifying?

    1. Yes, as long as the statement is typed, dated and signed by the guard
    2. Yes, written statements replace testimony
    3. No, the guard must testify in court
    4. Yes, if the employer signs it as well