Canada Exam Prep
Ontario Private Investigator overview

Ontario Private Investigator Mock Exam 2

Same format as the real test. Answers stay hidden until you submit.

  • 60 questions
  • 75 min
  • Pass mark 47/60
0/60
Mock exam 2 · Question 175:00

Which kind of matter is NOT governed by Ontario's Rules of Civil Procedure?

All 60 questions in this test

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

  1. Which kind of matter is NOT governed by Ontario's Rules of Civil Procedure?

    1. A neighbours' dispute over a property line
    2. A lawsuit for breach of a business contract
    3. A criminal prosecution
    4. A damages claim after a slip and fall

  2. Under the Code of Conduct, what is a private investigator prohibited from doing while working?

    1. Working for more than one licensed agency
    2. Using a personal vehicle for surveillance
    3. Being unfit for duty because of alcohol or drugs
    4. Working more than ten hours in one day

  3. Which job title may a licensed private investigator use to describe their work?

    1. Law enforcement consultant
    2. Private detective
    3. Investigations officer
    4. Licensed private investigator

  4. In surveillance training, what does being made mean?

    1. The video has been sealed as evidence
    2. The file has been approved by the client
    3. The subject has identified the person watching them
    4. The investigator has finished a full shift

  5. With one party's consent, you save an intercepted electronic message on a USB drive. How should the drive be treated?

    1. As a personal copy you may keep at home
    2. As waste to be deleted once the report is filed
    3. As a draft that can be edited for the report
    4. As evidence, stored in a secure location

  6. You collect a dropped item as evidence. What should you write on the evidence bag?

    1. Your opinion of how the item was used
    2. The subject's name and the client's file fee
    3. Your initials and the date and time gathered
    4. Nothing, so the court sees it untouched

  7. Why should you not rely only on a digital recorder for surveillance notes?

    1. Recordings of your own voice are inadmissible
    2. Clients will not pay for transcription time
    3. Batteries can drain and the device can malfunction
    4. The PSISA bans recorders during surveillance

  8. Which provincial law, along with the Code of Conduct, requires private investigators to treat all persons equally?

    1. The Ontario Human Rights Code
    2. The Liquor Licence and Control Act
    3. The Trespass to Property Act
    4. The Provincial Offences Act

  9. An applicant has a conviction for an offence that is not listed in the Clean Criminal Record regulation. What does the study guide say?

    1. They may be eligible after the branch reviews the file
    2. They must first obtain a pardon before applying again
    3. The conviction is ignored and never reviewed by anyone
    4. They are automatically refused a licence for five years

  10. Under section 423(2), attending near a dwelling is not watching or besetting when it is done only to:

    1. Show the occupant they are being watched
    2. Wait until the occupant agrees to talk
    3. Obtain or communicate information
    4. Pressure the occupant to settle a claim

  11. A client sues a former partner in civil court. What standard of proof applies?

    1. A balance of probabilities
    2. Reasonable and probable grounds
    3. Proof beyond all possible doubt
    4. Beyond a reasonable doubt

  12. Section 494(1)(b) allows any person to arrest someone they believe committed a criminal offence when that person is:

    1. Escaping and freshly pursued by people with authority to arrest
    2. Known to have committed similar offences in the past
    3. Seen on video committing the offence a week earlier
    4. Named as a suspect by a reliable witness who calls you the next morning

  13. A witness says a co-worker told her he saw the theft. Why is this hearsay of questionable reliability?

    1. The witness was not under oath when the co-worker spoke
    2. Hearsay is reliable only if written down the same day
    3. The co-worker is not in court and cannot be cross-examined
    4. Workplace conversations are excluded by the Evidence Act

  14. Before signing, a witness asks to remove a sentence from her statement. How is the change made?

    1. Strike a line through it; both of you initial the start and end
    2. Leave it in and add a note on the last page
    3. Use correction fluid on the sentence and have only the witness initial it
    4. Rewrite the whole page and destroy the original

  15. What do yellow markings posted at the entrances to a property mean?

    1. Entry is allowed, but only during daylight
    2. The property is under video surveillance
    3. Entry is prohibited except for certain permitted activities
    4. Entry is prohibited for everyone at all times, with no exceptions at all

  16. Under the PSISA, what kind of paid work requires a private investigator licence?

    1. Occasional fact-checking done as a small part of another job
    2. Work that mainly consists of investigations to provide information
    3. Work that mainly consists of patrolling to protect property
    4. Any job that involves regularly reading public court records for others

  17. Section 27 justifies reasonable force to prevent an offence that is arrestable without warrant and that would likely cause:

    1. A breach of a company's internal policy
    2. Immediate and serious injury to a person or property
    3. An embarrassing public scene in a store
    4. A financial loss to a client of any amount

  18. How does the PI training syllabus describe the concept of duty of care?

    1. The duty to protect a client's reputation at all costs
    2. The duty to report every offence seen to the Registrar
    3. What a reasonable person should do in a particular situation
    4. The duty to finish every case within the time and budget set by the client

  19. At the start of an interview with a witness, what should you do?

    1. Start recording secretly before saying who you are
    2. Ask your hardest questions before any greeting
    3. Tell the witness all confidential facts of the case
    4. Greet the witness, identify yourself and show your licence

  20. When is an undercover operation generally used?

    1. As the first step in every workplace case
    2. Only when the police ask the agency for help
    3. As a last resort after other techniques are exhausted
    4. Whenever the client prefers not to pay for surveillance

  21. What type of evidence are surveillance photographs and video considered?

    1. Hearsay evidence
    2. Opinion evidence
    3. Illustrative evidence
    4. Unsworn evidence

  22. You want to request a record held by a city's planning department. Which law applies?

    1. PSISA
    2. PIPEDA
    3. FIPPA
    4. MFIPPA

  23. Which statement matches the Criminal Code definition of a false pretence?

    1. Any exaggerated praise of a product's quality
    2. A promise about something in the future that the person later fails to keep
    3. A known false statement of fact made to induce someone to act
    4. An honest mistake in a business invoice

  24. You install a wireless camera that sends images to another location. What privacy issue should you consider?

    1. Whether the subject's employer has a camera policy
    2. Whether the lens is wide enough to show the whole room
    3. Whether the camera brand is approved by the Registrar
    4. Whether the signal is encrypted and could be intercepted

  25. A client asks you, a licensed PI, to collect overdue accounts from tenants. What does the PSISA say?

    1. You may do it if you hold a dual licence
    2. You may do it if you identify yourself as a private investigator first
    3. A PI licensee must not act in the collection of accounts
    4. You may do it if the client is a licensed landlord

  26. Which skill does the study guide link to acting under stress?

    1. Knowing how to write a business plan
    2. Knowing how to bill overtime correctly when a surveillance runs late
    3. Knowing how to repair a broken camera
    4. Knowing how to react if exposed during surveillance

  27. According to section 26 of the Criminal Code, what is a person authorized to use force responsible for?

    1. Only force used on private property
    2. Only force that causes death
    3. Any excess of force they use
    4. Nothing, if they were making an arrest

  28. When should you write your investigative report after an interview?

    1. Immediately after the interview
    2. After the case goes to court
    3. At the end of the week with other reports
    4. Only if the client asks for one

  29. Which of these courts is the highest court in Canada?

    1. The Federal Court of Appeal
    2. The Supreme Court of Canada
    3. The Tax Court of Canada
    4. The Ontario Court of Appeal

  30. You are testifying about a surveillance file. How may you use your notes on the witness stand?

    1. With the court's permission, as a memory aid
    2. Hand them to the judge instead of testifying
    3. Read them aloud word for word without asking
    4. Not at all, because notes are always hearsay

  31. When is personal service of a document complete?

    1. When you hand it to the named person, even if they refuse it
    2. Only when the person signs to accept it
    3. Only when the person reads it in front of you
    4. Only when you leave it with an adult who lives at the person's address

  32. When section 25 applies to a private investigator, how much force may they use?

    1. No force at all, as a private citizen
    2. Only the force a peace officer approves on scene
    3. As much as is necessary, acting on reasonable grounds
    4. Any force the investigator feels like using

  33. Which is a decision-making skill the study guide expects of private investigators?

    1. Telling relevant facts apart from irrelevant ones
    2. Making decisions quickly without checking facts
    3. Relying on first impressions of a subject
    4. Letting the client make every judgment call

  34. In a criminal trial, what must the Crown prove?

    1. Guilt by clear written admission
    2. Guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
    3. Guilt on a balance of probabilities
    4. Guilt on a reasonable suspicion

  35. Before going undercover in a workplace, which briefing topic does the study guide list?

    1. Who the supervisors and any known suspects are
    2. The client's annual profit and tax filings
    3. The home addresses of all the employees
    4. The salaries of the company's managers

  36. Maria holds both a security guard and a private investigator licence. What rule applies to her work?

    1. She may do both roles at once only on the same client's premises
    2. She cannot act as a guard and an investigator at the same time
    3. She must choose one licence and surrender the other within a year
    4. She needs written approval from the Registrar for each shift

  37. Under section 322 of the Criminal Code, when is theft committed?

    1. When something is taken fraudulently and without colour of right
    2. Only when the item taken is worth more than $5,000 and is sold afterwards
    3. Only when the item leaves the building
    4. Only when the owner is present and sees it

  38. Which ability does the syllabus list under adaptability for private investigators?

    1. Keeping the same routine on every file
    2. Choosing clients based on personal comfort
    3. Refusing assignments in uncomfortable settings
    4. Adjusting appearance or persona to suit the assignment

  39. Who may arrest a person found committing a criminal offence on or in relation to property?

    1. Any investigator hired by a neighbouring business that saw the offence
    2. Only the property's insurance company
    3. Only the police force for that municipality
    4. The owner or lawful possessor, or someone they authorize

  40. After making a citizen's arrest, what must a private investigator do?

    1. Deliver the person to a peace officer as soon as possible
    2. Hold the person until a lawyer arrives to advise them
    3. Release the person after taking a written statement
    4. Take the person to the client's office for questioning

  41. Which is one of the general rules for all communications in the study guide?

    1. Always use formal legal language
    2. Speak loudly to show confidence
    3. Repeat each point at least three times
    4. Do not be antagonistic

  42. Do you need a private investigator licence to serve legal documents in Ontario?

    1. No, but you need a bailiff licence
    2. Yes, only licensed investigators may serve
    3. Yes, unless a lawyer serves them personally
    4. No, generally anyone can serve documents

  43. You find an employee used a company computer for illegal activity. How do you best protect the evidence?

    1. Let the employee keep working so they do not suspect
    2. Delete the illegal files so they cannot spread
    3. Copy the files to your own laptop for safekeeping
    4. Isolate the computer and make sure no one else uses it

  44. Your file is missing the subject's date of birth before surveillance starts. What should you do?

    1. Ask the subject's neighbours for it
    2. Phone the subject pretending to be a pollster
    3. Start anyway and guess from the subject's looks
    4. Check the file or contact your office to confirm it

  45. Which duty appears in the Code of Conduct for individual licensees while working?

    1. Share useful information with any client who asks for it
    2. Keep work information confidential unless disclosure is required
    3. Keep all information secret even when a law or the work requires disclosure
    4. Report every case to police before telling the client

  46. What arrest powers does a licensed private investigator have in Ontario?

    1. Special powers granted by the PSISA
    2. The same as a peace officer
    3. The same as a by-law enforcement officer
    4. The same as any member of the public

  47. How must a public complaint against a licensee normally be filed with the Registrar?

    1. In writing and signed, within 90 days of the events
    2. In person at a police station within one year
    3. By phone to ServiceOntario within 30 days
    4. Online and anonymously at any time after the events

  48. An applicant was convicted of an offence listed in the Clean Criminal Record regulation and has no pardon. What happens?

    1. They may work under a provisional licence until the Registrar holds a hearing
    2. They may be licensed after a one-year waiting period
    3. They are not eligible and the application cannot be processed
    4. They may be licensed if their employer vouches for them

  49. Why must private investigators understand the difference between indictable and summary conviction offences?

    1. Summary conviction offences must be reported to the Registrar within five days
    2. Only summary offences can be prosecuted in Ontario
    3. A citizen may arrest a person found committing an indictable offence
    4. Indictable offences are handled only by civil courts

  50. When is recording a private conversation NOT an offence under section 184 of the Criminal Code?

    1. When one party to the conversation consents
    2. When the conversation is about a crime
    3. When the client requested the recording
    4. When the recording is made by a licensed PI

  51. While openly working as a private investigator, a member of the public asks who you are. What must you do?

    1. Give only your first name and your employer's main office phone number
    2. Identify yourself as a private investigator and produce your licence
    3. Show your business card instead of the licence itself
    4. Refuse, because your work is confidential under the PSISA

  52. Once a witness starts talking freely, what is the recommended practice?

    1. Do not interrupt, and take notes discreetly
    2. Correct each error the moment you hear it
    3. Stop them often to summarize what they said
    4. Show disbelief so they add more detail

  53. A young witness does not seem to understand the nature of an oath. According to the study guide, who should be consulted?

    1. The client who hired you
    2. The Registrar
    3. The witness's employer
    4. The Crown

  54. You need a statement from a 16-year-old witness. What is industry practice?

    1. Wait until the youth turns 18 before taking a statement
    2. Have the youth's teacher sign in place of a parent
    3. Get a parent's or guardian's permission and let them be present
    4. Interview the youth alone so that their answers are not influenced by adults

  55. You see a person committing an indictable offence. What does section 494 allow?

    1. Only a peace officer may arrest them
    2. Any person may arrest them without a warrant
    3. You may arrest only if you are on duty
    4. You may arrest only with the client's consent

  56. Which task is part of a supervisor's role in managing an undercover operator?

    1. Debriefing the operator in person after each shift
    2. Working beside the operator on every shift
    3. Writing the operator's reports on their behalf
    4. Telling co-workers the operator's real identity

  57. When may an individual licensee misrepresent the type of licence they hold?

    1. When the misrepresentation is made only in writing
    2. When concealing their identity as an investigator to do their duties
    3. When their licence is within 90 days of renewal
    4. When a client asks them to appear more senior or experienced than they are

  58. Which item may a private investigator carry as identification or a symbol of authority?

    1. A metal badge with the company logo
    2. A photo ID card reading Investigations Officer
    3. Only the licence issued under the PSISA
    4. A wallet badge that resembles a police shield

  59. Co-workers invite you, undercover, to share drugs to earn their trust. What does the study guide say?

    1. Accept once, since it protects your cover
    2. Accept, then note it in your report
    3. Accept if the client has authorized it in advance to protect your cover
    4. Decline, because it would damage your credibility in court

  60. To serve a document, you must get inside an apartment building with a locked lobby. What applies?

    1. You may enter if you show your licence to the superintendent
    2. You may follow a resident in, since service is urgent
    3. Serving a court document overrides the building's rules
    4. You must still comply with the Trespass to Property Act

Keep practising