Alberta Security Guard (ABST): Notes, reports and evidence preservation

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1. A guard heard a person make a statement but did not see the underlying event. Which distinction must the record preserve?

   1. Every statement heard must automatically be treated as proved true.
   2. The guard may record the event as personally seen if the speaker seemed honest.
   3. Hearing the statement differs from witnessing the event.
   4. Every reported statement is automatically inadmissible in every court.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Hearing the statement differs from witnessing the event.

   Record what the guard actually perceived and identify the statement’s source. Court admissibility depends on context; this practice question does not decide it by a blanket rule.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 4, 20; source checked 2026-10-24

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2. A guard notices a mistaken word in a notebook entry. How should it be corrected?

   1. Erase the word completely so the change cannot be seen.
   2. Remove the page and rewrite the account without explanation.
   3. Keep the original readable and make the correction visible.
   4. Cover the original with opaque material before replacing it.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Keep the original readable and make the correction visible.

   A correction should preserve the integrity of the original entry and show that a change was made. Concealing or removing the original defeats that purpose.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 7–8; source checked 2026-10-24

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3. The cause of a damaged gate is unknown. Which report wording is most appropriate?

   1. State that deliberate vandalism is proved by damage alone.
   2. Choose a likely cause so the report has no unanswered question.
   3. Blame the last person seen nearby without supporting facts.
   4. Describe the damage and state that the cause is unknown.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Describe the damage and state that the cause is unknown.

   The report should record known facts and their limits. An unknown cause must not be filled with a convenient assumption about intention or responsibility.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 3–4; source checked 2026-10-24

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4. Why use an agreed phonetic alphabet when a radio letter is unclear?

   1. To turn an uncertain observation into a confirmed identity.
   2. To ensure only police officers can understand the message.
   3. To distinguish similar-sounding letters in the message.
   4. To avoid giving a location when requesting assistance.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: To distinguish similar-sounding letters in the message.

   An agreed phonetic alphabet improves the clarity of letter transmission. It does not verify an observation, replace necessary details or create special authority.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, p. 11; source checked 2026-10-24

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5. A former employer says an incident seems finished and a guard can discard the original notebook. What is the prudent response?

   1. Give the notebook to a friend who is interested in the incident.
   2. Destroy it whenever a manager says the report is no longer useful.
   3. Check applicable retention and legal-hold requirements first.
   4. Remove the difficult entries and retain only favourable pages.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Check applicable retention and legal-hold requirements first.

   Notes may remain relevant to an investigation or later court process. Protect the original record and follow applicable retention obligations rather than assuming an incident is finally over.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 5, 20–21; source checked 2026-10-24

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6. A witness statement does not support the guard’s first theory. What should the guard do?

   1. Ask the witness to adopt the manager’s explanation.
   2. Preserve the account accurately despite the disagreement.
   3. Rewrite the statement to match the preferred theory.
   4. Discard the statement solely because it is inconvenient.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Preserve the account accurately despite the disagreement.

   Information should not be altered to fit a theory. An accurate record preserves the account and its source, including facts that challenge an early interpretation.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 12–14; source checked 2026-10-24

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7. A guard reaches an incident scene where a person may need urgent assistance. What comes before detailed evidence work?

   1. Interview all witnesses before checking immediate hazards.
   2. Assess danger and obtain the needed emergency assistance.
   3. Photograph every object before considering anyone’s safety.
   4. Finish a complete written report before calling for help.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Assess danger and obtain the needed emergency assistance.

   Safety and appropriate emergency assistance take priority. Evidence preservation follows without delaying urgent protection of people.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, p. 19; source checked 2026-10-24

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8. A guard is preparing to testify about an incident from months ago. Which preparation is appropriate?

   1. Memorize another witness’s account as a replacement for memory.
   2. Review their own relevant notes and reports carefully.
   3. Agree with colleagues on a single story before attending.
   4. Add new details because the original report seems too short.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Review their own relevant notes and reports carefully.

   Reviewing one’s own records can refresh recollection. Preparation must not become invention or coordination of a story with other witnesses.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 20–21; source checked 2026-10-24

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9. What makes an incident report useful to a reader who was not present?

   1. A dramatic conclusion without the supporting observations.
   2. Unexplained abbreviations and guesses written as certainties.
   3. Strong personal insults that show the writer’s frustration.
   4. A clear sequence of relevant events, actions and notifications.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A clear sequence of relevant events, actions and notifications.

   A report should let another person understand what happened, what the guard did and who was notified. Relevant facts and a clear sequence matter more than dramatic language.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 12–14; source checked 2026-10-24

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10. Which notebook practice best protects the usefulness of the record?

    1. Use erasable entries so later changes leave no trace.
    2. Use legible permanent entries in the work notebook.
    3. Mix incident notes with private shopping and appointment lists.
    4. Remove pages whenever the handwriting is less attractive.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Use legible permanent entries in the work notebook.

    The manual calls for a dedicated work notebook with readable permanent entries. Erasure, missing pages and unrelated personal material can weaken the record.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 3, 5; source checked 2026-10-24

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11. An incident occurs at 9:20 p.m. What is the matching 24-hour time?

    1. 20:09.
    2. 12:20.
    3. 21:20.
    4. 09:20.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: 21:20.

    For an afternoon or evening time after noon, the hour continues beyond 12. Thus 9:20 p.m. is 21:20; 09:20 denotes the morning.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, p. 6; source checked 2026-10-24

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12. A guard remembers an additional detail several hours after an incident. What should the entry show?

    1. A new detail inserted secretly into an old blank space.
    2. An earlier writing time so the notes appear simultaneous.
    3. A changed event time that matches when the guard remembered.
    4. The real entry time and its relation to the earlier event.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: The real entry time and its relation to the earlier event.

    A later addition must not be disguised as a contemporaneous entry. Distinguish when the event occurred from when the extra information was actually recorded.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 7–8; source checked 2026-10-24

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13. Which information is useful in the opening entry for a shift?

    1. Date, time, location and relevant special circumstances.
    2. A personal to-do list unrelated to the assignment.
    3. Only the name of the last visitor expected to arrive.
    4. Only the guard’s opinion about how quiet the shift will be.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Date, time, location and relevant special circumstances.

    The opening entry establishes the date, time, posting and relevant conditions, including partner and handover information where applicable. It should not be a prediction or private diary.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, p. 6; source checked 2026-10-24

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14. A guard recalls the meaning of a statement but not its exact wording. Which is the accurate approach?

    1. Mark it as a paraphrase rather than a verbatim quotation.
    2. Invent stronger words that better explain the incident.
    3. Use quotation marks to make the wording appear exact.
    4. Copy a different witness’s wording as the speaker’s own.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Mark it as a paraphrase rather than a verbatim quotation.

    Quotation marks indicate exact words. If only the meaning is recalled, the record should make that limitation clear rather than manufacture a quotation.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 4–5; source checked 2026-10-24

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15. After immediate safety needs are addressed, how can a guard help preserve a scene for police?

    1. Clean damaged surfaces before police have assessed the scene.
    2. Rearrange items to make the suspected sequence easier to see.
    3. Limit unnecessary access and avoid disturbing possible evidence.
    4. Invite onlookers to inspect objects so more people can describe them.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Limit unnecessary access and avoid disturbing possible evidence.

    Preservation includes preventing avoidable disturbance and unauthorized access. Cleaning or staging a scene may change the information investigators need.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, p. 19; source checked 2026-10-24

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16. Why are numbered pages and an orderly sequence useful in a work notebook?

    1. They remove the need to identify the notebook’s owner.
    2. They allow the guard to remove pages without explanation.
    3. They make the guard’s personal opinions become evidence of guilt.
    4. They help preserve an identifiable chronological record.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: They help preserve an identifiable chronological record.

    An identifiable notebook and orderly entries help show continuity of the record. Numbering is not permission to remove pages or substitute opinion for fact.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 5–8; source checked 2026-10-24

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17. An item had to be moved to address an immediate safety danger. What should the guard record?

    1. A statement that the scene was untouched despite the move.
    2. The reason, original position, change, person and time.
    3. Nothing, because a safety reason makes documentation unnecessary.
    4. Only the item’s final position, with no explanation of the change.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: The reason, original position, change, person and time.

    Necessary safety action should not be hidden. Record what changed, why, who acted and when so investigators can understand the scene’s history.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, p. 19; source checked 2026-10-24

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18. A guard notices a possible trace at an incident scene but has no specialist collection training. What should they do?

    1. Protect the area and leave specialist collection to qualified staff.
    2. Handle the trace repeatedly to decide what substance it contains.
    3. Discard it if its significance cannot be determined immediately.
    4. Ask visitors to collect samples using whatever containers are nearby.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Protect the area and leave specialist collection to qualified staff.

    The guard’s useful role is preservation and reporting. Untrained handling can damage or contaminate material that qualified investigators may need.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 19–20; source checked 2026-10-24

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19. Police take over an incident scene. What should the guard document about the handover?

    1. A guarantee that no further investigation will be needed.
    2. Only that someone in a uniform appeared at some point.
    3. When and to whom control and information were transferred.
    4. The guard’s guess about the final court outcome.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: When and to whom control and information were transferred.

    The handover record should identify the transition, relevant times and the responsible officer or contact. This helps explain who controlled the scene and what was communicated.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, p. 19; source checked 2026-10-24

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20. A witness tells a guard that a visitor broke a window, but the guard did not see it. How should this be recorded?

    1. Omit the source so the account sounds more confident.
    2. Describe the visitor’s guilt as established by the interview.
    3. Write that the guard personally watched the visitor break it.
    4. Attribute the allegation to the witness who provided it.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Attribute the allegation to the witness who provided it.

    The record should distinguish what the guard observed from information received from someone else. Attribution preserves the source and avoids turning an allegation into eyewitness evidence.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 3–4; source checked 2026-10-24

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21. A report records that maintenance was notified of a hazard. Which detail most improves the follow-up record?

    1. Only the writer’s view that maintenance is usually slow.
    2. An invented repair completion time to close the issue.
    3. Who was contacted, when, and what information was given.
    4. A general claim that someone probably already knew about it.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Who was contacted, when, and what information was given.

    The record should show the action actually taken and the contact made. Identifiable notifications support follow-up; assumptions or invented completion details do not.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 3–4, 12–14; source checked 2026-10-24

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22. In court, a guard genuinely cannot remember a detail. What is the appropriate response?

    1. Say that they do not remember the detail.
    2. Guess confidently so the testimony sounds complete.
    3. Choose the answer that seems most helpful to the employer.
    4. Repeat a rumour without identifying it as information from others.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Say that they do not remember the detail.

    Truthful testimony includes acknowledging the limits of memory. A confident guess does not become an accurate recollection.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, p. 21; source checked 2026-10-24

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23. A shift begins Monday evening and an event occurs after midnight. What should the event entry use?

    1. No date because the shift already has a start entry.
    2. The actual Tuesday date and the correct event time.
    3. The date when the report is approved instead of the event date.
    4. Monday’s date for every event until the shift ends.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: The actual Tuesday date and the correct event time.

    An unambiguous record uses the actual event date and time. Crossing midnight changes the calendar date even though the same shift continues.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 6–8; source checked 2026-10-24

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24. Why should a guard record relevant observations promptly when it is safe to do so?

    1. Details may become harder to recall accurately later.
    2. A notebook makes every guess legally conclusive.
    3. Writing notes removes the need to report an emergency.
    4. Later memory is always more accurate than early observations.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Details may become harder to recall accurately later.

    Timely factual notes support later reports and recollection. Immediate safety still comes first, and a written guess does not become a proved fact.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 5, pp. 3–4; source checked 2026-10-24

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