Alberta Security Guard (ABST) Practice Test 7

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1. A client’s policy says to detain anyone who refuses an interview. How should a guard assess it?

   1. Treat the policy as a warrant issued by the property owner.
   2. Check actual legal authority; policy cannot create an arrest power.
   3. Apply it because a signed contract overrides criminal law.
   4. Use the person’s refusal as proof of an indictable offence.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Check actual legal authority; policy cannot create an arrest power.

   A client policy is not a warrant or a new source of criminal arrest powers. Refusal to participate in an interview does not itself establish the conditions of section 494.

   Based on: Criminal Code, s. 494; SSIA, s. 40; source checked 2026-10-24

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2. What does an alarm activation establish by itself?

   1. A monitored condition needs assessment and the applicable response.
   2. The guard may ignore every other building hazard.
   3. The cause is the same as the previous false activation.
   4. An identified person has committed a criminal offence.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A monitored condition needs assessment and the applicable response.

   An alarm reports a monitored condition; it does not prove a particular cause or offender. The guard follows the relevant procedure and assesses the actual circumstances safely.

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

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3. A reporter asks a guard for confidential details of an incident. What is the appropriate response?

   1. Release witness contact information to show cooperation.
   2. Refer the request to the authorized spokesperson.
   3. Give an unverified account to end the questions quickly.
   4. Guess the cause and ask the reporter to print it.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Refer the request to the authorized spokesperson.

   Media requests should follow the authorized communication process. The guard should protect confidential information and avoid speculation.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 3, p. 26; source checked 2026-10-24

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4. When should a guard learn the site’s emergency contacts and assigned response duties?

   1. After emergency responders have left.
   2. Only after the first alarm sounds.
   3. Before an emergency occurs.
   4. Only when a visitor asks about the plan.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Before an emergency occurs.

   Emergency preparation includes learning contacts, exits, procedures and the assigned role before an incident. An alarm is a poor time to discover how to request help or what duties apply.

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

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5. A licence has been suspended, but its printed expiry date is still months away. How may the worker represent it?

   1. It becomes valid whenever the employer schedules another shift.
   2. It remains valid for clients who do not ask about the suspension.
   3. It remains valid because only the printed expiry date matters.
   4. It cannot be represented as a valid licence during suspension.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: It cannot be represented as a valid licence during suspension.

   SSIA section 39(d) prohibits representing a suspended licence as valid. The printed expiry date does not cancel a suspension or authorize continued licensed work.

   Based on: s. 39(d); source checked 2026-10-24

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6. An unknown sharp item is found during patrol. What is the appropriate awareness-level approach?

   1. Place it in a pocket until the shift report is complete.
   2. Pick it up with bare hands if it looks clean.
   3. Give it to an untrained visitor to dispose of privately.
   4. Avoid handling it without the assigned training, equipment and procedure.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Avoid handling it without the assigned training, equipment and procedure.

   A sharp or contaminated item can cause injury or exposure. Protect the area and follow the assigned response; apparent cleanliness does not establish safety or provide handling competence.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 7, sharps and contamination awareness; source checked 2026-10-24

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7. A client asks a guard to change a report so it falsely shows an earlier arrival. What should the guard do?

   1. Change the time because the client owns the premises.
   2. Delete the first report and quietly sign the replacement.
   3. Choose whichever time makes the security team look better.
   4. Keep the record accurate and raise the improper request.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Keep the record accurate and raise the improper request.

   The required code of conduct includes honesty and prohibits false or misleading statements. A client’s request does not justify falsifying an incident record.

   Based on: s. 20(2)(a), (h); source checked 2026-10-24

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8. A threatening message is received. What information-handling action is appropriate?

   1. Rewrite the threat to make it sound more credible.
   2. Preserve the actual message and relay it promptly through the emergency plan.
   3. Post the message publicly before notifying responders.
   4. Delete the message after telling a colleague a summary.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: Preserve the actual message and relay it promptly through the emergency plan.

   Preserve what was actually received and communicate it promptly to the appropriate responders. Rewriting, deleting or publicizing it can distort information and interfere with a safe coordinated response.

   Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 6, Bomb Threats — receiving information; source checked 2026-10-24

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9. How does Alberta’s current guidance describe an undue hazard for dangerous-work refusal?

   1. A serious and immediate threat actually observed or experienced at work.
   2. A concern that must first be approved by the client’s customer.
   3. Only a hazard that has already caused a permanent injury.
   4. Any routine task the worker would prefer not to perform.
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A serious and immediate threat actually observed or experienced at work.

   Alberta describes an undue hazard as a serious and immediate health-and-safety threat actually observed or experienced at the work site. The process does not require waiting for an injury.

   Based on: Alberta OHS — Refuse dangerous work, undue hazard; source checked 2026-10-24

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10. 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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11. On land covered by the Petty Trespass Act, what does section 2(1)(b) prohibit?

    1. Failing to leave immediately after a direction from an authorized person.
    2. Leaving before the owner completes a customer survey.
    3. Every request for directions made from a public road.
    4. Any visit to a building regardless of the owner’s permission.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Failing to leave immediately after a direction from an authorized person.

    The provision concerns failing to leave immediately after direction by the owner, occupier or an authorized person. The land and the Act’s scope, permissions and exceptions still matter.

    Based on: Petty Trespass Act, s. 2(1)(b); source checked 2026-10-24

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12. A camera shows an unusual event outside the guard’s assigned monitoring purpose. What should guide the response?

    1. A plan to collect footage for the guard’s private collection.
    2. The lawful assignment and authorized reporting procedure.
    3. The wish to share interesting images with friends online.
    4. Personal curiosity about everyone visible on the camera.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: The lawful assignment and authorized reporting procedure.

    Surveillance must remain connected to its authorized work purpose and applicable rules. Access to equipment does not authorize unrelated personal monitoring or disclosure.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 3, pp. 17–19; source checked 2026-10-24

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13. While a guard is on duty, a member of the public asks to see the guard’s licence identification card. What is required?

    1. Present the licence identification card on request.
    2. Show the card only if the requester is a police officer.
    3. Give the requester a different worker’s licence number.
    4. Show only the employer’s badge instead of the card.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Present the licence identification card on request.

    AR 55/2010 section 24 requires the individual licensee to carry the licence identification card while on duty and present it to any person on request. A badge is not a substitute.

    Based on: s. 24(2); source checked 2026-10-24

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14. 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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15. A person is upset about a delay that the guard cannot control. Which response stays within the guard’s role?

    1. Declare that being upset proves the complaint is false.
    2. Guarantee an immediate result from another department.
    3. Invent a reason for the delay to make the person leave.
    4. Acknowledge the concern and explain the available process.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Acknowledge the concern and explain the available process.

    The guard can acknowledge the concern without promising an outcome beyond their authority. Accurate information about the available next step is more useful than an invented explanation.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 4, pp. 7–10; source checked 2026-10-24

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16. Someone asks where to submit a statutory written complaint about an individual security licensee. Which is the initial channel?

    1. Only the guard personally, with no employer involvement.
    2. Any unrelated training provider in the province.
    3. A public social-media group chosen by the complainant.
    4. The individual licensee’s employer under the SSIA process.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: The individual licensee’s employer under the SSIA process.

    SSIA section 24 directs a written complaint about an individual licensee to that licensee’s employer within the statutory period. Further review routes exist; the guard must not obstruct the process.

    Based on: s. 24; source checked 2026-10-24

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17. A guard finds an unidentified spill. What should they avoid?

    1. Reporting its location and requesting qualified help.
    2. Keeping people away from the affected area safely.
    3. Touching or closely smelling it to identify the substance.
    4. Following the site’s spill-notification procedure.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Touching or closely smelling it to identify the substance.

    An unknown substance can present hazards that are not visible. Avoid exposure and obtain qualified assistance; a security awareness quiz does not train chemical identification or spill cleanup.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 7, unfamiliar hazardous substances; source checked 2026-10-24

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18. Who may be criminally responsible for excessive force under section 26?

    1. A person authorized to use force who uses an excess.
    2. Only the client who requested the original attendance.
    3. Nobody if an employer’s policy allowed the response.
    4. Only police; private security workers are exempt.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: A person authorized to use force who uses an excess.

    Section 26 makes a person authorized by law to use force criminally responsible for an excess according to its nature and quality. Employer approval does not remove that statutory responsibility.

    Based on: Criminal Code, s. 26; source checked 2026-10-24

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19. A witness says they cannot remember which door was used. What should the guard avoid?

    1. Asking a neutral clarification if the meaning is unclear.
    2. Recording that the witness could not recall the door.
    3. Keeping the missing detail separate from confirmed facts.
    4. Pressuring the witness to choose a door anyway.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Pressuring the witness to choose a door anyway.

    The interviewer should not pressure a witness to fill a memory gap. Recording uncertainty is more accurate than creating an unsupported detail.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 4, p. 17; source checked 2026-10-24

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20. 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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21. Unless the hazard is corrected immediately, what should the employer provide after the investigation?

    1. Only a verbal assurance that no record is needed.
    2. Only a new schedule without addressing the reported danger.
    3. A written report explaining the investigation and corrective actions.
    4. A requirement that the worker sign a blank incident account.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: A written report explaining the investigation and corrective actions.

    The guidance requires a written investigation report describing the circumstances, hazard inspection and corrective actions, with a copy to the worker and relevant committee or representative. The worker should review it.

    Based on: Alberta OHS — Refuse dangerous work, investigation report; source checked 2026-10-24

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22. The guard’s words are polite, but their posture and gestures appear threatening. What is the communication problem?

    1. Body language has no effect when polite words are used.
    2. Threatening gestures automatically make directions clearer.
    3. The non-verbal message conflicts with the spoken message.
    4. The listener must ignore everything except the guard’s words.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: The non-verbal message conflicts with the spoken message.

    Verbal and non-verbal communication should support each other. An aggressive posture can undermine calm words and increase tension.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 4, pp. 3–6; source checked 2026-10-24

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23. A routine patrol reveals a blocked emergency exit. What should the guard do?

    1. Report and address the hazard through the assigned safe procedure.
    2. Leave it until an alarm proves the exit is needed.
    3. Treat it as acceptable because the building is quiet.
    4. Record it only if a visitor complains in writing.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Report and address the hazard through the assigned safe procedure.

    Emergency preparation includes identifying conditions that can obstruct safe evacuation. A blocked exit is relevant before an emergency; follow the reporting and correction procedure within the guard’s safe authority.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 6, fire prevention and reporting; source checked 2026-10-24

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24. What information belongs in an effective shift handover?

    1. Only events that have already been fully resolved.
    2. Only the outgoing guard’s preferred break location.
    3. Unresolved hazards, unusual events and outstanding tasks.
    4. Personal opinions about workers unrelated to the assignment.
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: Unresolved hazards, unusual events and outstanding tasks.

    A handover should help the next shift continue the assignment safely and accurately. Unresolved conditions and required follow-up are especially important.

    Based on: ABST Participant Manual (third edition, 2014), Module 3, pp. 29–30; source checked 2026-10-24

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