BC Private Investigator Practice Test 1

All 25 questions in this test

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

1. How much notice must a party normally give before producing a business record under s. 30?

   1. At least seven days
   2. At least 24 hours
   3. No notice is required
   4. At least 30 days

2. Under s. 13 of the Code, which ground may an employer NOT use to refuse a job?

   1. A criminal conviction unrelated to the job
   2. Failing a job-related skills test
   3. Missing the application deadline
   4. Lack of a required licence for the job

3. Which detail belongs in a written witness statement?

   1. The PI's opinion of the witness
   2. The time the statement started and finished
   3. The subject's private medical history
   4. The client's fee for the file

4. Which business name would break the Security Services Act?

   1. Pacific Investigations Ltd.
   2. Pacific Fact-Finding Inc.
   3. Pacific Research Services
   4. Pacific Detective Agency

5. An undercover operator is offered drugs by co-workers to build trust. What should they do?

   1. Accept but record the event on video
   2. Accept once to fit in with the group
   3. Accept, as long as the client has approved it in advance
   4. Decline, to protect their credibility

6. What happens if a PI uses more force than necessary during an arrest?

   1. They lose their licence automatically
   2. They are criminally responsible for the excess
   3. Nothing, if the arrest itself was lawful
   4. Only their employer can be held responsible

7. May a PI secretly record a phone call between two other people?

   1. No, without a party's consent it is a crime
   2. Yes, if the PI holds a full licence
   3. Yes, if the PI keeps the recording private
   4. Yes, if the call concerns insurance fraud

8. Which details should a PI gather before starting surveillance?

   1. The subject's medical records from a clinic
   2. The subject's private email passwords
   3. The subject's bank balance, credit report and income tax returns
   4. Name, date of birth, address, work and places frequented

9. When is a telephone directory listing a prescribed public source under the PIPA Regulation?

   1. Only when a court has approved its use
   2. When it is public and the subscriber could opt out
   3. Only when it includes a person's date of birth
   4. Only when the listing is less than a year old

10. An Alberta PI follows a case into B.C. for an Alberta client. How can they avoid needing a B.C. licence?

    1. Stay in B.C. for less than 30 days
    2. Apply to the registrar for an exemption
    3. Work only on weekends while in B.C.
    4. Hire a B.C. lawyer to supervise them while they are in the province

11. Which registry information may be used without consent as a prescribed public source?

    1. A public registry created under a law
    2. A private club's membership list
    3. An employer's internal staff list
    4. A clinic's appointment calendar

12. Which condition is part of self-defence under section 34?

    1. The defender had a licence to use force
    2. Police were called before acting
    3. The act is reasonable in the circumstances
    4. The attacker was larger than the defender

13. Does B.C.'s PIPA apply to private investigation firms?

    1. Only for files involving children
    2. Yes, they are private organizations covered by PIPA
    3. No, PI firms are fully exempt from B.C. privacy law in all their work
    4. Only when they work for government

14. What does technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) work involve?

    1. Recovering deleted files from phones
    2. Installing hidden cameras in clients' homes to watch their staff
    3. Detecting devices that intercept private communications
    4. Tracking vehicles with GPS units

15. How is the degree of privacy a person is entitled to decided under the Privacy Act?

    1. The same fixed rules for every situation
    2. Whatever the PI's client is willing to pay to find out about them
    3. Whatever the person says they expect
    4. What is reasonable in the circumstances

16. What arrest powers does a licensed B.C. private investigator have?

    1. Those of a sheriff when serving documents
    2. None at all, in any situation
    3. Those of a peace officer while on a file
    4. Only those of a private citizen

17. A PI will serve documents on a person known to be violent. What must the employer tell the PI?

    1. Nothing, to protect the person's privacy
    2. Only the deadline for service
    3. Only the person's home address
    4. The nature of the risk and the person's history

18. When collecting information directly from a witness with their consent, what must the PI firm tell them?

    1. The purposes of the collection
    2. The subject's home address
    3. The fee charged to the client
    4. The client's full legal name

19. How should a PI approach every investigation, according to the study guide?

    1. As if the case could end up at trial
    2. As a private matter that never reaches court
    3. As a quick job where notes are optional
    4. As if only the client will read the results

20. How may a PI use notes on the witness stand?

    1. Give the notes to the jury instead
    2. Read the notes aloud word for word as the evidence
    3. With permission, as a memory aid only
    4. Not at all, under any circumstances

21. How long must a PI business keep its prescribed records, such as client contracts?

    1. At least 2 calendar years
    2. At least 5 calendar years
    3. At least 6 months
    4. Until the client asks for them back

22. Why are witnesses usually kept out of the courtroom until they testify?

    1. Because seating is reserved for lawyers
    2. So other testimony does not influence them
    3. Because they might distract the judge
    4. Because their notes must be checked first

23. Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, who is a young person?

    1. Someone aged 14 to 19
    2. Someone under 21
    3. Someone under 12
    4. Someone aged 12 to 17

24. What does the code of conduct require about information a PI learns on a file?

    1. Publish it once the file is closed and paid
    2. Share it with any other client who might find it useful for their own file
    3. Delete it all on the day the file is closed
    4. Keep it confidential unless work or law requires disclosure

25. A company only checks job applicants' qualifications for employers. Does it need a PI licence?

    1. Only if it checks more than 10 people a year
    2. No, pre-employment suitability checks are exempt
    3. Yes, unless the employer is a government body or a Crown corporation
    4. Yes, any background check needs a PI licence