BC Security Guard (BST): Code of conduct, uniforms and equipment

All 22 questions in this test

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

1. How often must Advanced Security Training be renewed to keep a restraint authorization?

   1. Every year
   2. Every three years
   3. Never; it is permanent
   4. Every five years

2. Which item may a B.C. security guard NOT carry or use while on duty?

   1. A flashlight
   2. A two-way radio
   3. An identification badge
   4. A notebook and pen

3. Who may a guard hand their physical licence to, not just show it?

   1. A customer who wants to write down the guard's name
   2. A police officer or a Special Provincial Constable
   3. Any member of the public who asks to see it
   4. The client's property manager at the start of each and every shift

4. A guard left their licence card at home but has a clear photo of it on their phone. Is that enough?

   1. Yes, if the employer confirms it by phone
   2. No, the physical licence must be carried
   3. Yes, for shifts of four hours or less
   4. Yes, a clear digital photo is accepted

5. 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

6. How tall must the letters SECURITY be on the back of a guard's jacket or vest?

   1. At least 10 cm
   2. At least 1.25 cm
   3. At least 7.5 cm
   4. At least 5 cm

7. 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

8. A client asks its night guard to carry pepper spray. Is that allowed in B.C.?

   1. Yes, if the client supplies the pepper spray
   2. Yes, during night shifts only
   3. Yes, for guards with first aid training
   4. No, items designed to control people are banned

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Which job title could a B.C. security company legally print on its guards' shirts?

    1. Law Enforcement Unit
    2. Security Police
    3. Security Supervisor
    4. Private Detective

13. A guard follows only customers of one ethnic group around a store. Which code of conduct duty is breached?

    1. Keeping work information confidential
    2. Co-operating with police when required by law
    3. Treating all persons equally without discrimination
    4. Using property and equipment as the licence conditions allow

14. What word must appear on the chest of a B.C. security guard's uniform shirt?

    1. PATROL
    2. OFFICER
    3. SECURITY
    4. GUARD

15. 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

16. 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

17. For which purpose may an authorized B.C. guard use a security dog?

    1. Chasing a shoplifter who runs away
    2. Detecting people or things on a patrol
    3. Moving a crowd out of a parking lot
    4. Holding a suspect until police arrive

18. 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

19. What is a Sam Browne belt, which B.C. guards may not wear?

    1. A wide leather belt with a large metal buckle
    2. A reflective safety vest worn over the guard's winter jacket
    3. A duty belt that holds a flashlight and radio
    4. A waist belt linked to an over-the-shoulder strap

20. A shopper swears at a guard. Which response fits the code of conduct?

    1. Swear back so the shopper knows who is in charge
    2. Push the shopper outside to end the argument
    3. Make a joke about the shopper to other customers
    4. Stay professional and avoid insulting language

21. Under the code of conduct, what must a guard never be while working?

    1. Unfit for duty from alcohol or drugs
    2. Out of sight of the site supervisor
    3. Off the premises during a meal break
    4. Without a mobile phone in a pocket

22. 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