Ontario Private Investigator Practice Test 3

All 30 questions in this test

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

1. 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

2. What is the maximum penalty for an individual convicted of an offence under the PSISA?

   1. A $5,000 fine with no possibility of jail
   2. A $250,000 fine and two years in jail
   3. A $10,000 fine, six months in jail, or both
   4. A $25,000 fine, one year in jail, or both

3. 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

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

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

5. Which list gives the six core steps for containing evidence?

   1. Observe, deter, record, report, testify, file
   2. Collect, analyse, copy, share, return, archive
   3. Locate, seize, photograph, label, store and then destroy
   4. Collect, secure, preserve, identify, continuity, log

6. 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

7. Under established Canadian practice, when is monitoring employee email without notice considered acceptable?

   1. When it is done on the company's own server or network
   2. When the employee's personal email is accessed remotely
   3. When it is done on the employee's home computer
   4. When the employee is on vacation and away from work

8. Which law governs access to records held by Ontario government ministries?

   1. The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
   2. The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
   3. The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
   4. The Private Security and Investigative Services Act

9. 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

10. Who should have access to sensitive information gathered in an investigation?

    1. Only those who should have it, decided with privacy law in mind
    2. Anyone who works for the client's company
    3. Anyone who asks politely and gives a business reason for wanting it
    4. Only the subject of the investigation

11. 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

12. 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

13. A client asks you to give less courteous service to people of a certain ethnic origin. What does the Code of Conduct require?

    1. Refer the request to the Registrar before deciding
    2. Comply only if the client puts the request in writing
    3. Follow the client's instructions, since the client pays
    4. Treat all persons equally without discrimination

14. Under section 34, what must be true of an act done to defend yourself from force?

    1. It must use less force than the attacker used
    2. It must happen only after police are called
    3. It must be approved by a supervisor first
    4. It must be reasonable in the circumstances

15. 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

16. What can a Personal Property Security Registration (PPSR) search reveal about a subject?

    1. Their medical history and prescriptions
    2. Their bank balances and credit score
    3. Liens registered against their property or business
    4. Their criminal record and pending charges

17. What is the difference between libel and slander?

    1. Libel applies to companies; slander to individuals
    2. Libel is spoken defamation; slander is written
    3. Libel is defamation in lasting form; slander is spoken
    4. Libel is a crime; slander is lying under oath

18. You find a detailed online profile written by your subject. What should you keep in mind?

    1. It is private and cannot be used in a report
    2. It can be used only if a lawyer certifies it
    3. Its accuracy must be checked, since the subject likely wrote it
    4. It is an official record and can be quoted in a report as proven fact

19. How should the witness's account of events be written in a statement?

    1. Verbatim, word for word as the witness tells it
    2. Summarized in the investigator's own words
    3. Rewritten in legal terms for the court
    4. Shortened to the points that help the client

20. Your subject is walking in a public park. What may you do?

    1. Ask park staff for the subject's home address
    2. Nothing, because people keep full privacy in parks
    3. Photograph or video record the subject's activities
    4. Approach and question the subject about the claim

21. What is the maximum fine on conviction for trespass under the Trespass to Property Act?

    1. $2,000
    2. $5,000
    3. $25,000
    4. $10,000

22. 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

23. You suspect the person a client wants found is in a witness protection program. What must you do?

    1. Ask the Registrar for written permission to continue
    2. Locate the person but report the address only to police
    3. Continue if the client signs a release of liability
    4. Not locate or gather information to locate that person

24. What must accompany a Summons to Witness when it is served?

    1. The client's statement of claim
    2. A copy of the investigator's licence
    3. Conduct money
    4. A signed release form

25. Once you accept a case with a justifiable mandate, what is your first responsibility?

    1. Contact the subject to confirm their identity
    2. Begin surveillance at the subject's last known address
    3. Place a newspaper ad seeking the subject
    4. Check the accuracy of the information the client supplied

26. 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

27. 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

28. While following a subject's car, the subject runs a red light. What should you do?

    1. Obey the Highway Traffic Act and stop at the light
    2. Follow through the light to avoid losing the subject
    3. Run the light only if no other cars are nearby
    4. Flash your headlights so traffic lets you through

29. 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

30. 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