Ontario Security Guard: Notebooks, reports and statements

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. Which writing style does the syllabus recommend for an objective report?

   1. First person, with your feelings
   2. Casual style, with abbreviations
   3. Third person, no emotional terms
   4. Second person, addressing the reader

2. A witness is reluctant to give a statement. What may the guard do?

   1. Promise them a reward from the client
   2. Write the statement for them to sign
   3. Warn them they will be arrested
   4. Ask, but make no threats or promises

3. What is the key purpose of taking a witness statement?

   1. An accurate record of what the witness recalls
   2. To decide who pays for damage
   3. To replace the guard's own report
   4. To get the witness to admit guilt or responsibility

4. You make a mistake on a notebook page. What should you NOT do?

   1. Write as legibly as possible
   2. Keep entries in time order
   3. Tear the page out
   4. Spell names carefully

5. In a report, which question covers the names of suspects, victims and witnesses?

   1. What?
   2. How?
   3. Where?
   4. Who?

6. Which detail belongs in a witness statement according to good practice?

   1. The witness's opinion of the suspect
   2. The client's insurance policy number
   3. The guard's guess about the outcome
   4. The times the interview started and ended

7. How should entries in a guard's notebook be organized?

   1. Alphabetically by name
   2. By location only
   3. By importance of each event
   4. Chronologically

8. Which details about the witness belong at the start of a written statement?

   1. Their yearly salary and bank
   2. Full name, date of birth and ID
   3. Their favourite sports team
   4. Their opinion of the suspect

9. What should a guard emphasize when writing notebook entries?

   1. Colourful language to hold interest
   2. Personal opinions about suspects
   3. Abbreviations only the guard knows
   4. Legibility and correct spelling of names

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

    1. Summarized in the guard's words
    2. Shortened to key points only
    3. Verbatim, word for word
    4. Translated into legal terms

11. A guard receives a subpoena about an incident from last year. What does this mean?

    1. They must hand over their uniform
    2. They owe a fine to the court
    3. They may be called to testify in court
    4. Their licence is being revoked

12. When should a report describe why an incident happened?

    1. Never, motives are irrelevant
    2. Only when the motive is evident
    3. Only if the suspect confesses
    4. Always, using your best guess

13. Who ultimately owns a security guard's work notebook?

    1. The police
    2. The client
    3. The guard who wrote it
    4. The guard's employer

14. What should a guard do before appearing in court?

    1. Carefully review all their notes
    2. Destroy notes no longer needed
    3. Discuss evidence with the accused
    4. Rewrite the notes more neatly

15. Before signing, a witness asks to remove a sentence from their statement. How is this done?

    1. Leave it and add a note at the end
    2. Use correction fluid and rewrite the sentence
    3. Tear out the page and start over
    4. Strike it through and both of you initial

16. Which part of a report gives the date, time and order of events from start to finish?

    1. Why?
    2. Who?
    3. Where?
    4. When?

17. What does the study guide call arguably a guard's most important tool?

    1. The flashlight
    2. The notebook
    3. The uniform
    4. The radio

18. You need to use the washroom during a shift at a busy front desk. What should you do with your notebook?

    1. Leave it open on the desk
    2. Hand it to a visitor to hold
    3. Keep it with you or secured
    4. Leave it under the counter

19. Which is a recognised type of report a guard may need to write?

    1. A use of force report
    2. A performance review of the client
    3. A social media post
    4. A press release

20. What does the closing paragraph of a witness statement usually confirm?

    1. The guard's opinion of the case
    2. That the suspect is surely guilty
    3. The witness finds it accurate
    4. That police have approved it

21. What should a security report contain?

    1. Personal feelings about the people involved
    2. Guesses about motives
    3. Opinions and assumptions
    4. Facts and observations

22. How should a guard use their notes while testifying in court?

    1. Hand them to the judge instead of testifying
    2. Never bring them to court
    3. Read every entry aloud from the start
    4. As a memory aid, without reading word for word