Alberta Security Guard Test (ABST) Practice 2026: Practice test 2

1. Question 1 of 25

   Which sentence belongs in an incident report?

   • AThe man looked like a typical thief.
   • BAt 14:32 the man put two phone chargers in his jacket pocket and walked past the tills.
   • CI think he was probably on drugs.
   • DEveryone knows people like him steal.
   Show answer

   Answer: B. At 14:32 the man put two phone chargers in his jacket pocket and walked past the tills.

   Reports record facts you saw and heard, with times. Leave out guesses, opinions and stereotypes.

2. Question 2 of 25

   Which list contains grounds protected by human rights laws across Canada?

   • ARace, religion, sex, disability and age
   • BClothing brand, hair length and car model
   • CFavourite sports team and music taste
   • DHeight, shoe size and hobbies
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Race, religion, sex, disability and age

   Federal and provincial human rights laws protect people from discrimination on grounds such as race, religion, sex, disability and age, including when receiving services.

3. Question 3 of 25

   Which body language usually helps calm a tense conversation?

   • AStanding face to face, very close
   • BArms crossed and finger pointing
   • COpen hands kept visible, a relaxed stance, standing slightly to the side
   • DHands resting on your equipment belt
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Open hands kept visible, a relaxed stance, standing slightly to the side

   Open, non-threatening body language shows you are not a danger while keeping you ready to react.

4. Question 4 of 25

   On patrol you find a door unlocked that should be locked. What should you do?

   • ALock it and forget about it
   • BCheck the area with care, secure the door if safe, and record and report it
   • CLeave it, since it is not your job
   • DProp it open so you can get back in
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Check the area with care, secure the door if safe, and record and report it

   An unlocked door may mean a break-in or a staff mistake. Check safely, call for backup if something seems wrong, and record what you found.

5. Question 5 of 25

   Where law and employer policy allow it, a guard who has made a lawful arrest may do a limited search mainly for…

   • Aweapons, or items that could help an escape or be destroyed as evidence
   • Binformation to share online
   • Canything the guard is curious about
   • Dthe person's wallet to collect payment
   Show answer

   Answer: A. weapons, or items that could help an escape or be destroyed as evidence

   A search after arrest is limited to safety and protecting evidence. Many employers do not allow guards to search at all, so follow your policy.

6. Question 6 of 25

   What is the purpose of a muster point (assembly area) in an evacuation?

   • ATo hold a meeting about the cause of the fire
   • BTo park emergency vehicles
   • CTo gather people in one safe place so everyone can be accounted for
   • DTo let people collect their belongings
   Show answer

   Answer: C. To gather people in one safe place so everyone can be accounted for

   A headcount at the muster point tells responders whether anyone may still be inside.

7. Question 7 of 25

   A guard arrests someone without legal grounds. What could happen?

   • ANothing, because guards cannot be sued
   • BThe person arrested must pay the guard's costs
   • CPolice must charge the person anyway
   • DThe guard and employer could face criminal charges or a lawsuit, for example for false imprisonment
   Show answer

   Answer: D. The guard and employer could face criminal charges or a lawsuit, for example for false imprisonment

   An unlawful arrest can be an assault and false imprisonment. Always be sure of your grounds, and follow your employer's arrest policy.

8. Question 8 of 25

   When should a guard try to put out a fire with an extinguisher?

   • AOnly when the room is full of smoke
   • BOnly when the fire is spreading fast
   • COnly if the fire is small, the alarm has been raised, and there is a clear way out behind them
   • DAlways, before raising the alarm
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Only if the fire is small, the alarm has been raised, and there is a clear way out behind them

   Raise the alarm first. Fight only a small fire, with the right extinguisher, training and an escape route behind you. If in doubt, get out.

9. Question 9 of 25

   Under section 494(2), who may arrest a person found committing a criminal offence on or in relation to property?

   • AOnly the owner, never an employee
   • BAny person passing by, for any offence anywhere
   • COnly police officers
   • DThe owner or lawful possessor of the property, or a person they authorize, such as a guard
   Show answer

   Answer: D. The owner or lawful possessor of the property, or a person they authorize, such as a guard

   Section 494(2) gives this power to the owner or person in lawful possession of the property and to people they authorize, which is how many guards are covered.

10. Question 10 of 25

    During a fire evacuation, how should people leave a multi-storey building?

    • ABy the stairs and marked exits, not the elevators
    • BBy the elevators, because they are faster
    • CBy staying at their desks until told to move
    • DBy going up to the roof
    Show answer

    Answer: A. By the stairs and marked exits, not the elevators

    Elevators can stop or open onto a fire floor. Use stairwells and exits, and help people who need assistance according to the fire safety plan.

11. Question 11 of 25

    A good incident report answers which basic questions?

    • AOnly who and when
    • BOnly what the client wants to hear
    • CWho, what, when, where, why and how
    • DOnly the guard's opinion of the people involved
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Who, what, when, where, why and how

    The 5 Ws and H give a complete, factual picture that someone who was not there can understand.

12. Question 12 of 25

    Which situation gives a guard the clearest legal grounds for a citizen's arrest?

    • AA customer says someone looked suspicious
    • BThe guard watches a person smash a car window and take a laptop
    • CA person matches a vague description from last week
    • DA person refuses to answer the guard's questions
    Show answer

    Answer: B. The guard watches a person smash a car window and take a laptop

    The guard personally finds the person committing an indictable offence (breaking in and theft), which meets section 494(1)(a).

13. Question 13 of 25

    Under section 30 of the Criminal Code, a person who sees a breach of the peace may…

    • Afine the people involved
    • Bstep in to stop it and detain a person to hand them to a peace officer, using no more force than reasonably necessary
    • Cuse any force to punish the people involved
    • Darrest anyone in the area
    Show answer

    Answer: B. step in to stop it and detain a person to hand them to a peace officer, using no more force than reasonably necessary

    Section 30 lets anyone who witnesses a breach of the peace interfere and detain a person to give them into police custody, using only reasonable force.

14. Question 14 of 25

    What makes consent to a search valid?

    • AIt is given by the person's friend
    • BIt is given after the guard threatens to call police
    • CIt is given freely by a person who knows they can say no
    • DIt is assumed because the person did not complain
    Show answer

    Answer: C. It is given freely by a person who knows they can say no

    Consent must be voluntary and informed. Consent given under pressure or threats is not real consent.

15. Question 15 of 25

    What does WHMIS stand for?

    • AWorker Hazard Management and Inspection System
    • BWarehouse Hazardous Materials Inventory Standard
    • CWorkplace Health and Medical Information Service
    • DWorkplace Hazardous Materials Information System
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System

    WHMIS is Canada's national system for information on hazardous products at work: labels, safety data sheets and worker training.

16. Question 16 of 25

    Why should you keep a safe distance (a reactionary gap) from an agitated person?

    • ABecause the law forbids standing close to the public
    • BSo the person cannot read your name tag
    • CSo you do not have to write a report
    • DIt gives you time and space to react if they become violent
    Show answer

    Answer: D. It gives you time and space to react if they become violent

    Distance buys reaction time. Stand at an angle, out of arm's reach, with a clear way out.

17. Question 17 of 25

    During an evacuation, when may people go back into the building?

    • AOnly when the fire department or person in charge says it is safe
    • BAfter 10 minutes
    • CWhen they can no longer see smoke
    • DWhen the alarm stops ringing
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Only when the fire department or person in charge says it is safe

    Silence does not mean safety. Re-entry is allowed only when the fire department or the person in charge of the emergency gives the all-clear.

18. Question 18 of 25

    When is a court most likely to apply the Charter to a private security guard?

    • ANever, under any circumstances
    • BOnly when the guard works nights
    • COnly when the guard is off duty
    • DWhen the guard acts as an agent of the police, for example on police instructions
    Show answer

    Answer: D. When the guard acts as an agent of the police, for example on police instructions

    A guard who acts at the direction of police can be treated as a state agent, and then Charter rules such as protection from unreasonable search apply.

19. Question 19 of 25

    A guard follows a customer around a store only because of the customer's skin colour. What is this?

    • ARequired by most post orders
    • BRacial profiling, which is discrimination
    • CAllowed as long as the guard is polite
    • DGood loss-prevention practice
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Racial profiling, which is discrimination

    Decisions must be based on behaviour, not on race or other protected grounds. Profiling is discrimination and damages trust.

20. Question 20 of 25

    A visitor with a service dog wants to enter a building with a "no pets" sign. What should the guard do?

    • AAsk them to tie the dog up outside
    • BRefuse entry because the sign says no pets
    • CLet them enter with the service dog, following human rights rules and site policy
    • DDemand to see their medical records
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Let them enter with the service dog, following human rights rules and site policy

    Service dogs are not pets. Human rights laws require reasonable accommodation of people with disabilities.

21. Question 21 of 25

    You make a mistake in your notebook. What is the correct way to fix it?

    • ACover it with correction fluid
    • BTear out the page
    • CDraw a single line through it so it can still be read, and initial it
    • DScribble over it so nobody can read it
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Draw a single line through it so it can still be read, and initial it

    Errors must stay readable so nobody can say you hid or changed information. Never remove pages.

22. Question 22 of 25

    A store owner offers you free goods if you "look the other way" during a theft by a friend. What should you do?

    • ARefuse and report the offer to your supervisor
    • BAccept, but only if the goods are cheap
    • CAsk for money instead
    • DAccept, since it is a small favour
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Refuse and report the offer to your supervisor

    Accepting gifts for ignoring wrongdoing is unethical, may be a crime, and could cost you your licence.

23. Question 23 of 25

    A friend asks a guard what a well-known customer bought at the store the guard protects. What should the guard do?

    • APost it online
    • BSell the information to a reporter
    • CRefuse, because information learned on the job is confidential
    • DTell the friend, since it is harmless
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Refuse, because information learned on the job is confidential

    Guards often see private information. Keeping it confidential is part of professional ethics and privacy law.

24. Question 24 of 25

    An upset customer is shouting at you. Which approach is most likely to calm the situation?

    • ATurn your back and walk away
    • BLaugh to lighten the mood
    • CStay calm, listen, speak slowly and offer options
    • DShout back to show authority
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Stay calm, listen, speak slowly and offer options

    A calm voice, active listening and real choices help an upset person come back down. Matching their anger usually makes things worse.

25. Question 25 of 25

    Which is one of the factors a court looks at under section 34(2) when deciding if a use of force in self-defence was reasonable?

    • AWhether the employer approved the action in advance
    • BWhether other ways of responding to the threat were available
    • CWhether the incident was filmed
    • DHow long the guard has been licensed
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Whether other ways of responding to the threat were available

    Section 34(2) lists factors such as how imminent the force was, whether other means were available, any weapons, the size, age and abilities of the people, and how proportionate the response was.

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.

The real test: 80% or higher