New York Security Guard Practice Test 2026: Practice test 4

1. Question 1 of 20

   What is the main purpose of a security patrol?

   • ATo prevent and detect problems such as fires, hazards, theft and intruders
   • BTo find people to arrest
   • CTo check the quality of employees' work and report anyone who does not seem busy
   • DTo keep the officer busy until the shift ends
   Show answer

   Answer: A. To prevent and detect problems such as fires, hazards, theft and intruders

   Patrols let officers spot and report problems early, and a visible officer deters crime.

2. Question 2 of 20

   You see a spill on the floor of a busy hallway. What should you do?

   • ATell a few people nearby to be careful and do nothing else
   • BWait until someone slips, then report it
   • CWalk around it and continue your patrol
   • DGuard or mark the area, report it for cleanup and note it
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Guard or mark the area, report it for cleanup and note it

   Slips are a common cause of injury. Officers should make hazards safe and report them right away.

3. Question 3 of 20

   Why must security reports be accurate and complete?

   • APolice, insurers, lawyers and courts may rely on them
   • BThey are only read by the officer who wrote them, as a memory aid
   • CThey are used mainly for advertising
   • DThey are thrown away after each shift
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Police, insurers, lawyers and courts may rely on them

   A report may become a legal record. Mistakes or missing details can hurt an investigation and the officer's credibility.

4. Question 4 of 20

   You feel very tired during a night shift. What is the professional choice?

   • ATurn off your radio so you can rest
   • BLeave early without telling anyone
   • CTake a short nap in your car during a quiet part of the shift
   • DTell your supervisor and use approved ways to stay alert
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Tell your supervisor and use approved ways to stay alert

   An officer who is asleep cannot protect anyone. Sleeping on duty can lead to dismissal and liability.

5. Question 5 of 20

   What is "deadly force"?

   • ATouching someone's shoulder or arm without their permission
   • BForce likely to cause death or serious bodily injury
   • CAny force used at night
   • DPlacing handcuffs on a person
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Force likely to cause death or serious bodily injury

   State laws allow deadly force only in very narrow situations, such as an immediate threat of death or serious injury.

6. Question 6 of 20

   While on duty you learn private information about a client's employees. What should you do with it?

   • APost it on social media as a warning
   • BUse it later to ask employees for favors in return for keeping quiet
   • CKeep it confidential and share it only with people who need to know
   • DTell friends and family about it
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Keep it confidential and share it only with people who need to know

   Security officers are trusted with sensitive information. Keeping it private is a basic duty.

7. Question 7 of 20

   A shopper is loud and upset at the service desk. What should the security officer try first?

   • AHolding the shopper's arms
   • BCalm, respectful conversation
   • CThreatening to call the police right away
   • DPepper spray
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Calm, respectful conversation

   Talking is the first and safest option. Physical force is a last resort and only when it is lawful and necessary.

8. Question 8 of 20

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

   • ACover it with correction fluid, then neatly write the right words over the top
   • BTear the page out
   • CDraw a single line through it, write the correction and add your initials
   • DScribble over it until it cannot be read
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Draw a single line through it, write the correction and add your initials

   Notes can be used as evidence. A single line keeps the original words readable and shows the change was honest.

9. Question 9 of 20

   The PASS method for using a portable fire extinguisher stands for:

   • APull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
   • BPoint, Activate, Squeeze, Stop
   • CPush, Aim, Spray, Stop
   • DPull, Alert, Spray, Shut
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep

   Pull the pin, aim at the base of the fire, squeeze the handle and sweep from side to side.

10. Question 10 of 20

    How should a security officer decide whom to watch more closely?

    • ABy their race, ethnic background or accent
    • BBy the language they speak
    • CBy what people do, not by how they look
    • DBy their age or how they dress
    Show answer

    Answer: C. By what people do, not by how they look

    Watching behavior is fair and effective. Profiling people by appearance is unfair and can break anti-discrimination laws.

11. Question 11 of 20

    Which of these sentences should go in an incident report?

    • AI think the night cleaner probably forgot to lock the loading dock door again.
    • BThis building is always a mess.
    • CThe east loading dock door was propped open with a brick at 2:15 a.m.
    • DProbably nothing important happened.
    Show answer

    Answer: C. The east loading dock door was propped open with a brick at 2:15 a.m.

    Reports should record facts you saw or heard, with times and places, not personal opinions.

12. Question 12 of 20

    A person who was struggling stops resisting and is now calm. What should happen to the officer's use of force?

    • AIt should increase so the person does not try again
    • BIt should stay exactly the same
    • CIt should stop or be reduced right away
    • DIt should continue until the police arrive
    Show answer

    Answer: C. It should stop or be reduced right away

    Force must end when the threat ends. Force used after a person stops resisting is not reasonable and may be a crime.

13. Question 13 of 20

    What does "active listening" mean?

    • AInterrupting to correct the person's facts
    • BAgreeing with everything the person says so that they calm down faster
    • CPaying full attention, letting the person speak and repeating back what you heard
    • DWaiting quietly for your turn to argue
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Paying full attention, letting the person speak and repeating back what you heard

    People calm down when they feel heard. Repeating back what they said shows you understand.

14. Question 14 of 20

    How should you record what a witness said in a report?

    • AWrite their exact words in quotation marks when you can
    • BWrite only the parts you agree with
    • CReplace their words with your opinion of what they meant
    • DChange their words so they sound more professional
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Write their exact words in quotation marks when you can

    Exact quotes are more accurate and more useful as evidence than a summary.

15. Question 15 of 20

    You find a person who has collapsed and is not breathing. What should you do?

    • AWait to see if the person wakes up
    • BMove the person to a car to drive them to the hospital
    • CCall 911 or have someone call, send for an AED and start CPR if you are trained
    • DGive the person sips of water and wait a few minutes to see if they recover
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Call 911 or have someone call, send for an AED and start CPR if you are trained

    Fast action matters in cardiac arrest. Calling 911, CPR and an AED give the person the best chance.

16. Question 16 of 20

    A caller says there is a bomb in the building. What should you do?

    • AIgnore it because most calls are jokes
    • BStay calm, keep the caller talking, write down everything and follow the bomb threat procedure
    • CHang up immediately
    • DSearch the building alone first so that you do not cause a panic
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Stay calm, keep the caller talking, write down everything and follow the bomb threat procedure

    Details from the call help police judge the threat. Follow your site's procedure and notify authorities.

17. Question 17 of 20

    Which description is best for an incident report?

    • AA suspicious-looking guy hanging around
    • BA man who looked like he was up to no good, hanging around the loading dock
    • CA man about 6 feet tall, wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans
    • DA tall person wearing normal clothes
    Show answer

    Answer: C. A man about 6 feet tall, wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans

    Reports should give facts and details that someone else can use, not opinions or vague words.

18. Question 18 of 20

    Which body language helps calm an angry person?

    • ACrossed arms and a hard stare
    • BStanding close to the person's face to show confidence
    • COpen hands, a relaxed stance and a safe distance
    • DPointing your finger at the person
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Open hands, a relaxed stance and a safe distance

    Calm, non-threatening body language helps lower tension. Keeping a safe distance also protects the officer.

19. Question 19 of 20

    Why should security officers change the times and routes of their patrols?

    • ASo no one can predict when the officer will come by
    • BBecause the same route is boring
    • CTo shorten the patrol
    • DSo the officer can skip checking some doors and windows
    Show answer

    Answer: A. So no one can predict when the officer will come by

    A predictable patrol is easy for a criminal to plan around. Varying the pattern makes patrols a stronger deterrent.

20. Question 20 of 20

    In most states, a private security officer's power to arrest is:

    • AGreater than a police officer's while on private property
    • BThe same as any private citizen's, as set by state law
    • CUnlimited while the officer is in uniform
    • DThe same as a police officer's
    Show answer

    Answer: B. The same as any private citizen's, as set by state law

    Unless a state law gives special powers, a security officer has only the arrest powers that any private person has. These rules differ from state to state.

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