Virginia Unarmed Security Officer Practice Test 2026: Practice test 2

1. Question 1 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.

2. Question 2 of 20

   What is a security officer's role during a building evacuation?

   • AGo back inside to collect belongings
   • BGuide people to exits and the assembly point and help account for everyone
   • CUse the elevators to move people faster
   • DLock the exit doors behind people so no one can go back inside the building
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Guide people to exits and the assembly point and help account for everyone

   Officers help people leave calmly by the nearest safe exit and report anyone missing to emergency responders.

3. Question 3 of 20

   Why must a security officer never say or suggest that they are a police officer?

   • APolice officers may ask the officer to work for them
   • BClients only allow it during night shifts when the police are busy elsewhere
   • CPretending to be a police officer is a crime and can lead to lawsuits
   • DIt makes incident reports harder to write
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Pretending to be a police officer is a crime and can lead to lawsuits

   Impersonating a law enforcement officer is a criminal offense. It also exposes the officer and employer to civil lawsuits.

4. Question 4 of 20

   Police arrive at an active shooter scene. What should you do?

   • AKeep your hands empty and visible and follow their commands
   • BRun toward the officers to hug them
   • CPoint toward the shooter with your radio or phone in your hand
   • DAsk the officers to show their badges
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Keep your hands empty and visible and follow their commands

   Police may not know who the attacker is. Empty, visible hands and following orders keep you safe.

5. Question 5 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.

6. Question 6 of 20

   In most situations, when may a private security officer look inside a person's bag?

   • AAny time a person refuses to answer the officer's questions politely
   • BWhen the person agrees or it is a posted condition of entry
   • CWhenever the officer has a feeling about them
   • DOnly after the officer takes off the uniform
   Show answer

   Answer: B. When the person agrees or it is a posted condition of entry

   Private officers do not have police search powers. Searches usually depend on consent and the site's posted rules.

7. Question 7 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.

8. Question 8 of 20

   In "run, hide, fight," when is fighting appropriate?

   • AWhen you want to protect the building and its valuable property
   • BBefore trying anything else
   • CEvery time you see the attacker
   • DOnly as a last resort, when your life is in immediate danger
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Only as a last resort, when your life is in immediate danger

   Escaping or hiding comes first. Fighting is for when there is no other choice and your life is at risk.

9. Question 9 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.

10. Question 10 of 20

    When should a security officer write notes about an incident?

    • AOnly if the police come to the site
    • BAt the end of the week
    • CAs soon as possible, while the details are fresh
    • DOnly if a supervisor asks for them at the end of the shift
    Show answer

    Answer: C. As soon as possible, while the details are fresh

    Memory fades quickly. Notes written right away are more accurate and more believable in court.

11. Question 11 of 20

    What does federal guidance tell people to do in an active shooter situation?

    • ARun, hide, fight
    • BStop, drop and roll
    • CDuck, cover and hold
    • DStay, call and wait
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Run, hide, fight

    The Department of Homeland Security advises running if there is a safe way out, hiding if not, and fighting only as a last resort.

12. Question 12 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.

13. Question 13 of 20

    You find an unattended, suspicious package. What should you do?

    • AOpen it to see what is inside
    • BPick it up gently and shake it to hear what is inside
    • CCarry it outside to a safer place
    • DDo not touch it, move people away and report it
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Do not touch it, move people away and report it

    A suspicious item may be dangerous. Keep people away and let trained responders deal with it.

14. Question 14 of 20

    When force is allowed, how much force may a security officer use?

    • AAny amount of force the client approves in writing in the post orders
    • BAs much force as it takes to win
    • CTwice as much force as the other person uses
    • DOnly the force that is reasonable and necessary for the situation
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Only the force that is reasonable and necessary for the situation

    The law allows only reasonable force. Using more than is needed can make the officer guilty of assault and liable for damages.

15. Question 15 of 20

    A trespasser refuses to leave and becomes angry. What should the officer usually do?

    • AKeep a safe distance and call the police, as the post orders say
    • BBlock the exit so the person has to stay there until the police arrive
    • CLock the person in an office
    • DDrag the person off the property
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Keep a safe distance and call the police, as the post orders say

    Officers should avoid physical confrontation. Police can deal with a person who will not leave.

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

    On patrol you find a broken window and signs that someone forced their way in. What should you do first?

    • AGo inside alone to catch the intruder
    • BStay outside, call the police and your supervisor, and watch from a safe place
    • CClean up the broken glass so no one is hurt
    • DWait until morning so the day shift supervisor can decide what to do next about it
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Stay outside, call the police and your supervisor, and watch from a safe place

    An intruder may still be inside. Entering alone is dangerous and can destroy evidence.

18. Question 18 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.

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

    What are "post orders"?

    • AWritten instructions that describe an officer's duties at a specific site
    • BOrders given by police officers to security staff at a crime scene they control
    • CA list of people who are banned from all stores
    • DLetters that arrive in the mail for the client
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Written instructions that describe an officer's duties at a specific site

    Post orders tell officers what to do at their post, such as patrol times, access rules and emergency contacts.

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