Report Writing Flashcards
7 cards from real Ontario Security Guard Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Report Writing flashcards as text
Security reports are considered what type of document in legal proceedings?
Answer: Official documents that may be submitted as evidence
Security reports are official documents that may be subpoenaed and used as evidence in court or other legal proceedings.
Which of the following is an example of subjective language that should be avoided in a report?
Answer: The suspicious-looking man was clearly up to something
'Suspicious-looking' and 'clearly up to something' are opinions and interpretations, not observable facts.
What does 'chain of custody' refer to in the context of security reporting?
Answer: The documented record of who handled evidence and when
Chain of custody is the documented record tracking who collected, handled, and transferred evidence to maintain its integrity for legal proceedings.
When writing a security report, which person and tense should a guard use?
Answer: First person, past tense — e.g., 'I observed...'
Security guards write in first person (I) and past tense because they are documenting what they personally observed and events that have already occurred.
Which detail must always be recorded when a security guard makes a notebook entry?
Answer: The date, time, and location of each entry
Each notebook entry must include the date, time, and location to establish a clear, chronological record of events.
What time format is standard for recording times in Ontario security reports?
Answer: 24-hour clock format (e.g., 1400 hours)
24-hour (military) time format is the standard in security reports because it eliminates AM/PM ambiguity.
If a person provides a verbal statement during a security investigation, how should the guard record it?
Answer: Record the exact words spoken, in quotation marks, in the report
Verbal statements should be recorded verbatim in quotation marks to accurately preserve what was said for legal purposes.