PCI Background Investigation Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When conducting a pre-employment background investigation, which source is generally considered the most reliable for verifying an applicant's past employment dates?
- The applicant's resume
- Direct contact with former employers' HR departments (Correct answer)
- Professional reference letters
- LinkedIn profile information
Correct answer: Direct contact with former employers' HR departments
Direct contact with former employers' HR departments provides primary-source verification of employment dates, titles, and eligibility for rehire.
Question 2: Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), how many days does a consumer have to dispute inaccurate information in a consumer report after receiving an adverse action notice?
- 30 days
- 60 days
- The FCRA does not set a specific dispute deadline (Correct answer)
- 90 days
Correct answer: The FCRA does not set a specific dispute deadline
The FCRA does not impose a specific time limit on a consumer's right to dispute inaccurate information with a consumer reporting agency.
Question 3: An investigator discovers that a subject's criminal record shows a conviction that was later expunged. How should this information typically be handled in a background report?
- Include it because criminal history is always relevant
- Exclude it, as expunged records are generally treated as if they never occurred (Correct answer)
- Flag it as 'pending review' for the client
- Disclose it only to law enforcement clients
Correct answer: Exclude it, as expunged records are generally treated as if they never occurred
Expunged records are legally sealed and must generally be excluded from background reports because they are treated as if the conviction never occurred.
Question 4: Which investigative technique is BEST suited for verifying a subject's claimed academic degree when the institution does not respond to written requests?
- Accepting the applicant's diploma copy as sufficient proof
- Contacting the institution's registrar directly by phone (Correct answer)
- Searching social media for photos of the diploma
- Reviewing the applicant's transcript alone
Correct answer: Contacting the institution's registrar directly by phone
Direct phone contact with the registrar's office is the most reliable fallback when written requests go unanswered, enabling real-time verbal verification.
Question 5: In background investigations, a 'gap' in a subject's employment history is MOST appropriately addressed by:
- Noting it in the report without further inquiry
- Asking the subject to explain and then independently corroborating their explanation (Correct answer)
- Presuming the subject was incarcerated during that period
- Ignoring gaps shorter than six months
Correct answer: Asking the subject to explain and then independently corroborating their explanation
Gaps should be explained by the subject and then independently corroborated to ensure accuracy and completeness of the investigation.
Question 6: Which federal law primarily governs the use of consumer reports in employment decisions, including background investigations?
- The Privacy Act of 1974
- The Employee Polygraph Protection Act
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) (Correct answer)
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Correct answer: The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
The FCRA is the primary federal law regulating the use of consumer reports, including background checks, in employment decisions.
Question 7: When interviewing a personal reference provided by a subject, an investigator should PRIMARILY seek to:
- Confirm the reference is not a personal friend or family member
- Obtain leads to additional sources who can provide independent information (Correct answer)
- Collect the reference's own employment history
- Avoid asking about the subject's negative traits
Correct answer: Obtain leads to additional sources who can provide independent information
Personal references are most valuable as leads to other independent sources who can provide unbiased, corroborating information about the subject.
PCI Background Investigation Procedures 2
When conducting a pre-employment background investigation, which source is generally considered the most reliable for verifying an applicant's past employment dates?