SAIWA Security Competency Test — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is reasonable suspicion and how does it relate to a security agent's powers?

Allows detention for up to 4 hours
Gives agents same powers as police
Allows agents to search anyone
Security agents cannot use it for arrests; citizen's arrest requires actually finding the person committing the offence (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Security agents cannot use it for arrests; citizen's arrest requires actually finding the person committing the offence

Unlike police, citizen's arrest requires actually witnessing the offence, not merely suspecting it.

Question 2: Which of the following scenarios best justifies a security officer's use of apprehension (citizen's arrest) powers in Western Australia?

The officer directly observes a person physically assaulting another patron. (Correct answer)
A person is verbally abusive and using offensive language towards the officer.
An individual is seen walking through a restricted area, violating site policy.
A store manager informs the officer that a person who left 10 minutes ago may have stolen an item.

Correct answer: The officer directly observes a person physically assaulting another patron.

A security officer's power of citizen's arrest is justified when they reasonably suspect a person is committing an arrestable offence. Physical assault is a clear arrestable offence. Verbal abuse, while potentially an offence, may not always meet the threshold, and acting on information about a past event or a simple policy breach (trespass) may not be sufficient grounds for apprehension without other factors.

Question 3: According to the WA Security Industry Code of Conduct, a licensed security professional must always act in a manner that serves:

The public interest and with integrity. (Correct answer)
The specific instructions of the client, regardless of legality.
The financial interests of their employer above all else.
Their own personal safety, even if it means ignoring a potential incident.

Correct answer: The public interest and with integrity.

The WA Security Industry Code of Conduct mandates that licensed security personnel must prioritize the public interest and act with integrity in all their professional duties. This principle underpins the ethical and professional standards expected of the industry.

Question 4: Under the Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996, what is the primary legal power a licensed security officer has when dealing with a person they reasonably suspect of committing an offence on private property?

To demand the person's identification and conduct a search of their belongings.
To perform a 'citizen's arrest' and use reasonable force to detain the person. (Correct answer)
To issue an on-the-spot fine for trespassing or disorderly conduct.
To detain the person using any means necessary until police arrive.

Correct answer: To perform a 'citizen's arrest' and use reasonable force to detain the person.

Security officers in Western Australia do not have police powers. Their authority to arrest is the same as any other citizen. They can perform a 'citizen's arrest' if they have a reasonable suspicion that an offence has been committed. The force used must be reasonable and they must hand the person over to the police as soon as is practicable.

Question 5: A client requests a task outside the security agent's licensed scope. What should the agent do?

Perform the task secretly
Comply to maintain good relations
Demand extra payment
Politely decline, explain it is outside their licensed scope, and notify their employer (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Politely decline, explain it is outside their licensed scope, and notify their employer

Agents must not perform tasks outside their licensed scope. Decline and report to employer.

Question 6: What is the purpose of a barring notice at WA licensed premises?

To restrict alcohol sales during peak hours
To legally prohibit a specific person from entering licensed premises for a specified period (Correct answer)
To permanently ban all security staff
To close a venue temporarily

Correct answer: To legally prohibit a specific person from entering licensed premises for a specified period

A barring notice prohibits a named individual from entering or remaining on specified licensed premises.

Question 7: In WA security industry practice, 'proportional force' means:

Using maximum available force for any threat
Matching the level of force to the level of resistance or danger (Correct answer)
Using only bare hands regardless of the threat
Applying force equally to all persons in a disturbance

Correct answer: Matching the level of force to the level of resistance or danger

Proportional force means the response must be calibrated to match the threat — greater threats may justify greater force, but force must never exceed what is necessary.

Question 8: A security officer conducting a patrol of a new construction site identifies a deep, uncovered trench directly adjacent to the designated patrol path. According to the standard four-step risk management process, what is the immediate next step?

Implement a control measure by placing temporary barrier tape around the trench.
Continue the patrol carefully, keeping a safe distance from the trench.
Assess the likelihood and potential consequences of a fall. (Correct answer)
Record the hazard in the logbook and inform the next shift.

Correct answer: Assess the likelihood and potential consequences of a fall.

The standard risk management process follows four key steps: 1. Identify the hazard; 2. Assess the risk; 3. Control the risk; 4. Review control measures. The officer has already identified the hazard (the trench). The immediate next step is to assess the risk, which involves evaluating the likelihood of an incident occurring and the severity of the potential outcome.

Question 9: What is the key difference between detention and arrest in security operations?

No difference
Detention is brief holding, while arrest involves formal custody with intent to hand to police (Correct answer)
Detention requires handcuffs
Only police can detain

Correct answer: Detention is brief holding, while arrest involves formal custody with intent to hand to police

Detention is a brief restriction of movement, while arrest involves taking custody with intent to deliver to police.

Question 10: What does the acronym DRSABCD stand for in first aid emergency response?

Document, Review, Summarise, Analyse, Brief, Communicate, Debrief
Detect, Report, Secure, Assess, Block, Call, Document
Direct, Remove, Signal, Attend, Bandage, Cover, Dispatch
Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation

DRSABCD is the standard first aid action plan used across Australia.

Question 11: Which of the following is a mandatory requirement for an individual applying for a Security Officer and/or Crowd Controller Licence in Western Australia for the first time?

Holding a valid driver's licence.
Being a member of the Security Agents Institute of Western Australia (SAIWA).
Having prior experience in law enforcement or the military.
Successfully completing a written examination based on their training course content. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Successfully completing a written examination based on their training course content.

Amendments to the Security and Related Activities (Control) Regulations 1997 require that all new applicants for Security Officer and/or Crowd Controller licences must pass a written exam based on their training. This is administered by SAIWA on behalf of the WA Police Force Licensing Services.

Question 12: A security agent needs to describe a suspect to police. Which information should be communicated first?

The suspect's estimated income
The suspect's social media presence
The suspect's likely motivation
Direction of travel and physical description including clothing (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Direction of travel and physical description including clothing

Direction of travel and physical description are the most immediately actionable for police response.

Question 13: Which action would constitute a breach of professional integrity for a security agent?

Falsifying an incident report to protect a colleague (Correct answer)
Reporting a safety hazard to management
Attending professional development
Requesting clarification on unclear instructions

Correct answer: Falsifying an incident report to protect a colleague

Falsifying any official document is a serious breach of professional integrity and potentially a criminal offence.

Question 14: A patron is denied entry to a licensed venue by a crowd controller. The patron becomes verbally abusive but does not make any physical threats. Which principle of the WA Security Industry Code of Conduct is most critical for the crowd controller to uphold in this situation?

Refraining from knowingly associating with those who use illegal methods.
Acting with integrity and professionalism when dealing with the general public. (Correct answer)
Maintaining truth and good taste in advertising.
Disseminating information to improve the profession.

Correct answer: Acting with integrity and professionalism when dealing with the general public.

The WA Security Industry Code of Conduct requires licensees to act with integrity in their dealings with the general public at all times. Responding to verbal abuse professionally, without escalating the situation, is a core demonstration of this principle. The other options are also part of the code but are not the most relevant to this specific scenario of interacting with a difficult member of the public.

Question 15: What is the difference between a static guard post and a roving patrol?

Roving patrols are always more effective
No significant difference
Static posts are always superior
Static posts provide constant coverage of a specific area while roving patrols cover wider areas with intermittent presence (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Static posts provide constant coverage of a specific area while roving patrols cover wider areas with intermittent presence

Static posts offer continuous monitoring at critical locations; roving patrols cover broader areas periodically.

Question 16: Under Western Australia's Liquor Control Act 1988, on which of the following grounds can a crowd controller, who has been authorised in writing by the licensee, lawfully remove a person from a licensed venue?

Only if specifically instructed to do so by a police officer present at the scene.
If the person is violent, quarrelsome, disorderly, or intoxicated. (Correct answer)
For any reason the crowd controller deems appropriate at the time.
Only if the person has committed a serious criminal offence.

Correct answer: If the person is violent, quarrelsome, disorderly, or intoxicated.

Section 115 of the Liquor Control Act 1988 specifically empowers authorised persons, including crowd controllers with written authorisation, to remove individuals who are violent, quarrelsome, disorderly, or present in a state of intoxication.

Question 17: What role does cultural awareness play in professional security practice in Western Australia?

It means treating all cultures as identical
It only applies at multicultural events
It helps agents interact respectfully and effectively with people from diverse backgrounds (Correct answer)
It is irrelevant to security work

Correct answer: It helps agents interact respectfully and effectively with people from diverse backgrounds

Cultural awareness enables respectful interaction with WA's diverse population and helps avoid misunderstandings.

Question 18: Which of the following could result in suspension or cancellation of a WA security agent licence?

Being convicted of a serious criminal offence (Correct answer)
Changing residential address
Taking annual leave from security work
Attending additional training courses

Correct answer: Being convicted of a serious criminal offence

Conviction for a serious criminal offence is grounds for the Commissioner to suspend or cancel a security agent licence.

Question 19: A security agent discovers a colleague working without a valid licence. What is their responsibility?

Help the colleague apply for renewal
Report the matter to their supervisor immediately (Correct answer)
It is not their concern
Cover for the colleague

Correct answer: Report the matter to their supervisor immediately

Working with or knowingly allowing unlicensed security work can implicate others. Report immediately.

Question 20: What is the role of a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in security agent training?

They deliver nationally recognised training and assess competency according to approved training packages (Correct answer)
They issue security licences
Government licensing offices
Security companies providing on-the-job training

Correct answer: They deliver nationally recognised training and assess competency according to approved training packages

RTOs deliver nationally recognised courses and assess student competency.

Question 21: How does the Criminal Code Act 1913 (WA) affect security agent powers?

Exempts agents from criminal liability on duty
Grants special arrest powers to licensed agents
Requires agents to carry weapons
Provides citizen's arrest provisions that apply equally to all citizens, without granting additional powers (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Provides citizen's arrest provisions that apply equally to all citizens, without granting additional powers

The Criminal Code provides citizen's arrest powers applying equally to all citizens including security agents.

Question 22: What action can lead to revocation of a security agent's license?

Volunteering for community services.
Pursuing additional training courses.
Taking extended leaves of absence.
Violating client confidentiality. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Violating client confidentiality.

Client confidentiality is a cornerstone of ethical conduct in the security industry, as agents often have access to sensitive information. Violating this trust by disclosing confidential client information is a serious breach of professional ethics and legal obligations. Such an action can lead to severe penalties, including the immediate revocation of a security agent's license.

Question 23: Which of the following statements most accurately distinguishes between a 'hazard' and a 'risk' in the context of a security patrol?

A hazard is a past incident, while a risk is a potential future incident.
A hazard is a source of potential harm, whereas a risk is the probability and severity of that harm occurring. (Correct answer)
A risk is a physical object, like a broken stair, and a hazard is the report written about it.
A hazard and a risk are identical terms used to describe any dangerous situation.

Correct answer: A hazard is a source of potential harm, whereas a risk is the probability and severity of that harm occurring.

This question addresses a core concept of Work Health and Safety. A hazard is the thing or situation with the potential to cause harm (e.g., a poorly lit staircase). A risk is the evaluation of the likelihood (chance) that the hazard will cause harm and the severity of that harm (e.g., a high risk of a serious injury from falling down the unlit stairs).

Question 24: What are the grounds for refusing a security agent licence application under WA law?

Only age requirements
Only a current conviction
Criminal history, lack of fitness, failure to meet training requirements, or other unsuitability factors (Correct answer)
Only financial insolvency

Correct answer: Criminal history, lack of fitness, failure to meet training requirements, or other unsuitability factors

Applications can be refused on multiple grounds including criminal history, fitness concerns, and training deficiencies.

Question 25: After confirming an area is safe, a security agent finds a co-worker collapsed and unresponsive. What is the next DRSABCD step?

Begin CPR immediately
Check for a response by speaking loudly and applying gentle pressure (Correct answer)
Call 000 first
Place them in the recovery position

Correct answer: Check for a response by speaking loudly and applying gentle pressure

After checking Danger, the next step is checking Response by talking to the person and applying gentle stimulation.

Question 26: A security agent witnesses a colleague using clearly excessive force on a detained person. The correct action is to:

Do nothing to avoid conflict with a colleague
Encourage the colleague to continue to resolve the situation quickly
Intervene to stop the excessive force and report the incident to a supervisor (Correct answer)
Warn the detained person that more force may follow

Correct answer: Intervene to stop the excessive force and report the incident to a supervisor

Security agents have a duty to prevent unlawful conduct by colleagues; failing to intervene and report can result in shared liability.

Question 27: What is the correct approach when writing a witness statement for a security incident?

Write only facts observed personally, in chronological order, with specific times (Correct answer)
Use vague language to avoid commitment
Include personal opinions about fault
Copy another witness's statement for consistency

Correct answer: Write only facts observed personally, in chronological order, with specific times

Witness statements should contain only personally observed facts, in chronological order with specific times and descriptions.

Question 28: A crowd controller has lawfully required a disorderly patron to leave a nightclub. Outside the venue, the patron attempts to re-enter and pushes the crowd controller. What level of force is the crowd controller legally permitted to use in this situation?

No force is permitted as the patron is now outside the venue's boundary.
Any force required to detain the person until police arrive.
A level of force greater than the patron's to establish dominance.
The minimum force reasonably necessary to prevent the patron from unlawfully re-entering. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The minimum force reasonably necessary to prevent the patron from unlawfully re-entering.

The legal principle for use of force is that it must be reasonable, necessary, and proportionate to the threat. The objective is to control the situation (in this case, prevent unlawful re-entry), not to punish the individual. The force used must be the minimum required to achieve that lawful objective.

Question 29: A patron makes a formal complaint about a security agent's conduct. What should the agent do?

Argue with the patron
Ignore the complaint
Ask the patron to leave immediately
Remain professional, acknowledge the complaint, and direct the patron to the complaints process (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Remain professional, acknowledge the complaint, and direct the patron to the complaints process

Agents should remain professional, acknowledge complaints, and direct complainants to the formal process.

Question 30: How often must a security agent licence be renewed in Western Australia?

Every year (Correct answer)
Every 5 years
Every 6 months
Every 3 years

Correct answer: Every year

Security agent licences in WA are issued for one year and must be renewed annually.

Question 31: During a shift handover briefing, which of the following is most important to communicate?

Personal gossip about staff
The outgoing agent's lunch preferences
Complaints about management
Outstanding incidents, known threats, equipment status, and special instructions (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Outstanding incidents, known threats, equipment status, and special instructions

Shift handovers must cover ongoing security matters including outstanding incidents, threats, equipment issues, and instructions.

Question 32: A security agent scheduled to work is feeling unwell and knows performance will be compromised. What is the professional course of action?

Take medication and hope for the best
Work anyway to avoid letting the team down
Notify their supervisor as early as possible so alternative arrangements can be made (Correct answer)
Arrive at work and leave if symptoms worsen

Correct answer: Notify their supervisor as early as possible so alternative arrangements can be made

Working while unwell compromises security. Notify the supervisor promptly for alternative arrangements.

SAIWA Security Competency Test

The SAIWA Security Competency Test assesses candidates seeking a security agent licence in Western Australia, covering WA security legislation, professional conduct, emergency response, and operational procedures.

Questions

45 min

Time Limit

80%

To Pass

Checking for saved progress...

Exam Rules

You can skip questions and return to them later
Flag questions for review before submitting
No feedback shown until you submit the entire exam
Unanswered questions count as wrong — answer everything
10 pretest questions are mixed in and don't affect your score
Timer auto-submits when time runs out
Your progress is auto-saved every 30 seconds