TSA TSA Behavioral Competencies 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passenger becomes verbally aggressive after being selected for additional screening. What is the best first response?
- Escalate immediately to law enforcement
- Remain calm, explain the process politely, and de-escalate (Correct answer)
- Skip the additional screening to avoid conflict
- Raise your voice to assert authority
Correct answer: Remain calm, explain the process politely, and de-escalate
TSA officers are trained to remain calm and use professional communication to de-escalate tense situations.
Question 2: You observe a colleague accepting a cash tip from a passenger after screening. What should you do?
- Ignore it since no harm was done
- Ask your colleague to split the tip
- Report the incident to your supervisor (Correct answer)
- Confront the passenger directly
Correct answer: Report the incident to your supervisor
TSA officers are prohibited from accepting gifts or gratuities, and violations must be reported to a supervisor.
Question 3: A passenger in a wheelchair cannot stand for the body scanner. What is the correct procedure?
- Deny boarding until the passenger can comply
- Allow the passenger to bypass all screening
- Conduct a thorough pat-down as an alternative screening method (Correct answer)
- Request the passenger return at a less busy time
Correct answer: Conduct a thorough pat-down as an alternative screening method
Passengers who cannot use the AIT scanner receive an equivalent level of screening through a pat-down.
Question 4: A passenger unknowingly packed a prohibited item and seems genuinely surprised. How should you proceed?
- Let them keep it since it was unintentional
- Confiscate the item and follow standard prohibited-item procedures (Correct answer)
- Immediately detain the passenger
- Ignore the item if it appears harmless
Correct answer: Confiscate the item and follow standard prohibited-item procedures
Regardless of intent, prohibited items must be handled according to standard TSA procedures, which include confiscation or voluntarily disposing.
Question 5: Your supervisor tells you to skip the shoe screening step because lines are too long. What do you do?
- Follow the supervisor's instructions immediately
- Refuse and report the instruction to TSA management or the chain of command (Correct answer)
- Only skip shoes for passengers who look trustworthy
- Skip the step but document it yourself
Correct answer: Refuse and report the instruction to TSA management or the chain of command
TSA officers must follow established screening protocols regardless of supervisory pressure; deviations should be reported up the chain.
Question 6: A passenger states their prescription medication must not go through the X-ray machine. What is the appropriate response?
- Refuse to screen the medication and allow it through
- Conduct a physical inspection of the medication as an alternative (Correct answer)
- Deny boarding to the passenger
- Require a doctor's note before any accommodation
Correct answer: Conduct a physical inspection of the medication as an alternative
TSA allows physical inspection of medications as an alternative when passengers decline X-ray for their prescription drugs.
TSA TSA Behavioral Competencies 1
A passenger becomes verbally aggressive after being selected for additional screening.
What is the best first response?