CBP Officer Tests

CBP Officer Exam Situational Judgement Test

1. Question 1 of 10

   You are a service desk assistant at a border protection agency. Looking something up this morning, you notice that the standard reply the desk sends to anybody asking about the application process gives a closing date that passed three weeks ago. The reply goes out automatically to everyone who writes in. The person who owns that wording sits in another team and is busy this week. Nobody at the desk has mentioned it, nothing you are working on depends on it, and no one has complained. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Leave it as it is and get on with your own work, on the basis that the wording belongs to another team and nobody has complained about it in three weeks.
   2. Raise it at the desk meeting next week so that the team can agree together whether the wrong date is worth taking to the other team at all.
   3. Note exactly what the wrong date says, send it to the person who owns the wording today with corrected words attached, so that they need only approve it this week.
   4. Answer the enquiries yourself with the right date whenever one reaches your desk, so that anybody who writes in this week is told correctly, and leave the standard reply alone.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Note exactly what the wrong date says, send it to the person who owns the wording today with corrected words attached, so that they need only approve it this week.

   Least effective: A. Leave it as it is and get on with your own work, on the basis that the wording belongs to another team and nobody has complained about it in three weeks.

   A: Assumes the error is somebody else's to notice: an automatic reply keeps sending a dead date to every person who writes in, and the fact that nobody has complained is what makes you the only person who can raise it.

   B: Downgrades a plain error to an agenda item: a date that has demonstrably passed needs no group view, and the reply goes out every day between now and the meeting.

   D: Treats the symptom and not the source: the automatic reply still reaches everybody who does not happen to land on your desk, and it goes on doing so after this week.

   The most effective response is writing down what the wrong date says and sending it to the person who owns the wording today with corrected words attached: the wording is theirs to change, they are busy, and the fastest way to get a change made is to hand them something ready to approve rather than something they have to work out for themselves. It is stronger than raising it at the desk meeting next week, because the reply goes out automatically every day in between and there is nothing for a team to decide about a date that has plainly passed. It is also stronger than answering enquiries yourself with the right date, since the automatic reply keeps reaching everybody who does not come through you. The least effective response is leaving the wording as it is on the basis that it belongs to another team: an error nobody has noticed is still an error, and the people writing in are the ones who pay for it. The principle: something wrong that nobody has claimed is still somebody’s to raise, and the person who noticed it is that somebody.

2. Question 2 of 10

   You are an enquiry desk assistant at a border protection agency. Last week you and a colleague argued in front of the desk about which of you should have taken a long queue, and neither of you has mentioned it since. Today the person who builds the desk rota asks you, in confidence, how the two of you work together, because they are deciding who is paired with whom for the next three months and will act on what you say. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Describe the disagreement honestly, say it has not been talked about since, and tell the rota person that you would rather sort it out with the colleague directly before the pairs are set.
   2. Say the two of you work well enough together and leave last week out of it, since the argument was a one off and the rota person only needs to know whether you can share a desk.
   3. Say you would rather not answer, and suggest the rota person asks the colleague the same question, since it seems unfair to describe a disagreement only one of you is being asked about.
   4. Say there is a problem you would rather not describe, and hand it straight to the desk manager to deal with, since sorting out staff disagreements is their job.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Describe the disagreement honestly, say it has not been talked about since, and tell the rota person that you would rather sort it out with the colleague directly before the pairs are set.

   Least effective: D. Say there is a problem you would rather not describe, and hand it straight to the desk manager to deal with, since sorting out staff disagreements is their job.

   B: Prioritises harmony over honesty: the rota person has said they will act on what you say, so a reassuring answer sets three months of pairings on a picture you know is incomplete.

   C: Steps back from a question only you were asked: fairness is met by saying what happened rather than by saying nothing, and the rota is set either way, with or without your account.

   D: Passes the problem on without owning it: a disagreement you have never raised with the colleague becomes something the manager has to take up formally, and the rota person is left with a flag and no account of it.

   The most effective response is describing the disagreement honestly and telling the rota person you would rather sort it out with the colleague directly. The rota person has said they will act on what you say, the argument happened in front of the desk and has never been talked about, and the only version of this that ends well is one the colleague hears from you first. It beats saying the two of you work well enough together and leaving last week out of it, because three months of pairings would then rest on a picture you know is incomplete. It beats declining to answer and suggesting they ask the colleague the same question, because the rota is set either way and your silence simply removes what you know from it. The least effective response is saying there is a problem you would rather not describe and handing it straight to the desk manager: it turns a disagreement the colleague has never heard raised into somebody else’s case to look into, and gives the rota person a flag without an account, which is a different kind of wrong from being too kind or too quiet. It is worse than the reassuring answer and worse than the refusal because both of those leave the disagreement where it can still be fixed between the two of you, while this one moves it to a manager who now has to act on something nobody has described. The principle: feedback that will be acted on is for describing what happened, not for handing an unraised disagreement to somebody else.

3. Question 3 of 10

   You are a selection centre assistant at a border protection agency. The room booked for Thursday’s selection day is no longer available and the whole day has to start two hours later in a different building. Fourteen candidates have already been given the original time and several are travelling the night before. The rule is that a change to a selection date or time goes to candidates in one standard message, sent by the person who runs the selection centre, so that every candidate is told the same thing. That person is in the office this afternoon. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Hold the news until the new building is confirmed in writing, so that the fourteen candidates are not given a second time that changes again before Thursday.
   2. Take the change to the person who runs the selection centre this afternoon, with the fourteen names and the time given, so the standard message can go out today.
   3. Ring the fourteen candidates yourself this evening from the numbers on their forms and tell each of them the new time in your own words, so that nobody travels early.
   4. Email the person who runs the selection centre about the new building and the new time, and let them pick it up whenever they next work through their inbox.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Take the change to the person who runs the selection centre this afternoon, with the fourteen names and the time given, so the standard message can go out today.

   Least effective: C. Ring the fourteen candidates yourself this evening from the numbers on their forms and tell each of them the new time in your own words, so that nobody travels early.

   A: Delays the decision: several candidates travel the night before, so a confirmation that lands on Thursday morning reaches them after they have already set off on the old time.

   C: Breaches the stated way changes are sent: fourteen candidates get fourteen versions of one change, none of it written down, and the rule exists so that no candidate can be told less than another.

   D: Passes responsibility without the urgency: the right person is in the office now, and an email that waits its turn spends the afternoon in which the message could still reach everybody.

   The most effective response is taking the change to the person who runs the selection centre this afternoon with the fourteen names: they are in the building, the rule puts the message in their hands, and one message today reaches every candidate before anybody sets off. It is stronger than holding the news until the new building is confirmed in writing, because several candidates travel the night before and certainty on Thursday morning is a day too late for them. It is also stronger than emailing the problem and letting it be picked up in turn, since the person who can send the message is in the office and an email leaves the timing to chance. The least effective response is ringing the fourteen candidates yourself in your own words: fourteen separate accounts of one change go out with no record of what each candidate was told, which is exactly what the single standard message prevents. The principle: when one change has to reach several people, use the route that reaches all of them identically.

4. Question 4 of 10

   You are a candidate liaison assistant at a border protection agency. A colleague told an applicant yesterday that their selection day is the 14th. You have just seen the note moving it to the 21st. The stated rule is that date changes go to applicants only from the person who runs the selection centre, and only in writing. The applicant has already booked time off for the 14th and rings tomorrow morning to run through what to bring. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Wait for the weekly update that goes out to all applicants on Friday to carry the new date, since it will reach them in writing from the right person anyway.
   2. Ask the applicant, when they ring, to check the date with the selection centre themselves, without saying that you already know it has moved.
   3. Tell the colleague what you have seen today, and ask the person who runs the selection centre to write to the applicant with the new date before tomorrow's call.
   4. Message the applicant yourself this evening with the new date, even though the stated rule is that only the person who runs the selection centre puts a date change in writing.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Tell the colleague what you have seen today, and ask the person who runs the selection centre to write to the applicant with the new date before tomorrow's call.

   Least effective: D. Message the applicant yourself this evening with the new date, even though the stated rule is that only the person who runs the selection centre puts a date change in writing.

   A: Leaves the applicant holding a wrong date: they ring tomorrow and have booked time off for the 14th, so Friday is several days after the point at which the error costs them something.

   B: Passes the correction to the applicant: you are holding the answer, and making them go and find it treats a mistake made inside the organisation as their errand.

   D: Breaches a stated rule on date changes: an applicant who has booked time off now holds two dates from two sources, and the person the rule makes responsible does not know either has been sent.

   The most effective response is telling the colleague what you have seen and asking the person who runs the selection centre to write to the applicant. It gets the correct date to the applicant through the route the rule names, and it gets there before tomorrow’s call, which is the moment the wrong date starts costing them. That is better than waiting for Friday’s weekly update, because the applicant has booked time off for the 14th and rings tomorrow. It is also better than asking them to check with the selection centre themselves, since you already hold the answer and sending them to look for it makes the organisation’s mistake their job. The least effective response is messaging the applicant yourself with the new date: the rule exists so that one person owns what applicants are told, and now two dates are in the open from two sources with nobody responsible for either, which is worse than being slow and worse than being unhelpful. The principle: get the right information to the person who needs it, by the route that keeps one owner for what they are told.

5. Question 5 of 10

   You are a trainee at a border protection agency, three weeks into your course. The person who runs the course asks you to tell the rest of the group that Thursday’s session has moved to Monday. You think this is wrong: the timetable you were all given puts the written assessment on Monday, and two weeks look as though they have been mixed up. The group will book travel and swap shifts tonight on what you tell them. The person who runs the course is still in the building. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Pass the message on exactly as you were given it, since it is not your place to question the person who runs the course, and email them afterwards to ask about the assessment date.
   2. Go to the person who runs the course before telling anybody, since the group books travel tonight, show them the timetable and ask which day, then pass that on.
   3. Tell the group the session may have moved but that you are not certain, and suggest they hold off booking travel until somebody confirms which day it is.
   4. Pass the message on and say in front of the group that you think the person who runs the course has muddled two weeks, so that nobody blames you if the date is wrong.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Go to the person who runs the course before telling anybody, since the group books travel tonight, show them the timetable and ask which day, then pass that on.

   Least effective: D. Pass the message on and say in front of the group that you think the person who runs the course has muddled two weeks, so that nobody blames you if the date is wrong.

   A: Passes on a message you already doubt: repeating it faithfully does not make it right, and the group books travel tonight on something you believe is a mistake.

   C: Hands on your own uncertainty: the whole group is left holding a doubt that one question would have settled, and the shifts they need to swap have to be swapped tonight.

   D: Undermines the person who gave you the message: it makes somebody who is not in the room the problem, and the group is still no clearer about which day to book for.

   The most effective response is going back to the person who runs the course with the timetable and asking which day they mean before telling anybody: they are still in the building, the group commits money and shifts tonight, and one question settles it either way. It is stronger than passing the message on exactly as given on the grounds that it is not your place to question it, since a message you believe is wrong does not become right by being repeated faithfully. It is also stronger than telling the group the session may have moved and asking them to hold off, because that leaves the whole group managing your doubt when one person could have resolved it. The least effective response is passing the message on while telling the group the person who runs the course has muddled the weeks: it puts the blame somewhere before the facts are known, in front of people who cannot check it, and nobody is any clearer about the date. The principle: take a doubt to the person who can resolve it, not to the people who cannot.

6. Question 6 of 10

   You are a training school assistant at a border protection agency, and you hold the bookings for a course that runs three times a year. The stated rule is that a place moves to a later run only if the request arrives before the list closes. The list closed on Monday. Two people asked to move afterwards and you told both of them no. A third person now asks, points out that the next run has spaces, and says that the list is still open on your screen and nobody else would ever know. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Move them onto the next run and agree with them to keep it between the two of you, since that run has spaces, the move costs nobody anything and the two earlier refusals need never come into it.
   2. Tell them no for the same reason you gave the other two, explain when the list opens for the following run, and offer to flag their request to the person who runs the course the moment it does.
   3. Move them onto the next run and go back to the two you refused to offer them the same move, so that everybody who asked after Monday is treated the same way in the end.
   4. Ask the person who runs the course whether the rule can be set aside for this run, and tell the person asking that you will come back to them once you have an answer.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Tell them no for the same reason you gave the other two, explain when the list opens for the following run, and offer to flag their request to the person who runs the course the moment it does.

   Least effective: A. Move them onto the next run and agree with them to keep it between the two of you, since that run has spaces, the move costs nobody anything and the two earlier refusals need never come into it.

   A: Agrees to an exception that depends on nobody knowing: two people were told no under the same rule this week, and an arrangement you could not repeat to either of them is one you cannot defend at all.

   C: Widens a breach in order to make it even: the rule was applied correctly on Monday, the two refusals were right when they were made, and nothing in this request is a reason to reopen a closed list.

   D: Escalates a question the rule has already answered: the list closed on Monday, two people have been refused on that basis, and any relaxation granted now would have to be offered back to them.

   The most effective response is telling them no for the same reason you gave the other two, explaining when the list opens for the following run, and offering to flag their request to the person who runs the course as soon as it does. Consistency is the whole of the judgement here, and the offer gives the person something real without touching the rule. That is better than moving them and going back to the two you refused, because it treats a rule that was applied correctly on Monday as the thing that needs fixing. It is better than asking whether the rule can be set aside for this run, because the list has already closed and any relaxation would owe the two refused people the same offer. The least effective response is moving them and agreeing to keep it between the two of you: reopening it for everybody at least applies one standard to all three, and asking for the rule to be relaxed at least puts the question where people can see it, whereas a private exception is one you could not repeat to the two people you turned down. The principle: an exception you would have to keep quiet is the test that tells you it is not an exception you can make.

7. Question 7 of 10

   You are a course administration assistant at a border protection agency. Another assistant on the course team has fallen behind: forty trainees’ preparation tasks are unmarked on the completion log, which has to be complete before Monday’s assessment. They have told only you and have asked you not to make a fuss. You can see which tasks have actually been submitted and which have not. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Mark all forty preparation tasks on the completion log as done so the log is ready for Monday, and let the colleague check the submissions afterwards when they have caught up.
   2. Tell the colleague you will help, that the person who runs the course has to know today, since only they can move Monday, then mark with them only what is genuinely in.
   3. Work through all forty unmarked tasks yourself in the evenings on top of your own work, checking each submission as you go, and tell nobody, so that the colleague is not embarrassed and the log is ready by Monday.
   4. Send the person who runs the course a note this morning saying the colleague is forty tasks behind on the completion log, before saying anything to the colleague, so that Monday's assessment is not put at risk.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Tell the colleague you will help, that the person who runs the course has to know today, since only they can move Monday, then mark with them only what is genuinely in.

   Least effective: A. Mark all forty preparation tasks on the completion log as done so the log is ready for Monday, and let the colleague check the submissions afterwards when they have caught up.

   A: Records work as done that was never checked: the log then says trainees have prepared when you can see that some have not, and Monday's assessment runs on it.

   C: Avoids the difficult conversation: one person quietly absorbing a two-person backlog gets Monday through and leaves the same colleague in the same position next month.

   D: Goes over the colleague's head first: they confided in you, a word to them costs nothing, and the note arrives without any account of what has actually been submitted.

   The most effective response is telling the colleague you will help while making clear that the person who runs the course has to know today: Monday is fixed, forty tasks are unmarked, and the only person who can move the assessment or find another pair of hands is the one nobody has told. It beats working through the unmarked tasks yourself in the evenings and telling nobody, because one person quietly absorbing a two-person backlog leaves the same problem standing next month. It beats sending a note about the colleague before saying anything to them, since they confided in you and a word first costs nothing and keeps them in the conversation. The least effective response is marking all forty tasks on the completion log as done: the log then says trainees have prepared when you can see that some have not, and Monday’s assessment runs on a record you know to be wrong. The principle: help a struggling colleague by getting the right people involved, never by making the paperwork say something that is not so.

8. Question 8 of 10

   You are a shift team member at a border protection agency. Ten minutes before the end of your shift, the person who opens the building in the morning rings to ask whether the room booked for tomorrow’s course has been set up. You do not know: the colleague who was doing it has gone home, and the answer is in the shift notes you have not read. If the room has not been done, somebody has to do it this evening. The caller says they need to know now, and sounds irritated. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Tell the caller you do not know yet but will find out, read the shift notes straight away, and ring back within ten minutes, since tonight is the only window.
   2. Say nothing about the room not being checked, write the caller's question into the shift notes, and leave it for the morning team to pick up when they come in.
   3. Tell the caller you cannot find out before you leave, explaining that your shift ends in ten minutes, and suggest they try the colleague who was setting the room up at home this evening.
   4. Read the whole shift handover from the beginning before saying anything, so nothing else from the day is missed, and ring the caller back once you have been through all of it, however long that takes.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Tell the caller you do not know yet but will find out, read the shift notes straight away, and ring back within ten minutes, since tonight is the only window.

   Least effective: B. Say nothing about the room not being checked, write the caller's question into the shift notes, and leave it for the morning team to pick up when they come in.

   B: Withholds what the caller needs tonight: they are told neither the answer nor that there is a doubt, so the one evening in which the room could still be set up passes without anybody acting.

   C: Passes responsibility to others: the answer is in notes on your own desk, and the caller ends up chasing somebody who has finished for the day to get it.

   D: Delays a one-line answer: the caller is waiting on a single fact and has an evening's work riding on it, so a full read of the handover spends time neither of you has.

   The most effective response is telling the caller you do not know yet, reading the shift notes and ringing back within ten minutes: the answer exists, it is a few lines away, and the caller can still get the room done tonight. It is stronger than suggesting they try the colleague who set the room up at home, because that colleague has finished for the day and the notes in front of you hold the answer. It is also stronger than reading the whole handover from the beginning before saying anything, since one fact is wanted and the rest of your shift is not. The least effective response is writing the question into the notes and leaving it for the morning team: the caller is told nothing at all, and if the room was missed, the evening in which somebody could have put it right goes by. The principle: pressure is a reason to say when you will answer, never a reason to answer badly or not at all.

9. Question 9 of 10

   You are an enquiry desk assistant at a border protection agency. A member of the public has waited twenty minutes at the desk for an answer that only another team holds. You have rung them four times and emailed twice with no reply. The desk closes at four o’clock, half an hour from now, and the enquirer has said twice that they cannot come back. The rule at the desk is that internal contact details and staff names are not given out. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Keep ringing that team until four o'clock and ask the enquirer to stay where they are, since somebody may pick up at any moment and the answer is one call away.
   2. Tell the enquirer to come back tomorrow when that team is easier to reach, and start on the next person waiting so the desk closes on time.
   3. Tell the enquirer plainly what you have tried and what happens next, take their contact details, and leave that team a written note before the desk closes, since the enquirer cannot come back tomorrow.
   4. Tell the enquirer you cannot give out internal contacts but that it is sorted and the team will ring them tomorrow, then send them away expecting a call that nobody has promised.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Tell the enquirer plainly what you have tried and what happens next, take their contact details, and leave that team a written note before the desk closes, since the enquirer cannot come back tomorrow.

   Least effective: D. Tell the enquirer you cannot give out internal contacts but that it is sorted and the team will ring them tomorrow, then send them away expecting a call that nobody has promised.

   A: Spends the last half hour on a line nobody is answering: six attempts have already failed, and at four o'clock the enquirer leaves with nothing written down anywhere.

   B: Ignores what the enquirer has already told you: they have said twice that they cannot come back, so tomorrow is not a route they have.

   D: Assures the enquirer it is sorted without checking: nobody in that team has answered you, nothing is written down, and the enquirer stops chasing an answer that now exists only in what you said.

   The most effective response is to tell the enquirer plainly what you have tried and what happens next, take their contact details and leave that team a written note before the desk closes. The enquirer cannot come back, the desk closes in half an hour, and a written note carrying their details is the only thing that survives four o’clock. Ringing that team until four and asking the enquirer to keep waiting is weaker, because six attempts have already failed and the last half hour buys nothing. Telling the enquirer to come back tomorrow is weaker too, because they have twice said they cannot. The least effective response is to tell the enquirer it is sorted and that the team will ring them tomorrow: six attempts have gone unanswered, so nothing has been sorted and nobody in that team has agreed to ring, and the enquirer goes away relying on it and stops chasing. Both of the weaker responses at least leave the enquirer in no doubt about where the request stands, which is what an assurance nobody can honour takes away. Pressure is a reason to make sure a request outlives you, never a reason to say something you have not checked or to send somebody away with nothing.

10. Question 10 of 10

    You are a course administration assistant at a border protection agency, and you send out joining instructions for training courses. A person booked onto next month’s course was told in writing that they would have their joining instructions by the 12th. It is now the 19th, they have rung twice, and they have travel to book. The person who prepares joining instructions is away until Thursday and nobody else can produce them. You do not know why the 12th was missed. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

    1. Ring the person today, tell them the joining instructions are not ready, explain that the person who prepares them is back on Thursday, and promise a date by Friday, since they must book travel.
    2. Reply by email that their query has been logged and that somebody will be in touch about it, giving no date, so that you are not committing anybody else to a promise you cannot keep.
    3. Assure the person that their joining instructions were sent out last week and will reach them shortly, which buys quiet until Thursday and saves them a third phone call.
    4. Wait until Thursday and put it to the person who prepares joining instructions the moment they are back, so that the caller hears the real date from the person who actually owns the work.
    Show the answer

    Most effective: A. Ring the person today, tell them the joining instructions are not ready, explain that the person who prepares them is back on Thursday, and promise a date by Friday, since they must book travel.

    Least effective: C. Assure the person that their joining instructions were sent out last week and will reach them shortly, which buys quiet until Thursday and saves them a third phone call.

    B: Answers without the one fact they need: the person has travel to book and has already waited a week past the 12th, so a reply carrying no date leaves them exactly where the missed date left them.

    C: Gives an assurance you have not checked: nothing tells you the instructions were ever sent, and the person may book travel around a course date that nobody has confirmed to them.

    D: Delays the reply for a tidier answer: the caller has waited a week past the date they were given and has travel to book, and two more silent days is what the tidier answer costs them.

    The most effective response is ringing the person today to say the joining instructions are not ready, that the person who prepares them is back on Thursday, and that you will call again by Friday with a date. That is better than replying by email that their query has been logged with no date attached, because the caller can do nothing with an acknowledgement and still cannot decide whether to book travel. It is also better than waiting until Thursday to put it to the person who prepares them, since the caller spends two more days with no word at all. The least effective response is assuring the person that their joining instructions were sent out last week: you have not checked that, the assurance stops them chasing, and they may spend money on travel for a date nobody has confirmed. Waiting at least leaves the caller free to keep asking, and a dateless email at least tells them nothing untrue. The principle: when you cannot give somebody the answer they were promised, give them the truth and the next date, never a comfortable version of the truth.