Border Services Officer Practice (OTEE)

Why Reasoning and Analytical Thinking is Important

Border Agents must have Top Decision Making Skills – Agents must make quick, informed decisions, using reasoning and analytical thinking skills toi evaluate documents, assess situations, or analyze information quickly.

Border Agents need Top Problem Solving Skills. CBSA Agents are confronted with complex problems everyday. Officers might have to determine the validity of documents, spotting and resolving discrepancies, as well as handling situations requiring comprehensive understanding of laws and regulations. Analytical thinking provides the foundation for effective problem-solving skills.

Risk Assessment is Part of the Job. As a CBSA officer, you will be assessing risk and determining threats, which may be related to individual cases or wider security issues.

Includes: 

• Matching
• Sequences & Series
• Analogies

How to Solve Analogies

Logic Tutorial

Analogies Practice I

Analytical Thinking 

Number Series Practice and Tutorial

List Comparison Practice

General Logic and IQ Extra Practice

IQ Type Graphic Questions

IQ type Graphic Questions II

Matching

Prioritize your tasks as a border agent according to:

Urgent/Important: Requires immediate action due to security concerns.
Urgent/Not Important: Needs timely attention but does not impact broader security or operational duties.
Not urgent/Important: Important for records and accountability but can be addressed after urgent matters.
Not urgent/Important: Important for future planning but not immediately pressing.
Not urgent/Not Important: Neither immediate nor critical to current operational needs.

Prioritizing Practice Questions

Client Service are a type of Judgement questions where you are given a work-related scenario and then asked to choose the best response or action

Client Service Practice Questions

Situational Judgement Questions 
Similar scenario based questions but in an admin and retail environment

Situational Judgment Practice Questions

Why Grammar and Punctuation is Important

Written Communication Proficiency Test (WCPT): Part of the OTEE includes a WCPT, which specifically tests grammar, punctuation, and reading comprehension.

Border agents daily write reports and other official documents.  Grammar and punctuation are necessary for these documents to be understood correctly by other officers, judges, or legal professionals, who rely on them. Errors lead to misunderstandings, which in turn can have significant consequences.

The Written Communication Proficiency Test includes:

• Grammar
• Punctuation
• Reading Comprehension

How to Answer Reading Comprehension

English Usage – 15 questions
English Grammar – 20 questions
Punctuation – 12 questions

Reading Comprehension I – 20 questions
Reading Comprehension II – 8 questions

WCPT Online Course

Test de Compréhension de L’écrit