Career Advice

» CareerGirl - Response to Preparation for TSO Exam

I had a question from an interested reader about preparing for the TSA exam so I thought it might be a good idea to post it for everyone to read. There is very little information available in regards to preparing for the exam.

On the website at http://www.tsa.gov I found the following information:

What can I do to study for the screener examination?

At this time the TSA does not have any pre-examination materials available. The vacancy announcement describes the position and candidates should review this information. At this time, the TSA has not validated nor endorsed any screener examination preparation courses. We invite you to visit the www.tsa.dot.gov web site frequently for any application information updates.

If there are any readers out there who are employed as Screeners, maybe you can add to this discussion?

On another website, I found a few questions that someone had posted so these might help you:

Question: “What is the role of a detonator in an explosion?”

Question: “What type of weapons are explosives detection systems, such as the TX
5500/2500, designed to detect?”

Question: “Clocks, watches, and integrated circuit chips are examples of which IED
component?”

Question: “Why is it important to screen bags for IEDs?”
a. The IED batteries could leak and damage other passenger bags.
b. The wires in the IED could cause a short to the aircraft wires.
c. IEDs can cause loss of lives, property, and aircraft.
d. The ticking timer could worry other passengers.

Question: How do threats get aboard an aircraft?
a. In carry-on bags.
b. In checked-in bags.
c. In another person’s bag.
d. All of the above

After applicants complete the TSA exam, their scores are placed into a database and evaluated by the TSA. If the applicant passes the exam, they are eligible for the next part of the hiring process. If they do not pass any part of the exam, they are allowed to re-test after 60 days, and must retake the entire exam. As federal employees, transportation security screeners receive a minimum of 40 hours of classroom training and 60 hours of on-the-job training and are subject to periodic proficiency assessments and unannounced testing. Transportation security screeners are constantly notified of new threats and methods of concealment.

I hope this information is helpful! Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Tracey

-- posted by CareerGirl