Reasoning Skills
Not publishedof exam
Analytical Thinking
Not publishedof exam
Client Service Orientation
Not publishedof exam
Writing Skills
Not publishedof exam
Exam Logistics
Not publishedof exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- CBSA OTEE
- Items
- 117 multiple-choice
- Time
- 135 minutes
- Pace
- About 69 seconds each
- Format
- Online, single sitting
- Window
- One week to start
- Competencies
- Four, weights not published
- Result
- Success keeps selection active
- Rewrite
- One full year later
- Pass benchmark
- 60% each competency; March 2026
- Prerequisites
- Check current GC Jobs poster
Conclusion Check
Affirmative all: no converse; affirmative some: converse
All affirmative: no converseSome A are B: reversesNo: reversesIf-then: contrapositive also valid
Valid vs True
Valid
- Follows from premises
- Logic holds
- Answer choice
True
- Matches real world
- Outside knowledge
- Distractor
Answer from the passage
Valid Conclusion Picker
- Question says must be true→Accept guaranteed conclusions only(Deduction)
- All A are B→Converse not implied(Converse error)
- Some A are B→Some B are A(Affirmative some only)
- Statement is if-then→Use the contrapositive(Converse/inverse not implied)
- Option needs outside facts→Eliminate it(No assumptions)
- Two lists of codes→Compare position by position
- Numbers rise and fall→Split the interleaved series
- Letters form a series→Number the alphabet
Reasoning Question Types
- Code comparison
- Count list discrepanciesOfficial sample
- Picture match
- Spot the odd imageOfficial sample
- Number series
- Predict the next termOfficial sample
- Letter series
- Alphabet position pattern
- Syllogism
- Conclusion must follow
- Conditional rule
- If-then statements applied
- Analogy
- Same relationship repeated
- Ordering puzzle
- Rank people from clues
Deductive vs Inductive
Deductive
- Premises guarantee it
- Must be true
- Rule applied
Inductive
- Pattern generalised
- Probably true
- Examples extended
Guaranteed versus probable
Logic Rules
- All A are B
- Converse not implied
- Some A are B
- Some B are A
- No A are B
- No B are A
- If P then Q
- Not Q means not P
- Affirming consequent
- Invalid: Q so P
- Denying antecedent
- Invalid: not P, not Q
- Must be true
- Guaranteed by the premises
- Could be true
- Possible, not proven
- Deductive
- Premises guarantee the conclusion
- Inductive
- Pattern suggests probable conclusion
- Modus ponens
- P and P→Q imply Q
Discrepancy Scanning
- Method
- Compare position by position
- Count unit
- Use prompt’s counting unit
- 1 vs I vs l
- One, capital i, lowercase L
- 0 vs O
- Zero versus letter O
- 5 vs S
- Five versus letter S
- 8 vs B
- Eight versus letter B
- 2 vs Z
- Two versus letter Z
- Official sample
- Three discrepancies of sixAnswer c
- Picture items
- Sweep one feature first
- Feature order
- Count, orientation, position, shading
Series Patterns
- First differences
- Constant means arithmetic series
- Second differences
- Squares or quadratic growth
- Ratios
- Constant means multiplying series
- Interleaved series
- Split odd and even
- Squares
- 1, 4, 9, 16, 25
- Official sample
- Next term is 363,9,4,16,5,25,6
- Alphabet numbering
- A=1 through Z=26
- Letter step
- Constant gap between letters
- Two-track letters
- Check each pair separately
Priority Grid
Urgent plus important first; neither flag last
Both: immediatelyUrgent only: soonImportant only: before eventNeither: last
Urgent vs Important
Urgent
- Clock is running
- Needs action now
- Timing question
Important
- Critical to success
- Security or image
- Impact question
Timing versus impact
Task Priority Picker
- Time sensitive and critical→Urgent/Important(Do it now)
- Time sensitive, not critical→Urgent/Not important(Do soon)
- Critical, not time sensitive→Not urgent/Important(Before the event)
- Neither critical nor timed→Not urgent/Not important(Handle last)
- Message dated event day→Re-rate the urgency(Timing changed)
- Both flags feel true→Judge each separately(Then combine)
Priority Grid Rules
- Urgent/Important
- Address it immediatelyOfficial grid
- Urgent/Not important
- Address as soon as possible
- Not urgent/Important
- Finish before the event
- Not urgent/Not important
- Lowest priority; schedule later
- Urgent means
- Time sensitive right now
- Important means
- Critical to event success
- Two judgments
- Rate urgency, then importance
- Timestamps
- Same request, new priority
- Security or image
- Raises importance immediately
Data + Passage Rules
- Read first
- Row and column labels
- Units
- Rate or raw count
- Percentage base
- 40% of 50 = 20
- Fact
- Stated in the passage
- Inference
- Follows from stated facts
- Assumption
- Unstated belief conclusion needs
- Conflicting figures
- Trace the source record
- Constraint grid
- Cross out eliminated options
- Branching rules
- Apply conditions in order
- Ties in data
- Two values can match
Service Criteria
Quality, Timeliness, Completeness, Knowledge, Courtesy, Fairness, Outcome
Quality: correctTimeliness: promptCompleteness: nothing missingKnowledge: competentCourtesy: professionalFairness: equalOutcome: solved
Official Sample: Most vs Least
Most effective
- Solves the problem
- Corrects and returns
- Closes the loop
Least effective
- Attacks integrity
- Blames the drafters
- Leaves errors standing
Sample-specific; check each scenario
Best Response Picker
- Authorized to fix verified error→Correct it yourself(Most effective)
- Answer is unknown→Find out, follow up(Competence)
- Beyond your authority→Escalate to supervisor(Not routine items)
- Safety or security risk→Escalate immediately(Never delay)
- Client is hostile→Answer the substance(Stay neutral)
- Full answer takes days→Acknowledge with a date(Timeliness)
- Rule bending requested→Apply rules equally(Fairness)
- Tempted to blame drafters→Address evidence professionally(Avoid unsupported accusations)
Service Criteria
- Quality
- Accurate, correct workCBSA definition
- Timeliness
- Prompt, realistic response
- Completeness
- Nothing left unanswered
- Knowledge/competence
- Correct information, or find out
- Courtesy
- Professional tone throughout
- Fairness
- Same rules for everyone
- Outcome
- Problem actually resolved
- Named with etc.
- Examples, not closed list
Internal vs External Clients
Internal
- Colleagues and units
- Other departments
- Still a client
External
- Travellers and importers
- Public inquiries
- Same standard applies
Both count as clients
Clients + Responses
- External clients
- Travellers, importers, the public
- Internal clients
- Colleagues, units, departments
- Most effective
- Correct it, return itOfficial sample
- Least effective
- Question the drafters integrityOfficial sample
- Middle options
- Weak, but not worst
- Escalate
- Beyond authority or safety
- Hostile client
- Answer substance, not tone
- Unknown answer
- Find out, then follow up
- Paired format
- Two different answer choices
Writing Sweep
Agreement, Pronoun, Modifier, Punctuation, Wordiness
Subject-verb agreementOne clear antecedentModifier matches subjectCut wordy connectors
Concise vs Verbose
Concise
- Now
- Many
- Because
Verbose
- At this point in time
- A large number of
- Due to the fact that
Shortest option keeping meaning
Writing Fix Picker
- Two clauses, one comma→Add period or semicolon(Comma splice)
- Verb far from subject→Cover the middle phrase(Agreement)
- Pronoun has two antecedents→Repeat the noun(Ambiguity)
- Opening phrase dangles→Match the main subject(Modifier)
- Wordy connector appears→Cut to one word(Concision)
- Words are scrambled→Find the main verb(Then subject)
- Two options both correct→Choose the clearer one(Plain language)
Grammar Rules
- Subject-verb agreement
- Ignore the phrase between
- Each/either/neither alone
- Singular in formal usage
- Pronoun antecedent
- Exactly one possible noun
- Ambiguous pronoun
- Repeat the noun instead
- Its vs it's
- Contraction: it is/has
- Their, there, they're
- Possessive, place, they are
- Your vs you're
- Possessive versus you are
- Verb tense
- Change tense when time changes
- Dangling modifier
- Opener must describe subject
- Parallel lists
- Same form each item
Formal vs Plain
Formal
- Long sentences
- Heavy vocabulary
- Passive voice
Plain
- One idea each
- Everyday words
- Actor named first
Plain language is graded
Punctuation + Clarity
- Comma splice
- Two clauses, one comma
- Splice repairs
- Period, semicolon, or conjunction
- Run-on sentence
- Clauses with no punctuation
- Semicolon
- Links related independent clauses
- Colon
- Complete clause introduces list/explanation
- Comma before and
- Joins two independent clauses
- Apostrophe
- Possession or contraction only
- Sentence fragment
- Lacks a complete independent clause
Plain Language + Concision
- Plain language
- Clear on first readingCBSA definition
- Sentence rule
- One idea per sentence
- Active voice
- Name the actor first
- in order to
- Write to
- at this point in time
- Write now
- a large number of
- Write many
- due to the fact that
- Write because
- in the event that
- Write if
- Jargon
- Replace with everyday words
- Word-pair items
- Pick two equivalent words
Sentence Assembly
- Scrambled words
- Form one complete sentence
- Step 1
- Find the main verb
- Step 2
- Attach the acting subject
- Step 3
- Add objects and modifiers
- Check
- Read the sentence aloud
- Follow-up task
- Identify the letters asked
- Common slip
- Counting before rebuilding correctly
Four Competencies
Reason, Analyse, Serve, Write
Reasoning skillsAnalytical thinkingClient service orientationWriting skills
Result vs Published Threshold
Result
- Successful keeps selection active
- Unsuccessful removes candidacy
- Follow recruitment instructions
Threshold
- 60% in each competency
- March 2026 fact sheet
- Question weights not published
Outcome versus performance threshold
Pacing Picker
- Stuck past one minute→Best guess, move on(69 second average)
- Question 59 by 68 minutes→You are on pace
- Falling behind the clock→Speed up short items(Grammar first)
- No idea at all→Eliminate, then answer(Blank cannot score)
- Limitation may affect you→Notify before starting(Accommodation)
- Qualifying alternate-date reason→Request an alternate date(Proof required)
Exam Day Logistics
- Invitation
- Sent inside a selection process
- Start window
- One week to begin
- Once started
- Must finish in one
- Duration
- 135 minutes total
- Questions
- 117 multiple-choice items
- Prior knowledge
- None of CBSA needed
- Alternate dates
- Religion, death, illness, vacation, military
- Accommodation
- Notify recruitment before starting
- Proceeding anyway
- You accept the results
- Misconduct
- Cheating can remove you
Pacing Rule
117 questions, 135 minutes, 69 seconds each
Halfway near 68 minutesMark and moveFinish in one sitting
Results + Rewrite Rules
- Reported result
- Successful keeps selection active
- Feedback
- Follow recruitment result instructions
- Pass mark
- 60% each competency (March 2026)
- Competency weighting
- Question split not disclosed
- Successful result
- Continue current selection process
- Unsuccessful result
- Candidacy is terminated
- Rewrite wait
- One year after initial attempt
- Early rewrite
- Void; new wait starts
After the Exam
- Interview
- Six competencies assessed
- Psychological assessment
- Two exams plus interview
- Firearms courses
- CFSC and CRFSC required
- Medical exam
- Category III health assessment
- Corrected vision
- 6/9 better; 6/15 other
- Hearing standard
- Better ear ≤25dB, 500–3000Hz
- Second language
- BBB for bilingual positions
- Security clearance
- Enhanced Reliability plus Secret
- Fingerprints
- Digital, at your expense
- PARE
- Not required, current process
- Process length
- Up to 18 months
- Online training
- 3 weeks distance learning
- College training
- 15 weeks in-residence, Rigaud
Common Traps
Urgent vs important
Urgent is timing ≠ Important is impact
All vs some
All A are B: no converse ≠ Some affirmative converts safely
Valid vs plausible
Valid follows premises ≠ Plausible needs outside knowledge
Polite vs effective
Courtesy alone fails ≠ Outcome must be solved
Correcting vs blaming
Correcting serves clients ≠ Questioning integrity ranks worst
Characters vs entries
Read requested counting unit ≠ Official sample: three differing entries
Formal vs clear
Long words impress nobody ≠ Plain language is required
Threshold Is Not Pass Rate
60% each competency, March 2026 ≠ Candidate pass rate not published
Rewrite vs reapply
Wait one full year ≠ Early rewrite is void
Speed vs accuracy
69 seconds average ≠ Discrepancy items need care
Last Minute
- 1.117 questions in 135 minutes
- 2.One week to start; finish once
- 3.Successful result keeps selection process active
- 4.Failing = one-year wait to rewrite
- 5.Urgent = timing; important = impact
- 6.Affirmative some converts; negative some cannot
- 7.If-then: original and contrapositive valid
- 8.CBSA sample: correct and return
- 9.CBSA sample worst: question drafters’ integrity
- 10.Service criteria include fairness and outcome
- 11.Internal colleagues are clients too
- 12.Compare codes position by position
- 13.Plain language: one idea per sentence
- 14.Cut wordy phrases; keep the meaning
- 15.No prior CBSA knowledge needed
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