Our TSA CBT practice test is designed by psychometric and XRAY professionals and represent the questions you’ll see on the Transportation Security Officer Computer Based Test.
The X-Ray test, also known as baggage scanner training, is formulated to assess the candidate’s competence in identifying items as displayed in an x-ray screening image. This portion of the test is regarded as the more difficult of the two components, as the process of screening baggage through the use of an x-ray machine is largely unique to the position – as such, prior experience of this is likely to be extremely limited.
In this portion of the test, the candidate will be shown images of baggage that have gone through an x-ray machine and will be given only a few seconds to review the baggage and identify target items that are forbidden in air travel, such as weapons, liquids, and explosives. The candidate will be required to make a decision as to whether they should pass the baggage, hold the baggage for inspection by a TSO officer and further screening, or trigger an alarm that requires police intervention.
The process of reading an x-ray is quite challenging unless one has a pre-existing understanding of how to correctly do this. The first step in identifying items in baggage through x-ray would be to use a black and white image, which is quite sharp but does not identify the material contained within the baggage. In some cases, this manner of x-ray will be enough to identify harmful material, but failing this, it is important to make use of color detection. The colors seen in an x-ray image indicate the density of materials contained within the baggage. Denser items take on more of a blue color, while less dense items are redder. The colors to expect are as follows:
This color usually indicates hard materials, including but not limited to: metals, hard plastics, alloys, ceramics, etc. Guns, batteries, wires, and other such objects will appear on this color scale.
This color indicates less dense plastics and alloys. A combination of blue and green is likely to indicate some manner of electronic device which may be required to be re-screened outside of the bag, as electronic devices are usually required to be removed from one’s bag before scanning.
This color indicates any biological material contained within the baggage, such as food, rubber, leather, non-plastic explosives, liquids, gels, and organic powders. It is important to pay attention to these items as explosives are often composed of some amount of organic materials, and drugs are detected in this category. Additionally, there are restrictions on liquids in airport screening – each liquid must be stored in containers of no more than 100ml and must be screened in a separate plastic bag alongside the normal baggage. If liquids are detected in the baggage, they should usually be re-screened as the liquids must be removed for separate screening. However, the candidate should check the status of this prohibition as the policy with permissible liquids may vary.
This color indicates low-density items, where the machine has encountered little to no resistance when scanning the object. This could involve light materials such as fabric or paper.
This color usually indicates hard materials, including but not limited to: metals, hard plastics, alloys, ceramics, etc. Guns, batteries, wires, and other such objects will appear on this color scale.
This color indicates less dense plastics and alloys. A combination of blue and green is likely to indicate some manner of electronic device which may be required to be re-screened outside of the bag, as electronic devices are usually required to be removed from one’s bag before scanning.
This color indicates any biological material contained within the baggage, such as food, rubber, leather, non-plastic explosives, liquids, gels, and organic powders. It is important to pay attention to these items as explosives are often composed of some amount of organic materials, and drugs are detected in this category. Additionally, there are restrictions on liquids in airport screening – each liquid must be stored in containers of no more than 100ml and must be screened in a separate plastic bag alongside the normal baggage. If liquids are detected in the baggage, they should usually be re-screened as the liquids must be removed for separate screening. However, the candidate should check the status of this prohibition as the policy with permissible liquids may vary.
This color indicates low-density items, where the machine has encountered little to no resistance when scanning the object. This could involve light materials such as fabric or paper.
Using this information, take a look at the image below and try to identify whether there is firearm inside:
Does this image indicate the presence of a firearm?
The Transportation Security Authority Computer Based Test (TSA CBT), or the Transportation Security Officer Computer Based Test (TSO CBT), is a psychometric instrument used early in the TSA hiring process. The test is used to filter out weaker candidates, meaning that a poor score will prevent a test taker from moving to the next stage of the application process.
Those applying for roles as inspectors, managers, or Transportation Security officers are required to take the TSA CBT Exam as part of the application process. The test assesses a candidate’s competency with object recognition, screener awareness, and the English language.
*Note: TSA and other affiliated trademarks are the property of the DHS. Prepterminal is in no way affiliated with the DHS or the U.S. government. DHS neither endorses or promotes Prepterminal nor any of Prepterminal’s services.
Choose the words that best completes the sentence.
“If I had ______ when things were hard, I would never have ______ my vision.”
The correct answer is A, given up .. accomplished.
To see which pair is the best answer choice, let’s place them in the sentence:
The first pair creates a logical sentence, because it tells us that if the speaker had stopped trying, they would not have accomplished (succeeded fulfilling) their vision.
The second pair gives the opposite idea: if the speaker had continued their efforts, they would not have succeeded, which makes less sense.
The third pair can be eliminated because ‘success’ is a noun, while the sentence calls for a verb.
The fourth pair can be eliminated because ‘abandon’ does not appear in the correct form, and should have been ‘abandoned’ to make a proper sentence. As for the fifth pair, it can be eliminated because ‘hopeful’ does not appear in the correct form.
Therefore, the correct answer is A, given up .. accomplished
Select the best synonym for the underlined word in the given passage.
“If you want your thesis to be included in the final defense, please submit them to
me by Thursday, and make sure that all the necessary revisions have been done.”
Some of you may know the great struggles of presenting a thesis to your professors and having it turned down because of a few mistakes or shortcomings. You are then advised to add something, remove something, or simply change something to make your statements or facts even more credible.
The correct answer is therefore D.
Fill in the blanks with the correct punctuation.
Watch out for falling debris_ The building is under construction_ so you may want
to take extra caution when walking directly below the site_
The first sentence might be considered as a warning with a raised tone, but if we take a look at the choices with an exclamation point, you’ll find that the hyphen will be misused. Thus, it is safe to assume that it is a statement, and our next punctuation will be a comma, and the last will be, again, a period.
The correct answer is therefore C.
Select the correctly spelled term…
The correct spelling of choice A is succumb; that of B is impale; however is spelled with one R.
The correct answer is C.
The words RUSTIC and UNCULTURED have __?__ meanings.
RUSTIC and UNCULTURED both mean “not cultivated.”
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At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati.
The object recognition test is the most complex part of the TSA test. In fact, only 30% of applicants manage to pass the test. In some cases, if you pass the test, you may be required to take it again just to make sure that you did, in fact, pass because of your cognitive and visual skill set and not just due to pure luck.
The Writing Skills Assessment Test is a multiple-choice test given with time restrictions. This section of the test is intended to assess a candidate’s understanding of English grammar, syntax, word usage, paragraph organization and sentence structure. Before taking the test, it is important to understand these content areas:
Questions are presented as sentences requiring correction, with three possible corrections and a fourth option where no correction is needed.
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Only US citizens, eighteen years or older, holding a valid high school diploma or equivalent, are eligible to take the TSA CBT test.
TSA administers the test online, and you need to register on the portal and take the test in a TSA monitored facility. Once you register, you will be redirected to the ‘Candidate Dashboard.’ You can use the dashboard to keep track of the progress of your application and monitor the status of each stage in the hiring process.
The TSA CBT test comes with a time limit of 2.5 hours. All questions are multiple-choice, and no marks are taken off for incorrect answers. Your exam results are available almost immediately after you complete the test.
The TSA CBT test is presented at a certain testing center. Ensure that you get there 30-45 minutes before testing time to fill out any additional forms. The whole test takes 2.5 hours, and every section is presented under specific time constraints. Each question in the Object Recognition Test is presented in time conditions. The English part of the TSA test is all multiple-choice questions.
In the TSA Test, applicants are not penalized for incorrect answers – scoring is based solely on correct answers. If the candidate achieves a passing score, they are placed into one of three categories based on the level of success:
It is vital to score as highly as possible as the TSA employs from the top-down, meaning that those who are classified as ‘Best Qualified’ will be considered first. If a candidate achieves a score that passes, it may still be the case that they are far from being the first to be considered for job positions based on the performance of their peers.
If a candidate fails the exam, they will be ineligible for reassessment for six months, meaning no job openings can be applied for. Two failures will render a candidate permanently ineligible for roles in the TSA. As such, the candidate must take the time to ensure that they appropriately prepare for the test.
The test itself is not overly complicated or difficult. However, for many people, completing the X-Ray section of the test is a new and often daunting task. It is critical that you put in some time and energy to ensure that you pass this test well.
I bought this course 3 days before taking the CBT test. It truly helped me. The X-ray portions of this course will help you out tremendously by practicing them over and over. I took my test this morning and PASSED on the first try. I was worried because I didn’t wanna wait 6 months to take the test again.
If you fail or don’t show up to your scheduled TSA test, you will be presented with an “X” on your application dashboards. This means you will not be allowed to apply for any TSO opening for a period of six months. If you fail the TSA-CBT test or don’t attend the scheduled appointment after two different CBT testing occasions, you will not be able to take the TSA CBT test for the TSO position.
It is key that you try and pass the TSA test on your first attempt. Even if you immediately pass the TSA CBT test, the recruitment process can take some time. There are many applicants fighting for positions, so you need to make sure that if a job opportunity presents itself, you are eligible. You can start by practicing with Prepterminal’s TSA CBT practice test.
No matter which position you are after, you will need to put your best foot forward if you wish to get a great score on the TSA computer-based test. Here are some tips to help you prepare well for the TSA exam and beat the competition:
Preparing for the TSA CBT can be a difficult task, and you may not be sure where to begin. Particularly, understanding an X-Ray can be very demanding. Interpreting the different color combinations and identifying harmful items can be harder than you may think.
PrepTerminal’s TSA Computer-Based Test preparation pack has a structured study course along with TSA practice tests. No matter what your initial level of knowledge, PrepTerminal’s prep course will help you improve and refine your skills so you can pass the TSA CBT and move on to the next stage of the recruitment process. Maximize your TSA test score, and take a positive step towards securing a career with TSA – enroll in Prepterminal’s TSA Prep Course today.
1 Week
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1 Month
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1 Week
$ 49.90
1 Month
$ 59.90
3 Months
$ 79.90
Lifetime access
All 11 X-Ray question categories explained
40 full-length x-ray practice tests
X-ray video module
Interview guide
Most common interview questions & suggested Answers
Background check guide
Reading comprehension module
Written communication module
Vocabulary module
Suitable for all new applicants
Hey, welcome to our actionable TSA CBT Practice Test page. I’m Michael, PrepTerminal’s TSA CBT in-house expert. I am here to assist you with any queries you may have about the TSA test. Don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected].