Prepare to Pass the TSA CBT Exam With Accurate TSA CBT Practice Tests & Expert Study Guides
TSA X-Ray Supercharge Tool
- Overview
- Curriculum
- Practice Tests
- Reviews
Free TSA CBT Practice Tests
TSA X-Ray Practice Test
TSA X-Ray Supercharge Tool
TSA X-Ray Practice Test
TSA Written Skills Test
TSA X-Ray Supercharge Tool
TSA Written Skills Test
The TSA CBT Test assesses your ability in two main areas:
- X-Ray Object Recognition: Assesses your ability to quickly spot target items inside x-ray baggage scans
- English Proficiency: Assesses your level of English in order to ensure that you’re properly equipped to handle the responsibilities of a TSA officer
You need to maximize your score on both tests in order to be classified as “Best Qualified“, which will put you at the top of the list to be hired by the TSA. Those who do not achieve a high score will either wait a very long time to receive a job offer or will not receive a job offer at all.
Prepterminal’s TSA CBT Prep Course is the single most extensive resource for TSA CBT success. Start practicing right away with the free x-ray practice test below.
*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.
Prepterminal TSA CBT Prep: Course Content
Introduction1 step, 1 minuteLearn how to use this course and follow the curriculum most effectively.Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.- X-Ray Supercharge Tool40 steps, 4 hoursMaster x-ray baggage screening with 40 quizzes containing over 800 questions covering a wide range of target items. Once you've completed every step of this module, you will be 100% ready for your Object Recognition Test.Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
- X-Ray Supercharge Guide
- X-RAY CBT Liquid and Cream Containers Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Meds Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Wallets Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Aerosol Cans Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Laptop Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Guns Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Guns Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Guns Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Electronic Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Electronic Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Electronics Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Bottles Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Bottles Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Bottles Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Cans Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Cans Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Cans Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Cosmetic Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Cosmetic Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Cosmetics Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Medicine and Drugs Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Medicine and Drugs Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Meds & Drugs Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Shoes Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Shoes Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Shoes Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Weapons Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Weapons Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Weapons Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Tools Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Tools Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Tools Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Keys Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Knives Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Knives Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Knives Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Cables Question Bank
- X-RAY CBT Cables Question Bank 2
- X-RAY CBT Cables Question Bank – Hard
- X-RAY CBT Pens Question Bank
- Vocabulary2 steps, 30 minutesBrush up on your spellings, synonyms & antonyms with a full written guide and practice test.Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
- Reading Comprehension4 steps, 45 minutesLearn about the 6 main question types in the Reading Comprehension section of your Written Skills Assessment, and apply your learning with 3 practice tests.Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
- Written Communication2 steps, 30 minutesLearn to apply your English comprehension skills to logic problems and organize ideas from a selection of statements.Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
- Verbal Reasoning Full Tests2 steps, 20 minutesApply your learning from the three Written Skills Assessment modules with two full-length tests.Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
- Background Check1 step, 15 minutesLearn what to expect on your background check and how you can prepare.Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
- Interview1 step, 15 minutesPrepare for the panel interview with commonly-asked questions and the best strategy to impress your interviewer.Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
- BONUS Interview Prep Video Guide1 step, 10 minutesFind out the best common practice for interviews and how you can get yourself into the best possible headspace on the big day.Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
TSA X-Ray 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:
Blue/Black
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.
Green
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.
Orange
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.
Red
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 a firearm inside:
Sample Question:
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.
TSA CBT Test Sample Questions
Sample Question 1:
“If I had ______ when things were hard, I would never have ______ my vision.”
- A:given up .. accomplished
- B:continued .. fulfilled
- C:stopped .. success
- D:abandon .. realized
- E:hopeful .. seen
Explanation:
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 in 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
Sample Question 2:
“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.”
- A:Stimulations
- B:Accounting
- C:Purges
- D:Changes
- E:Reviews
Explanation:
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.
Sample Question 3:
Watch out for falling debris_ The building is under construction_ so you may want
to take extra caution when walking directly below the site_
- A:! / – / ?
- B:! / , / –
- C:. / , / .
- D:– / , / ?
Explanation:
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.
Sample Question 4:
- A:Succomb
- B:Inpale
- C:Depression
- D:Howeverr
Explanation:
The correct spelling of choice A is succumb; that of B is impale; however is spelled with one R.
The correct answer is C.
Sample Question 5:
- A:Similar
- B:Contradictory
- C:Unrelated
- D:No
Explanation:
RUSTIC and UNCULTURED both mean “not cultivated.”
How many people successfully pass the object recognition test?
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.
TSA Writing Skills Assessment Test
The Writing Skills Assessment 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:
- Adjectives/Adverbs
- Articles
- Capitalization
- Conjunction
- Gerund
- Infinitive
- Nouns
- Participles
- Prepositions
- Pronouns
- Punctuations
- Restrictive/nonrestrictive phrases and clauses
- Sentence construction
- Sentence organization with paragraphs
- Tense shifts
- Use of clauses in sentences
- Use of phrases in sentences
- Verb
- Verb mood
- Verb tense
- Verb voice
Questions are presented as sentences requiring correction, with three possible corrections and a fourth option where no correction is needed.
How Does the TSA Test Work?
TSA CBT Test Scoring
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:
- Best Qualified
- Highly Qualified
- Qualified
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.
What if you Fail the TSA Test?
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.
Prepare for the TSA CBT Exam with Prepterminal
Preparing for the TSA CBT can be a difficult task, and you may not be sure where to begin. 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.
