Ethics and Professional Conduct — New York Guard Card (Security Guard) Practice Test

This New York Guard Card (Security Guard) Ethics and Professional Conduct practice set has 14 practice questions based on the official exam materials, each with an instant explanation. You need 70% on the real New York Guard Card (Security Guard) knowledge test to pass.

Sample questions

Three questions from the Ethics and Professional Conduct bank with the correct answer and an explanation. The practice quiz above draws 14 questions at random from the same bank.

1. What do 'ethics' mean for a security guard?

   • Standards of right and wrong that guide honest, fair, and professional conduct — Correct answer
   • A set of secret rules only supervisors know
   • Whatever the guard can get away with
   • Rules that apply only when someone is watching

   Explanation: Ethics are standards of right and wrong that guide a guard's honest, fair, and professional conduct. Ethical behavior means doing the right thing — even when no one is watching — because the job places the guard in a position of trust over people and property.

   Handbook: Ethics and Professional Conduct

2. A delivery driver offers a security guard $50 to look the other way and skip the required check. The guard should:

   • Refuse the bribe and report the attempt — accepting it is dishonest, may be illegal, and betrays the client's trust — Correct answer
   • Take the money since no one will know
   • Take the money but still do the check
   • Negotiate for a higher amount

   Explanation: Accepting a bribe to skip a security duty is dishonest, betrays the client's trust, and may be a crime. The guard must REFUSE and report the attempt. Taking money to ignore duties — even once — destroys integrity and can endanger the people and property the guard is paid to protect.

   Handbook: Ethics and Professional Conduct

3. Why should a security guard generally avoid accepting gifts or gratuities from people at the post?

   • They can create a conflict of interest or the appearance of favoritism, compromising the guard's impartiality — Correct answer
   • Gifts are always illegal in every situation
   • Because the guard must report the gift to the police
   • There is no reason to avoid them

   Explanation: Even small gifts or gratuities can create a conflict of interest or the appearance that the guard will show favoritism. This compromises impartiality and the client's trust. Many employers prohibit gratuities for exactly this reason; the guard should follow the employer's policy.

   Handbook: Ethics and Professional Conduct