ANAC ICAR Theoretical Exam (AVSEC Cargo Instructor) study plan
ANAC ICAR Theoretical Exam (AVSEC Cargo Instructor) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
International and national regulatory framework for air cargo and mail security (ICAO Annex 17, Annex 9 facilitation interfaces, ICAO Doc 8973 guidance, EU/ICAO aligned national regulations, ANAC resolutions and directives) & Known consignor / regulated agent concepts, approval and validation processes, security programmes and site security plans
Map the ICAO Annex 17 standards and recommended practices that govern cargo and mail, and state for each whether it is binding on the operator or advisory
Trace how Annex 9 facilitation requirements interact with Annex 17 security requirements at the consignment documentation level
Explain the structure and intended use of ICAO Doc 8973 guidance material for regulated agent and known consignor programmes
Distinguish the roles of ANAC resolutions and directives from the underlying international obligations they implement
Define regulated agent, known consignor and account consignor in your own words without consulting notes
Your checkpoint
A two-page comparison table listing at least 12 regulatory instruments (Annex 17, Annex 9, Doc 8973, national regulation, ANAC resolutions/directives) with the specific cargo-security obligation each imposes and its binding status
Known consignor / regulated agent concepts, approval and validation processes, security programmes and site security plans & Cargo acceptance, screening and inspection methods (X-ray, explosive trace detection, explosive detection systems, physical search, screening exemptions and their conditions)
Sequence the steps of a regulated agent approval and validation process from application through site validation to approval renewal
Draft the components a known consignor security programme must contain, including site security plan elements, personnel vetting and consignment preparation controls
Compare validation evidence an inspector would seek for a known consignor versus a regulated agent
Explain how approval status conditions flow into what a regulated agent may accept from a consignor
Identify the conditions under which a consignor's status can be suspended or withdrawn
Your checkpoint
A one-page validation checklist an inspector could use during a known consignor site visit, covering at least 10 verifiable checkpoints with the evidence required for each
Cargo acceptance, screening and inspection methods (X-ray, explosive trace detection, explosive detection systems, physical search, screening exemptions and their conditions) & Security equipment operation, calibration, testing and maintenance oversight; human factors and performance limitations in screening
Describe the operating principle and appropriate use case for X-ray, explosive trace detection, explosive detection systems and physical search in cargo operations
State the conditions and limitations that must be satisfied before any screening exemption can be applied to a consignment
Explain calibration, verification and routine testing requirements for each screening technology and who is accountable for oversight
Analyse how human factors such as vigilance decrement, target rarity and automation bias degrade screening performance
Draft a practical exercise in which a trainee must select the correct screening method for a described consignment
Your checkpoint
A screening method selection guide covering at least six consignment scenarios, each with the chosen method, the justification, and the exemption conditions that would or would not apply
Threat environment and acts of unlawful interference: explosive devices, improvised explosive devices, incendiary devices, insider threat, sabotage and attack methods relevant to cargo operations & Chain of custody, secure storage, access control, tamper-evident sealing, documentation and transport of secured cargo to the aircraft
Characterise the construction, concealment and detection signatures of explosive and improvised explosive devices as they relate to cargo
Explain incendiary device characteristics and why they present differently from explosive threats in screening
Describe insider threat and sabotage methods that bypass physical screening entirely, and the controls that mitigate them
Sequence the chain of custody from acceptance through secure storage, access control and tamper-evident sealing to aircraft loading
Explain what documentation must accompany secured cargo and how seal integrity is verified and recorded
Your checkpoint
A closed-book written assessment of at least 25 questions covering threat recognition and chain of custody, scored against an answer key, with a personal error analysis of every missed item
Cargo security training programme design and delivery: needs analysis, learning objectives, competency-based training, instructional methods, assessment and evaluation of training effectiveness & Instructor competencies and professional conduct: communication, adult learning principles, classroom and practical exercise management, coaching, feedback and record keeping
Conduct a training needs analysis for a cargo security role and derive competency statements from it
Write measurable learning objectives that specify observable performance, condition and standard
Select instructional methods appropriate to each objective type, distinguishing knowledge, skill and judgement outcomes
Design an assessment strategy that tests competency rather than recall, including practical exercise scoring criteria
Apply adult learning principles to plan how you would coach a struggling trainee and deliver corrective feedback
Specify the training records that must be created, retained and made available for audit
Your checkpoint
A complete lesson plan for one 90-minute cargo security module containing the needs analysis summary, at least five measurable objectives, chosen instructional methods, an assessment instrument with scoring rubric, and the record-keeping entries the session generates
Cargo security training programme design and delivery: needs analysis, learning objectives, competency-based training, instructional methods, assessment and evaluation of training effectiveness & Instructor competencies and professional conduct: communication, adult learning principles, classroom and practical exercise management, coaching, feedback and record keeping
Build an evaluation instrument that measures training effectiveness at reaction, learning, behaviour and results levels
Justify how you would revise a course when assessment data shows a competency gap rather than a knowledge gap
Demonstrate classroom management techniques for a mixed-experience group, including handling a dominant or disengaged participant
Plan and brief a practical exercise, including safety controls, role assignments and debrief structure
Deliver a short instructional segment and self-assess it against a communication and conduct checklist
Your checkpoint
A recorded 10-minute instructional delivery with a completed self-assessment against a 12-point instructor competency checklist, plus a written evaluation plan for measuring that session's effectiveness
Contingency planning, incident response, reporting of security occurrences, quality control, internal audit and corrective action in cargo security & Chain of custody, secure storage, access control, tamper-evident sealing, documentation and transport of secured cargo to the aircraft
Draft a contingency plan for a cargo security incident covering detection, containment, notification and recovery
Explain the reporting obligations and timelines for a security occurrence, and identify who receives each report
Design an internal audit programme for a regulated agent, including audit scope, frequency, sampling and auditor independence
Write a corrective action process that links a finding to root cause analysis, action owner, due date and effectiveness verification
Explain how quality control sampling of secured consignments verifies that chain of custody controls are actually working
Your checkpoint
A complete audit package for one simulated regulated agent: an audit checklist, three plausible findings, a root cause statement for each and a corrective action register with owners and verification dates
International and national regulatory framework for air cargo and mail security (ICAO Annex 17, Annex 9 facilitation interfaces, ICAO Doc 8973 guidance, EU/ICAO aligned national regulations, ANAC resolutions and directives) & Threat environment and acts of unlawful interference: explosive devices, improvised explosive devices, incendiary devices, insider threat, sabotage and attack methods relevant to cargo operations & Known consignor / regulated agent concepts, approval and validation processes, security programmes and site security plans & Cargo acceptance, screening and inspection methods (X-ray, explosive trace detection, explosive detection systems, physical search, screening exemptions and their conditions) & Chain of custody, secure storage, access control, tamper-evident sealing, documentation and transport of secured cargo to the aircraft & Cargo security training programme design and delivery: needs analysis, learning objectives, competency-based training, instructional methods, assessment and evaluation of training effectiveness & Instructor competencies and professional conduct: communication, adult learning principles, classroom and practical exercise management, coaching, feedback and record keeping & Security equipment operation, calibration, testing and maintenance oversight; human factors and performance limitations in screening & Contingency planning, incident response, reporting of security occurrences, quality control, internal audit and corrective action in cargo security
Integrate all nine domains into a single conceptual model of how a consignment moves securely from consignor to aircraft
Identify your three weakest domains from prior assessment results and close each specific gap with targeted review
Complete a full-length timed mock examination under exam conditions without reference materials
Analyse every mock examination error by domain and by cause, distinguishing knowledge gaps from misreading
Prepare a condensed one-page reference sheet of facts you repeatedly miss, and verify each entry against a primary source
Your checkpoint
A timed full-length mock examination result with a domain-by-domain score breakdown, a written error analysis, and a verified one-page personal reference sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Without notes, explain the regulated agent approval sequence and the known consignor programme requirements to a colleague, and have them confirm accuracy against the validation checklist you produced
Week 4: Score at least 80 percent on the closed-book threat and chain of custody assessment, and show that no single domain section fell below 70 percent
Week 6: Deliver the 10-minute instructional segment and score at least 10 of 12 on the instructor competency self-assessment, with an independent observer confirming the assessment
Week 8: Score at least 85 percent on the full-length timed mock examination with no domain below 75 percent, and demonstrate that the reference sheet entries were each traced to a primary source