CBSA OTEE case studies
CBSA OTEE · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Canada Border Services Agency Officer Trainee Entrance Exam (OTEE) is the screening assessment used in the federal hiring process for entry-level border services officer trainee roles. It is aimed at candidates who have applied to a CBSA trainee intake and are moving through pre-employment testing rather than at existing officers seeking promotion. The CBSA OTEE case studies are 5 cases and about 3,760 words.
1The Wedding, the Lease, and the Job Offer
At 14:20 a traveller arrives at a land port of entry and hands you a declaration card. The card shows a four-day trip, goods valued at $350 CAD, 1.5 L of wine, and 200 cigarettes.
745 words, about 4 min2Carton Count on a Marine Container
A marine container is declared as 24 pallets, 20 cartons per pallet, for 480 cartons at a declared net weight of 6,000 kg - that is, 12.5 kg per carton. You open and count three pallets and find 19, 20, and 18 cartons.
767 words, about 4 min3Sequencing a Held Shipment
A commercial shipment is held pending three sequential steps before release. Step 1, a physical examination, takes 45 minutes and cannot begin before 09:15, when the dock crew is available.
628 words, about 3 min4Form Versus Invoice
A consignment arrives with a customs coding form and a commercial invoice. The extracts read as follows.
663 words, about 3 min5The Incident Note Standard
Your port issues this extract from its report-writing standard: Incident notes must (a) be strictly factual and chronological; (b) state times in 24-hour format and identify the officer by badge number only; (c) avoid characterising a person's motive or truthfulness; (d) put the officer's own observations before any second-hand information; (e) use plain language and avoid internal jargon; and (f) end with the action taken, not with a recommendation unless a recommendation was formally made. Another officer told me he had seen the same guy last month.
957 words, about 5 min