Australian Custodial/Correctional Aptitude cheat sheet

Main idea = the claim the whole passage supports; details support it but do not replace it.

Inference is valid only if the passage makes it necessarily true, not merely plausible.

Scope words (all, some, none, only, always) change truth value; match the passage's quantifier exactly.

'Except' and 'NOT' questions ask for the option that fails the stated relationship.

A conclusion must follow from stated premises; a premise restated is not a conclusion.

Tone words signal author attitude: however, unfortunately, fortunately, clearly, allegedly.

Cause vs correlation: a passage noting co-occurrence does not establish causation.

Assumption questions: the correct answer is required for the argument to hold, not just helpful.

Percentage change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100; sign indicates increase or decrease.

Percentage points vs percent: a rise from 20% to 25% is 5 points but a 25% relative increase.

Ratio scaling: multiply or divide both terms by the same nonzero number; cross-multiply to compare.

Average (mean) = sum ÷ count; adding a value equal to the mean leaves the mean unchanged.

Rate problems: distance = rate × time; work rate adds when people work together.

Rounding: keep full precision through intermediate steps, round only the final answer.

Proportion of total = part ÷ whole; convert to a percentage by multiplying by 100.

Read table units and totals carefully; a 'total' row is not an extra data point to average.

Alternating series: odd-position and even-position terms follow separate rules.

Rotation preserves shape and size; reflection reverses orientation (handedness).

Nested shapes usually change one attribute at a time: sides, shading, position, or size.

Count elements per figure before assuming a rule; differences of 1, 2, 3 are common.

Clockwise vs anticlockwise: track a single reference point to avoid direction errors.

Fold-and-punch: unfold reverses each fold; holes mirror across each fold line.

Net folding: opposite faces of a cube never share an edge in the flat net.

If two candidate rules fit, test each against every figure; only one will hold throughout.

Priority order: immediate safety, then legal/procedural compliance, then welfare, then efficiency.

Least intrusive effective action is preferred over escalation when risk is low.

Report, do not conceal: any safety or security concern is documented and passed up the chain.

Follow lawful directions; unlawful or unsafe directions are refused and reported.

Escalate when risk exceeds your authority, training, or equipment.

Record facts contemporaneously: who, what, when, where, and what action was taken.

Consider consequences for all parties, including other staff, visitors, and the person's family.

Consult policy and supervisor before acting on ambiguity; act first only if delay creates danger.

Duty of care: a foreseeable risk of harm creates an obligation to act reasonably.

Conflict of interest: declare it and remove yourself from decisions affecting it.

Confidentiality applies to all personal information; disclosure only on need-to-know or legal authority.

Accepting gifts or favours that could influence duty is a reportable integrity breach.

Falsifying or omitting a record is misconduct regardless of intent to benefit.

Use of force must be lawful, necessary, proportionate, and documented.

Equal treatment: decisions rest on behaviour and risk, not on personal characteristics.

Reporting misconduct is a duty; retaliation against a reporter is itself misconduct.

Active listening: paraphrase content and reflect feeling before responding.

De-escalation lowers volume, slows speech, uses the person's name, and offers choices.

Open questions gather information; closed questions confirm facts.

'I' statements describe impact without blaming: 'When X happens, I feel Y.'

Behaviour is described, not labelled: 'You raised your voice' rather than 'You are aggressive'.

Empathy acknowledges feeling without agreeing with an inaccurate claim.

Boundaries: separate the person from the behaviour; consequences are stated calmly and applied consistently.

Nonverbal signals (distance, posture, eye contact) carry meaning across cultures; adjust to context.

Closed-loop communication: sender states, receiver repeats back, sender confirms.

Handover structure: identify, situation, background, assessment, recommendation.

Written reports state facts, time, action, and outcome; avoid opinion and speculation.

Escalate early: a supervisor informed of a risk before harm is not a nuisance report.

Role clarity prevents gaps; confirm who is doing what before the task starts.

Constructive feedback is specific, timely, behavioural, and future-focused.

Briefings align the team on task, threat, and contingencies before deployment.

Disagreement in a team is resolved by evidence and policy, not seniority alone.

Cross-check identifiers (name, date, number) against the source, not from memory.

Counts must reconcile: opening balance + additions − removals = closing balance.

Transposition errors (e.g., 45 vs 54) are caught by digit-sum or re-entry checks.

Sequence checks: confirm dates and times are chronological and within the recorded shift.

Absence of a signature or time entry makes a record incomplete, not merely untidy.

Reliability means the same task yields the same standard regardless of who performs it.

Report errors immediately; early correction limits harm and shows accountability.

Read the whole instruction before starting; skimming causes the majority of omission errors.