Integrity
Integrity is the dimension that asks what you do when the only witness is you. The exam probes it through report writing, evidence and property handling, confidential source payments, sworn testimony, and off-duty conduct, and it scores whether you spot the small choice where a person could shade the truth rather than whether you can recite a dramatic ethical dilemma.
What the dimension actually scores
- Report accuracy. The Report of Investigation states what you personally observed, did, and heard, in chronological order. Corrections are made openly, initialed, and dated; you do not rewrite a clean copy and discard the original.
- Evidence and property. Every item is logged, sealed, and weighed or counted in the presence of a second person. Chain of custody stays unbroken, and seized money or narcotics are never used, borrowed, or sampled for any purpose.
- Source payments. Vouchers reflect what was actually paid out. Unspent funds are returned and documented on the same paperwork.
- Disclosure duties. Brady and Giglio obligations mean exculpatory and impeachment information must reach the prosecutor. A sustained finding of dishonesty ends a federal investigative career regardless of how good the case was.
- Off-duty conduct. Hatch Act limits on political activity, prior approval for outside employment, and financial responsibility that a background investigation will surface.
Worked example
A source turns in a receipt for 500 dollars but says he actually spent 420 and offers to keep the paperwork simple. The correct move is to record 420 dollars expended, return the 80 dollars, and document both on the voucher and in the report. The reasoning: the voucher is an official record of government funds, and an inflated voucher is a false statement whether or not the extra money is kept. Letting the source's convenience justify misstating a figure is precisely the behavior these items are built to catch.
Traps that cost marks
- Rounding amounts or times so the file looks tidy.
- Writing a conclusion you adopted from a partner or source as if you personally observed it.
- Assuming integrity only concerns large lies; the scored choices are small, cumulative, and usually framed as harmless.