About
Working for the TSA has many benefits, not least of all the ability to dedicate your professional life to protecting millions of people every day. Preparing for the exam enables you to score high and become a leading candidate for various TSA positions.
What Is the Transportation Security Administration Exam?
The Transportation Security Administration Written Exam, also known as the TSA Exam, is the test you need to take to become an inspector, manager, air marshal, or security officer. To apply, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, and possess a high school diploma. The TSA exam measures your skills in common object recognition, screener awareness, and customer service.
What Do Those Who Score High Receive?
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is a major U.S. employer with approximately 50,000 employees in more than 450 locations across the nation. Over two million air, rail, and subway passengers are screened on a daily basis by TSA professionals. Excellent federal government benefits draw a large number of applicants. Those who pass the test and become TSA employees, receive medical care—including both dental and vision plans—a 401K, and paid vacation days. TSA employees are also paid double time on holidays.
What Are the Challenges to Passing?
The Transportation Security Administration Exam contains two sections: the Writing Skills Assessment and the X-Ray Exam. The questions are in a multiple-choice format, and you are given two and a half hours to complete the test. The X-Ray Exam is considered the more difficult of the two; you have only a few seconds to identify the object you are looking for.
Why Do You Need to Prepare for the TSA Exam?
You can, and should, prepare for the test before taking it. Our PrepPack™ includes timed tests and study guides to help you get ready. Our practice tests include explanations of the answers. By practicing, you up your chances of achieving a high score on the test, which not only ensures that you pass the exam, but also gives you a better chance of gaining employment over the others who have applied.
What Do You Get with Your TSA Preparation Pack?
Our PrepPack™ provides you full access to the most comprehensive practice resources for the two different tests on the exam, plus a study guide.
- Writing Skills Assessment: These 18 practice tests include drills in vocabulary, writing, and grammar.
- X-Ray: On these 13 practice tests, you must identify items in an x-ray image.
- Study guide: Elaborates on the different methods for analyzing x-ray images.
What Is on the TSA Computer-Based Test (CBT)?
There are two different parts of the TSA's CBT. JobTestPrep offers preparation packs for these TSA screener practice tests:
TSA Writing Skills Test
This exam tests your knowledge of basic rules of English grammar, syntax, usage, and sentence and paragraph organization. On this TSA English test, you must select one answer that represents a correction that should be made to a sentence. You will also find paragraphs that need to be placed in the proper order. Keep in mind that answer (D), "No correction is necessary," may be the correct answer.
TSA X-Ray Test
This exam is considered the more difficult of the two. On this object recognition test, you are presented with images of luggage that have gone through an X-Ray machine. You have only a few seconds to view the luggage and quickly find the item you have been instructed to identify. The types of items you may be asked to locate in the luggage are guns, bottles, drugs, shoes, or electronics. Our preparation pack includes 14 practice tests to help prepare you for this section.
Below is an image of one of the questions from our practice tests.
Scoring is based solely on correct answers. Since there is no penalty for wrong responses, it is wise to answer every question and make intelligent guesses, if necessary.
The Transportation Security Administration Hiring Process
TSA's hiring process involves six steps:
- computer-based exam
- color vision exam
- interview
- drug screen
- medical evaluation
- extensive background investigation
Candidates who pass all the tests and evaluations are placed into one of three groups: A) Best Qualified, which requires the achievement of a superior level on all six steps in the hiring process; B) Highly Qualified, comprised of applicants who attain at least a satisfactory level on each of the assessments; and C) Qualified, for those candidates who meet the minimum qualifications for each of the six steps. The "Best Qualified" applicants gain employment in the position they want.
What Is the TSO Test?
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) exam and the exam to become a Transportation Security Officer (TSO), are the same. Since the careers in Transportation Security Administration include security officers, you will need to take the TSA Exam.
The Benefits of Being Ready
Practicing for the exam is the best way to ensure you are in the "Best Qualified" group. Our PrepPack™ can help make it happen. By preparing for the exam with our practice tests, you will become comfortable with the style of the questions and the format of the test. Moreover, you will improve your skills of quickly identifying objects in x-ray images.
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What's Included
- 18 Writing Skill Tests: vocabulary, writing, and grammar
- 13 X-Ray Tests: identifying items in an x-ray image
- Study guide on the methods of analyzing x-ray images
- 24/7 online access to all materials
- Quick and easy customer support
