As the managing director of anEDGE, professional police, law enforcement and CBSA interview and coaching company, I often get asked questions around the CBSA interview, the CBSA interview process or what sort of questions to expect in CBSA interview. If ever you feel you need CBSA interview coaching or want to better understand the CBSA interview questions. You can reach out to one of our CBSA interview coaches here.
Stay Ahead in your Law Enforcement Career!
Preparing for the CBSA interview or for the CBSA interview questions for the Canada Border Services interview typically involves studying for a mix of situational, behavioural, and technical questions. In our experience, the CBSA questioning is more situational-based and role-play based, and we coach our applicants accordingly, but I mention the CBSA behavioural based questions, so you are well prepared for anything as they do utilize them from time to time.
As with any job interview, your employer always wants to learn a little about you. “Tell me about yourself” and “why you want to be a CBSA officer” questions can be expected. Understand that, like any large organization, the CBSA is looking for quality applicants. They don’t want to trick you or catch you out. They genuinely want you to succeed in the interview and be a quality, well-prepared applicant. It would be unprofessional for us to disclose the exact CBSA interview questions you will get, but let’s look at the type of questions you can expect during an interview.
CBSA Interview Questions – Behavioral Based Questions
The CBSA interview questions that are behavioural based aim to understand how you’ve handled situations in the past, which can be a strong indicator of how you’ll behave in the future. As a career and interview coach, I believe this as we look for good patterns in people’s lives. The behavioral based questions used in the CBSA interview are now included in most large organizations and have become standard interview procedure.
These questions are answered best in the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Examples of behavioural based questions are:
- Tell me about a time when you dealt with a difficult person. How did you handle it?
- Describe a situation where you had to make a quick decision under pressure.
- How do you handle stressful situations, especially if they involve multiple priorities?
- Have you ever been in a position where you needed to enforce rules? How did you approach it?
CBSA Interview Questions – Situational/Scenario-Based Questions
My team at anEDGE enjoy coaching situational based questions. These questions assess your judgment and decision-making skills, often asking you to put yourself in hypothetical situations. We do randomly make up good situational scenario questions and these sessions always become fun and interactive for our CBSA applicants and prepare them for what’s ahead. Situational questions include:
- What would you do if you noticed a colleague engaging in unethical behaviour?
- How would you respond if you suspected someone of smuggling goods?
- Describe a situation where you must balance enforcing rules with good customer service.
- What would you do if you found that someone had falsified a document?
Stay Ahead in your Law Enforcement Career!
CBSA Interview questions – Technical Knowledge/Job-Specific Questions
Some of the CBSA interview questions are more technical or job specific and these CBSA interview questions test your knowledge of CBSA policies, laws, and regulations. Reviewing CBSA’s policies and relevant legislation prior to your interview can be very helpful.
- What do you know about the Customs Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act?
- Can you describe the primary responsibilities of a CBSA officer?
- What are the different types of security checks conducted by CBSA?
- How would you ensure the safety and security of the public and fellow officers?
CBSA Interview questions – Personal Suitability and Motivation Questions
All organizations want you to be a good fit for them and CBSA is no different. The CBSA interview questions explore if you are a good fit for the role and the agency.
- Why do you want to work for the CBSA?
- What skills and qualities make you a strong candidate for this position?
- How do you see yourself growing within the CBSA?
- What do you think are the biggest challenges CBSA officers face?
Stay Ahead in your Law Enforcement Career!
CBSA Interview Questions – Ethics and Integrity
CBSA officers must uphold high ethical standards, and the CBSA interviewer will likely assess your approach to ethics.
- Describe a time when your integrity was tested. How did you handle it?
- How would you respond if a friend asked for special treatment while crossing the border?
- What would you do if you realized you made a mistake in enforcing a regulation?
Tips for Success to succeed in the CBSA Interview:
- Familiarize yourself with the STAR Method for answering behavioural questions.
- Research the CBSA‘s mandate, core values, and relevant legislation, such as the Customs Act and Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
- Practice your responses to ethical and scenario-based questions, demonstrating your integrity, professionalism, and ability to handle stressful situations.
- Be honest and reflective in your answers.
Most of our CBSA interview clients are nervous and this is normal. The best way to overcome the nerves is to be well prepared for any CBSA questions or scenarios that will come your way. If you have an upcoming CBSA interview, anEDGE has a team of professional interview coaches who will get you well prepared for what is going to be the most important interview of your career.
We certainly wish you well in your chosen career.
