Manitoba Security Guard Exam: Notes and Reports (2026)

Why a guard takes notes at all

The manual answers the question directly: the main reason for taking notes is to make a detailed record of things that happen on your shift. That word detailed has a specific meaning here, namely complete, including all the important information. Notes are not for the guard alone. The manual stresses that you should write things down as if your audience is much larger than just yourself, because many other people may eventually read them. Even a note that no one seems to need has value: if a suspicious van is gone by the end of your patrol, writing down its details still gives you a written record in case something happens in the future. Timing matters too. Notes may not be used right away; it may take several months for them to be used as evidence in court, so the record has to stand on its own long after the memory has faded.

The four factors in all writing

The manual teaches that all writing involves four factors, and it defines the key ones the exam tests. Audience is who you are writing to, meaning all of the possible readers. Voice is how you want it to sound, the tone, for example formal or informal, personal or impersonal, serious or funny. Purpose is why you are writing, such as to record, inform, persuade, or entertain. For a security guard, the audience is almost always larger and more official than the guard, the voice should be factual rather than personal, and the purpose is usually to record and inform. Getting these factors right is what separates a note that helps in court from one that confuses or embarrasses. The exam often frames a scenario and asks which factor is in play, so learn the definitions in the manual's exact words.

How to keep a proper notebook

The physical notebook is designed to be trustworthy. A typical security guard's notebook is bound and its pages are numbered, so that it is easy to know if someone has removed any pages. It is small, so that you can carry it with you at all times. The rules for using it protect the integrity of the record. Use a pen, not a pencil, so entries cannot be erased. If you make a mistake, draw a single line through the mistake and write your initials beside the line, so nothing is hidden. Record the time before each entry and arrange your notes in chronological order. And do not let notes wait: notes about an incident must be done right away or as soon as possible, and should always be done within 24 hours. These habits are what let a notebook survive cross-examination months later.

From notes to evidence and testimony

Notes are the raw material; a report and, eventually, testimony are what the world sees. Testimony is defined as a formal statement in court, and slang, defined as very informal language that not everyone understands, has no place in it or in the notes that feed it. Because a guard may be called to testify months after an incident, the notebook is often what the guard relies on to remember accurately. That is why the manual is so strict about pens, single-line corrections and the 24 hour rule: a clean, contemporaneous record is credible, while a messy or late one can be attacked. The exam expects you to connect these dots, so keep the following notebook standards in mind:

• Write as if the audience is much larger than just yourself.
• Use a pen, not a pencil, and correct mistakes with a single line plus your initials.
• Record the time before each entry and keep entries in chronological order.
• Complete notes about an incident right away, and always within 24 hours.