Before a new security guard can begin working in Manitoba's security sector, what training and testing requirements must they meet?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 2 Professionalism: Training and Public Image
Manitoba Security Guard Licence Exam · Professionalism
Manitoba Security Guard Exam: Professionalism (2026)
Professionalism is the largest single unit on the exam, and for good reason: a guard represents their security company, the client and the whole security industry every minute they are on duty. The MSGTP manual's second unit covers appearance and uniform, posture, integrity, discipline and self-control, and the training a new guard must complete before working. A guard must complete 40 hours of training and pass a government exam before they can begin working in the security sector, and everything in this unit builds the professional image that training is meant to produce.
Practice
Free practice questions
A security guard represents more than just themselves on the job. Whose reputation does a guard reflect through their conduct?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 2 Professionalism: Training and Public Image
Why do most security guards wear uniforms while on duty?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 2 Professionalism: Appearance and Uniform
What does a security guard's uniform symbolize to the public?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 2 Professionalism: Appearance and Uniform
Which grooming practice contributes to a professional appearance for a security guard?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 2 Professionalism: Grooming Checklist
Why are issues like strong body odour, bad breath, or smelly clothes a professional concern for a guard?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 2 Professionalism: Grooming Checklist
What message does a guard who slouches a lot tend to send to the public?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 2 Professionalism: Posture
How should a professional security guard carry themselves in terms of posture?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 2 Professionalism: Posture
Which of the following best describes a guard with a positive work attitude?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 2 Professionalism: Positive Work Attitude
What image does a guard with a negative work attitude give to the public?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 2 Professionalism: Positive Work Attitude
Appearance and the uniform
The uniform is doing a job before the guard says a word. The manual explains that to deter crime a guard must be seen quickly and easily, which is why most guards wear uniforms. The uniform is also a symbol of authority: a uniformed person is seen as both in control and able to take charge. Because the uniform carries that meaning, personal grooming becomes part of the equipment. The manual's grooming checklist includes showering daily and keeping hair well-groomed and clean, including hair on the face, with clean trimmed nails. It warns bluntly that a guard with strong body odour, bad breath, or smelly clothes may be repulsive to others and not respected. None of this is vanity. A guard who looks unkempt undercuts the authority the uniform is supposed to project, and the exam tests whether you understand appearance as a professional tool rather than a personal choice.
Posture and work attitude
How a guard stands sends a message too. The manual notes that slouching a lot can send the message that you are tired, lazy, bored, unfit, or lack confidence, none of which is a professional image. Instead, professional guards sit and stand straight and give the appearance of being both relaxed and alert, at ease but ready to react. Attitude works the same way. A guard with a positive work attitude believes what they are doing is important, helps others, and finds better, safer ways to do the job. A guard with a negative work attitude gives the public the image that they do not take pride in themselves or their job. The public reads posture and attitude instantly, so the manual treats both as visible parts of the service a client pays for.
Integrity, honesty and self-control
The manual describes integrity as an inner guideline, and says people who have integrity are respectful, reliable, honest and principled. Each word has a specific meaning. Being reliable means a guard can be depended on to do their duties to the best of their ability, take control and stay calm in emergencies, and be on time. Being sincere means the person you show to others is the same as who you are inside. Being principled means you believe in treating everyone fairly, and you speak out if you see someone being treated unfairly. Self-control is the discipline that holds all of this together under pressure. Some people will criticise a guard simply for wearing a uniform and representing authority, and the manual is clear that if you become angry you will only make things worse. Staying calm is the professional response.
Discipline applies to everyone
Discipline in this unit is not about punishment; it is about consistency. The manual says a disciplined guard enforces the rules and procedures at their site no matter who is involved, from the entry level employee to the president. That even-handedness is what makes a guard credible. The unit also prepares guards for the harder parts of the public-facing job, including difficult people, discrimination and harassment, and situations involving crowds and the media. The through-line is the same discipline: treat everyone fairly, keep your self-control, and let your conduct reflect well on your company, your client and the industry. The following habits summarise the professional image the unit asks for:
- Shower daily and keep hair, including facial hair, well-groomed and clean, with clean trimmed nails.
- Sit and stand straight, appearing both relaxed and alert, ready to react.
- Stay calm when criticised, because becoming angry only makes a situation worse.
- Enforce the rules for everyone equally, from the newest employee to the president.
| Point | Positive work attitude | Negative work attitude |
|---|---|---|
| Belief about the work | Believes the work is important | Takes no pride in the job |
| Toward others | Helps others | Gives the public a poor image |
| Improving the job | Finds better, safer ways to do it | Does not look for improvement |
| Image the public sees | Someone who takes pride in the work | Someone with no pride in self or job |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much training does a Manitoba security guard need?
In Manitoba, the MSGTP manual (Unit 2) states that a new guard must complete 40 hours of training and pass a government exam before they can begin working in the security sector. The manual also stresses that a guard represents their security company, the client they work for, and the whole security industry.
Why do security guards wear uniforms?
In Manitoba, the MSGTP manual (Unit 2) explains that most guards wear uniforms so they will be seen quickly and easily, which helps deter crime. The uniform is also a symbol of authority, marking the wearer as someone in control and able to take charge, which is why grooming and appearance are treated as professional requirements.
What does integrity mean for a security guard?
In Manitoba, the MSGTP manual (Unit 2) defines integrity as an inner guideline and says people who have it are respectful, reliable, honest and principled. Being principled means treating everyone fairly and speaking out against unfair treatment, and being reliable means staying calm in emergencies and being on time.
How should a guard react when the public criticises them?
In Manitoba, the MSGTP manual (Unit 2) advises that when someone criticises a guard simply for wearing a uniform and representing authority, self-control requires staying calm, because becoming angry will only make things worse. Discipline also means enforcing site rules for everyone equally, from the entry level employee to the president.