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Terms of Service

Competency Gauge

Below is the Terms of Service for our website. Please read it carefully.

Last Updated: April 11, 2026

Welcome to the Competency Gauge testing platform. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Competency Gauge platform located at https://testing.preparedforduty.ca (the “Platform”), operated by Prepared for Duty Recruitment Service Inc. (“Prepared for Duty”, “we”, “us”, or “our”).

By creating an account, accessing any assessment, or otherwise using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not access or use the Platform. We recommend that you print or save a copy of these Terms for your records.

1. About the Competency Gauge Platform

The Competency Gauge is an aptitude testing and assessment platform operated by Prepared for Duty Recruitment Service Inc., a specialized recruitment company headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Platform provides defensible, knowledge-based aptitude testing services primarily for municipalities, emergency services departments, and other organizations throughout Western Canada.

The Platform enables Departments and Hiring Employers to administer customized assessments to candidates as part of their recruitment processes, and allows individual users to purchase and complete practice tests to prepare for recruitment assessments.

2. Definitions

“Assessment” or “Test” means any quiz, examination, aptitude test, or evaluation administered through the Platform.

“Candidate” means an individual who creates an account on the Platform to take assessments, whether as part of a recruitment process or for practice purposes.

“Coupon Code” or “Access Code” means a unique alphanumeric code provided to Candidates that enables enrolment in specific assessments.

“Department” or “Hiring Employer” means the municipality, organization, or emergency services department that has engaged Prepared for Duty to administer testing for recruitment purposes.

“Platform” means the Competency Gauge testing system accessible at https://testing.preparedforduty.ca, including all associated pages, features, and functionality.

“Proctoring” means the identity verification and test integrity measures that may be enabled for certain assessments, including webcam image capture during test attempts.

“Test Content” means all questions, answers, scenarios, images, multimedia, and other materials that comprise assessments on the Platform.

3. Eligibility and User Representations

By using the Platform, you represent and warrant that:

  • (a) You have the legal capacity and authority to enter into these Terms;
  • (b) You are at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in your jurisdiction; or, if you are under 18, you have obtained the consent of a parent or legal guardian to use the Platform and they have agreed to these Terms on your behalf;
  • (c) All information you provide to us through the Platform is accurate, current, and complete;
  • (d) You will maintain the accuracy of your account information and promptly update it if it changes;
  • (e) You are the person you represent yourself to be and will not allow any other person to use your account or take assessments on your behalf; and
  • (f) Your use of the Platform will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

4. Account Registration and Security

Account Creation

To access assessments on the Platform, you must create an account by providing accurate and complete information, including your full legal name and a valid email address. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. If you are under 18 years of age, your account must be created with the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

Account Security

You agree to:

  • Create a strong, unique password for your account
  • Not share your login credentials with any other person
  • Notify us immediately if you become aware of any unauthorized use of your account
  • Log out of your account at the end of each session, particularly on shared devices

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account credentials. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately using the information provided in Section 23.

Access Codes and Enrolment

Access to certain assessments may require a Coupon Code or Access Code provided by Prepared for Duty or your Department. These codes are intended for single use by the designated recipient and may not be shared, sold, or transferred. We reserve the right to invalidate codes that are misused or suspected of being fraudulently obtained.

5. Assessment Rules and Test Integrity

Maintaining the integrity of assessments is essential to the fairness and validity of recruitment processes. By taking any assessment on the Platform, you agree to the following rules:

During Assessments, You Must:

  • Complete the assessment independently and without assistance from any other person
  • Not use any unauthorized materials, notes, textbooks, websites, or other resources unless explicitly permitted
  • Not communicate with any other person about the assessment content during the test
  • Not copy, reproduce, record, screenshot, photograph, or otherwise capture any Test Content
  • Not share, distribute, post, or disclose any Test Content to any third party, whether during or after the assessment
  • Remain in view of your webcam throughout the assessment if proctoring is enabled
  • Complete the assessment within the allotted time

During Assessments, You Must Not:

  • Have any other person present in the room (unless you have received prior accommodation approval)
  • Use any electronic devices other than the device on which you are taking the assessment
  • Access any browser tabs, windows, or applications other than the assessment
  • Use any artificial intelligence tools, chatbots, or automated assistance
  • Attempt to manipulate, circumvent, or interfere with any proctoring or security measures

Consequences of Violations

Violations of these assessment rules may result in:

  • Immediate termination of your assessment attempt
  • Invalidation of your test results
  • Notification to the relevant Department or Hiring Employer
  • Suspension or termination of your Platform account
  • Disqualification from the associated recruitment process
  • Legal action in cases of serious misconduct or intellectual property infringement

6. Proctoring and Identity Verification

Certain assessments on the Platform may require proctoring to verify your identity and ensure test integrity. Where proctoring is enabled:

  • You will be required to grant the Platform access to your device’s webcam before beginning the assessment
  • The system will capture images of you at regular intervals throughout the assessment
  • You must remain visible in the webcam frame throughout the entire assessment
  • Images captured may be reviewed by authorized administrators and, where applicable, representatives of the relevant Department or Hiring Employer

If you do not consent to proctoring or decline to grant camera access, you will not be able to proceed with proctored assessments. This may affect your eligibility for certain recruitment processes.

For more information about how proctoring data is collected, used, and stored, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

7. Technical Requirements

To use the platform effectively, you are responsible for ensuring that you have:

  • A compatible device (computer, laptop, or tablet) with a supported web browser
  • A stable internet connection sufficient to complete assessments without interruption
  • A functioning webcam (required for proctoring assessments)
  • JavaScript and cookies enabled in your browser
  • A quiet, private location free from distractions (for virtual assessments)

Prepared for Duty is not responsible for technical issues on your end, including but not limited to internet connectivity problems, hardware failures, browser incompatibilities, or power outages. If you experience technical difficulties during an assessment, contact us as soon as possible; however, we cannot guarantee that accommodations will be available.

8. Test Results and Scoring

Results Delivery

Assessment results are calculated by the Platform based on your responses. For recruitment-related assessments, your results will be shared with the Department or Hiring Employer that initiated the recruitment process in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Results Finality

Once an assessment is submitted, the results are final. Prepared for Duty does not offer re-scoring, re-grading, or appeals regarding assessment scores except in cases where a verified technical error affected your assessment.

Employment Decisions

Prepared for Duty provides testing services to Departments and Hiring Employers, but does not make employment or hiring decisions. All decisions regarding candidate selection, interviews, offers of employment, and hiring are made solely by the relevant Department or Hiring Employer. Questions about how your results will be used in the recruitment process should be directed to the Department or Hiring Employer, not to Prepared for Duty.

9. Practice Tests and Payment

The Platform may offer practice tests that individual Candidates can purchase to prepare for recruitment assessments.

Payment Processing

Individual practice test purchases are processed through PayPal. When you make a purchase, you will be redirected to PayPal’s secure checkout to complete the transaction. By making a purchase, you agree to PayPal’s terms of service and privacy policy.

Prepared for Duty does not collect, store, or have access to your credit card number, security code, or banking credentials. All payment information is handled by PayPal in accordance with their security practices.

Pricing and Taxes

All prices are displayed in Canadian dollars (CAD) unless otherwise indicated. Prices are subject to change without notice. You are responsible for any applicable taxes associated with your purchase.

Refunds

Due to the nature of digital content and assessment access, all purchases are final and non-refundable once access to the practice test has been granted. If you experience a verified technical issue that prevents you from accessing a purchased practice test, please contact us to discuss possible remedies.

Bulk Purchases by Departments

Bulk test purchases by Departments and Hiring Employers are handled separately through direct engagement with Prepared for Duty and invoiced through QuickBooks. Such arrangements are governed by separate agreements between Prepared for Duty and the Department.

10. Intellectual Property Rights

Platform Software

The Platform is built using Moodle, an open-source learning management system licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), along with various open-source plugins and components. These open-source components remain subject to their respective open-source licenses and are not owned by Prepared for Duty. Nothing in these Terms grants you rights to the underlying open-source software beyond what is permitted by the applicable open-source licenses.

Proprietary Content

All Test Content, including questions, answers, scenarios, scoring methodologies, and assessment materials, as well as all text, graphics, logos, images, and other materials created by Prepared for Duty (collectively, “Proprietary Content”), is the exclusive property of Prepared for Duty Recruitment Service Inc. and is protected by Canadian and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

Restrictions

You are expressly prohibited from:

  • Copying, reproducing, or duplicating any Test Content or Proprietary Content
  • Distributing, publishing, or sharing any Test Content with any third party
  • Creating derivative works based on any Test Content or Proprietary Content
  • Using any Proprietary Content in a manner that suggests an association with Prepared for Duty without prior written consent
  • Selling, licensing, or commercially exploiting any Proprietary Content

Limited License

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Platform solely for the purpose of completing assessments for which you are enrolled. This license does not include any right to access, view, or retain Test Content after completing an assessment.

11. Prohibited Conduct

In addition to the assessment rules set out in Section 5, you agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities:

  • Using the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable laws or regulations
  • Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Platform, or other users’ accounts, or any systems or networks connected to the Platform
  • Using any automated means, including bots, scripts, spiders, or scrapers, to access or interact with the Platform
  • Interfering with or disrupting the operation of the Platform or the servers or networks used to make the Platform available
  • Uploading or transmitting viruses, malware, or other malicious code
  • Impersonating any person or entity, or allowing another person to use your account or take assessments on your behalf
  • Submitting false, misleading, or fraudulent information
  • Using the Platform in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair it
  • Attempting to circumvent any security measures, access controls, or usage restrictions

12. Use of Contact Forms

The Platform includes contact forms that allow you to submit inquiries and requests. By using these forms, you agree to:

  • Provide accurate and truthful information
  • Use the forms only for legitimate purposes related to the Platform or our services
  • Refrain from submitting any content that is unlawful, offensive, defamatory, or infringes upon the rights of others
  • Not use the forms to send unsolicited commercial messages or spam

We reserve the right to decline to respond to submissions that we determine, in our sole discretion, to be inappropriate or outside the scope of our services.

13. Accessibility and Accommodations

Prepared for Duty is committed to providing accessible testing experiences. If you require accommodations due to a disability or other circumstances, please contact the Department or Hiring Employer administering the assessment, or contact us directly before your scheduled assessment date.

Accommodation requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Approved accommodations may include extended time or other adjustments as appropriate. We cannot guarantee that all accommodation requests can be fulfilled, but we will make reasonable efforts to provide equitable access.

14. Privacy

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information through the Platform is governed by our Competency Gauge Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Platform, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in the Privacy Policy.

Key aspects of our data practices include:

  • Collection of account information, test responses, results, and proctoring data (where enabled)
  • Sharing of assessment results with Departments and Hiring Employers for recruitment purposes
  • Use of third-party service providers for hosting, analytics, and payment processing
  • Retention of data in accordance with specified retention periods

For complete details, please review our Competency Gauge Privacy Policy.

15. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE PLATFORM AND ALL CONTENT, MATERIALS, ASSESSMENTS, AND SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH THE PLATFORM ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, PREPARED FOR DUTY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not warrant that:

  • (a) The Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free of viruses or other harmful components;
  • (b) Defects will be corrected in a timely manner;
  • (c) The results of any assessment will guarantee employment or any particular outcome;
  • (d) The Platform or assessments are suitable for any particular purpose; or
  • (e) Any information provided through the Platform is accurate, complete, or reliable.

Any reliance on the Platform or assessments is at your own risk.

16. Limitations of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL PREPARED FOR DUTY RECRUITMENT SERVICE INC., ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH:

  • (a) Your use or inability to use the Platform;
  • (b) Any assessment results or the use of such results by any Department or Hiring Employer;
  • (c) Any employment decisions made by any Department or Hiring Employer;
  • (d) Technical failures, interruptions, or data loss;
  • (e) Unauthorized access to your account or personal information; or
  • (f) Any other matter relating to the Platform.

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US, IF ANY, FOR ACCESS TO THE PLATFORM DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM; OR (B) ONE HUNDRED CANADIAN DOLLARS (CAD $100).

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain warranties or liability, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you. In such cases, our liability will be limited to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law.

17. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Prepared for Duty Recruitment Service Inc., its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, and licensors from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to:

  • Your use of the Platform
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any assessment rules or test integrity requirements
  • Your violation of any applicable laws or regulations
  • Any infringement of intellectual property rights
  • Any content or information your submit through the Platform
  • Any fraudulent, deceptive, or dishonest conduct on your part

18. Account Termination and Suspension

Termination by You

You may request deletion of your account at any time by contacting us or by using the data deletion request feature in your user profile. Account deletion is subject to our data retention obligations as described in our Privacy Policy.

Termination or Suspension by Us

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account and access to the Platform at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including but not limited to:

  • Violation of these Terms or any assessment rules
  • Suspected fraudulent, deceptive, or dishonest conduct
  • Requests from law enforcement or other government agencies
  • Technical or security issues
  • Extended periods of inactivity

Effect of Termination

Upon termination of your account, your right to access the Platform will immediately cease. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination will survive, including but not limited to intellectual property provisions, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and indemnification obligations.

20. Modifications to the Platform and Terms

Platform Modifications

We reserve the right to modify, update, or discontinue the Platform or any part thereof at any time without prior notice. We may also add, modify, or remove features, assessments, or functionality at our sole discretion. We will not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Platform.

Terms Modifications

We may revise these Terms from time to time at our sole discretion. The “Last Updated” label at the top of these Terms indicates when the most recent changes were made. If we make material changes to these Terms, we will provide notice through the Platform or by other means as we deem appropriate.

Your continued use of the Platform following the posting of any changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you should discontinue your use of the Platform.

21. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and any disputes arising out of or related to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Alberta and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles.

You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, for the resolution of any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform. You waive any objection to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts.

22. General Provisions

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Competency Gauge Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Prepared for Duty regarding your use of the Platform and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals, or representations, written or oral, concerning the subject matter herein.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal, and enforceable. If such modification is not possible, the provision shall be severed from these Terms, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

Waiver

No waiver of any term or condition of these Terms shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or any other term or condition. Our failure to assert any right or provision under these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

Assignment

You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms without restriction. Subject to the foregoing, these Terms shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

Language

The parties have expressly requested that these Terms and all related documents be drafted in English. Les parties ont expressément demandé que ces conditions et tous les documents connexes soient rédigés en anglais.

23. Contact Information

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about these Terms of Service, please contact us at:

Prepared for Duty Recruitment Service Inc.

We will respond to all inquiries as soon as reasonably possible.