Police Officer Exam For Dummies, 2nd Edition (2022)
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Police Officer
Exam
2nd Edition
by Tracey Vasil Biscontini,
Northeast Editing, Inc.
Consultant, Raymond E. Foster, Ret. Lt.
Exam
2nd Edition
by Tracey Vasil Biscontini,
Northeast Editing, Inc.
Consultant, Raymond E. Foster, Ret. Lt.
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Police Officer Exam For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2022 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of
the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for
permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030,
(201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress
are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor
mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS
IN PREPARING THIS WORK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR
COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY
MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES, WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS OR PROMOTIONAL STATEMENTS
FOR THIS WORK. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION, WEBSITE, OR PRODUCT IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION
AND/OR POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS ENDORSE
THE INFORMATION OR SERVICES THE ORGANIZATION, WEBSITE, OR PRODUCT MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT
MAY MAKE. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A SPECIALIST WHERE APPROPRIATE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT WEBSITES
LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT
IS READ. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR AUTHORS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL
DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at
877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit https://hub.wiley.
com/community/support/dummies.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard
print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or
DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For
more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021951959
ISBN 978-1-119-86055-6 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-86056-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-86057-0 (ebk)
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2022 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of
the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for
permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030,
(201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress
are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor
mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS
IN PREPARING THIS WORK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR
COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY
MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES, WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS OR PROMOTIONAL STATEMENTS
FOR THIS WORK. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION, WEBSITE, OR PRODUCT IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION
AND/OR POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS ENDORSE
THE INFORMATION OR SERVICES THE ORGANIZATION, WEBSITE, OR PRODUCT MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT
MAY MAKE. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A SPECIALIST WHERE APPROPRIATE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT WEBSITES
LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT
IS READ. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR AUTHORS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL
DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at
877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit https://hub.wiley.
com/community/support/dummies.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard
print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or
DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For
more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021951959
ISBN 978-1-119-86055-6 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-86056-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-86057-0 (ebk)
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction 1
Part 1: The Road to Landing a Job as a Police Officer 5
CHAPTER 1: Signing Up, Getting Screened, and Other Prep Work 7
CHAPTER 2: Taking a Closer Look at the Police Officer Tests 21
Part 2: Breaking Down the National Police Officer Selection
Test (POST) and the NYC Test 29
CHAPTER 3: Solving Basic Math Questions on the POST 31
CHAPTER 4: Reading Between the Lines: Reading Comprehension 51
CHAPTER 5: Expressing Yourself with Proper Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling 75
CHAPTER 6: Stretching Your Memory and Visualization Skills 95
CHAPTER 7: Reading and Writing Incident Reports 125
CHAPTER 8: Acing the Law Enforcement Essay Exam 143
CHAPTER 9: Completing the Personal History Statement 151
Part 3: After the Written Test: Meeting Other Requirements 161
CHAPTER 10: Putting Your Physical Ability to the Test 163
CHAPTER 11: Presenting Yourself Well in the Oral Board Interview 175
CHAPTER 12: Preparing for Medical and Psychological Evaluations 181
Part 4: Practice Police Officer Exams 191
CHAPTER 13: Practice Test 1: The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) 193
CHAPTER 14: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 1 213
CHAPTER 15: Practice Test 2: The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) 221
CHAPTER 16: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 2 241
CHAPTER 17: Practice Test 3: The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) 247
CHAPTER 18: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 3 269
CHAPTER 19: Practice Test 4: The New York City Police Officer’s Entrance Exam 275
CHAPTER 20: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 4 317
Part 5: The Part of Tens 325
CHAPTER 21: Ten Tips to Help You Succeed on the Exam 327
CHAPTER 22: Ten Things to Expect at the Police Academy 331
Part 6: Appendixes 337
APPENDIX A: Law Enforcement Terminology and Resources 339
APPENDIX B: Climbing the Law Enforcement Ladder 345
Index 349
Introduction 1
Part 1: The Road to Landing a Job as a Police Officer 5
CHAPTER 1: Signing Up, Getting Screened, and Other Prep Work 7
CHAPTER 2: Taking a Closer Look at the Police Officer Tests 21
Part 2: Breaking Down the National Police Officer Selection
Test (POST) and the NYC Test 29
CHAPTER 3: Solving Basic Math Questions on the POST 31
CHAPTER 4: Reading Between the Lines: Reading Comprehension 51
CHAPTER 5: Expressing Yourself with Proper Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling 75
CHAPTER 6: Stretching Your Memory and Visualization Skills 95
CHAPTER 7: Reading and Writing Incident Reports 125
CHAPTER 8: Acing the Law Enforcement Essay Exam 143
CHAPTER 9: Completing the Personal History Statement 151
Part 3: After the Written Test: Meeting Other Requirements 161
CHAPTER 10: Putting Your Physical Ability to the Test 163
CHAPTER 11: Presenting Yourself Well in the Oral Board Interview 175
CHAPTER 12: Preparing for Medical and Psychological Evaluations 181
Part 4: Practice Police Officer Exams 191
CHAPTER 13: Practice Test 1: The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) 193
CHAPTER 14: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 1 213
CHAPTER 15: Practice Test 2: The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) 221
CHAPTER 16: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 2 241
CHAPTER 17: Practice Test 3: The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) 247
CHAPTER 18: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 3 269
CHAPTER 19: Practice Test 4: The New York City Police Officer’s Entrance Exam 275
CHAPTER 20: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 4 317
Part 5: The Part of Tens 325
CHAPTER 21: Ten Tips to Help You Succeed on the Exam 327
CHAPTER 22: Ten Things to Expect at the Police Academy 331
Part 6: Appendixes 337
APPENDIX A: Law Enforcement Terminology and Resources 339
APPENDIX B: Climbing the Law Enforcement Ladder 345
Index 349
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Table of Contents v
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 4
PART 1: THE ROAD TO LANDING A JOB AS A POLICE OFFICER 5
CHAPTER 1: Signing Up, Getting Screened, and Other Prep Work 7
Starting with the Notice of Examination (NOE) 8
Completing a Job Application 9
Rounding up required info and paperwork 10
Understanding what will get you disqualified 11
Acting professionally 11
Taking the Written Test 14
National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) 14
New York City Police Officer’s Entrance Exam 15
Adding the Law Enforcement Essay Exam 17
Completing the Personal History Statement 17
Passing the Physical Ability Test (PAT) 18
Making a Dynamite Impression during the Oral Board Interview 19
Undergoing the Medical and Psychological Evaluations 19
Medical evaluation 20
Psychological evaluation 20
What if I Get Eliminated during the Screening Process? 20
CHAPTER 2: Taking a Closer Look at the Police Officer Tests 21
Knowing What You’re Up Against on the Written Test 22
The structure of the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) 22
The structure of the New York City (NYC) Police Officer’s Entrance Exam 24
Getting the Lowdown on the Other Police Officer Tests 26
The physical ability test (PAT) 26
The oral interview 26
The medical exam 27
The psychological evaluation 27
PART 2: BREAKING DOWN THE NATIONAL POLICE OFFICER
SELECTION TEST (POST) AND THE NYC TEST 29
CHAPTER 3: Solving Basic Math Questions on the POST 31
What Do Math Questions Look Like? 32
Ditching your calculator 32
Addition questions 32
Subtraction questions 34
Multiplication questions 35
Division questions 37
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 4
PART 1: THE ROAD TO LANDING A JOB AS A POLICE OFFICER 5
CHAPTER 1: Signing Up, Getting Screened, and Other Prep Work 7
Starting with the Notice of Examination (NOE) 8
Completing a Job Application 9
Rounding up required info and paperwork 10
Understanding what will get you disqualified 11
Acting professionally 11
Taking the Written Test 14
National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) 14
New York City Police Officer’s Entrance Exam 15
Adding the Law Enforcement Essay Exam 17
Completing the Personal History Statement 17
Passing the Physical Ability Test (PAT) 18
Making a Dynamite Impression during the Oral Board Interview 19
Undergoing the Medical and Psychological Evaluations 19
Medical evaluation 20
Psychological evaluation 20
What if I Get Eliminated during the Screening Process? 20
CHAPTER 2: Taking a Closer Look at the Police Officer Tests 21
Knowing What You’re Up Against on the Written Test 22
The structure of the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) 22
The structure of the New York City (NYC) Police Officer’s Entrance Exam 24
Getting the Lowdown on the Other Police Officer Tests 26
The physical ability test (PAT) 26
The oral interview 26
The medical exam 27
The psychological evaluation 27
PART 2: BREAKING DOWN THE NATIONAL POLICE OFFICER
SELECTION TEST (POST) AND THE NYC TEST 29
CHAPTER 3: Solving Basic Math Questions on the POST 31
What Do Math Questions Look Like? 32
Ditching your calculator 32
Addition questions 32
Subtraction questions 34
Multiplication questions 35
Division questions 37
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vi Police Officer Exam For Dummies
Determining Percentages 39
What is a percent? 39
How to find a percentage 39
Finding Averages 42
What is an average? 42
How to find an average 42
Picking an Answer if You Don’t Know It 44
Practice Math Questions 45
CHAPTER 4: Reading Between the Lines: Reading Comprehension 51
Comprehending the Reading Comprehension Section on the POST 51
Longer passages 53
Definition passages 54
Practice Questions for the POST Reading Comprehension Section 56
Examining the Reading Comprehension Questions on the New York City Test 59
Written comprehension passages 60
Information ordering passages 61
Inductive reasoning passages 62
Deductive reasoning passages 64
Problem sensitivity questions 66
Practice Questions for the NYC Reading Comprehension Section 67
CHAPTER 5: Expressing Yourself with Proper Grammar,
Punctuation, and Spelling 75
Acing Grammar Questions 76
Choosing the correct verb tense 76
Watching out for subject-verb agreement 78
Picking the correct pronoun 79
Using the right adjective 82
Identifying complete sentences and fragments 83
Pluralizing nouns 84
Excelling at Spelling Questions 87
Practice Grammar and Spelling Questions 89
CHAPTER 6: Stretching Your Memory and Visualization Skills 95
Getting the Lowdown on Memory and Observation Questions on the NYC Test 95
Improving Your Memory 96
Digging deep for memorization questions 96
Using your mind’s eye for visualization questions 100
Straightening out information ordering questions 106
Determining the best course of action 109
Getting your bearings 110
Recalling and interpreting letters and numbers 111
Practice Observation and Memory Questions 113
CHAPTER 7: Reading and Writing Incident Reports 125
Tackling POST Questions about Incident Reports 125
Demonstrating comprehension of incident reports on the POST 126
Answering written questions about incident reports on the POST
Determining Percentages 39
What is a percent? 39
How to find a percentage 39
Finding Averages 42
What is an average? 42
How to find an average 42
Picking an Answer if You Don’t Know It 44
Practice Math Questions 45
CHAPTER 4: Reading Between the Lines: Reading Comprehension 51
Comprehending the Reading Comprehension Section on the POST 51
Longer passages 53
Definition passages 54
Practice Questions for the POST Reading Comprehension Section 56
Examining the Reading Comprehension Questions on the New York City Test 59
Written comprehension passages 60
Information ordering passages 61
Inductive reasoning passages 62
Deductive reasoning passages 64
Problem sensitivity questions 66
Practice Questions for the NYC Reading Comprehension Section 67
CHAPTER 5: Expressing Yourself with Proper Grammar,
Punctuation, and Spelling 75
Acing Grammar Questions 76
Choosing the correct verb tense 76
Watching out for subject-verb agreement 78
Picking the correct pronoun 79
Using the right adjective 82
Identifying complete sentences and fragments 83
Pluralizing nouns 84
Excelling at Spelling Questions 87
Practice Grammar and Spelling Questions 89
CHAPTER 6: Stretching Your Memory and Visualization Skills 95
Getting the Lowdown on Memory and Observation Questions on the NYC Test 95
Improving Your Memory 96
Digging deep for memorization questions 96
Using your mind’s eye for visualization questions 100
Straightening out information ordering questions 106
Determining the best course of action 109
Getting your bearings 110
Recalling and interpreting letters and numbers 111
Practice Observation and Memory Questions 113
CHAPTER 7: Reading and Writing Incident Reports 125
Tackling POST Questions about Incident Reports 125
Demonstrating comprehension of incident reports on the POST 126
Answering written questions about incident reports on the POST
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Table of Contents vii
CHAPTER 8: Acing the Law Enforcement Essay Exam 143
Following the Proper Steps to Craft a Winning Essay 143
Prewriting 144
Writing 145
Proofreading 145
Understanding How Essays Are Scored 147
Warming Up to Sample Essay Prompts 149
Practice Law Enforcement Essay Exam Question and Answer 150
CHAPTER 9: Completing the Personal History Statement 151
Becoming Familiar with the Personal History Statement 152
Getting Ready to Complete the Personal History Statement 156
Gathering the necessary information 156
Collecting the necessary documents 157
Writing the Personal History Statement 157
Understanding that honesty is the best policy 158
Following directions and reading questions carefully 159
Checking your work 160
PART 3: AFTER THE WRITTEN TEST: MEETING OTHER
REQUIREMENTS 161
CHAPTER 10: Putting Your Physical Ability to the Test 163
Let’s Get Physical: The Whys and Wherefores of the Physical Ability Test 164
Understanding why police officers need the physical ability test 164
Breaking down the skill areas of the typical test 164
Getting the lowdown on the local test 165
Getting in Shape before the Test 166
What You Should Know and Do the Day of Your Test 167
Showing Them What You Can Do: Test Events 168
One-minute sit-ups 168
One-minute push-ups 169
Vertical jump 170
1.5-mile run 170
440-yard mobility/agility run 171
Modified squat thrust
CHAPTER 8: Acing the Law Enforcement Essay Exam 143
Following the Proper Steps to Craft a Winning Essay 143
Prewriting 144
Writing 145
Proofreading 145
Understanding How Essays Are Scored 147
Warming Up to Sample Essay Prompts 149
Practice Law Enforcement Essay Exam Question and Answer 150
CHAPTER 9: Completing the Personal History Statement 151
Becoming Familiar with the Personal History Statement 152
Getting Ready to Complete the Personal History Statement 156
Gathering the necessary information 156
Collecting the necessary documents 157
Writing the Personal History Statement 157
Understanding that honesty is the best policy 158
Following directions and reading questions carefully 159
Checking your work 160
PART 3: AFTER THE WRITTEN TEST: MEETING OTHER
REQUIREMENTS 161
CHAPTER 10: Putting Your Physical Ability to the Test 163
Let’s Get Physical: The Whys and Wherefores of the Physical Ability Test 164
Understanding why police officers need the physical ability test 164
Breaking down the skill areas of the typical test 164
Getting the lowdown on the local test 165
Getting in Shape before the Test 166
What You Should Know and Do the Day of Your Test 167
Showing Them What You Can Do: Test Events 168
One-minute sit-ups 168
One-minute push-ups 169
Vertical jump 170
1.5-mile run 170
440-yard mobility/agility run 171
Modified squat thrust
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viii Police Officer Exam For Dummies
CHAPTER 12: Preparing for Medical and Psychological Evaluations 181
Getting Tested, Poked, and Prodded in the Medical Evaluation 182
What can you see? Testing your vision 182
Can you hear me now? Testing your hearing 183
Not for the squeamish: Taking blood and urine tests 184
Breathe in, breathe out: Checking your heart and lungs 184
How low can you go? Monitoring muscular and skeletal disorders 185
Looking for other conditions 185
Understanding What Happens during the Psychological Evaluation 186
Taking the personality test 186
Interviewing with a psychologist 187
PART 4: PRACTICE POLICE OFFICER EXAMS 191
CHAPTER 13: Practice Test 1: The National Police Officer Selection
Test (POST) 193
CHAPTER 14: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 1 213
Section I: Mathematics 213
Section II: Reading Comprehension 215
Section III: Grammar 217
Section IV: Incident Report Writing 218
CHAPTER 15: Practice Test 2: The National Police Officer Selection
Test (POST) 221
CHAPTER 16: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 2 241
Section I: Mathematics 241
Section II: Reading Comprehension 243
Section III: Grammar 244
Section IV: Incident Report Writing 245
CHAPTER 17: Practice Test 3: The National Police Officer Selection
Test (POST) 247
CHAPTER 18: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 3 269
Section I: Mathematics 269
Section II: Reading Comprehension 271
Section III: Grammar 272
Section IV: Incident Report Writing 273
CHAPTER 19: Practice Test 4: The New York City Police Officer’s
Entrance Exam 275
CHAPTER 20: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 4 317
PART 5: THE PART OF TENS 325
CHAPTER 21: Ten Tips to Help You Succeed on the Exam 327
Prepare Yourself 327
Get Plenty of ZZZs 328
Eat Healthfully 328
Arrive Early 328
CHAPTER 12: Preparing for Medical and Psychological Evaluations 181
Getting Tested, Poked, and Prodded in the Medical Evaluation 182
What can you see? Testing your vision 182
Can you hear me now? Testing your hearing 183
Not for the squeamish: Taking blood and urine tests 184
Breathe in, breathe out: Checking your heart and lungs 184
How low can you go? Monitoring muscular and skeletal disorders 185
Looking for other conditions 185
Understanding What Happens during the Psychological Evaluation 186
Taking the personality test 186
Interviewing with a psychologist 187
PART 4: PRACTICE POLICE OFFICER EXAMS 191
CHAPTER 13: Practice Test 1: The National Police Officer Selection
Test (POST) 193
CHAPTER 14: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 1 213
Section I: Mathematics 213
Section II: Reading Comprehension 215
Section III: Grammar 217
Section IV: Incident Report Writing 218
CHAPTER 15: Practice Test 2: The National Police Officer Selection
Test (POST) 221
CHAPTER 16: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 2 241
Section I: Mathematics 241
Section II: Reading Comprehension 243
Section III: Grammar 244
Section IV: Incident Report Writing 245
CHAPTER 17: Practice Test 3: The National Police Officer Selection
Test (POST) 247
CHAPTER 18: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 3 269
Section I: Mathematics 269
Section II: Reading Comprehension 271
Section III: Grammar 272
Section IV: Incident Report Writing 273
CHAPTER 19: Practice Test 4: The New York City Police Officer’s
Entrance Exam 275
CHAPTER 20: Answers and Explanations for Practice Test 4 317
PART 5: THE PART OF TENS 325
CHAPTER 21: Ten Tips to Help You Succeed on the Exam 327
Prepare Yourself 327
Get Plenty of ZZZs 328
Eat Healthfully 328
Arrive Early 328
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Table of Contents ix
Relax! 328
Carefully Read or Listen to Directions 329
Read the Questions First 329
Pace Yourself 329
Mark the Right Spot! 329
Take a Guess 330
CHAPTER 22: Ten Things to Expect at the Police Academy 331
Rigorous Rule Enforcement 331
Physical Challenges 332
Strength Training 332
Firearms Training 333
Emergency Vehicle Operations Training 333
Academic Integrity 333
Language Training 334
Ethics Training 334
Human Relations 335
Field Training Program 335
PART 6: APPENDIXES 337
APPENDIX A: Law Enforcement Terminology and Resources 339
Law Enforcement Terminology 339
Law Enforcement Codes 341
Additional Resources 343
APPENDIX B: Climbing the Law Enforcement Ladder 345
Starting on the Bottom Rung: Unranked 345
Officer 346
Detective/Investigator 346
Sergeant 346
Moving to Middle Management: Bars 346
Lieutenant 346
Captain 346
Major/Deputy inspector 347
Becoming the Top Dog: Stars 347
Inspector/Commander 347
Assistant chief 347
Deputy chief 347
Chief of police 347
INDEX 349
Relax! 328
Carefully Read or Listen to Directions 329
Read the Questions First 329
Pace Yourself 329
Mark the Right Spot! 329
Take a Guess 330
CHAPTER 22: Ten Things to Expect at the Police Academy 331
Rigorous Rule Enforcement 331
Physical Challenges 332
Strength Training 332
Firearms Training 333
Emergency Vehicle Operations Training 333
Academic Integrity 333
Language Training 334
Ethics Training 334
Human Relations 335
Field Training Program 335
PART 6: APPENDIXES 337
APPENDIX A: Law Enforcement Terminology and Resources 339
Law Enforcement Terminology 339
Law Enforcement Codes 341
Additional Resources 343
APPENDIX B: Climbing the Law Enforcement Ladder 345
Starting on the Bottom Rung: Unranked 345
Officer 346
Detective/Investigator 346
Sergeant 346
Moving to Middle Management: Bars 346
Lieutenant 346
Captain 346
Major/Deputy inspector 347
Becoming the Top Dog: Stars 347
Inspector/Commander 347
Assistant chief 347
Deputy chief 347
Chief of police 347
INDEX 349
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Introduction 1
Introduction
Chances are that if you’re reading this book, you’re considering pursuing a career as a police
officer. Good for you! Police work is both challenging and rewarding. As a police officer,
you’ll earn a good salary — police officers in the United States average about $67,000 a
year. Police officers receive overtime pay and excellent benefits such as paid sick leave and vaca-
tion time, medical and life insurance, and outstanding retirement benefits.
A police officer’s duties vary somewhat depending on the location of the police department. An
officer in a small town may perform a variety of duties, while a cop in a large city may have more
specific, routine duties. However, all police officers share a common goal: to keep people safe by
enforcing the law.
The police officer hiring process is unlike that of any other job. It consists of much more than
simply filling out a job application or sending a résumé and going on a job interview. The police
officer screening process involves numerous tests and evaluations designed to ensure that you’re
ready to begin training to become a police officer. We wrote Police Officer Exam For Dummies, 2nd
Edition, to guide you through this screening process, from finding a Notice of Examination (NOE)
to acing the oral board interview.
About This Book
Police work is challenging — and at times it can be stressful and dangerous. For the most part,
though, police officers enjoy what they do. They know that their job is important, and they’re
proud to serve their communities by keeping them safe. The police officer hiring process involves
many steps that we cover in this book, including these
» Obtaining a Notice of Examination (NOE), which tells you that a written exam is being given
because of a job opening or openings. This notice tells you where and when the exam will take
place, what you have to do to register for the test, and what requirements you must meet to
be a police officer in the specified area.
» Filling out a lengthy and detailed job application that asks you very specific information such
as whether you’ve ever been a defendant in a court action and whether you’ve ever collected
unemployment or worker’s compensation insurance. The application also asks you to list each
job you’ve held since you were 17 and every address you’ve lived at since elementary school.
» Taking and passing a written exam that may test your reading, math, and memory skills,
and sometimes your writing skills. Though the written exam may vary a bit from one police
department to the next, most departments give a version of the National Police Officer
Selection Test (POST) or a civil service exam such as the New York City (NYC) Police Officer’s
Entrance Exam. We help you review exam skills for both tests in this book.
» Completing the Personal History Statement. If you think the job application for a police officer
job asks personal information, wait until you complete the Personal History Statement. Most
police departments ask you to complete this document when you fill out the job application.
The statement probes into your past and your personal life, asking questions such as, “Have
you stolen anything?” and “Have you ever used marijuana or any other drug not prescribed by
Introduction
Chances are that if you’re reading this book, you’re considering pursuing a career as a police
officer. Good for you! Police work is both challenging and rewarding. As a police officer,
you’ll earn a good salary — police officers in the United States average about $67,000 a
year. Police officers receive overtime pay and excellent benefits such as paid sick leave and vaca-
tion time, medical and life insurance, and outstanding retirement benefits.
A police officer’s duties vary somewhat depending on the location of the police department. An
officer in a small town may perform a variety of duties, while a cop in a large city may have more
specific, routine duties. However, all police officers share a common goal: to keep people safe by
enforcing the law.
The police officer hiring process is unlike that of any other job. It consists of much more than
simply filling out a job application or sending a résumé and going on a job interview. The police
officer screening process involves numerous tests and evaluations designed to ensure that you’re
ready to begin training to become a police officer. We wrote Police Officer Exam For Dummies, 2nd
Edition, to guide you through this screening process, from finding a Notice of Examination (NOE)
to acing the oral board interview.
About This Book
Police work is challenging — and at times it can be stressful and dangerous. For the most part,
though, police officers enjoy what they do. They know that their job is important, and they’re
proud to serve their communities by keeping them safe. The police officer hiring process involves
many steps that we cover in this book, including these
» Obtaining a Notice of Examination (NOE), which tells you that a written exam is being given
because of a job opening or openings. This notice tells you where and when the exam will take
place, what you have to do to register for the test, and what requirements you must meet to
be a police officer in the specified area.
» Filling out a lengthy and detailed job application that asks you very specific information such
as whether you’ve ever been a defendant in a court action and whether you’ve ever collected
unemployment or worker’s compensation insurance. The application also asks you to list each
job you’ve held since you were 17 and every address you’ve lived at since elementary school.
» Taking and passing a written exam that may test your reading, math, and memory skills,
and sometimes your writing skills. Though the written exam may vary a bit from one police
department to the next, most departments give a version of the National Police Officer
Selection Test (POST) or a civil service exam such as the New York City (NYC) Police Officer’s
Entrance Exam. We help you review exam skills for both tests in this book.
» Completing the Personal History Statement. If you think the job application for a police officer
job asks personal information, wait until you complete the Personal History Statement. Most
police departments ask you to complete this document when you fill out the job application.
The statement probes into your past and your personal life, asking questions such as, “Have
you stolen anything?” and “Have you ever used marijuana or any other drug not prescribed by
Loading page 14...
2 Police Officer Exam For Dummies
a physician?” You can’t lie on the Personal History Statement — the police department uses
it to investigate your background and requires you to complete a polygraph test about the
information you provide.
» Passing a physical ability test (PAT), which determines whether you’re in good enough shape
to make it through the strenuous physical training at the police academy. Like the written test,
the PAT may vary in terms of what you’re asked to do — but rest assured that you won’t be
asked to go for a relaxing stroll. Expect to exert yourself doing sit-ups and push-ups, running,
jumping vertically, climbing stairs, and dragging a dummy. Expect to sweat.
» Completing the oral board interview, a test to see how well you answer questions, use
common sense, and handle yourself in stressful situations. Members of the oral board
include senior police officers and sometimes community leaders. Expect to answer all kinds
of questions about your personality and educational and work backgrounds during this
interview, which typically lasts about two hours. Does this sound like an interrogation?
You bet.
» Undergoing a medical and psychological examination to see whether you’re healthy and
mentally stable enough to work as a police officer. Expect to have both your body and brain
poked and prodded.
In Police Officer Exam For Dummies, 2nd Edition, we give you all the information you need to make
it through each step in the hiring process without being eliminated. We tell you how to prepare
for each test and give you a chance to practice. Following the guidance in this book and complet-
ing the many practice exercises and tests is a great way to succeed and land a job as a cop.
This book uses the following conventions to keep things consistent and easy to understand:
» The phrase written police officer test refers to any kind of written test a police department
may choose to give its job candidates. When we refer to the National Police Officer Selection
Test — the POST — we call it by name. When we refer to a civilservice test, we refer to the
New York City test (NYC test) because this test is an excellent example of what you may see on
a civil service test.
» The physical ability test (PAT) refers to the physical test that police candidates take. Most police
departments refer to this test as the PAT, but some also call it the physical fitness test or the
police officer physical exam.
» We use the terms medical evaluation and medical exam interchangeably. We also do this with
psychological evaluation and psychological exam.
» We use boldface to highlight keywords in bulleted lists and the action parts of numbered
steps.
» We italicize any words you may not be familiar with and provide definitions.
» All websites and email addresses appear in monofont. When this book was printed, some web
addresses may have needed to break across two lines of text. If that happened, rest assured
that we haven’t put in any extra characters (such as hyphens) to indicate the break. When you
use one of these web addresses, just type exactly what you see in this book, pretending that
the line break doesn’t exist.
» Sidebars are the shaded boxes you see throughout the book that provide extra information or
detailed examples. Though you’ll likely enjoy the gems of knowledge in the sidebars, they don’t
necessarily give you an edge on the exams, so feel free to read them later.
a physician?” You can’t lie on the Personal History Statement — the police department uses
it to investigate your background and requires you to complete a polygraph test about the
information you provide.
» Passing a physical ability test (PAT), which determines whether you’re in good enough shape
to make it through the strenuous physical training at the police academy. Like the written test,
the PAT may vary in terms of what you’re asked to do — but rest assured that you won’t be
asked to go for a relaxing stroll. Expect to exert yourself doing sit-ups and push-ups, running,
jumping vertically, climbing stairs, and dragging a dummy. Expect to sweat.
» Completing the oral board interview, a test to see how well you answer questions, use
common sense, and handle yourself in stressful situations. Members of the oral board
include senior police officers and sometimes community leaders. Expect to answer all kinds
of questions about your personality and educational and work backgrounds during this
interview, which typically lasts about two hours. Does this sound like an interrogation?
You bet.
» Undergoing a medical and psychological examination to see whether you’re healthy and
mentally stable enough to work as a police officer. Expect to have both your body and brain
poked and prodded.
In Police Officer Exam For Dummies, 2nd Edition, we give you all the information you need to make
it through each step in the hiring process without being eliminated. We tell you how to prepare
for each test and give you a chance to practice. Following the guidance in this book and complet-
ing the many practice exercises and tests is a great way to succeed and land a job as a cop.
This book uses the following conventions to keep things consistent and easy to understand:
» The phrase written police officer test refers to any kind of written test a police department
may choose to give its job candidates. When we refer to the National Police Officer Selection
Test — the POST — we call it by name. When we refer to a civilservice test, we refer to the
New York City test (NYC test) because this test is an excellent example of what you may see on
a civil service test.
» The physical ability test (PAT) refers to the physical test that police candidates take. Most police
departments refer to this test as the PAT, but some also call it the physical fitness test or the
police officer physical exam.
» We use the terms medical evaluation and medical exam interchangeably. We also do this with
psychological evaluation and psychological exam.
» We use boldface to highlight keywords in bulleted lists and the action parts of numbered
steps.
» We italicize any words you may not be familiar with and provide definitions.
» All websites and email addresses appear in monofont. When this book was printed, some web
addresses may have needed to break across two lines of text. If that happened, rest assured
that we haven’t put in any extra characters (such as hyphens) to indicate the break. When you
use one of these web addresses, just type exactly what you see in this book, pretending that
the line break doesn’t exist.
» Sidebars are the shaded boxes you see throughout the book that provide extra information or
detailed examples. Though you’ll likely enjoy the gems of knowledge in the sidebars, they don’t
necessarily give you an edge on the exams, so feel free to read them later.
Loading page 15...
Introduction 3
Foolish Assumptions
We all know what happens when we assume, but while writing this book, we decided to live dan-
gerously and make the following assumptions about you, dear reader:
» You’re interested in becoming a police officer, and you want to know more about the job and
the hiring process.
» You want to take some police officer practice tests so that you know what to expect and what
to focus on when studying.
» You want to prepare yourself for each step of the police officer hiring process to help ensure
your chances of overall success.
» You understand that successfully completing all exams, interviews, and evaluations means
that you qualify to begin training to become a police officer. You know that patrolling the beat
doesn’t occur until after you’ve received extensive training at a police academy.
» You can read, speak, and understand the English language reasonably well. (Writers of police
officer exams assume this, too.)
Icons Used in This Book
To make this book easier to read and simpler to use, we include some icons that can help you find
key ideas and information. Keep an eye out for them.
This icon appears next to information that may benefit you during the various steps of the hiring
process. This information can save you time and effort.
When you see this icon, you know the information that follows is especially important to keep
in mind.
This icon highlights information that may pose a threat to your success on the police officer
exams.
This icon points out sample questions that appear in the review chapters.
Beyond the Book
In addition to the abundance of information and guidance related to police officer exams that we
provide in this book, you get access to even more help and information online at Dummies.com.
Check out this book’s online Cheat Sheet. Just go to www.dummies.com and search for “Police Offi-
cer Exam For Dummies Cheat Sheet.”
Foolish Assumptions
We all know what happens when we assume, but while writing this book, we decided to live dan-
gerously and make the following assumptions about you, dear reader:
» You’re interested in becoming a police officer, and you want to know more about the job and
the hiring process.
» You want to take some police officer practice tests so that you know what to expect and what
to focus on when studying.
» You want to prepare yourself for each step of the police officer hiring process to help ensure
your chances of overall success.
» You understand that successfully completing all exams, interviews, and evaluations means
that you qualify to begin training to become a police officer. You know that patrolling the beat
doesn’t occur until after you’ve received extensive training at a police academy.
» You can read, speak, and understand the English language reasonably well. (Writers of police
officer exams assume this, too.)
Icons Used in This Book
To make this book easier to read and simpler to use, we include some icons that can help you find
key ideas and information. Keep an eye out for them.
This icon appears next to information that may benefit you during the various steps of the hiring
process. This information can save you time and effort.
When you see this icon, you know the information that follows is especially important to keep
in mind.
This icon highlights information that may pose a threat to your success on the police officer
exams.
This icon points out sample questions that appear in the review chapters.
Beyond the Book
In addition to the abundance of information and guidance related to police officer exams that we
provide in this book, you get access to even more help and information online at Dummies.com.
Check out this book’s online Cheat Sheet. Just go to www.dummies.com and search for “Police Offi-
cer Exam For Dummies Cheat Sheet.”
Loading page 16...
4 Police Officer Exam For Dummies
Where to Go from Here
The great thing about For Dummies books is that you can start wherever you want and still find
complete information. Want to know how you’d perform on a police officer exam without any
preparation? Turn to Chapter 13 and take a practice test, and then check your answers in Chapter 14
to see how well you did. Are you more interested in a specific subject, like incident reports? Check
out Chapter 7. Or maybe you want to know how to prepare for the oral board interview. Find out
what you need in Chapter 11. The point is that you don’t have to read this book from cover to
cover. You can start wherever you think you need the most work, using the table of contents and
the index to help you find particular topics.
If time is of the essence, find out whether you’re taking the POST or a civil service exam such as
the NYC test, and turn to the appropriate chapter for information relating to the test you’re going
to take. If you’re not sure where to start, check out Part 1, which outlines the police officer hiring
process from locating a Notice of Examination (NOE) to passing the medical and psychological
evaluations.
Where to Go from Here
The great thing about For Dummies books is that you can start wherever you want and still find
complete information. Want to know how you’d perform on a police officer exam without any
preparation? Turn to Chapter 13 and take a practice test, and then check your answers in Chapter 14
to see how well you did. Are you more interested in a specific subject, like incident reports? Check
out Chapter 7. Or maybe you want to know how to prepare for the oral board interview. Find out
what you need in Chapter 11. The point is that you don’t have to read this book from cover to
cover. You can start wherever you think you need the most work, using the table of contents and
the index to help you find particular topics.
If time is of the essence, find out whether you’re taking the POST or a civil service exam such as
the NYC test, and turn to the appropriate chapter for information relating to the test you’re going
to take. If you’re not sure where to start, check out Part 1, which outlines the police officer hiring
process from locating a Notice of Examination (NOE) to passing the medical and psychological
evaluations.
Loading page 17...
1The Road to
Landing a Job as
a Police Officer
Landing a Job as
a Police Officer
Loading page 18...
IN THIS PART . . .
Find out what it takes to land a job as a cop — from the
screening process to written and physical tests to an
interview and medical and psychological evaluations.
Discover when and how to apply for a police officer job
and how to prepare for the police officer tests.
Find out what it takes to land a job as a cop — from the
screening process to written and physical tests to an
interview and medical and psychological evaluations.
Discover when and how to apply for a police officer job
and how to prepare for the police officer tests.
Loading page 19...
CHAPTER 1 Signing Up, Getting Screened, and Other Prep Work 7
Signing Up, Getting
Screened, and Other
Prep Work
The job of a police officer isn’t easy. Police officers investigate crimes, arrest criminals,
assist citizens in emergencies, collect and secure evidence, write reports, and testify in
court. They keep a community safe by enforcing the law. Their job is an important one, so
police departments carefully screen job applicants.
To land a job as a cop, you have to undergo a lengthy screening process. You must be able to solve
quadratic equations and bench press 500 pounds. Okay, we’re just kidding, but the screening
process to become a police officer does involve passing several tests. The good news is that
getting a good score on these tests is within reach for most individuals.
In this chapter, we tell you about the screening process to become a police officer. To get a job as
a cop in most police departments, you must obtain a Notice of Examination (NOE), complete an
application, pass a written exam and a physical ability test (PAT), and undergo a background
investigation, an oral board review, and a medical and psychological evaluation. But hold on!
You’re not finished yet. You still have to contend with the police academy. Whether you must do
this on your own before the screening process or after you pass the medical and psychological
evaluations depends on the city and state where you’re applying for a job.
In some parts of the country, a police department will pay for you to attend a police academy. In
other areas, you must enroll in a state-certified academy at a community college, and you have to
pay for this academy yourself. Should you do this before you apply for a job? You could, but keep
in mind that some large cities, such as Los Angeles and New York City, still require you to attend
their academies even if you’ve attended a state-certified academy at a community college. The
moral of the story? Find out what’s required in your city and state before you apply for a job and
begin the screening process.
Chapter 1
IN THIS CHAPTER
» Taking the beginning steps to
become a police officer
» Completing tests — written,
physical, oral, medical, and
psychological
» Giving it a second try if necessary
Signing Up, Getting
Screened, and Other
Prep Work
The job of a police officer isn’t easy. Police officers investigate crimes, arrest criminals,
assist citizens in emergencies, collect and secure evidence, write reports, and testify in
court. They keep a community safe by enforcing the law. Their job is an important one, so
police departments carefully screen job applicants.
To land a job as a cop, you have to undergo a lengthy screening process. You must be able to solve
quadratic equations and bench press 500 pounds. Okay, we’re just kidding, but the screening
process to become a police officer does involve passing several tests. The good news is that
getting a good score on these tests is within reach for most individuals.
In this chapter, we tell you about the screening process to become a police officer. To get a job as
a cop in most police departments, you must obtain a Notice of Examination (NOE), complete an
application, pass a written exam and a physical ability test (PAT), and undergo a background
investigation, an oral board review, and a medical and psychological evaluation. But hold on!
You’re not finished yet. You still have to contend with the police academy. Whether you must do
this on your own before the screening process or after you pass the medical and psychological
evaluations depends on the city and state where you’re applying for a job.
In some parts of the country, a police department will pay for you to attend a police academy. In
other areas, you must enroll in a state-certified academy at a community college, and you have to
pay for this academy yourself. Should you do this before you apply for a job? You could, but keep
in mind that some large cities, such as Los Angeles and New York City, still require you to attend
their academies even if you’ve attended a state-certified academy at a community college. The
moral of the story? Find out what’s required in your city and state before you apply for a job and
begin the screening process.
Chapter 1
IN THIS CHAPTER
» Taking the beginning steps to
become a police officer
» Completing tests — written,
physical, oral, medical, and
psychological
» Giving it a second try if necessary
Loading page 20...
8 PART 1 The Road to Landing a Job as a Police Officer
Starting with the Notice of Examination (NOE)
The first step to becoming a police officer is to find a Notice of Examination (NOE), which is also
called an Exam Announcement. While many police departments post an NOE because they have
job openings, other departments give the written test every so often, and the NOE may simply
announce the time and place of the test. If the NOE is posted because of job openings, it indicates
where and when you should submit a job application, the time and place of the test, and the test
registration fee. You can see an example NOE for a job opening in Figure 1-1.
How do you find an NOE? The easiest way is to periodically check the websites of nearby police
departments. Another option is to access a national police officer website such as the Interna-
tional Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) (www.theiacp.org), where you can search police
officer job openings by state, city, and zip code.
FIGURE 1-1:
A sample
Notice of
Examination
for a police
officer
position.
Starting with the Notice of Examination (NOE)
The first step to becoming a police officer is to find a Notice of Examination (NOE), which is also
called an Exam Announcement. While many police departments post an NOE because they have
job openings, other departments give the written test every so often, and the NOE may simply
announce the time and place of the test. If the NOE is posted because of job openings, it indicates
where and when you should submit a job application, the time and place of the test, and the test
registration fee. You can see an example NOE for a job opening in Figure 1-1.
How do you find an NOE? The easiest way is to periodically check the websites of nearby police
departments. Another option is to access a national police officer website such as the Interna-
tional Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) (www.theiacp.org), where you can search police
officer job openings by state, city, and zip code.
FIGURE 1-1:
A sample
Notice of
Examination
for a police
officer
position.
Loading page 21...
CHAPTER 1 Signing Up, Getting Screened, and Other Prep Work 9
Completing a Job Application
Before taking a written police officer test, you must pay a fee and submit a completed job
application like the one shown in Figure 1-2. You must complete the application in black ink or
type it, depending on the instructions on the application. The application should be neat and
complete, and the information on it should be accurate. Read all the directions before you fill out
the application. Keep in mind that a mistake or an omission on the job application is grounds for
disqualification.
TYPES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT JOBS
Those who want to work in law enforcement are committed to protecting people and property. They are
good communicators and in good physical condition. That said, there are different types of law enforce-
ment jobs. The educational requirements and training range from having a high school diploma and
training at a police academy to more formal training, such as a college degree. These are some common
types of law enforcement jobs:
• Local Police Officers and Sheriff’s Deputies: Local police and sheriff’s deputies must uphold the
laws of their jurisdiction. They patrol their area and investigate crimes. Local police may work for their
town, county, or region. Most local police departments in the United States are small and employ
only a few full-time police officers. California, New York, and Texas are the states that employ the
largest number of police officers in the country.
Many of the other job titles found within local law enforcement agencies include automobile patrol,
foot patrol, traffic officer, bicycle patrol, motorcycle patrol, horse patrol, marine patrol, aircraft patrol,
juvenile officer, canine officer, crime scene investigator, crime prevention officer, community policing
officer, hostage negotiations team, bomb squad officer, warrant officer, airport police, housing police,
port authority police, and transit police.
• State Police: Also known as State Troopers or Highway Patrol officers, state police officers engage in
highway patrol and state investigations. State police assist local police with large-scale emergencies
and investigations. State police departments may have more stringent requirements for candidates
than local police departments. Some states require candidates to have a college degree.
• Federal Law Enforcement: The federal government has two broad categories of law enforcement
positions — Uniformed Police Officers and Special Agents.
The U.S. Capitol Police are a good example of a uniformed police agency whose job it is to protect the
personnel and property of the U.S. Capitol. Another example are FBI Police officers who protect the
facilities and personnel of the FBI. The Customs and Border Protection agency is moving away from
using the job title “agent” to “officer,” as in “Border Patrol Officer.”
Special Agents are federal law enforcement criminal investigators who don’t wear a uniform. They’re
typically categorized in the GS-1811 job series. Special Agents have the statutory authority to carry
firearms, conduct searches and seizures, and make arrests. Special Agents work for a number of fed-
eral agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Homeland
Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of
Investigations (FBI), and U.S. Secret Service (USSS).
• Tribal Police: Tribal police are a type of local police. They work on Native American reservations and
serve as liaisons with local and state police. Their job involves keeping the public safe and completing
incident reports. They also prepare special documents that are required by the Tribal Court System.
• Specialized Jurisdiction Police: Specialized jurisdiction police are local police who work in a specific
area. For example, they may work for railroads and in hospitals, parks, airports, and schools.
Completing a Job Application
Before taking a written police officer test, you must pay a fee and submit a completed job
application like the one shown in Figure 1-2. You must complete the application in black ink or
type it, depending on the instructions on the application. The application should be neat and
complete, and the information on it should be accurate. Read all the directions before you fill out
the application. Keep in mind that a mistake or an omission on the job application is grounds for
disqualification.
TYPES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT JOBS
Those who want to work in law enforcement are committed to protecting people and property. They are
good communicators and in good physical condition. That said, there are different types of law enforce-
ment jobs. The educational requirements and training range from having a high school diploma and
training at a police academy to more formal training, such as a college degree. These are some common
types of law enforcement jobs:
• Local Police Officers and Sheriff’s Deputies: Local police and sheriff’s deputies must uphold the
laws of their jurisdiction. They patrol their area and investigate crimes. Local police may work for their
town, county, or region. Most local police departments in the United States are small and employ
only a few full-time police officers. California, New York, and Texas are the states that employ the
largest number of police officers in the country.
Many of the other job titles found within local law enforcement agencies include automobile patrol,
foot patrol, traffic officer, bicycle patrol, motorcycle patrol, horse patrol, marine patrol, aircraft patrol,
juvenile officer, canine officer, crime scene investigator, crime prevention officer, community policing
officer, hostage negotiations team, bomb squad officer, warrant officer, airport police, housing police,
port authority police, and transit police.
• State Police: Also known as State Troopers or Highway Patrol officers, state police officers engage in
highway patrol and state investigations. State police assist local police with large-scale emergencies
and investigations. State police departments may have more stringent requirements for candidates
than local police departments. Some states require candidates to have a college degree.
• Federal Law Enforcement: The federal government has two broad categories of law enforcement
positions — Uniformed Police Officers and Special Agents.
The U.S. Capitol Police are a good example of a uniformed police agency whose job it is to protect the
personnel and property of the U.S. Capitol. Another example are FBI Police officers who protect the
facilities and personnel of the FBI. The Customs and Border Protection agency is moving away from
using the job title “agent” to “officer,” as in “Border Patrol Officer.”
Special Agents are federal law enforcement criminal investigators who don’t wear a uniform. They’re
typically categorized in the GS-1811 job series. Special Agents have the statutory authority to carry
firearms, conduct searches and seizures, and make arrests. Special Agents work for a number of fed-
eral agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Homeland
Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of
Investigations (FBI), and U.S. Secret Service (USSS).
• Tribal Police: Tribal police are a type of local police. They work on Native American reservations and
serve as liaisons with local and state police. Their job involves keeping the public safe and completing
incident reports. They also prepare special documents that are required by the Tribal Court System.
• Specialized Jurisdiction Police: Specialized jurisdiction police are local police who work in a specific
area. For example, they may work for railroads and in hospitals, parks, airports, and schools.
Loading page 22...
10 PART 1 The Road to Landing a Job as a Police Officer
Make a few copies of the application and practice completing it. After you finish the final copy,
photocopy it. You may need the information on the application later in the screening process.
Remember that neatness counts — if a police department can’t read your writing, you’re not
likely to receive a job offer. An application for a police officer job is different from most other job
applications because it asks for very detailed specific information, such as the address of every
home you’ve ever lived in since elementary school. Why do police departments make their job
application so difficult to complete? Think about it — a police officer carries a gun. Should a
police department give a gun to an unstable individual who has had past run-ins with the law?
Absolutely not.
Rounding up required info and paperwork
Gather the following information before you complete an application for a job as a police officer:
» Birth certificate.
» Driver’s license.
» Education information (names of your high school, college, and/or business school; the years
you attended; and the diploma or degree you received).
» Employment information, as shown in Figure 1-3 (list of your former employers, the position
and type of work you did, the dates during which you were employed, and your reasons for
leaving). Follow the directions to see how far back you must go. Some applications ask you to
list each employer you had during the past ten years.
» The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of coworkers at each job to include as
references.
» If you served in the military, your date of entry (month, day, and year) and your date of
discharge (month, day, and year).
» All former convictions, including traffic tickets.
» The address of each residence you have lived at since graduating from elementary school
(about sixth grade); the month and year you moved into each residence, and the month and
year you left.
» The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of five personal references, other than family
members.
» An itemized list of your debts, including the names and addresses of banks or places that have
given you loans, the amount you owe on each loan, your monthly payment, any overdue
payments, and the nature of the debt, such as a mortgage or new car loan.
Some police officer job applications require you to submit copies of the following documents
along with the application:
» Birth certificate
» Valid driver’s license
» Certified copy of your driving record
» Social Security card
» High school diploma or GED certificate
» College transcripts
Make a few copies of the application and practice completing it. After you finish the final copy,
photocopy it. You may need the information on the application later in the screening process.
Remember that neatness counts — if a police department can’t read your writing, you’re not
likely to receive a job offer. An application for a police officer job is different from most other job
applications because it asks for very detailed specific information, such as the address of every
home you’ve ever lived in since elementary school. Why do police departments make their job
application so difficult to complete? Think about it — a police officer carries a gun. Should a
police department give a gun to an unstable individual who has had past run-ins with the law?
Absolutely not.
Rounding up required info and paperwork
Gather the following information before you complete an application for a job as a police officer:
» Birth certificate.
» Driver’s license.
» Education information (names of your high school, college, and/or business school; the years
you attended; and the diploma or degree you received).
» Employment information, as shown in Figure 1-3 (list of your former employers, the position
and type of work you did, the dates during which you were employed, and your reasons for
leaving). Follow the directions to see how far back you must go. Some applications ask you to
list each employer you had during the past ten years.
» The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of coworkers at each job to include as
references.
» If you served in the military, your date of entry (month, day, and year) and your date of
discharge (month, day, and year).
» All former convictions, including traffic tickets.
» The address of each residence you have lived at since graduating from elementary school
(about sixth grade); the month and year you moved into each residence, and the month and
year you left.
» The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of five personal references, other than family
members.
» An itemized list of your debts, including the names and addresses of banks or places that have
given you loans, the amount you owe on each loan, your monthly payment, any overdue
payments, and the nature of the debt, such as a mortgage or new car loan.
Some police officer job applications require you to submit copies of the following documents
along with the application:
» Birth certificate
» Valid driver’s license
» Certified copy of your driving record
» Social Security card
» High school diploma or GED certificate
» College transcripts
Loading page 23...
CHAPTER 1 Signing Up, Getting Screened, and Other Prep Work 11
» Selective Service registration form
» Form DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, for each term of service if
you served in the U.S. Armed Forces
» Marriage license, divorce decree, and/or legal separation papers
If you’re a male applicant born after January 1, 1960, you must show proof of your registration
with the Selective Service (SSS Form 3A). If you don’t have this document, you can get a copy by
calling the Selective Service at (847) 688-6888 or toll-free at (888) 655-1825, or go to www.sss.
gov for more information.
Understanding what will get you disqualified
Not everyone may participate in the police officer screening process. If you’ve done something in
your past that prevents you from obtaining a permit to carry a concealed firearm, you’ll be
knocked out of the competition to win a job as a police officer. You may be disqualified from
becoming a police officer if you
» Are a fugitive from justice
» Have been admitted to a mental health facility
» Have been convicted of a felony
» Were dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces
» Entered the United States illegally
» Are currently on parole or probation
» Have been convicted of a crime involving domestic violence or stalking
» Are currently subject to a restraining order or protection from abuse order
» Have an addiction to drugs or alcohol
» Have been judicially declared incompetent or insane
Be aware of what information and photographs appear on your social media accounts. Inappro-
priate comments and photos can get you disqualified. Even “liking” an inappropriate website
may be grounds for disqualification.
Acting professionally
Suppose that you obtain a Notice of Examination (NOE) that says you need to drop off a completed
application at the police department the week before the written test. You’re in the midst of
painting your apartment that week but stop by the police department to hand in your application.
Your clothes aren’t clean and they’re splattered with paint. You’re perspiring and notice that a
line of candidates is waiting to hand in applications. You see an old high school friend ahead of
you in line. “Hey, Joe!” you shout, slap the man on the back, and shake his hand. The officer
behind the front desk is on the phone and motions for you to keep it down. Are you making a good
first impression? Are you behaving professionally? No! Always act professionally — when you
hand in your application, when you take your written test, and when you arrive for an oral
interview.
» Selective Service registration form
» Form DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, for each term of service if
you served in the U.S. Armed Forces
» Marriage license, divorce decree, and/or legal separation papers
If you’re a male applicant born after January 1, 1960, you must show proof of your registration
with the Selective Service (SSS Form 3A). If you don’t have this document, you can get a copy by
calling the Selective Service at (847) 688-6888 or toll-free at (888) 655-1825, or go to www.sss.
gov for more information.
Understanding what will get you disqualified
Not everyone may participate in the police officer screening process. If you’ve done something in
your past that prevents you from obtaining a permit to carry a concealed firearm, you’ll be
knocked out of the competition to win a job as a police officer. You may be disqualified from
becoming a police officer if you
» Are a fugitive from justice
» Have been admitted to a mental health facility
» Have been convicted of a felony
» Were dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces
» Entered the United States illegally
» Are currently on parole or probation
» Have been convicted of a crime involving domestic violence or stalking
» Are currently subject to a restraining order or protection from abuse order
» Have an addiction to drugs or alcohol
» Have been judicially declared incompetent or insane
Be aware of what information and photographs appear on your social media accounts. Inappro-
priate comments and photos can get you disqualified. Even “liking” an inappropriate website
may be grounds for disqualification.
Acting professionally
Suppose that you obtain a Notice of Examination (NOE) that says you need to drop off a completed
application at the police department the week before the written test. You’re in the midst of
painting your apartment that week but stop by the police department to hand in your application.
Your clothes aren’t clean and they’re splattered with paint. You’re perspiring and notice that a
line of candidates is waiting to hand in applications. You see an old high school friend ahead of
you in line. “Hey, Joe!” you shout, slap the man on the back, and shake his hand. The officer
behind the front desk is on the phone and motions for you to keep it down. Are you making a good
first impression? Are you behaving professionally? No! Always act professionally — when you
hand in your application, when you take your written test, and when you arrive for an oral
interview.
Loading page 24...
12 PART 1 The Road to Landing a Job as a Police Officer
FIGURE 1-2: A sample application for a police officer job.
FIGURE 1-2: A sample application for a police officer job.
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CHAPTER 1 Signing Up, Getting Screened, and Other Prep Work 13
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
The employment outlook for police officers is good — and it’s expected to get better. The U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics estimates that by 2030, the number of law enforcement jobs will increase by 7 percent.
Why the increase? The population is growing, and older employees are expected to retire.
Local police departments will likely do the most hiring, particularly those in urban areas with high crime
rates. Candidates who are bilingual, have military training, or have college degrees have the best chance
of landing a job as a local cop.
Jobs in state and federal law enforcement will be harder to find. But candidates who are bilingual, have
military experience, or hold college degrees have the best shot at these jobs as well. Those with investiga-
tive experience also have a leg up on the competition.
FIGURE 1-3:
You may
see several
Employment
History
boxes like
this one
attached
to a police
officer job
application.
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
The employment outlook for police officers is good — and it’s expected to get better. The U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics estimates that by 2030, the number of law enforcement jobs will increase by 7 percent.
Why the increase? The population is growing, and older employees are expected to retire.
Local police departments will likely do the most hiring, particularly those in urban areas with high crime
rates. Candidates who are bilingual, have military training, or have college degrees have the best chance
of landing a job as a local cop.
Jobs in state and federal law enforcement will be harder to find. But candidates who are bilingual, have
military experience, or hold college degrees have the best shot at these jobs as well. Those with investiga-
tive experience also have a leg up on the competition.
FIGURE 1-3:
You may
see several
Employment
History
boxes like
this one
attached
to a police
officer job
application.
Loading page 26...
14 PART 1 The Road to Landing a Job as a Police Officer
Taking the Written Test
After you find a Notice of Examination (NOE) and complete a job application, you need to register
for the written test. In most states, you have to sign up for the written test online. Then you’ll
receive emails about upcoming tests that you can take. Easy peasy. But then you have to take and
pass this test. Were you a good test-taker in school? Don’t panic if you weren’t. Most of the writ-
ten tests police officers must take are fairly basic. You can easily pass them with some practice
and preparation.
Not all police departments in the United States give the same written test. Some give a test called
the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST). Each state has a Police Officer Standards and
Training Commission that decides exactly what will be on its version of the POST; check your
state’s website to determine its exact requirements. Other states give a civil service test, such as
the New York City (NYC) Police Officer’s Entrance Exam, which is similar to the POST. We address
both of these tests in this book as typical examples.
Before you take a written police officer test, find out as much as you can about the test by contact-
ing the police department and visiting its website. Many police departments offer study guides
that you can download from their website. But if you can’t find what you’re looking for, don’t be
afraid to ask questions.
A few departments also require candidates to pass a video-based examination. During this test,
you watch videos of scenarios instead of reading about them and then answer multiple-choice
questions about the scene you’ve just witnessed. It’s important to note that this is a common
sense/good judgment test. You do not need law enforcement experience to answer the questions.
You can’t study or prepare for this test. If your state or department includes a video-based test,
it’ll be mentioned on its website, so be sure to check in advance.
Some police departments interview candidates about two to three weeks after they pass the writ-
ten exam. This is an initial interview. Don’t confuse it with the oral board interview, which is
much longer.
National Police Officer Selection Test (POST)
The National Police Officer Selection Test, better known as the POST, has four sections, and each
section is timed. The first three sections are Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, and Grammar.
These sections have both multiple-choice and true-or-false questions. Most multiple-choice
questions have five answer options — A, B, C, D, and E. You fill in the oval that corresponds to the
answer choice that you believe is correct. The fourth section is called Incident Report Writing. You
have to write out your answers to the questions in this section.
You should attempt to answer every question on the POST because there’s no penalty for guess-
ing. Your score is based only on the number of questions you answer correctly. When you don’t
know the answer to a question, eliminate answer options that you know are incorrect and make
a good guess.
The following is a brief rundown of what to expect in each section of the POST. To find out more
about the POST, turn to Chapter 2.
» Section 1: Mathematics: The questions in the mathematics section of the POST require you
to use basic arithmetic — addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You also have to
determine averages on this test. You can’t use a calculator on the POST, but the test booklet
has scratch paper you can use to figure out your answers. For more information about the
kind of mathematics questions that are on the POST, turn to Chapter 3.
Taking the Written Test
After you find a Notice of Examination (NOE) and complete a job application, you need to register
for the written test. In most states, you have to sign up for the written test online. Then you’ll
receive emails about upcoming tests that you can take. Easy peasy. But then you have to take and
pass this test. Were you a good test-taker in school? Don’t panic if you weren’t. Most of the writ-
ten tests police officers must take are fairly basic. You can easily pass them with some practice
and preparation.
Not all police departments in the United States give the same written test. Some give a test called
the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST). Each state has a Police Officer Standards and
Training Commission that decides exactly what will be on its version of the POST; check your
state’s website to determine its exact requirements. Other states give a civil service test, such as
the New York City (NYC) Police Officer’s Entrance Exam, which is similar to the POST. We address
both of these tests in this book as typical examples.
Before you take a written police officer test, find out as much as you can about the test by contact-
ing the police department and visiting its website. Many police departments offer study guides
that you can download from their website. But if you can’t find what you’re looking for, don’t be
afraid to ask questions.
A few departments also require candidates to pass a video-based examination. During this test,
you watch videos of scenarios instead of reading about them and then answer multiple-choice
questions about the scene you’ve just witnessed. It’s important to note that this is a common
sense/good judgment test. You do not need law enforcement experience to answer the questions.
You can’t study or prepare for this test. If your state or department includes a video-based test,
it’ll be mentioned on its website, so be sure to check in advance.
Some police departments interview candidates about two to three weeks after they pass the writ-
ten exam. This is an initial interview. Don’t confuse it with the oral board interview, which is
much longer.
National Police Officer Selection Test (POST)
The National Police Officer Selection Test, better known as the POST, has four sections, and each
section is timed. The first three sections are Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, and Grammar.
These sections have both multiple-choice and true-or-false questions. Most multiple-choice
questions have five answer options — A, B, C, D, and E. You fill in the oval that corresponds to the
answer choice that you believe is correct. The fourth section is called Incident Report Writing. You
have to write out your answers to the questions in this section.
You should attempt to answer every question on the POST because there’s no penalty for guess-
ing. Your score is based only on the number of questions you answer correctly. When you don’t
know the answer to a question, eliminate answer options that you know are incorrect and make
a good guess.
The following is a brief rundown of what to expect in each section of the POST. To find out more
about the POST, turn to Chapter 2.
» Section 1: Mathematics: The questions in the mathematics section of the POST require you
to use basic arithmetic — addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You also have to
determine averages on this test. You can’t use a calculator on the POST, but the test booklet
has scratch paper you can use to figure out your answers. For more information about the
kind of mathematics questions that are on the POST, turn to Chapter 3.
Loading page 27...
CHAPTER 1 Signing Up, Getting Screened, and Other Prep Work 15
» Section 2: Reading Comprehension: On this section of the POST, you read passages or several
paragraphs about a subject and answer questions about the information in the passage.
Passages are about police duty, but you don’t need any knowledge of police duty to answer
the questions. Everything you need to know to answer the questions is in the passage. Both
multiple-choice and true-or-false questions are in the reading comprehension section of the
POST. To find out more about answering reading comprehension questions, see Chapter 4.
» Section 3: Grammar: The grammar section of the POST tests your knowledge of grammar,
punctuation, and spelling. This section has two types of questions. To answer the first type of
question, you choose the word that best fits in a blank in a sentence. To answer the second
type of question, you choose the word in a sentence that’s misspelled. We tell you more about
grammar, punctuation, and spelling in Chapter 5.
» Section 4: Incident Report Writing: Incident report writing tests your writing skills. In this
section of the POST, you’re given a completed (filled-out) incident report and asked questions
about it. Though the information you need to answer the questions is right in the incident
report, you’re judged on how you write out your answer. Your answers should be complete
sentences that are grammatically correct. To read more about incident reports, turn to
Chapter 7.
New York City Police Officer’s Entrance Exam
Though many police departments give the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST), others
give a civil service test, such as the New York City (NYC) Police Officer’s Entrance Exam. This
exam contains about 85 questions testing your ability in these areas:
» Inductive and deductive reasoning: Inductive reasoning questions give you a set of details and
ask you to draw a conclusion based on these details. Deductive reasoning questions do just
the opposite — they give you a conclusion and ask you to choose details supporting the
conclusion. You can find out more about inductive and deductive reasoning questions in
Chapter 4.
» Information ordering: These questions test your ability to follow directions. You’re given a
series of steps that you must follow to correctly answer the questions. The questions explain
that an officer has completed some steps and ask you what the officer should do next.
Chapter 6 tells you more about information-ordering questions.
» Memorization: Memorization questions on the NYC test assess your ability to remember
details about what you’ve seen. You’re given ten minutes to study a photograph or an illustra-
tion. Then, when a page is turned and you can no longer see the picture, you must answer
questions about details within it.
» Problem sensitivity: To answer these questions, you have to predict whether something is
likely to go wrong in a given situation. For example, you may be given a guideline as to when
police officers should evacuate persons in a building, and then you may be asked questions
about information in this guideline. For more about problem-sensitivity questions, turn to
Chapter 6.
» Spatial orientation: To answer spatial orientation questions on the NYC test, you read a
description and determine where you are in terms of direction (north, south, east, or west).
Some spatial orientation questions include a map indicating one-way streets and roadway
obstructions. To answer these questions, you have to choose the most efficient route to get
from one place to another while obeying all traffic regulations. For more about memorization
and spatial orientation questions, turn to Chapter 6.
» Section 2: Reading Comprehension: On this section of the POST, you read passages or several
paragraphs about a subject and answer questions about the information in the passage.
Passages are about police duty, but you don’t need any knowledge of police duty to answer
the questions. Everything you need to know to answer the questions is in the passage. Both
multiple-choice and true-or-false questions are in the reading comprehension section of the
POST. To find out more about answering reading comprehension questions, see Chapter 4.
» Section 3: Grammar: The grammar section of the POST tests your knowledge of grammar,
punctuation, and spelling. This section has two types of questions. To answer the first type of
question, you choose the word that best fits in a blank in a sentence. To answer the second
type of question, you choose the word in a sentence that’s misspelled. We tell you more about
grammar, punctuation, and spelling in Chapter 5.
» Section 4: Incident Report Writing: Incident report writing tests your writing skills. In this
section of the POST, you’re given a completed (filled-out) incident report and asked questions
about it. Though the information you need to answer the questions is right in the incident
report, you’re judged on how you write out your answer. Your answers should be complete
sentences that are grammatically correct. To read more about incident reports, turn to
Chapter 7.
New York City Police Officer’s Entrance Exam
Though many police departments give the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST), others
give a civil service test, such as the New York City (NYC) Police Officer’s Entrance Exam. This
exam contains about 85 questions testing your ability in these areas:
» Inductive and deductive reasoning: Inductive reasoning questions give you a set of details and
ask you to draw a conclusion based on these details. Deductive reasoning questions do just
the opposite — they give you a conclusion and ask you to choose details supporting the
conclusion. You can find out more about inductive and deductive reasoning questions in
Chapter 4.
» Information ordering: These questions test your ability to follow directions. You’re given a
series of steps that you must follow to correctly answer the questions. The questions explain
that an officer has completed some steps and ask you what the officer should do next.
Chapter 6 tells you more about information-ordering questions.
» Memorization: Memorization questions on the NYC test assess your ability to remember
details about what you’ve seen. You’re given ten minutes to study a photograph or an illustra-
tion. Then, when a page is turned and you can no longer see the picture, you must answer
questions about details within it.
» Problem sensitivity: To answer these questions, you have to predict whether something is
likely to go wrong in a given situation. For example, you may be given a guideline as to when
police officers should evacuate persons in a building, and then you may be asked questions
about information in this guideline. For more about problem-sensitivity questions, turn to
Chapter 6.
» Spatial orientation: To answer spatial orientation questions on the NYC test, you read a
description and determine where you are in terms of direction (north, south, east, or west).
Some spatial orientation questions include a map indicating one-way streets and roadway
obstructions. To answer these questions, you have to choose the most efficient route to get
from one place to another while obeying all traffic regulations. For more about memorization
and spatial orientation questions, turn to Chapter 6.
Loading page 28...
16 PART 1 The Road to Landing a Job as a Police Officer
» Visualization: Imagine the street on which you live. Now imagine what this street looks like if
you were standing behind the houses or buildings. Visualization questions on the NYC test ask
you to envision what something looks like from a different angle or perspective. We discuss
visualization questions in detail in Chapter 6.
» Written comprehension: Written comprehension questions on the NYC test are similar to
reading comprehension questions on the POST. You read a passage containing information
about police duty and answer questions about the information in the passage. To read more
about these types of questions, review Chapter 4.
» Written expression: These questions assess your knowledge of grammar. You choose the
sentence that presents information clearly, accurately, and completely. For more about
grammar questions, see Chapter 5.
ORGANIZATION OF MUNICIPAL, COUNTY,
AND STATE DEPARTMENTS
When you decide to become a cop, you probably picture yourself working for a municipal, or city, police
department. This is certainly a good option, but law enforcement agencies range from small, country
police departments to large federal agencies. Note that some of these law enforcement agencies have
different hiring requirements than municipal police departments.
• Municipal police officers: Municipal, or local, police departments are generally divided geographically,
with each department providing basic law enforcement for a city, town, or other municipality. In
some cases, one local police force may serve several small communities.
These departments are staffed by uniformed police officers who patrol the area and respond to calls.
These officers perform basic police duties, such as arresting criminal suspects, directing traffic, inves-
tigating crimes, and more. Officers in larger police departments are often assigned to carry out a spe-
cific duty.
Local police agencies typically organize their service areas into geographic districts. Officers are
assigned to specific districts and are expected to familiarize themselves with their patrol area and be
watchful for anything out of the ordinary. Some local police agencies serve unique jurisdictions that
entail special enforcement responsibilities. These special police forces include college campus police,
public school district police, and transportation system security. Local police officers may serve in
specialized fields, such as fingerprint identification, chemical analysis, or police training. Others may
also serve with special police units, such as canine units, motorcycle units, harbor patrol, or special
weapons and tactics (SWAT).
• County sheriffs and deputy sheriffs: Police departments at the county level consist of sheriffs and
deputy sheriffs. Most sheriffs are elected officials with job requirements comparable to those of a
local police chief. Sheriff’s departments are generally small, employing fewer than 50 officers. Deputy
sheriffs share many of the same law enforcement responsibilities of officers in urban police depart-
ments. Some 911 call-response centers are staffed by county police departments.
• State police officers: Officers of state police agencies, often known as state troopers or highway
patrol officers, have statewide jurisdiction for arresting criminals and enforcing traffic laws on state
highways. These officers also have special functions at the scene of traffic accidents. In these situa-
tions, state police officers may direct traffic, provide first aid, summon additional emergency support,
and write accident reports. State police agencies may also provide assistance for local police forces,
particularly in rural areas and small towns, and provide executive protection for the governor and
other dignitaries.
» Visualization: Imagine the street on which you live. Now imagine what this street looks like if
you were standing behind the houses or buildings. Visualization questions on the NYC test ask
you to envision what something looks like from a different angle or perspective. We discuss
visualization questions in detail in Chapter 6.
» Written comprehension: Written comprehension questions on the NYC test are similar to
reading comprehension questions on the POST. You read a passage containing information
about police duty and answer questions about the information in the passage. To read more
about these types of questions, review Chapter 4.
» Written expression: These questions assess your knowledge of grammar. You choose the
sentence that presents information clearly, accurately, and completely. For more about
grammar questions, see Chapter 5.
ORGANIZATION OF MUNICIPAL, COUNTY,
AND STATE DEPARTMENTS
When you decide to become a cop, you probably picture yourself working for a municipal, or city, police
department. This is certainly a good option, but law enforcement agencies range from small, country
police departments to large federal agencies. Note that some of these law enforcement agencies have
different hiring requirements than municipal police departments.
• Municipal police officers: Municipal, or local, police departments are generally divided geographically,
with each department providing basic law enforcement for a city, town, or other municipality. In
some cases, one local police force may serve several small communities.
These departments are staffed by uniformed police officers who patrol the area and respond to calls.
These officers perform basic police duties, such as arresting criminal suspects, directing traffic, inves-
tigating crimes, and more. Officers in larger police departments are often assigned to carry out a spe-
cific duty.
Local police agencies typically organize their service areas into geographic districts. Officers are
assigned to specific districts and are expected to familiarize themselves with their patrol area and be
watchful for anything out of the ordinary. Some local police agencies serve unique jurisdictions that
entail special enforcement responsibilities. These special police forces include college campus police,
public school district police, and transportation system security. Local police officers may serve in
specialized fields, such as fingerprint identification, chemical analysis, or police training. Others may
also serve with special police units, such as canine units, motorcycle units, harbor patrol, or special
weapons and tactics (SWAT).
• County sheriffs and deputy sheriffs: Police departments at the county level consist of sheriffs and
deputy sheriffs. Most sheriffs are elected officials with job requirements comparable to those of a
local police chief. Sheriff’s departments are generally small, employing fewer than 50 officers. Deputy
sheriffs share many of the same law enforcement responsibilities of officers in urban police depart-
ments. Some 911 call-response centers are staffed by county police departments.
• State police officers: Officers of state police agencies, often known as state troopers or highway
patrol officers, have statewide jurisdiction for arresting criminals and enforcing traffic laws on state
highways. These officers also have special functions at the scene of traffic accidents. In these situa-
tions, state police officers may direct traffic, provide first aid, summon additional emergency support,
and write accident reports. State police agencies may also provide assistance for local police forces,
particularly in rural areas and small towns, and provide executive protection for the governor and
other dignitaries.
Loading page 29...
CHAPTER 1 Signing Up, Getting Screened, and Other Prep Work 17
Adding the Law Enforcement Essay Exam
Because police officers complete so many written reports — they must write an incident report
each time they respond to a scene — police departments consider good writing skills essential to
good job performance. And many of the documents police officers write wind up in court as evi-
dence, so good writing skills are a must. Some police departments require candidates to take the
Law Enforcement Essay Exam in addition to the written police officer test. This exam measures
your ability to write clearly and correctly.
The Law Enforcement Essay Exam isn’t long. You respond to a single writing prompt that isn’t
about police work — it’s personal. A prompt may ask you to recall a specific experience in your
life and then reflect upon what you learned from that experience. You have 30 to 45 minutes to
write your response to the prompt. You can read some sample prompts and a sample essay in
Chapter 8.
Completing the Personal History Statement
Most police departments require candidates to complete a Personal History Statement — a long
document in which you respond to questions about your past and your character. Although some
departments ask you to complete this statement after the written test, many allow you to com-
plete it at home and require that you have it notarized by a notary public before you turn it in.
Honesty is the only policy when responding to questions on the Personal History Statement. A
background investigator checks your responses, and if this person discovers that you lied or
omitted something important, the police department will disqualify you from the screening pro-
cess. Later in the screening process, you’ll be asked to take a polygraph test, called a BOC. The
Personal History Statement may serve as a road map for the questions asked on the polygraph
test. Instead of a BOC, a police department may use Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA). This
is like a polygraph test except that it is based on the tone and stress of your voice. Therefore, it’s
better to tell the truth and explain the reasons for your actions on your statement. You can view
a sample Personal History Statement in Chapter 9.
A Personal History Statement asks questions such as the following:
» Have you ever been arrested or convicted of an offense? If your answer is “yes,” explain the
incident in concise detail on a separate sheet of paper, giving the dates and nature of the
offense, the name and location of the court, and the disposition of the case. A conviction may
not disqualify you but a false statement will.
» Have you ever been on probation or parole? If “yes,” explain the details on a separate sheet of
paper.
» Have you been involved as a party in a lawsuit? If “yes,” explain the details on a separate sheet
of paper.
» Have you ever driven a motor vehicle within the past three years without the proper
insurance?
» Have you ever had your driver’s license placed on probation for receiving an excessive number
of traffic violations?
» Have you ever been placed as an assigned risk for vehicle insurance?
» Have you filed for bankruptcy?
Adding the Law Enforcement Essay Exam
Because police officers complete so many written reports — they must write an incident report
each time they respond to a scene — police departments consider good writing skills essential to
good job performance. And many of the documents police officers write wind up in court as evi-
dence, so good writing skills are a must. Some police departments require candidates to take the
Law Enforcement Essay Exam in addition to the written police officer test. This exam measures
your ability to write clearly and correctly.
The Law Enforcement Essay Exam isn’t long. You respond to a single writing prompt that isn’t
about police work — it’s personal. A prompt may ask you to recall a specific experience in your
life and then reflect upon what you learned from that experience. You have 30 to 45 minutes to
write your response to the prompt. You can read some sample prompts and a sample essay in
Chapter 8.
Completing the Personal History Statement
Most police departments require candidates to complete a Personal History Statement — a long
document in which you respond to questions about your past and your character. Although some
departments ask you to complete this statement after the written test, many allow you to com-
plete it at home and require that you have it notarized by a notary public before you turn it in.
Honesty is the only policy when responding to questions on the Personal History Statement. A
background investigator checks your responses, and if this person discovers that you lied or
omitted something important, the police department will disqualify you from the screening pro-
cess. Later in the screening process, you’ll be asked to take a polygraph test, called a BOC. The
Personal History Statement may serve as a road map for the questions asked on the polygraph
test. Instead of a BOC, a police department may use Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA). This
is like a polygraph test except that it is based on the tone and stress of your voice. Therefore, it’s
better to tell the truth and explain the reasons for your actions on your statement. You can view
a sample Personal History Statement in Chapter 9.
A Personal History Statement asks questions such as the following:
» Have you ever been arrested or convicted of an offense? If your answer is “yes,” explain the
incident in concise detail on a separate sheet of paper, giving the dates and nature of the
offense, the name and location of the court, and the disposition of the case. A conviction may
not disqualify you but a false statement will.
» Have you ever been on probation or parole? If “yes,” explain the details on a separate sheet of
paper.
» Have you been involved as a party in a lawsuit? If “yes,” explain the details on a separate sheet
of paper.
» Have you ever driven a motor vehicle within the past three years without the proper
insurance?
» Have you ever had your driver’s license placed on probation for receiving an excessive number
of traffic violations?
» Have you ever been placed as an assigned risk for vehicle insurance?
» Have you filed for bankruptcy?
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18 PART 1 The Road to Landing a Job as a Police Officer
» Are you under obligation to pay child support? If “yes,” are you current with payments?
» Describe in your own words the frequency and extent of your use of alcoholic beverages.
You also have to provide the following information on a Personal History Statement:
» Contact information (name, address, and telephone numbers)
» Driver’s license information (driver’s license number, state, expiration date, height, weight, eye
color, hair color, scars, tattoos, or other distinguishing marks)
» Traffic record (list of all traffic citations you’ve received, except for parking tickets; list of all
accidents you’ve been involved in as a driver; and list of all motor vehicles you own or operate)
» Military service (dates of service, branch of service, and type of discharge)
» Family members (names, addresses, and telephone numbers of immediate family members
and other persons living in your home)
» Education (names of schools/colleges, locations, dates attended, areas of study, and type of
degree)
» References (names, addresses, telephone numbers, years known, and occupations of four
persons who are not relatives)
» Employment history (list of all employers back to 17 years of age; a brief summary of your
duties in each position)
» Residences (list of all addresses, including city, state, and zip code, where you’ve lived during
the last ten years, beginning with your present address; list must include names of landlords
and neighbors)
» Financial obligations (list of name/location of institutions or banks, type of accounts, and
average balance; list of credit cards and names of issuing institutions)
» Professional, fraternal, or civic association memberships (list of organizations, period of time
you belonged, and the office you held)
Passing the Physical Ability Test (PAT)
If you pass the written police officer test, you then take the PAT, the physical ability test. Police
work is often physically demanding. At the police academy, recruits are trained so that they’re in
good enough condition to chase and cuff suspects, quickly climb stairs and fences, scale walls,
and defend themselves from criminals when necessary. The physical fitness training at the acad-
emy is tough. The PAT assesses whether you’re in good enough shape to undergo this training. If
you fail the PAT, you’re eliminated from the screening process. To discover how to prepare for the
PAT, read Chapter 10.
The type of exercises on the PAT depends on the police department. However, many police depart-
ments test candidates’ ability to do the following in a given time period:
» 440-yard mobility/agility run
» 1.5-mile run
» Dummy drag
» Fence obstacles
» Are you under obligation to pay child support? If “yes,” are you current with payments?
» Describe in your own words the frequency and extent of your use of alcoholic beverages.
You also have to provide the following information on a Personal History Statement:
» Contact information (name, address, and telephone numbers)
» Driver’s license information (driver’s license number, state, expiration date, height, weight, eye
color, hair color, scars, tattoos, or other distinguishing marks)
» Traffic record (list of all traffic citations you’ve received, except for parking tickets; list of all
accidents you’ve been involved in as a driver; and list of all motor vehicles you own or operate)
» Military service (dates of service, branch of service, and type of discharge)
» Family members (names, addresses, and telephone numbers of immediate family members
and other persons living in your home)
» Education (names of schools/colleges, locations, dates attended, areas of study, and type of
degree)
» References (names, addresses, telephone numbers, years known, and occupations of four
persons who are not relatives)
» Employment history (list of all employers back to 17 years of age; a brief summary of your
duties in each position)
» Residences (list of all addresses, including city, state, and zip code, where you’ve lived during
the last ten years, beginning with your present address; list must include names of landlords
and neighbors)
» Financial obligations (list of name/location of institutions or banks, type of accounts, and
average balance; list of credit cards and names of issuing institutions)
» Professional, fraternal, or civic association memberships (list of organizations, period of time
you belonged, and the office you held)
Passing the Physical Ability Test (PAT)
If you pass the written police officer test, you then take the PAT, the physical ability test. Police
work is often physically demanding. At the police academy, recruits are trained so that they’re in
good enough condition to chase and cuff suspects, quickly climb stairs and fences, scale walls,
and defend themselves from criminals when necessary. The physical fitness training at the acad-
emy is tough. The PAT assesses whether you’re in good enough shape to undergo this training. If
you fail the PAT, you’re eliminated from the screening process. To discover how to prepare for the
PAT, read Chapter 10.
The type of exercises on the PAT depends on the police department. However, many police depart-
ments test candidates’ ability to do the following in a given time period:
» 440-yard mobility/agility run
» 1.5-mile run
» Dummy drag
» Fence obstacles
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