Ace the New York Court Officer Exam [2025]
Are you hoping to become a New York State court officer? The first step is getting a high score on the New York Court Officer Trainee exam!
The test is computer-based and consists of multiple-choice questions. You will be given 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the entire exam. It consists of five sections:
- Remembering Facts and Information
- Reading, Understanding, and Interpreting Written Material
- Applying Facts and Information to Given Situations
- Clerical Checking
- Court Record-Keeping
Visit our Free Civil Service Exam Practice Test
-Scroll down for an in-depth overview of the sections and sample questions-
What Is the New York Court Officer Exam?
The New York Court Officer Exam for trainees is divided into five sections:
- Remembering Facts and Information – This section measures how well you can determine and recall specific information from the provided passages.
- Reading, Understanding, and Interpreting Written Material – This section includes two sub-sections in different formats. Each assesses your aptitude for comprehending and analyzing written information.
- Applying Facts and Information to Given Situations – This section evaluates how well you can determine the best way to apply given NYS Court Officer regulations, policies, or procedures to realistic scenarios you may face on the job.
- Clerical Checking – This section evaluates how well you can differentiate between various letters, numbers, names, and codes which are similar.
- Court Record-Keeping – This section assesses how well you can read, analyze, synthesize, and implement written information.
The New York Court Officer Exam is conducted once every 4 years, and you will need to receive a score in the top 10 percentile to move on to the next step of the recruitment process.
You will have 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the test.
Looking for more NYS Civil Service Exams? Check out our tests below:
New York Court Officer Exam Free Practice Questions
Remembering Facts and Information
You will be presented with a written passage describing a story, and you will have 5 minutes to read and process it.
Afterward, the passage will be removed, and you will need to wait 10 minutes until you are shown questions relevant to the information described in the story.
Question 1
On March 14, 2023, at 0900, responding officers met Jamie Torres from the National Transportation Safety Board regarding his investigation into our recent car/train collision on March 10, 2023. Mr. Torres requested to re-interview the train crew and asked for an officer to accompany him for potential new information.
Officers and Mr. Torres interviewed Mr. John Smith, the train conductor, at his residence at 0930. Mr. Smith, employed by Union Pacific since 1985, reiterated his previous statement given on the night of the accident. He detailed their route from Dallas to Houston, highlighting their stop in Corsicana and subsequent return trip, during which the accident occurred at the Pine Street crossing. Mr. Smith noted they were traveling at approximately 45 mph at the time of the collision, and the train took about 250 feet to stop after impact.
At 1130, officers re-interviewed Mr. Eric Jones, the engineer who has been with Union Pacific since 1990. Mr. Jones confirmed his initial statement, mentioning he sounded the horn at the crossing 1000 feet before Pine Street. He also used the brakes to slow down due to a fallen tree on the tracks, then resumed speed before the collision, reaching around 48 mph. Mr. Jones conducted a post-accident brake test, confirming they were functional. He also stated he had been on duty for 6 hours and 45 minutes at the time of the accident.
Mr. Torres indicated he would next interview Ms. Laura Brown, another crew member who had been relocated to Austin. If new information emerged, he would notify the officers. Both Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones mentioned they saw no other vehicles at the Pine Street crossing immediately before or after the accident.
Remember that on the real New York Court Officer Exam, you will need to wait 10 minutes before the questions are revealed!
How far did the train travel after the collision before stopping?
The New York Court Officer Exam PrepPack includes 5 Remembering Facts and Information tests that simulate the real time restrictions as the real test.
Reading, Understanding, and Interpreting Written Material
This section of the test includes two sub-sections in different formats:
Format A – you will be shown passages followed by questions regarding the information they provide. You will not need to have any prior knowledge about the topics covered in these passages when answering test questions.
Question 2
New York has long been the economic powerhouse of the United States, but Los Angeles is catching up, driven by its burgeoning tech industry and the successful bid to host the 2028 Olympics. Last year, Los Angeles attracted $10 billion in foreign direct investment, tripling the amount from the previous year and surpassing New York. According to CBRE, a global real estate firm, prime office rents in Los Angeles have now outpaced those in other major U.S. cities, making it one of the most expensive office markets in the country.
According to the passage, which city did Los Angeles surpass in terms of foreign direct investment?
Format B – you will be presented with a cloze, and will need to complete sentences by filling in the omitted words within these given paragraphs. Choosing the words that best complete the provided passages should be done based on their meaning, spelling, grammar, and English usage.
Fill in the blank spaces with a word that is logical in the context. A correct answer will logically fit in the passage and have the same number of letters as dashes.
The city council is working on (1) _ new plan to address the increasing (2) _ _ _ _ of homelessness in urban areas. Despite their (3) _ _ _ _ efforts, the problem (4) _ _ still growing. Take Lisa, (5) _ _ an example. (6) _ _ had a stable job until (7) _ _ _ months ago when her company went bankrupt. She (8) _ _ _ _ _ to find new employment, but the (9) _ _ _ _ _ _ market is tough. Without a steady income, she lost her (10) _ _ _ _ and had to move to a shelter.
The city council is working on (1) _ new plan to address the increasing (2) _ _ _ _ of homelessness in urban areas. Despite their (3) _ _ _ _ efforts, the problem (4) _ _ still growing. Take Lisa, (5) _ _ an example. (6) _ _ had a stable job until (7) _ _ _ months ago when her company went bankrupt. She (8) _ _ _ _ _ to find new employment, but the (9) _ _ _ _ _ _ market is tough. Without a steady income, she lost her (10) _ _ _ _ and had to move to a shelter.
The city council is working on (1) a new plan to address the increasing (2) rate of homelessness in urban areas. Despite their (3) best efforts, the problem (4) is still growing. Take Lisa, (5) as an example. (6) She had a stable job until (7) six months ago when her company went bankrupt. She (8) tried to find new employment, but the (9) job market is tough. Without a steady income, she lost her (10) home and had to move to a shelter.
The New York Court Officer Exam PrepPack includes 20 Reading, Understanding and Interpreting Written Material simulations of both test formats to sharpen your reading comprehension skills.
Applying Facts and Information to Given Situations
You will be presented with Rules followed by multiple-choice questions. These rules are sometimes accompanied by Situations relating to them.
You will need to choose the best answer from the options given.
RULE
School Safety – Hall Monitor – Responsibilities
As a hall monitor, your primary responsibility is to ensure the safety and security of students and staff in the school corridors and common areas.
You are tasked with monitoring student behavior, intervening in conflicts or disruptions, and reporting any suspicious activity to the school administration or resource officer promptly.
SITUATION
While patrolling the school corridors during lunch break, you notice a group of students gathered around a locker. As you approach, you overhear one student demanding money from another, who looks visibly uncomfortable.
What should the hall monitor do next according to the school’s rules?
The New York Court Officer Exam PrepPack includes includes 8 Applying Facts and Information to Given Situations practice tests, teaching you how to assess and apply information.
Clerical Checking
You will be presented with three sets of information that you will need to compare to determine whether they differ from each other.
Question 3
The correct answer is B. Sets 1 and 3 are the same.
The New York Court Officer Exam PrepPack includes 8 Checking and Comparing Tests practice tests, showing you how to notice all the fine details.
Court Record-Keeping
You will be presented with several tables containing numbers, names, codes, and letters. You will need to integrate and rearrange the data to answer the reorganize questions.
Question 4
The New York Court Officer Exam PrepPack includes 3 Court Record-Keeping practice tests with detailed explanations and solving tips.
New York Court Officer Exam Tips
- Read and follow the test’s directions, questions, and answer options thoroughly to truly understand what the correct conclusion could be.
- Answer questions at a steady pace while budgeting your time wisely.
- Try to answer every question, even if it means taking a guess now and then, since you won’t be penalized for wrong answers.
- Search for the following common keywords in each question to help you find the right answer choice: First, last, never, always, any, not, except, false, true, many, most, least, less, more, good, best, advantage, disadvantage.
- If you aren’t sure what the right answer is, use the process of elimination to rule out the obviously wrong answers.
Avoid Making These Mistakes When Answering Test Questions
- Don’t choose an answer choice just because it ‘sounds right’. Even if the answer includes technical terminology that sounds accurate, check your answer to make sure that it ‘is right’.
- Don’t make unwarranted assumptions. Make sure to base your answer solely on the information given in the question alone.
New York Court Officer Requirements
To apply for the position of New York Court Officer trainee, you need to meet the following requirements:
- At least 20.5 years of age
- Possess a high school diploma or equivalent
- Must be a United States Citizen
- Reside in New York State
- Hold a valid New York State Driver’s License
- Legally eligible to purchase and carry firearms
New York Court Officer Trainee Recruitment Process
- Written exam
- Physical ability test, vision test, and fingertips
- Written psychological tests, background investigation, and evaluation board
- Pre-appointment medical exam
- Appointment to academy
How to Prepare for the New York Court Officer Exam?
Now that you understand the types of questions on the New York Court Officer Exam and how to approach them, what's left to do is keep practicing!
To help you get a high score, we've created the New York Court Officer Exam PrepPack™. It includes over 40 practice tests that simulate all of the test's sections – Remembering Facts and Information, Reading Comprehension, Applying Information, Record Keeping, and Clerical Checking. For $89, you'll get our comprehensive package designed to improve your performance and teach you how to handle difficult questions under time pressure.
Each of our test simulations includes detailed results and explanations, such as:
FAQs
The NYS Court Officer Exam is considered quite challenging, especially if you get a higher score than other applicants. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions across various sections that test different skills such as recalling information, reading comprehension, applying regulations to scenarios, clerical checking, and court record-keeping. Candidates are required to achieve a score within the top 10 percentile to proceed further in the recruitment process. Preparation and a thorough understanding of the exam structure and content are crucial for success.
The New York State Court Officer exam is conducted once every 4 years.
The list of candidates who passed the New York Court Officer exam is reviewed according to court requirements. Candidates are considered in order of their scores or rank within their chosen work location or region. Those with the highest scores or lowest ranks are contacted first. Candidates who are reachable on the list receive a conditional appointment and are invited to the initial screening phase. To be appointed to the Court Officers Academy, candidates must meet minimum qualifications and pass physical, medical, background, and psychological screenings. The entire screening process, from accepting a conditional appointment to completion, typically takes about 6 to 9 months.
Court officer-trainees must attend a 4-month paid basic training at the Court Officers Academy as part of their Initial Peace Officer Basic Training. The Court Officers Academy operates in two locations in New York: one in Brooklyn (NYC area) and another in Castleton-On-Hudson (upstate area), New York.
After passing all the recruitment process, which takes about 6 to 9 months, and successfully finishing the 4-month basic law enforcement training, recruits are certified by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Office of Public Safety, as Peace Officers in the State of New York. Upon graduation, recruits are assigned to their designated court locations to begin their duties. The whole process takes approximately one year.
The requirements are being at least 20.5 years old, possessing a high school diploma or equivalent, being a United States Citizen, residing in New York State, holding a valid New York State Driver’s License, and being legally eligible to purchase and carry firearms.
