Traffic Enforcement Agent Exam 2022 Prep Guide

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What Is the Traffic Enforcement Agent Exam?

To become an NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agent, you must take the Traffic Enforcement Agent (TEA) exam. When you apply to become an NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agent or any other position in the civil service field in New York City, then the application process will most likely be through the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). The DCAS exam schedule is posted during the fiscal year and is updated on a monthly basis, in order to keep candidates up-to-date on any relevant changes.

Some of the duties of the job include issuing summonses to illegally parked vehicles, directing traffic at intersections, testifying at administrative hearing offices and court, and preparing required reports, as well as sometimes even being called upon to operate a motor vehicle.

Receiving a high score on the TEA exam increases your chances of becoming an agent. The starting salary for a Traffic Enforcement Agent is $29,217, which increases to $33,600 after two years. Other benefits of the job include paid vacation and sick leave, medical and dental plans, and a 401K.

The Traffic Enforcement Agent exam contains ten sections. The questions are in the multiple-choice format, and you need a score of 70% to pass. Becoming familiar with the test will help increase your score as well as your chances of becoming a Traffic Enforcement Agent.

 

Traffic Enforcement Agent Exam Sections

The exam measures the skills needed to be a successful Traffic Enforcement Agent. The exam is computerized and consists of multiple-choice questions. The following job-related qualities are measured:

  • Written Comprehension – These questions test your ability to understand written sentences and paragraphs.
  • Written Expression – You are tested on your ability to convey a clear written message in English.
  • Memory questions – This section measures your memory for information expressed in words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Problem Sensitivity – These questions test how well you identify a problem and its elements, and whether or not you can detect an error.
  • Information Ordering – The questions test your ability to comply with a rule or a set of rules and arrange things or actions in a certain order. For example, to perform mathematical or logical operations and to arrange numbers, letters, words, pictures, procedures, sentences, etc.
  • Spatial Orientation – You are tested on your understanding of spatial relativity between an object and yourself.
  • Deductive Reasoning – This section tests your ability to apply general rules to specific problems and to come up with logical answers.
  • Inductive Reasoning – This section assesses your ability to combine together separate pieces of information or specific answers to problems, thus forming a general rule or conclusion.
  • Mathematical Reasoning – These questions test your ability to understand and organize a problem, as well as determine the suitable mathematical method or formula that will produce a solution.
  • Number Facility – You are assessed on your ability to solve simple mathematical operations—adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing—as well as finding percentages and taking square roots.

Traffic Enforcement Exam Sample Questions

 

Written Comprehension Sample Question

read the following paragraph and answer the question.

Although not acknowledged by any country as an official currency, Bitcoin is recognized and used as currency in e-trading worldwide, with a cap of 21 million Bitcoin units total. Authorities and financial experts alike have been dumbfounded by the arrival of this new element and are currently struggling to adjust their mindset and devise appropriate plans in dealing with Bitcoin. Bitcoin has been the cause of great concern on the part of banks as well, due to its potential status as a competing currency. All of the problems facing these different players in the economy are compounded by the potential of criminal elements dealing in e-trade, which has already been the cause of new legislation. 

What is one of the aspects of Bitcoin that has been difficult for financial experts to deal with?

A. Bitcoin is not an official currency of any country.
B. Bitcoin is a criminal currency.
C. Bitcoin isn't recognized as a currency in e-trading.
D. They are unable to adjust their mindset in this development.
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is A.

This is what the first line of the text states. We can definitely say that this is a difficult aspect even though this isn’t laid out in the text. Answer D, the closest other option, cannot be correct as the passage states that they are finding it hard to deal with, not that they cannot deal with it at all.

Problem Sensitivity Sample Question

Read the following rule and answer the question.

RULE

A correctional officer whose life is not being threatened may not shoot a violent inmate with a rifle or handgun unless it is a .22 caliber rimfire using rubber, sand, or rock-salt ammunition.

 Which of the following is in violation of the rule?

A. Officer Jerry Thomson shot a violent inmate, who was beating another inmate, with a .22 caliber rimfire rifle, using .22 rock-salt ammunition.
B. Officer John Adams shot a violent inmate who threatened his life with a shotgun, using rock-salt ammunition.
C. Officer James Kelly shot a violent inmate with a .22 caliber rimfire rifle, using .22 sand ammunition.
D. Officer Jim Buckley shot a violent inmate who was not threatening his life with a .22 caliber rimfire handgun, using .22 Short ammunition.
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is (D).

"A correctional officer whose life is not being threatened may not shoot a violent inmate with a rifle or handgun unless […]" – Buckley shot a violent inmate with a handgun while not under life threat."“[…] unless it is a .22 caliber rimfire using rubber, sand, or rock-salt ammunition.” – Buckley's handgun is a .22 caliber rimfire, but he used .22 Short ammunition, which does not comply with the RULE.

In answer (A), just as in (D), Jerry's life was not threatened. However, in answer (D) the officer used the correct ammunition.

In answer (B), Officer Adams's life was threatened. Since the RULE only addresses shootings when the officer's life is not threatened, no violation occurred.

Notice that answer (C) does not mention whether the officer's life was threatened; either way, there was no violation of the RULE:

  • If Officer Kelly's life was threatened, then there could be no violation of the RULE, just as in answer (B).
  • If Officer Kelly's life was not threatened, no violation of the RULE had occurred, since the correct ammunition was used.

 Mathematical Reasoning Sample Question

Answer the following question- you may use a calculator.

 Two round balls are sliding down a smooth slope at constant speeds. Ball A rotates at 12 revolutions per minute and ball B rotates at 57 revolutions per minute. If both balls were thrown (i.e. began rotating) at the same time, how many seconds will pass until ball B has completed exactly 6 more revolutions than ball A?

A. 0.1333 seconds
B. 4.75 seconds
C. 8 seconds
D. 96 seconds
E. 285 seconds
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is C - 8 seconds.



We will insert the information we have organized in the table into the formula: 
Work = rate*time
(i) x = (12/1)*t
(ii) x+6 = (57/1)*t
=> 12t + 6 = 57t
=> 6 = 45t
=> t = 1/7.5 minutes
In order to convert to seconds we will multiply by 60:
t = 60*1/7.5 = 8 seconds.

Solving tip: 1 minute = 60 seconds
Therefore, in order to convert from minutes to seconds we had to multiply by 60.
Note that to convert from seconds to minutes the opposite operation is required- dividing by 60.

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