FBAT Test: Practice & Guides to Help You Pass

The FBAT Test

The FBAT measures the cognitive abilities necessary for employment success as officers in the criminal justice system.

Since 2019, the FBAT is no longer in use. All Law Enforcement & Correction applicants are required to pass the FDLE Basic Abilities Test Exam, which is the Criminal Justice Basic Abilities Test (CJBAT), an offshoot of FBAT.

In keeping with most pre-employment tests, passing the Florida State Police Officer exam is a requirement for continuing on in the application process. The FBAT reflects the minimum abilities necessary for participation in Florida Commission-certified Training Centers, as well as for employment as a law enforcement officer in the state of Florida.

Miami Dade FBAT was developed by Miami Dade College to standardize the quality of Florida police officers. If you are looking to become a police officer in the city of Miami, the Miami police exam that you will take is the FBAT, as it is uniformly used throughout the state of Florida.

FBAT Scoring

Passing the FBAT requires a score of 77%. Your score is valid for four years.


FBAT Practice

JobTestPrep's FBAT test online PrepPack™ provides a variety of practice tests containing most, but not all of the types of questions you are likely to encounter on the FBAT. It also includes comprehensive and constructive FBAT study guides. The customized preparation elements necessary for testing comfort and potential success are available to you at an affordable cost through JobTestPrep.


Florida Police Officer Exam Format

Questions on the FBAT are exclusively multiple choice. The exam can be taken in either paper & pencil or a computer-based format. You have 2.5 hours to complete the 120 questions on this police test.


Florida Basic Abilities Test Content

Three primary sections comprise the FBAT: language, visualization, and reasoning ability.

Language

The two competencies measured within the language section of the test:

  • Written comprehension – This FBAT subsection assesses your ability to understand what you have read. You can expect to use reading comprehension as a police officer in deciphering legal bulletins, policies, Florida statutes, city ordinances, and law enforcement procedures.
  • Written expression – You are presented with incomplete sentences for which you must choose the correct word from four options. Questions on this subsection focus on spelling and grammar. Police officers put this ability to use in reports, narratives, memos, and affidavits.

Visualization

Mental imaging ability is tested through two very different skills:

  • Spatial orientation – The questions concern your ability to use a map, layout, and compass in order to determine the shortest/quickest route from the current position of your patrol car to the scene of a crime or accident or where one object is in relation to a second object.
  • Memorization – You are given a few minutes to study and memorize a photo or a text. Later you are asked to answer several questions regarding the subject matter that you viewed.

Reasoning Ability

There are four skills addressed in the reasoning section:

  • Problem sensitivity – This subsection assesses your ability to judge whether or not a situation is likely to erupt or deteriorate. You may have to decide whether medical symptoms rise to the level of an emergency requiring immediate action or to judge the accuracy of the received data.
  • Deductive reasoning – This skill is defined as the use of a rule to classify particulars, such as a law that determines the criminality of an action. Police officers use this type of reasoning to utilize a rule or law as a means of deciding upon the most appropriate action to take.
  • Inductive reasoning – The use of specifics to formulate a rule or conclusion defines the inductive reasoning subsection. Questions concerning this skill involve the use of pie graphs, bar graphs, and tables of data.
  • Information ordering – In this subsection, you will encounter questions that require the chronological or logical sequencing of items, such as events, policies, statements by witnesses or victims, and first aid instructions.

Each of the eight subsections is comprised of 15 questions.


FBAT Test Locations

There are several FBAT test centers which may conduct the test on a walk-in basis. Locations for the Florida basic abilities test (FBAT) vary, depending on the area you apply in. You may be taking the test in the FBAT Miami area, which is held at the Miami Dade College in three different campus locations. Additional testing areas include the FBAT Tampa, Panama City, and Ocala areas, as well as several others.  

 

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