Law Enforcement Test Preparation

Law enforcement aptitude tests typically cover these 12 job-related skills:

• Verbal Comprehension – Assessing the ability to understand language, the focus of this skill is on words, phrases and sentences. Job-related scenarios are presented, each followed by questions involving the information contained within the passage. Police officers use this ability to decipher law enforcement elements such as incident reports; descriptions of people, places and situations; and work orders.
• Verbal Expression – This skill is comprised of the use of language to communicate information. Some of the facets of verbal expression include grammar, vocabulary and the ordering of words. Two of the question types presented involve: 1) Selecting a word or phrase that completes a sentence; and 2) Identifying misspelled words in a statement. This section can also be called the law enforcement vocabulary test.
• Spatial Orientation – As a police officer it is essential to maintain an accurate perception of your whereabouts in relation to your surroundings. Maps and layouts are utilized to assess your directional abilities. Identifying the best route from your position to a specific destination is a common spatial orientation task.
• Problem Sensitivity – The focus is on the recognition of problems presented in a scenario, as well as the ability to solve those difficulties. These types of questions are generally referred to as situational judgment questions.
• Mathematical Reasoning – Ratios, proportions, averages, percentages, charts and tables are some of the elements that you are likely to find on the mathematical portion of a police test.
• Number facility – You will encounter word problems and basic arithmetic questions, along with the tasks of computing area, perimeter and circumference.
• Deductive Reasoning – The exam presents items requiring the application of a general rule in order to determine logical conclusions. Various other test items will necessitate the use of a rule to classify specific elements.
• Inductive reasoning – The task is to discover the rule that fits the specifics. Expect to encounter charts and tables in the assessment of this particular ability.
• Visualization – This skill involves the identification of various geometric shapes when placed in different positions, and the identification of the parts that fit into a whole item. Police officers utilize this ability when identifying faces or objects that have been altered.
• Information Ordering – Short passages are presented. The task is to sequence information per logic or rules.
• Flexibility of Closure – Finding obscure objects on a page, is the equivalent of picking out a specific face in a crowd.
• Selective Attention – When answering questions referencing this skill, you will be exhibiting your ability to concentrate on a task amid chaos. This aptitude is essential when performing a security check within an environment that is saturated with commotion. Test items will require the identification of the pattern that is identical to the main pattern.