NYPD Sergeant Exam - Learn How to Prep and Pass

The position of NYPD sergeant combines a wide variety of responsibilities which require you to draw from all your experience, skills, and leadership capabilities. The main role of the NYPD sergeant however is that of a leader - a person who helps maintain the structure and effectiveness of his team, while serving as a source of knowledge and experience. 

The role of the NYPD exam if so is to see if you have what it takes to assume such a large amount of responsibility, and serve in one of the most iconic and central roles of the NYPD. The fields that the NYPD measures are as diverse as the qualities that the sergeant is expected to have, so let's go over them according to task areas, policing knowledge, and abilities. 

One of the fields that the NYPD sgt exam tests is the candidate's understanding and future effectiveness in a variety of task areas, i.e. broad categories of day-to-day policework that you will be tasked with either carrying out, supervising, planning, and leading. These areas are:

• Administrative - Writing and reviewing reports, forms, and logs with the goal of maintaining a high level of accuracy ; Internal communication and notification through formal as well as informal channels ; Roll call: ensuring police personnel covers the necessary policework in the optimal way, and solving issues as they arise ; Safeguarding NYPD property and evidence. 
• Leadership - Evaluation of personnel in regard to suitability for assignments, career development, transfers, rewards and discipline ; Training and counseling personnel ; Monitoring personnel performance and identifying issues ; Community outreach and program implementation: maintaining contact with the relevant community actors, identifying issues and initiating programs.
• Fieldwork - Assessment and coordination: keeping a broad view of conditions in the field and coordinating actions and personnel deployment accordingly ; Conduct searches and investigations ; Arrests including the apprehension of suspects and pursuant procedures. 

This field of the NYPD sgt exam measures your knowledge of a wide array of NYPD guidelines and procedures from law enforcement documents such as the New York State penal code, the administrative code, Local New York City laws, and many more. To pass this section you will need to draw upon all your experience and knowledge, and prepare very thoroughly. This knowledge pertains to six areas of policework:

• Written Narrative Reports
• Response Situations
• Patrol Supervision
• Special Patrol Operations
• Discipline 
• Personnel 

The successful execution of your responsibilities as a NYPD sergeant is dependent upon the following abilities, both technical and personality related, which are also examined in the NYPD Sgt exam:

• Written Communication - used in many aspects of the work of a police sergeant such as internal communication and other administrative fields.
• Delegation - a key aspect of leadership is the sergeant's ability to utilize the abilities of his subordinates and delegate missions to them. 
• Management Control - establishment, implementation, and control of processes. Requires deep organizational understanding, and the experience to know what is needed and what will work.
• Organizational Sensitivity - knowing and understanding the resources available to the sergeant, and taking the necessary steps to ensure these are used effectively by the department. 
• Analysis - the ability to draw from information in order to address issues, such as a identifying a rise in crime in certain areas and incorporating this information into your department's work. 
• Judgement - reflects the combination of logical thinking and experience with factual information, used to make informed decisions. Police work is rarely black and white, so sound judgement is crucial.  
• Decisiveness - as a leader, the NYPD sergeant will be looked upon to have sound judgement and make quick decisions in serious situations - meaning decisiveness is paramount. 
• Work Standards - one of the sergeant's main jobs is to ensure the level of work in his area of responsibility. This involves maintaining a good understanding of the standard of work of your subordinates and others, and through this making informed decisions.
• Behavioral Flexibility - policework happens in an ever-changing and dynamic world, which requires adjusting your approach based on the particular case - such as approaching a mentally challenged person. 
• Technical Translation - moving fluidly from technical terms as they would be found in manuals or guidelines to daily speech. 

Brush up on some of the question types that appear on NYPD exams with our free Police sample test. 

To be promoted to the rank of NYPD sergeant you must match the following requirements:

• At least five years of service with the NYPD. Officers with more seniority will gain points in the final calculation. 
• At least 64 college semester credits or the equivalent thereof
• Pass a drug test
• Have a valid New York State driver's license 
• Agree to submit and have relevant documents reviewed

JobTestPrep has been helping police candidates with their careers for years, and offers a variety of useful preparation resources:

• Police Psych Test Prep
• Free Police Practice Test
• Main Police PrepPack Page
• NYPD Lieutenant Exam