Police Exam Free Practice Test and Prep
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What Is a Police Exam?

In order to begin your career as a police officer – whether it be with the New York Police, New Jersey Police, or any other police department, you must receive a high score on your law enforcement entrance exams.

The purpose of these initial tests is to evaluate your style of thinking, situational awareness, judgment, and cognitive ability.

Although there isn’t one specific police officer exam used across the board for all departments, the free sample questions on this page will give you an idea of the types of questions you'll face.

Police Officer Selection Test Passing Score

A typical passing score for the police written exam is 70%. Some police exams are pass/fail, but this will vary according to each police department. As a rule of thumb, the higher your score, the better your chances are to get selected. So make sure you get high quality, extensive practice!

If you want to learn more about the personality test and understand exactly what the test includes visit our dedicated police personality exam page.  

Police Practice Test

Although there isn’t one specific police officer exam used across the board for all departments, this free test sample will give you an idea of the types of questions you'll face.

Police Sample Question 1:
The map below is a scheme of subway lines in the city.

Each line is marked by a different color and is associated with a different letter. Stations are numbered by their location on the line(s). The numbering of the stations progresses from the beginning of the line to its end. Lines always begin at the northernmost station, except for lines G and M which begin at the westernmost station. Codes associated with some of the stations have been written below them.

A station can have more than one code associated with it, as some stations have more than one line passing through them.

Police Exam Sample Questioin

Question: Ms. Sol Aroches needs to commute from station M3 to station O3. Which of the following routes would be the least efficient (passes through the most stations)?

 

1. M3 → M2 → B8 → C3 → O3
2. M3 → C4 → O4 → O3.
3. M3 → B10 → B5 → O3
4. M3 → M5 → O3  
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is 1.

Note that you are asked to find the least efficient route- this means you must look for the answer with the most stations passed through.

Police Sample Question 2:

Free Practice Police Exam

Question: Mr. Absalom Holmes needs to commute from station B9 to station M9 but cannot take his usual route since section M6 → M7 is blocked due to a malfunction. Which of the following routes would be the most efficient (passes through the least stations)?

1. B9 → B5 → P4 → H4 → M9
2. B9 → B6 → O4 → M9
3. M3 → B10 → B5 → O3
4. B9 → B8 → C3 → C4 → M9
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is 1.

This time, we are asked for the most efficient route- so we look for the route that passes through the least number of stations while getting Mr Absalom from B9 to M9.

Answer #1 takes 11 stations to reach the destination.

Answer #2 is disqualified because it passes through M6/M7, which we know is blocked. Note that while route #3 also passes through the same number of stations, it does not start and end at stations B9 and M9, respectively.

Answer #3 is disqualified since it does not get Mr Absalom to/from where he needs to go.

And answer #4 is also disqualified since going from C4 to M9 means passing M6 and M7 which are blocked. going around this blockage in any way would add 9 stations to this route, making it much longer than answer #1.

Since answer#1 is the shortest legitimate route offered, it is the correct answer.

Police Sample Question 3:

OFFICER NOTES: At about 11 am on September 6, 2014, I met with Mr. David Lewis at 11 Allenby Street, the Westside Mall, regarding a vehicle theft.

QUESTION: Which one of the following choices most clearly and accurately expresses the facts presented in the note above?

Responding to a call at 11 am at 11 Allenby Street, the Westside Mall, and pulling up to the parking lot, I saw the victim standing there. He identified himself as Mr. David Lewis.
I responded to a call at 11 am at 11 Allenby Street, the Westside Mall. When I pulled up to the mall, I saw a man standing there. He identified himself as Mr. David Lewis and said that he was reporting a vehicle theft.
When I responded to a call from 11 Allenby, the Westside mall I saw pulling into the parking lot a man who identified himself as Mr. David Lewis.
Responding to a call from 11 Allenby Street, I saw a man in the parking lot. He identified himself as the victim of the vehicle theft, Mr. David Lewis.
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is 2.

Answer #1 is structured in a way that makes it hard to read. compared to answer #2 which is structured like a chain of events/story, This one places details all over the place. Answers #3 & #4  suffer from the same issue- the only answer written in a clear and accurate manner is #2.

Police Sample Question 4: Math

The police math test section tests your basic math skills. It includes: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

There will most likely math word problems that are found in everyday situations. Some tests may include fraction, decimals and percentages, and others may not include a math section at all.

Here is quick example:

A train travels 90 miles in 15 minutes, how many miles does it travel in 2 hours?

542
720
789
800
942
None of these
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

15 minutes are a 1/4 of an hour. To reach 2 hours from a 1/4 of an hour we need to multiply by 8. Because the time is multiplied by 8 we also multiply the distance traveled by 8:

90*8=720 miles

Practice your math skills now!

Police Sample Question 5: Vocabulary
One of the types of questions that you may find is fill-in. You will be given a sentence and have to find the word that best fits the completion of the sentence.

Find the answer that completes this sentence correctly.

____ claim that new lines of inquiry are being ____ . 

A. Investigations, purused
B. Investigators, pursued
C. investigations, pursue
D. investigators, purseud
E. None of these
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is B.

Investigators claim that new lines of inquiry are being pursued.

Incorrect Answers

The first word must be capitalized, so you can eliminate C and D. Although A and B would have two different sentence meanings, A can be eliminated because "pursued'' is spelled incorrectly.

Police Sample Question 6:
An officer would MOST likely require the backup assistance of other officers in which of the following situations?

1. A woman files a complaint against her neighbor for sexual assault.
2. An elderly man carrying a cane is having an argument with a younger man in the middle of the day next to a shopping mall.
3. There's been a call forwarded from dispatch about two women robbing a grocery store.
4. A couple of teenagers report to the police station about a break-in at their mother's house the previous night.
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is 3.

Assistance from other officers would most likely be needed when an officer cannot handle a situation themselves.

Answers 1, 2, and 4 can all be handled by a single policeman:

Answer 1 would begin with questioning the woman.

Answer 2 should require de-escalation at worst, since it is only an argument at the moment.

Answer 4, like 1, begins with questioning.

Answer 3, however, is a crime currently taking place- robbery, which is potentially violent and whose perpetrators might be armed. This calls for backup since more officers would have a better chance of dealing with such a possibly dangerous situation.

Police Sample Question 7: Paragraph Organization
For this question type, you need to choose the most coherent and effective order for the sentences presented.

1. This building will utilize less energy and resources while still being a state of the art facility.
2. All future buildings are going to require this type of certification, and the aquarium is honored to be the first certified.
3. The department of parks and recreation opened its first aquarium in San Beach this week which will be LEED certified.
4. As a LEED-certified building, this aquarium will serve as a model for future buildings.

Select the answer choice that represents the most appropriate and effective ordering of the sentences above.

3241
3412
3421
3214
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is 3412.

3412 Represents the best-organized paragraph. The first thing that should be done is to read all the sentences and see if you can easily identify the introduction, supporting or closing sentences.

Sentences 1 and 4 provide specific information, indicating that they are support sentences; while sentences 2 and 3 are very general and could be either introductions or closing sentences. So then you can eliminate an option that starts with 1 or 4 (none) or any option that ends with 1 or 4 (option 1, 3 and 4).

In this specific paragraph you should also notice all the choices start with sentence 3, so we automatically know what the introduction sentence is. Looking at all the options we also know that the second sentence is either 2 or 4. Sentence 4 provides new information, while sentence 2 is a conclusion, providing closure. Remember- a great paragraph introduces the idea (introduction sentences) then has 2-3 supporting the idea (supporting sentences) and then summarizes the information given (closing sentence).

Arranged correctly it should read:
The department of parks and recreation opened its first aquarium in San Beach this week which will be LEED certified. As a LEED-certified building, this aquarium will serve as a model to future buildings. This building will utilize less energy and resources while still being a state of the art facility. All future buildings are going to require this type of certification, and the aquarium is honored to be the first certified.

 

How to pass the Police Officer Exam?

 

Our preparation packs are customized to mimic the actual exam and to better help you prepare for it. They include score reports, study guides, and answer explanations to help you better understand your results.

To excel on your police written exam, start practicing our free police sample questions on this page and then get our accurate preparation pack.

Police Exam Prep

 

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Police Entry-Level Exam

Becoming a police officer isn’t easy – you must go through a highly competitive hiring process to get the job you want.

The entry-level police exam is the most important part of the police officer recruitment process. That is why you must prepare for it.

The police written exam is used to assess basic cognitive abilities, such as reading comprehension, math, grammar, and spelling. It also evaluates specific skills relevant to the police profession, such as memory and spatial orientation.

Another major part of the recruitment process is the police psychological exam, which assesses your personality traits and behavioral tendencies to determine whether you are a good fit for the career. In this preparation, a personality test + study guides


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Police Test FAQ 

 

What skills do you need to be a police officer?

The following are some of the most critical characteristics that a police officer must have: 

  • Physical fitness is important. 
  • The ability to think critically 
  • Skills in problem-solving 
  • Ability to communicate efficiently 
  • Interpersonal skills 
  • Moral character 
How many shifts do police officers work?

There are three different shift times for 8 and 10-hour shifts. The first is referred to as the first shift or day shift. The second shift, swing shift, or mid-shift are all terms used to describe the second shift. Finally, there is the third shift, also known as night shift or graveyard shift hours. 
Do police officers get good benefits?

Police Officers have excellent benefit packages. Medical, dental, and life care, as well as retirement plans, are common examples. Vacation, maternity leave, parental leave, and long-term disability pay are also available to employees. 
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