Free Practice of Police Exam - 2020 Update

What Is a Police exam?

In order to begin your police service career – whether it be with the New York Police, New Jersey Police, or any other police department, you must receive a high score on your entrance exams. The purpose of these initial tests is to evaluate your style of thinking, situational awareness, judgement, and logical ability.

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

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The state police written exam is chosen by a committee referred to as the POST. Each state POST either designs its own exam or selects an exam provided by an assessment company. Each department may also choose its own exam. Some popular police exams that the POST and departments may choose as a written exam can be found in the assessment company table. 

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Free Police Exam Practice Questions

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 are bound to face.
The free police exam on this page allows you to get a taste of what you can expect on the written test. Click on the links below for additional examples of questions you will encounter on test day.

Sample Questions 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.

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)?

 

M3 → M2 → B8 → C3 → O3.
M3 → C4 → O4 → O3.
M3 → M5 → O3.
M3 → B10 → B5 → O3.

 

 
Sample Questions 2:

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.

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)?

B9 → B5 → P4 → H4 → M9.
B9 → B6 → O4 → M9.
B9 → B8 → C3 → C4 → M9.
M3 → B10 → B5 → O3.

 

 

Sample Questions 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.

 

 
Sample Questions 4:

FIRST RESPONDER NOTES: Responded to a car accident on Sepulveda Blvd at 7:41 AM. , where one car ran into the power line and the pole looked like it would fall, car 2 was on the side of the road. Two women were stuck in the car 1 under the power line and one of the women was not responsive.

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

"I responded to call on Sepulveda Blvd at 7:41 AM, when I arrived, Car 2 was on the side of the road. Car 1 had hit the power line and two women were stuck in the Car 1, one of the women was not responsive."
"At 7:41 AM on Sepulveda Blvd there was a car accident. Car 1 was on the side of the road. Car 2 had hit the power line and two women were stuck in the Car 2, one of the women was not responsive."
"When I responded to the car accident on Sepulveda Blvd at 7:41 AM, Car 1 had the right of way and was going straight; Car 2 ran a red light while turning left. Car 1 tried to avoid Car 2 turned and hit the power line."
"Two cars were driving down Sepulveda Blvd, one car was trying to avoid another car, hit the power line on the side of the road, and two women were now stuck in it."

 

Sample Questions 5:

Officer Brandon is reading a report about crime occurrences in his patrol area.

All kidnappings happen between Rose St. and 7th St., all robberies happen between First St. and Almo St., and all drug deals occur on Hale St.

Most kidnappings happen on Fridays, most robberies happen on Thursdays, and most drug deals happen on Mondays.

Most kidnappings happen between 3 PM and 10PM, most robberies happen between 8 PM and 3 AM, and most drug deals happen between 10 PM and 4 AM.

Officer Brandon will most likely be able to decrease the number of robberies if he were to patrol:

Between First St. and Rose St. on Tuesdays from 10 PM and 5 AM.
On Hale St. on Fridays from 7 PM and 3 AM.
Between First St. and Almo St. on Thursdays from 9 PM and 4AM.
Between Rose St. and 7th St. on Mondays from 3 AM and 4 PM.

 

 

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

A woman files a complaint against her neighbor for sexual assault.
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.
There's been a call forwarded from dispatch about two women robbing a grocery store.
A couple of teenagers report to the police station about a break-in at their mother's house the previous night.

 

 Police Entry-Level Exam

Becoming a police officer isn’t easy – you must go through a highly competitive hiring process to get ahead of the competition. Taking an entry-level exam is one of the first steps of the police hiring process. This exam often consists of two parts: a written exam and a physical exam.  The police written exam is used to assess basic cognitive abilities, such as reading comprehension, math, grammar, and spelling. It also evaluates specific skills which are more relevant to the police profession, such as memory and spatial orientation.
Learn more about the written exam here >>

If you wish to move on to the next stages in launching your law enforcement career, you will need to receive a high score. This stages after the initial written and fitness tests include a personality test, a graphology test, and several interviews.

Note: If you aren’t sure of the exact tests you will be taking as part of your entrance exam, we offer an in-depth, all-inclusive Police Officer PrepPack™ including full tests, additional drills, study guides and video tutorials covering each subject found in many tests of this kind.

How to Prepare for US Police Civil Service Exams?

We can prepare you for the popular police exams in the United States and Canada that are provided by assessment companies, as well as local exams, with our practice packs. Our packs are customized to mimic the actual exam and to better help you prepare for it. Our preparation packs include score reports, study guides, and answer explanations to help you better understand your results. Learn how to prepare for Canada police exams.

 How to Become a Police Officer?

The police entry-level exam is just one part of the police officer recruitment process. Before submitting your application and taking the exam, you must first meet certain job requirements. If you meet all of these requirements, you may then start preparing for the police recruitment process.

Another major part of the recruitment process is the psychological exam, which assesses your personality traits and behavioral tendencies, to determine whether you are a good fit for the career. Prepare for the police psychological exam here.

 Police Written Exam vs. Civil Service Exam

It may come across as surprising to you that the police written exam is, in fact, the same as the police civil service exam. The difference between the police exam and civil service exams is that each police department has a recruitment process in addition to the exam. To excel on your police written exam, start practicing with our free police sample questions.

Entry-Level Law Enforcement Occupations

Police exams administered by local departments and authorities are taken by applicants for a variety of entry-level police positions, including Deputy Sheriff, Park Patrol Officer Trainee, and University Police Officer.

The police test is sometimes referred to as the State Trooper Exam, since it is administered by certain state governments for positions such as State Trooper or Highway Patrol Officer.

If you aren’t which test you need, check out our exclusive Police Officer PrepPack™ to ensure you can tackle each type of question you encounter head-on.