Police Officer Selection Test Practice: Free 2026 Written Exam Questions
Last Updated: June, 2026.
The Police Written Exam is one of the first and most important steps in the police officer selection process.
While the exact format may vary between departments and agencies, most exams include similar question types.
Mastering these written exam question formats through practice can give you a real edge on test day.
This page offers a free sneak peek into the key topics and question styles you’re likely to encounter, helping you start your preparation with confidence. In here you will find:
✔️ An interactive simulation of the test
✔️ Tips & strategies for each test section
✔️ Comprehensive Police Written Exam Practice Test Breakdown
Each of the below sections include Police written test sample questions & answers, tips, and full explanations to help you understand and learn the reasoning behind each correct answer.
This page offers a free sneak peek into the key topics and question styles you’re likely to encounter, helping you start your preparation with confidence. On this page you will find:
Math questions test your ability to solve basic math drills and equations or word problems. A police officer may use math during almost every shift of their service- when calculating distance and speed in traffic-related situations, for example.
(3 + 2x)/5 = 17
💡 Tip: As shown in the solution, the best way to handle variables is to manipulate both sides of the equations to isolate the value you are looking for. You may perform identical basic arithmetic on both sides while keeping them equal to do this.
💡 Tip: Word problems are best transformed into a mathematical equation you can work with. The next step is to separate the equation into small steps and solve one step at a time.
Math questions can be difficult to handle if you haven't practiced in a while. To make sure you are well prepared, it is highly recommended to brush up on basic math skills like solving equations with one variable and calculating with no calculator.
Some of the common civil service exams that include Math police questions are the CPCA test (Connecticut) and the NPOST (Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Montana and Utah and other police departments and law enforcement agencies).
The most common reasoning skills questions on police tests are deductive and inductive reasoning questions. These measure your ability to observe details, evaluate information, and make logical deductions based on given facts.
For example, try solving the following question:
Officer Henry reported to the scene of an accident and saw the following: A jeep in the middle of an intersection with the hood smashed in and the windshield cracked, and a sedan twenty feet past the intersection with a large dent on the passenger side and the driver side smashed into a pole.
Based on the description above, which of the following is LEAST likely to have caused the accident?
Some of the common police tests that include such questions are the MTA Test (NCJOSI II), the LEAB test (used in 50+ municipalities: Massachusetts, Nassau County, Connecticut, New Jersey, NYC, and more), and the CJBAT (Florida).
Writing skills questions test your vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and other written expression abilities.
One type of question that you may find is a fill-in. You will be given a sentence and must find the word that best completes it. This skill is critical since police officers have to fill out a police report regarding most incidents, which should be written as clearly as possible:
____ claim that new lines of inquiry are being ____ .
Another typical question is re-ordering given sentences:
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.
💡 Tip: Before jumping into calculations, scan the answer choices. In the last question, for example, all options start with 3, recognizing this allows you to skip finding the starting point and focus directly on the next logical step. Noticing these cues saves precious time and keeps you focused on exactly what’s needed to solve the problem
Almost any police work requires the ability to communicate information clearly, writing and language questions will likely appear on any police test. They are particularly dominant on the Police Record Specialist Test, which examines clerical abilities, and the MCOLES (Michigan) which focuses on reading and writing skills.
On reading comprehension questions you will be presented with text passages relating to police duty, and then asked to answer questions based on the provided information. No prior knowledge of law or law enforcement is needed to answer the questions.
For example:
Major websites have developed a new—and legal—technique to track users’ online activities, known as a ‘supercookie’, a powerful device capable of re-creating user profiles even after people delete the regular cookies and which is impossible for computer users to detect. While many companies have been criticized for selling private data online, some sites that use supercookies said supercookie tracking was inadvertent and they would cease using it. Some websites, which were notified that they had been using supercookies, announced Wednesday they would immediately investigate the technique. Knowing Web-browsing history can provide advertisers with information about people’s interests, locations and finances, Parliament has debated ways to protect consumer privacy.
Statement: There are certain privacy laws that protect the online activities of users.
Spatial orientation questions examine the ability to navigate based on a map or verbal instructions. Such questions are very common in police tests, as police officers must be able to direct the public and navigate public environments efficiently.
For example:
What should you report on your radio?
“The suspicious van is heading..”
The correct answer is C.
If the van was heading east and then turned right it means it was first going south, but then the second turn to the left had him facing east again.
💡 Tip: The best way to track compass directions is to memorize how each action changes the direction (for example, turning left when facing North turns you towards West). If you are allowed to use a pen and paper, sketching also helps.
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.
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)?
Most law enforcement tests include a range of questions intended to evaluate spatial orientation skills. Among those are tests like the MTA police exam, the NCJOSI (National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory), and the NYPD exam.
*Please note: these questions are specific to exams like the FrontLine Test and MTA Police Exam. It might be worth checking if they’re relevant to you before diving in.
This section measures your ability to make decisions, work in a team, and display the virtues of a police officer. You will be presented with a situation you might encounter on the job as a police officer and asked to select responses according to the question.
For example:
Officer Harris' response was:
💡 Tip: When answering SJT questions, instead of asking yourself "what would I do in this situation?", always ask yourself: "which option would the ideal police officer choose in this situation?" It is essential to distinguish between these two modes of thought, as the latter is more likely to help you pass this part of the test.
Situational Judgment tests are a vital part of the police officer selection process. They are often given as a second round of testing, but can also be included in the initial screening- like the CPCA, or the Frontline National Test (Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, or Washington).
Navigating the many different police tests can be overwhelming, but one thing is clear: a psychology assessment is a crucial step you cannot skip. Demonstrating a strong psychological fit is essential to becoming a police officer, and tailoring your responses to highlight key traits is critical.
Our Police Psychology Exam Practice provides in-depth guidance on the 35 personality traits vital for success and includes a full-length personality test to help you prepare with confidence.
The following are some of the most critical characteristics that a police officer must have:
The police hiring process usually includes application screening, written exams, physical fitness tests, interviews, background checks, a psychological evaluation, and academy training. Timelines vary by department. Learn the full step-by-step process here.
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.
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.
If you are looking for a different test, or are not sure which test is relevant for your position, check out our Civil Service practice exam or contact us, and we'll do our best to ensure you get the most accurate preparation for your upcoming exam.
