EMPCO Practice Test & Guides (2026)
EMPCO is a Michigan-based distributor of public safety and government entry exams. The most common EMPCO tests include law enforcement (NCJOSI test), corrections officers (NCOSI test), and firefighters (NFSI test) - developed by I/O Solutions and distributed by EMPCO.
You can read about each individual EMPCO Exam here:
The term EMPCO test refers to several different pre-employment public safety tests. The tests provided by EMPCO are developed by I/O Solutions, and cover all aspects of the public safety entry-level testing process, from application through exam scoring.
The EMCO tests include different types of time-limited psychological and cognitive assessments which aim to assess if you fit the requirements of the position.
You can apply with your EMPCO test score for different positions, depending on the state you live in:
The National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory (NCJOSI) is a set of cognitive aptitude exams used by EMPCO as pre-employment tests for police officers, road patrol, and deputy sheriff's positions.
The test includes 120 questions, with a time limit of 2.5 hours and a pass threshold of 70%.
NCJOSI's question focus on two main domains:
- Cognitive Ability: Deductive reasoning, flexibility or closure, inductive reasoning, information gathering, problem sensitivity, selective attention, spatial orientation, verbal comprehension, verbal expression, and visualization.
- Psychological measures: Antisocial behavior, positive outlook, orderliness/diligence, and socialization.
Please note that there are two different versions of the test- NCJOCI 1 & NCJOSI 2. You may not know which version you will be taking! The main difference between them is that NCJOSI 1 is more prolonged and includes more categories, and NCJOSI 2 is shorter with fewer categories but with a stricter duration.
If you're applying for a law enforcement job in Michigan, you'll need to take the MCOLES test and a physical abilities test in addition to the NCJOSI.
The National Corrections Officer Selection Inventory (NCOSI) is the corrections test utilized by EMPCO. This is a computer-based test with a time limit of 1.5 hours.
The test includes two main measurement domains:
- Cognitive Abilities: Mathematical reasoning, reading comprehension, grammatical and written competency.
- Behavioral Orientation: Stress tolerance, Interpersonal ability, team orientation, assertiveness, and integrity.
If you're looking for a way to prepare for the test, you can check our Corrections Officer Exams PrepPack, which covers most NCOSI topics.
The National Firefighter Selection Inventory is EMPCO's firefighter's pre-employment test. This is computer-based and time-limited to 2.5 hours, which includes two main measurement domains:
- Cognitive Abilities (105 items): Verbal comprehension, verbal expression, problem sensitivity, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, information ordering, mathematical reasoning, numerical facilitation.
- Behavioral Orientation (50 items): Stress tolerance, team orientation, motivation.
For more detailed information, sample questions, and a prep guide, you can check our dedicated NFSI page.
Although there are 3 different EMPCO tests, they all focus on similar domains as cognitive aptitude and behavioral orientation. Our experts at JobTestPrep have made a dedicated short free sample test, so you'll be able to get a sense of what the EMPCO tests look like:
An oven can bake 8 pies of thin crust pizza per hour, or 2 pies of deep dish pizza pies per hour. How many hours will it take to prepare an order of 16 thin-crust pies and 4 pies of a deep dish?
Explanation
The correct answer is A.
Time = work/rate
In order to calculate how long it would take to prepare 16 thin crusts, we need to divide 16 by the rate of thin crusts per hour.
16 thin crust pies/8 thin crust pies per hour = 2 hours
Similarly, to calculate how long it would take to prepare 4 deep dish pies, we need to divide 4 by the rate of deep dish pies per hour.
4 deep dish pies/2 deep dish pies per hour = 2 hours
The number of hours it will take to complete the order is 2 hours + 2 hours = 4 hours.
Therefore, the correct answer is A.
Work related relocation is not a matter of fun. The decision of whether to relocate involves a complex set of variables, mainly of a financial nature. Payment is one of the most important ones. Undoubtedly, the new salary should allow maintenance of the lifestyle the candidate is used to. It is also advised to compare the cost of living and real estate prices in the candidate’s current city with those of the new one. Beyond housing costs, one should include the price of groceries, restaurant meals and petrol.
When considering a work-related relocation, the growth of the candidate’s career should be thoughtfully considered. If the new position offers a special professional promotion, it can be the right long-term move, counter-weighing a possible pay cut or higher cost of living.
Which one of the following best describes the relationship between the two passages?
Explanation
The correct answer is B.
In order to decide which claim strengthens/weakens the other claim, it is advisable to recognize the claim made in each passage regarding the subject of work-related relocation. Passage 1: Pay is the most important aspect to consider Passage 2: Professional promotion is an aspect to thoughtfully consider. It can reduce the importance of pay (”counter-weighing a possible pay cut”).
One can therefore say that the second paragraph weakens the claim made by the first paragraph, since it argues that pay is not always the most important aspect to consider; so, B is the correct answer.
Choose the image that completes the pattern (1= most left, 5= most right) .
The correct answer is 2 (second from the left). Each square contains three shapes. The black circle is the only shape that constantly appears. It “travels” along thecolumn, up and down, one step at a time. The other shapes appear in two consecutive squares and then do not appear in the next square. The shape that remains in the frame (in regard to the last step from the left) maintains its relative position to the other shape (not the circle).
Read the statement below and choose if you Strongly Agree with it, or just Slightly Agree:
I believe taking something from someone without his/her permission is okay
The correct answer is 5. Obviously taking something from someone without their permission is not a legit thing to do, and answering otherwise will damage your score on the test.
For more free sample questions and practice you can check our dedicated police sample questions page.
If you're looking for more in-depth practice, you can check out some of our relevant prep packs that might fit your test:
