Uniformed Division Entrance Exam (UDEE): Practice Test & Study Guide
Last Updated: October, 2026
With 300 questions across 6 different sections and up to 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete, the UDEE (Uniformed Division Entrance Exam) is one of the longest law enforcement entrance exams used in federal hiring.
This complete, up-to-date guide provides everything you need to know about becoming a Secret Service Uniformed Division Officer and preparing for the UDEE test in 2026, including sample questions, answers, and test-taking strategies.
In addition, you'll gain immediate access to UDEE preparation materials covering all test sections: Critical Thinking, Situational Judgment, Memory Skills, Figural Reasoning, Officer Writing, and the Work Style Inventory.
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The UDEE Test (Uniformed Division Entrance Exam) is the entrance test used to select candidates for the Uniformed Division of the United States Secret Service. This computer-based, competency-based exam evaluates the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed upon entry into the Uniformed Division Officer job.
The UDEE is a challenging test consisting of 300 questions and requiring up to 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete (including breaks). The test is divided into 6 sections:
Further below, we explore each section in more detail, including sample questions, answers, and preparation tips. You can also find additional study materials in the official UDEE Study Guide.
The Accelerated Candidate Event (ACE) lets eligible applicants complete the entrance exam and several other hiring steps in 1 to 4 days, which can reduce the hiring process by up to 120 days. For Uniformed Division Officer applicants, that exam is the UDEE. Because ACE compresses the process, it helps to arrive having already practiced all six UDEE sections.
Next event: November 13-17, 2026, Leesburg, Virginia
Application deadline: November 1, 2026
Steps include: Entrance exam, Applicant Physical Abilities Test (APAT), SUPER interview, security interview, medical examination and polygraph
Check our Secret Service Ace Event article and the official page for more information.
| Exam | Uniformed Division Entrance Exam (UDEE), the Secret Service test for Uniformed Division Officer applicants |
| Format | Computer-based, multiple choice, six separately timed sections |
| Where | Pearson VUE test centers nationwide, or a military or government site for some applicants |
| Online? | In person. Official guidance lists only test centers and government sites |
| Questions | 300 |
| Timed Testing | 164 minutes (2 hours 44 minutes) |
| Total Time | About 3½ hours, up to 3 hours 45 minutes including breaks |
| Results | Immediately after you finish, at the test center |
| Retake Wait | Between 3 to 6 months |
The Uniformed Division Entrance Exam is separated into six sections, each measuring a different set of cognitive or behavioral skills and personality traits.
Let's go over the sections one by one, including sample questions with answers.
In this UDEE test section, you will be shown a series of passages, and have to answer questions to demonstrate that you've been able to understand the passages in-depth and use your critical thinking. This section has 23 questions and will take you about 30 minutes to complete.
The questions follow a standard format – each passage is followed by several statements, which you must rank either True, False, or Indeterminable based on your understanding of the passage.
An inmate's jailhouse phone call instructing relatives to relay to his attorney his willingness to accept a plea deal is not protected by attorney-client privilege, a federal appeals panel has ruled.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that the inmate—who knew that his call was being recorded - did not have a "reasonable expectation of confidentiality" when he asked his sister to relay through his brother a message to his attorney that he wanted to discuss whether he could "cop-out" before an indictment.
Because the inmate "was aware that his calls were being recorded, and there is no indication that he could not have contacted his attorney directly without being monitored, the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding there was no reasonable expectation of confidentiality in his communications," a unanimous circuit panel stated.
The court found that phone calls made in prison by inmates are not protected by the attorney-client privilege.
🕒 300 questions in up to 3 hours and 45 minutes can be overwhelming.
Get familiar with the exact format before test day.
In this section, containing 82 questions to be solved in 34 minutes, you will be shown 15 brief animated scenarios that can plausibly come up during your employment as a Uniformed Division officer.
For each scenario, you are given 5-6 responses (a total of 82 responses that are divided between the 15 different scenarios) and you are requested to rank them on a 7-point scale between 'Very Ineffective' to 'Very Effective'.
The Situational Judgment section is intended to evaluate your expected behavior in interpersonal scenarios and your general sense of professionalism – not your knowledge of the law!
Jen has recently joined your team. She seems responsible and eager to learn. After a two-week training period, you feel that she is ready to begin taking some part in projects and learn from working with more experienced officers.
You assign her to Tim - a highly qualified and experienced officer who is currently loaded with work and you believe could use her help.
However, when you talk to Tim about your decision, he objects to it, saying that training a new employee will only slow down his pace.
Please judge the effectiveness of each statement for handling the situation using the following rating scale:
In this section of the test, you will be asked a range of questions about the situations you've dealt with in the Situational Judgment Test Section.
This is a fairly brief section – it contains only 12 questions, and you have 8 minutes to answer them.
It's important to pay attention to the scenarios in the previous section. The official guide says you do not need to memorize tiny details, but you may be asked what characters said or did, or what appeared in the background, so watch each scenario closely.
The reason Tim did not want to train Jen was:
The figural reasoning section is a logic test, in which you will be asked to look at a number of figures that follow a pattern. You will be asked to choose which figure correctly completes the pattern. This section contains 14 questions to be solved in 32 minutes.
The Officer Writing section of the Uniformed Division Entrance Exam is a test of your English skills.
It is not a traditional writing assignment. Like the other sections, this is a multiple-choice test where you will be shown a variety of sample texts and asked to correct grammar, syntax, and spelling mistakes in them.
You will be given 35 minutes to answer 30 questions.
When training for the army, one should consider not only the rigorous physical demands but also the emotional toll, should he enlist.
This last UDEE test section aims to assess who you are as a person and how you act in a workplace.
For this purpose, the test presents 139 statements. You need to rank, on a 1-5 scale, how well each statement describes your behavior in the workplace. You will have 25 minutes to complete this section.
I often worry about things to come.
The official study guide states that there are no correct or incorrect responses and asks applicants to describe themselves honestly and accurately. Its sample statements touch on attention to detail, confidentiality, flexibility and staying calm.
Practicing helps you get used to the format and pace. Deliberately falsifying answers can lead to disqualification.
The initial entry-level hiring process includes the following steps:
Candidates who successfully complete these steps may continue to the next phase of the hiring process, which can include a security interview, polygraph examination, medical evaluation, background investigation, and other pre-employment requirements.
📋 Don't let the UDEE stop your application.
✻ Gain immediate access to full practice tests for all 6 sections
✻ Review full answers and explanations to all questions
✻ Monitor your progress with personalized score reports
A Uniformed Division Officer of the United States Secret Service is a law enforcement professional responsible for protecting the White House, the Vice President's residence, the Treasury Department's headquarters, and foreign diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C. The Secret Service Uniformed Division's primary duties include guarding these critical locations, enforcing federal and local laws, conducting security checks, and conducting security checks to protect facilities and venues secured for Secret Service protectees. These officers undergo rigorous training in security procedures, emergency response, and protective tactics to perform their roles effectively. They play a crucial part in maintaining national security and ensuring the safety of the highest offices in the U.S. government.
The UDEE Test is administered at authorized Pearson VUE testing centers nationwide, although some applicants test at a military post or other government facility.
The volume of material and the time taken to complete the test are substantial (up to 3 hours and 45 minutes, including breaks). That means that it is essential to prepare not only in terms of studying for the exam, but also for the fact that the exam will essentially take up an entire day if you consider the task of getting there, waiting for the exam to start, and getting back.
A failing UDEE result ends your application, and you must wait before you can try again. The UDEE PrepPack™ helps you walk into the test center ready for all six sections:
✻ Know what to expect in every section. The question types feel familiar before you sit the exam. Practice with 9 Critical Thinking tests, 6 Situational Judgment tests with Memory Skills practice, 14 Figural Reasoning tests, 12 Officer Writing tests, and a full Work Style Inventory practice test.
✻ Learn from every mistake. Full explanations show why each answer is right, so you can correct the reasoning behind a miss instead of memorizing answers. In Situational Judgment, the explanations break down the competencies each response demonstrates, so you see what the section rewards.
✻ Get used to answering from memory. The Memory Skills questions come right after 82 Situational Judgment questions and ask about the scenarios you just saw, with no chance to review them. Practicing both together trains you to watch closely and recall details.
✻ Spend your time where it counts. Personalized score reports track how you are progressing, so you can focus on the sections that need work instead of repeating what you already know.
✻ Keep practicing after the official guide runs out. The official guide is a good start, but it has a limited number of sample questions per section and previews only 4 of the 15 Situational Judgment scenarios. With full practice tests for all six sections, you have far more to practice with.
✻ Start right away, with support. You get immediate access, a one-time payment, a money-back guarantee, and 24/7 customer service if you need help.
The UDEE, or Uniformed Division Entrance Examination, is the Secret Service test that Uniformed Division Officer applicants must pass to stay in the hiring process. It is a competency-based, computer-based exam with six timed sections: critical thinking, situational judgment, memory skills, figural reasoning, officer writing, and a work style inventory. Applicants take it after the resume review and before the physical abilities test.
The UDEE is demanding because it covers six different skill areas under time pressure: 300 questions in 164 timed minutes. Official materials do not state a passing score or pass rate, so there is no published target to aim for. Timed practice across all six section types, using a UDEE practice test, helps you work faster and more accurately.
The UDEE has 300 questions across six separately timed sections, with 164 minutes of timed testing. Pearson estimates the full appointment takes about 3½ hours, and the official study guide says the total, including breaks, will not exceed 3 hours 45 minutes. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before your appointment for check-in.
Most applicants take the UDEE in person at a Pearson VUE test center, with locations nationwide. Some applicants test at a military post or other government facility, where the exam may be paper-based in a classroom setting. The test content is the same either way. Eligible applicants receive an authorization email from Pearson with a testing window and scheduling instructions.
You receive your UDEE results immediately after you finish, at the test center. If you pass, you stay in the hiring process, and the Secret Service Uniformed Division Support Branch then emails you about the next phase. If you do not pass, you receive no further consideration and are discontinued from the hiring process.
The official materials do not give a fixed timeline for contact after a passing score. Pearson states that the Uniformed Division Support Branch will email you about the next phase of the process. In the published hiring process, the Applicant Physical Abilities Test follows the UDEE. Check your inbox and spam folder regularly, and keep your contact details current while you wait.
If you pass, the Secret Service continues Phase I of the hiring process: the Applicant Physical Abilities Test, an interview, and a conditional job offer. Phase II then covers the security stage, including a security interview and credit checks, polygraph, medical and psychological exams, and a background investigation. If you do not pass, you are discontinued and must wait before reapplying.
The official study guide and Pearson page do not state a UDEE passing score or pass rate. You find out whether you passed immediately after the test. According to Pearson, a passing score stays valid indefinitely unless the exam is compromised or significantly changed. The study guide notes you are not penalized for guessing, so answer every question.
Yes, but you must wait. Pearson states that you can retake the UDEE 6 months after your most recent fail date, and you must reapply and submit a new application packet when a vacancy announcement is open. Some USAJOBS announcements state a three-month waiting period, so check the announcement you apply to.
Yes, through Pearson, at least 48 hours before your appointment. Rescheduling is limited to your assigned testing window. Changes with less notice, or missing the exam, count as a no-show. You are then removed from the hiring process, must wait 6 months, and must reapply when a vacancy is open.
Bring one current, valid photo ID that also carries your signature, such as a driver's license, passport book or card, or state or local ID. Arrive 30 minutes early. Bags, phones, watches, wallets, notes, food and drinks are not allowed in the testing room, though lockers are available for your belongings.
The official Secret Service study guide is a useful free overview. It explains all six sections and includes sample questions with explanations, but only a limited number per section. JobTestPrep's UDEE practice test package covers all six sections with full answers, explanations and personalized score reports, so you can track your progress before test day.
No. The UDEE is the entrance exam for Secret Service Uniformed Division Officer applicants. Applicants for the Secret Service Special Agent position take the SAEE instead. If you applied as a Special Agent, see our SAEE test prep page.
