The Police Exam: How Well Would You Score?

So, what can you expect to see on a police officer’s entrance examination? Why is this test feared and dreaded by so many? Why does it cause grown men and women to lose precious sleep? Can it be that difficult?

The answers to those questions are really quite simple. It’s not that the testing is all that difficult, it’s just that the men and women who experience the nausea, nervousness, and headaches before taking the tests simply want the job more than they’ve ever wanted anything in their lives.

A police officer’s job is THE dream job for many people. It’s certainly not about fame or fortune (definitely not fortune), or settling into a comfortable 9-5 routine.  A police officer’s job is about making a difference in the community. It’s about wanting to help others, and to make the world a bit safer for everyone. Besides, where else can you wear such sporty clothing, drive fast and shoot guns, and get paid for doing it?

The written portion of the testing process is normally broken down into four or five categories, such as math, reading comprehension, report writing, and grammar. The tests are usually in a true/false and multiple choice format, with the exception of the report writing portion. Some departments also include a section called accuracy of observation where test-takers are given a couple of minutes to study a photograph or other image, and then answer questions about that image. For example:

Part One: Accuracy of Observation

You have two minutes to study the picture below. When time is called, you must turn the page and answer the questions that follow.

STOP and turn the page.

(Please scroll down to answer the questions).

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1) How many yellow objects are in the box beside the fortune teller?

2) Across which shoulder is the fortune teller’s scarf draped?

3) On which side of the fortune teller’s booth is the coin slot?

Part Two: Reading Comprehension

Read the following paragraph, turn the page, and then answer the questions.

There are basically three symptoms we look for to make a diagnosis of depression: dysphoria, anhedonia, and psychomotor retardation. Dysphoria is an overall sense of sadness or despondency. Anhedonia is a lack of enjoyment in most presumably enjoyable activities. Psychomotor retardation refers to a reduced amount of physical activity, and reductions in measures such as reaction time, reflexes, and the like, which indicate reduced response time in the central and peripheral nervous systems.

(Scroll down to answer the questions)

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1) How many symptoms are used to make a determination of depression?

a) 1

b) 2

c) 3

d) 4

2) True or False

Dysphoria is a lack of enjoyment.

3) True or False

Anhedonia is another term for psychomotor retardation.

Grammar

Which word is spelled incorrectly in this section?

1) Receive

2) Retrieve

3) Concieve

4) Believe

And finally, officer candidates must write a clear and concise report using information provided. Of course, the tests are much longer than this example, sometimes taking a few hours to complete.

If the candidate passes the written portion of the testing process, he/she moves on to psychological testing, physical fitness testing, and oral interviews. Piece of cake…right?