What Is on the Police Exam? Complete Topic Breakdown

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is typically the largest section on police written exams. You'll read passages about law enforcement topics and answer questions about them.

What You'll Be Asked

• Main idea questions: What is the passage primarily about?
• Detail questions: According to the passage, what/when/where/who...
• Inference questions: Based on the passage, what can be concluded...
• Vocabulary in context: The word "X" most nearly means...

Sample Topics

• Police department policies and procedures
• Legal codes and criminal justice concepts
• Incident reports and case summaries
• Community policing strategies

How to Prepare

Read the questions first, then skim the passage for relevant information. Practice with police-specific passages rather than general reading materials.

Writing & Grammar

Police officers write reports daily, so departments need officers who can communicate clearly in writing. This section tests your grammar, punctuation, and writing mechanics.

Common Question Types

• Grammar errors: Identify the sentence with a grammatical error
• Punctuation: Choose the correctly punctuated sentence
• Sentence structure: Identify run-ons, fragments, or awkward phrasing
• Spelling: Identify the misspelled word
• Word usage: Their/there/they're, affect/effect, etc.

How to Prepare

Review basic grammar rules, particularly subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, and comma rules. Practice identifying errors in sample sentences.

Mathematics

The math section tests basic computational skills that officers use on the job — calculating speeds, distances, percentages, and other practical measurements.

Topics Covered

• Basic arithmetic: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
• Percentages: Calculating tips, discounts, crime rate changes
• Ratios and proportions: Suspect descriptions, evidence measurements
• Word problems: Speed/distance/time calculations
• Basic algebra: Solving for unknown values

Sample Problem

Situational Judgment

This is often the most challenging section because there's no formula to memorize. You'll be presented with realistic scenarios and asked to choose the best course of action.

Sample Scenario

Key Principles for SJT

• Safety first: Prioritize officer and public safety
• Follow procedures: Choose responses that align with standard protocols
• De-escalate: Prefer calm, measured responses when possible
• Avoid extremes: The best answer is rarely the most aggressive or passive option
• Consider ethics: Act with integrity and professionalism

Memory & Observation

Police officers need excellent observation skills to recall suspect descriptions, witness statements, and crime scene details. This section tests your ability to remember information quickly.

Common Formats

• Wanted poster: Study a suspect description, then answer questions from memory
• Crime scene image: Study an image, then identify what you saw
• Incident report: Read a report, then answer detailed questions without looking back
• Face recognition: Study faces, then identify them from a lineup

How to Prepare

Practice with timed memory exercises. Use mnemonic devices to remember sequences. Focus on key details: physical descriptions, numbers, locations, and times.

Reasoning & Logic

These questions test your ability to analyze information, identify patterns, and draw logical conclusions — all essential skills for investigations.

Question Types

• Deductive reasoning: If A is true and B is true, what must be true?
• Pattern recognition: What comes next in this sequence?
• Map reading: Which route is fastest? What direction is X from Y?
• Data interpretation: Read charts/graphs and answer questions

Types of Police Exams

Different departments use different exams. Here are the most common:

POST (Police Officer Selection Test)

Used by many departments nationwide. Focuses on reading, writing, and reasoning skills.

NCJOSI (National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory)

Tests cognitive abilities, personality traits, and attitudes related to police work.

Civil Service Exams

Administered by state or city governments. Format varies by jurisdiction.

Department-Specific Exams

Some large agencies create their own exams tailored to their specific needs.