PASS THE POLICE WRITTEN EXAM

The Police Written Exam helps law enforcement agencies determine whether applicants possess the basic skills needed to succeed as police officers. While recruits will learn criminal law, firearms, defensive tactics, report writing, and other job-specific skills in the police academy, they are expected to arrive with strong reading, writing, grammar, spelling, math, and critical thinking skills.

There is simply not enough time in the academy to teach these fundamental academic abilities. After applicants meet an agency's minimum qualifications, they are typically invited to take the Police Written Exam as part of the hiring process.

Although the content varies from one agency to another, most police written exams measure many of the same core abilities. Understanding these common test topics is one of the best ways to prepare and improve your chances of earning a passing score.

Most police written exams last 90 minutes to 2 hours, although the exact length varies by agency.

What to Expect:

• 90 minutes to 2 hours

• Multiple-choice questions

• Timed test sections

• No returning to completed sections

Is the Police Written Exam Hard?

Success depends largely on your preparation. Applicants who practice with realistic, timed exams typically score much higher.

Practicing under timed conditions improves both speed and confidence.

The Police Written Exam does not test your knowledge of police procedures or criminal law. Instead, it measures the basic skills applicants need before entering the police academy.

Most police written exams measure your ability in:

• Reading Comprehension

• Writing Skills

• Mathematics

• Logical Reasoning

• Memory & Observation

• Situational Judgment

Although the exact content varies by agency, these are the subjects most commonly found on police written exams.

These topics measure the fundamental skills law enforcement agencies expect applicants to possess before entering the police academy.