Police Officer Exam (Exam Cram Series) »

Rizwan Khan, a 20-year veteran police officer with the Indianapolis Police Department, has held multiple positions including uniform patrol, investigations and warrant service. He received a BS in Public Affairs from Indiana University, and is also an Oracle DBA consultant and book co-author. Pamela Rice Hahn worked in law enforcement for 10 years prior to her career as an author of general interest and technical books and articles. She has authored or co-authored over a dozen technical and general non-fiction books, including Alpha Teach Yourself Grammar and Style in 24 Hours.

The smartest, fastest, most effective preparation for the latest Police Officer exam

Introduction xv

Self-Assessment xix

Chapter 1 Police Officer Selection Process 1

Job Outlook 2

Police Officer Job Description 3

Television Image Versus Reality 5

Odd Hours 5

Working Holidays 6

Quick Lunches 6

Not Getting Rich 6

Requirements 7

A Most Rewarding Job 9

Educational Opportunities 9

Private Police Training Programs 9

Admission Requirements 10

Course Cost 11

Curriculum and Course Length 11

General Course Completion Requirements 12

Chances for Advancement 12

Selection Process 13

Written Exam 14

Oral Interview 14

Physical Ability 14

Long Employment Application 14

Background Investigation 15

Psychological Evaluation 17

Polygraph Test 18

Medical and Drug Screening 20

Ride-Along Program 20

A Typical Day in the Life of a Police Officer 21

Part I Written Exam

Chapter 2 Reading Comprehension 25

Approaching the Reading Comprehension Section of the Exam 26

Potential Topic Areas for the Police Exam Reading Comprehension Exam 28

Law Definition 29

Policies and Procedures 32

Suspected Drug Operating Procedure 32

Vehicle Towed Operating Procedure 35

Extracting Data 37

Police Report 1 37

Police Report 2 39

Taking Notes on Reading Comprehension Passages 41

Exam Prep Questions 43

Exam Prep Answers 45

Chapter 3 Memory Retention 47

Ability to Observe Detailed Information 48

Maximizing Information Retention 48

Organize the Information 49

Exam Information 49

Crime Scenes 50

Suspect Information 52

Building Floor Plan 56

Exam Prep Questions 60

Exam Prep Answers 66

Chapter 4 Geographical Orientation 67

Importance of-Geographical Orientation in Police Work 68

Basics of Street Layout69

Applying Geographical Orientation to the Police Exam 71

Direct Route Questions 71

Scenario 1 72

Scenario 2 73

Follow the Path 75

Scenario 1 75

Scenario 2 76

Landmark/Spatial Orientation Questions 77

Scenario 1 78

Exam Prep Questions 80

Exam Prep Answers 86

Chapter 5 Forms and Reports 89

Police Reports 90

Evidence Inventory and Analysis Forms 90

Charging Information Forms 91

What's on the Police Test? 92

Question Type 1 92

Question Type 2 Extracting Information 99

Exam Prep Questions 103

Exam Prep Answers 105

Chapter 6 Writing Skills 107

Importance of Writing Skills in Police Work 108

Stick to Facts 109

Express Yourself Clearly 109

Keep It Simple! 109

Always Proofread 110

Grammar Basics 110

Subject-Verb Agreement 111

Tense Consistency 111

Sentence Structure 112

Apostrophes 112

Sentence Fragments 113

Double Negatives 114

Punctuation 114

Vocabulary and Spelling 115

Exam Prep Questions 121

Exam Prep Answers 123

Part II Oral Interview

Chapter 7 Oral Interview 127

Preparation Before the Oral Interview 128

Create an Inventory of Personal and Professional Accomplishments 128

Resume 129

Preparing a Two-Minute and Five-Minute Introduction 131

Discovering the Oral Interview 131

Structured Oral Interview 132

Videotaped Interviews 132

Oral Interviews with Smaller Police Departments 133

Prepare Questions 133

Prepare Answers 134

Practice, Practice, Practice 138

Dressing and Appearance for the Oral Interview 138

Sending a Thank You Letter 138

Exam Prep Questions 140

Exam Prep Answers 142

Part III Physical Agility

Chapter 8 Physical Agility 145

Importance of Physical Fitness in Police Work 146

What to Expect During the Physical Agility Test 146

Physical Agility Standards 148

Demonstration 153

The Test 153

Guidelines for Push-ups 153

Guidelines for Sit-ups 154

Guidelines for the Running Test 156

Guidelines for the Flexibility Test 156

Guidelines for Vertical Jump 156

How to Improve Your Score 157

Push-ups 157

Sit-ups 157

Running Test 158

Sprints Workout 158

Flexibility 159

Exam Prep Questions 159

Part IV Maximizing Test Scores

Chapter 9 TimeManagement 163

Time Management Before the Test 164

Prioritize Your Study Tasks and Time 164

Keep Time for Your Personal Commitments and Routines 165

Develop Self-Discipline 166

Maintain Healthy Eating and Sleeping Habits 166

Take Short Breaks While Studying 166

Designate a Study Area 167

Practice, Practice, and More Practice 167

Review Your Study Performance 167

Relax 168

Time Management During the Police Test 168

Time Management During the Written Test 168

Time Management During the Oral Interview 171

Time Management During the Physical Agility Test 172

Avoid Stress-The Key to Better Time Management 173

Exam Prep Questions 175

Finding Extra Time for Study 175

Take Time to Time Yourself 176

Chapter 10 Test Taking Strategies 177

Review the Test 178

Know the Grading Scheme 179

Understand the Question 180

Highlight Key Words in the Questions 180

Ignore Nothing 180

Look for Twists in the Question 180

Look for Clues 181

Predict the Correct Answer 181

Identify Qualifiers in Questions 181

Negatives 182

Recognize the Type of Question 183

Maintain Speed 185

Review All Answers 185

Write Neatly 186

Let's Rehearse 186

The Final Helpful Tip 188

Part V Practice Exams

Chapter 11 Practice Test 1 191

Commonly Misspelled Words 191

Choose the Correct Sentence or Sentences 194

Choase the Correct Synonym 197

Police Vocabulary 199

Sentence Ordering Questions 201

Arithmetic and Arithmetic Formula Questions 205

Chapter 12 Answer Key to Practice Test 1 219

Chapter 13 Practice Test 2 229

Using Maps and Face Recognition 229

Fractions 254

Percentages 256

Decimals 258

Ratios and Proportions 258

Memory and Observation 259

Chapter 14 Answer Key to Practice Test 2 263

Chapter 15 Practice Test 3 273

Military Time 273

2 5-Minute Recall Test 275

Timed Test: 25-Minme Time Limit 278

Timed Test: 25-Minute Time Limit 281

Steps to Preserve a Crime Scene Timed Test: 30-Minute Time Limit 285

Collection of Evidence at a Crime Scene Timed Test: 60-Minute Time Limit 289

Types of Evidence 289

Evidence Chain of Custody 294

Tagging Evidence 295

What Terrorist Threat Colors Mean Timed Test: 25-Minute Time Limit 300

Glossary Questions 304

Chapter 16 Answer Key to Practice Test 3 313

Appendix A Need to Know More? 321

Glossary 327

Index 333

Answer Sheets 349