How To Successfully Deal With Police Officer Exam

There isn't one standardized Police Officer Exam.  In fact, the Police Officer Exam is not a standardized exam at all as each city or state typically designs and uses its own version of the exam.  As a result, the exact format of the exam will vary from state to state and from city to city so the specific exam that you will be required to take in order to obtain a law enforcement position in one area may be very different from the exam that an individual in another area will need to take.  This may make studying for the exam seem more complicated as this can make it more difficult for you to determine exactly what you need to study in order to pass the specific version of the exam that you need to take. 

Fortunately, preparing for the Police Officer Exam is usually not as difficult as it seems.  The basic types of questions included on each version of the exam are similar.  Therefore, there are a number of different techniques that you can use to improve your score regardless of which version of the exam you are taking.  The purpose of this guide is to help you answer each of these questions by providing you with a number of different techniques that you can use to answer the questions found on the exam and some of the tricks that you should look out for when you are actually taking the exam.
 
Becoming a police officer
The Police Officer Exam is actually only one step in the process of becoming a local law enforcement officer.  In fact, the Police Officer Exam is usually an early step in the officer selection process as the exam is really an entrance examination rather than a licensure or certification examination.  As a result, you will be required to take and pass the Police Officer Exam in order to gain access to a police academy.  Each city and state has its own distinct rules and regulations regarding who is eligible to enter a police academy, so there are a number of requirements that you must meet in addition to passing the Police Officer Exam in order to actually become a police officer.
 
First, you must be a U.S. citizen over the age of 21 with a valid driver's license in order to pursue a career as a police officer in most areas.  Second, you must pass a thorough medical examination, pass a drug test and a psychological evaluation, and meet the basic health requirements that are necessary to carry out all of the essential duties and responsibilities associated with being a police officer.  The basic health requirements are based on the individual's capability to perform the basic tasks that a law enforcement officer will be required to perform on a regular basis.  There will also typically be height, weight, and eyesight requirements that you must meet in order to meet the basic health requirements.  
 
Third, you must pass a polygraph test, a full background check, and a series of individual and/or panel interviews.  The full background check will usually include a character check in which the department will call your friends, family, coworkers, former teachers, and any other individuals that you may know in order to get an idea of your personality traits.  Finally, you must meet the education requirements established by the police department to which you are applying and pass the Police Officer Exam administered for that specific department.  Most police departments will require you to have a high school diploma and a certain number of college credits in order to obtain a position.  (These are the requirements that you will typically be required to meet in order to become a police officer.  However, these requirements will vary from area to area and the minimum age, citizenship requirements, basic health requirements, education requirements, and other similar requirements will vary from department to department.)
 
Some police departments have a maximum age limit that you must be under in order to apply for a position within that specific police department.  If a department has a maximum age limit, it will typically be set at 35.  These age limits are usually different for individuals that have served in the armed forces, since the police department will usually deduct each year of military service from the individual's age when the department is determining whether the individual meets the maximum age requirement.  These maximum age limits may pose a problem for some individuals interested in becoming police officers, but they are quickly disappearing from most police departments.  This is because the U.S. court system has consistently ruled that maximum age limits discriminate against older individuals that may be more than capable of carrying out the essential tasks associated with being a police officer.
 
To protect and serve
There's a pretty good chance that you've heard the motto 'to protect and serve' at some point.  This phrase has appeared in a countless number of TV shows, movies, novels, and other similar works that describe a fictional or real law enforcement setting.  However, you may still be wondering what the motto means.  The motto 'to protect and serve' actually describes the two main duties of any local law enforcement officer.  
 
The beginning of the motto, 'to protect,' refers to the responsibility of a police officer to protect the community from criminal acts.  This primary responsibility requires a police officer to carry out a number of different tasks such as apprehending and arresting criminals, investigating crimes, obtaining the appropriate warrants, patrolling the streets, pulling over suspicious vehicles, testifying in court, and a variety of other similar tasks.  The second part of the motto 'to serve' refers to the other responsibility of a police officer, which is to serve the community by aiding the individuals that make up the community.  This primary responsibility requires a police officer to carry out a number of different tasks such as directing traffic, handling potentially dangerous animals, offering assistance to stranded motorists, offering assistance to injured individuals, offering assistance to the elderly, providing emotional support for the victim or victims of a crime, removing hazards from roadways and other public areas, and a variety of other similar tasks.
 
Important Note
 
Most police departments within the United States require an individual to take some version of the Police Officer Exam before the individual will be admitted to a police academy.  However, some police departments may not require the Police Officer Exam for every position, and the requirements that an individual must meet in order to be eligible for a particular position can vary greatly from position to position, as well as from department to department.  The list of policing positions covered in this guide is by no means an exhaustive list, and the positions that are available at a particular department will depend on the specific needs of the department and the community in which the department serves.  As a result, you should check the requirements for the specific position that you are pursuing prior to beginning the application process.  Also, many of the positions mentioned in this section may have education, experience, training, and testing requirements in addition to those mentioned here.  
 

Goals
By this point, you probably have a basic idea of what the Police Officer Exam is and what a police officer actually does.  Many people wonder, 'Why would someone want to work in local law enforcement?'  This is actually important question to consider, as there are a number of different reasons for an individual to seek a local law enforcement position.
 
The first, and most obvious, reason to seek a local law enforcement position is the financial incentive.  Most police departments offer their officers better salaries than other employers.  A patrol officer can expect to make between $30,000 – $40,000 a year as soon as he or she obtains a position with a local police department.  In addition, an individual may be able to start in a pay range even higher that this if he or she has higher qualifications, more experience, higher GPA, additional certifications, or other similar academic achievements that exceed the requirements for the position.  

These pay rates will also increase over time due to:
- Staying with the same department
- Compensation for the cost of living in the area in which he or she works
- Shift differentials (additional pay for evenings, nights, and/or weekends)
- Promotions
- Bonuses

As a result, the average salary of a full-time patrol officer is approximately $48,000 a year.  
 
Another good reason to seek a local law enforcement position is the benefits that are associated with being a police officer.  Police officers typically have better benefits than other occupations.  Police officers usually accrue sick leave hours and vacation hours based on the number of years they have been with the department and the number of hours that they have worked during a particular year, up to a maximum number of sick and/or vacation hours set by the department.  These sick leave hours and vacation hours can typically be carried over from year to year, transferred to retirement accounts, or cashed out if certain conditions are met.  In addition, police officers usually earn holiday pay in terms of a set number of hours per month, and the officer may choose to use that pay as it becomes available or save it for specific holidays or occasions.  Police officers will also receive other benefits such as:

1. Choice of health plans from a long list of different health plans and insurance providers
2. Low-cost life insurance
3. Uniform maintenance allowance
4. Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) plan or similar retirement plan.

 
The third and final reason that many people seek local law enforcement positions is simply the motivation to work in local law enforcement.  There are a number of different reasons that people decide that local law enforcement is the right career for them so the specific reason that an individual wants to obtain a position as a police officer or another similar position within a police department can vary greatly from person to person.  However, some individuals have dreamed of being a police officer, of serving the public.  Others have a strong desire to protect other individuals, and have been excited about tracking down criminals.  There are many other similar desires or interests that draw people to local law enforcement.  In other words, certain individuals may seek a position within a police department not only for the competitive salary and benefits, but also for the sense of satisfaction that the individual will receive when he or she obtains a career in local law enforcement.
 
Purpose of identifying goals
 
The information that has been covered up to this point should have provided a good summary of what the police officer exam is, what a police officer does, and why someone might decide to become a police officer.  This information may be interesting, but what does any of it have to do with the Police Officer Exam?  This information can help you to identify what the exam is and, more importantly, why you are taking the exam.  You need to know what the test is and what you hope to accomplish by taking the test for two main reasons: to make sure that you are aware of what is coming, and to make sure that you stay motivated.
 
It is essential that you understand what is coming in the Police Officer Exam because the exam is primarily designed to test your ability to think, rather than testing your knowledge of a specific subject.  It is important for you to understand the purpose of the test because this will help you to determine the best way for you to study for the exam to make sure that you're prepared to do well.  Everyone learns differently, so a method of studying that one person finds to be extremely helpful may not be nearly as helpful for someone else.  This is especially true for the Police Officer Exam because memorizing the information that may be included on the exam won't help unless you discover a way to understand how the questions work.  You also need to understand what you are getting yourself into if you plan on becoming a Police Officer since any type of police officer will be required to perform a variety of tasks, and some of these tasks may be less pleasant than others.  This means that if you're not prepared to perform these tasks, or if you simply don't want to perform these tasks on a daily basis, you may be looking at the wrong career and, therefore, the wrong exam.
 
It is also extremely important for you to understand what you hope to accomplish by taking the Police Officer Exam because this will help you to stay motivated.  The questions on the Police Officer Exam usually require some serious thought and the exam is timed so you need to know how to approach each question in order to find the correct answer as quickly as possible.  This can be extremely difficult if you can't stay motivated because you'll be much more likely to procrastinate instead of using your time wisely.  This can be a serious problem if you don't have a lot of time to study because you won't be able to get an idea of how to approach the questions that will actually be on the exam.  Staying motivated will help you to stay focused on studying for the exam.  Focusing on the goals that you are hoping to achieve is often the best way to stay motivated.  
 
Study goals
 
If you've looked for tips on how to study for an exam, you may have heard that setting study goals is an essential first step, but what is a study goal?  A study goal is simply an objective that an individual hopes to achieve while he or she is studying, or an objective that an individual hopes to achieve as a result of his or her studying.  The most obvious study goal to set for the Police Officer Exam is to pass the exam. However, you will also have to accomplish a number of other goals as you are studying in order to pass the exam.  These goals will vary depending on your own distinct strengths and weaknesses, but there are certain steps that you can take in order to determine which goals you need to accomplish.
 
First, before you begin studying, you should try to get an idea of where your strengths and weaknesses lie.  One of the best ways to do this is to read over what is covered in each section of the exam (each section of the exam is described later in this guide) and try to identify the types of questions that seem to be more confusing or more difficult.  This will allow you to identify the questions that you may not understand how to approach, which are also the types of questions that you should focus on while you are studying.  This is important because there's never enough time to study everything so you need to focus on the types of questions that you may have difficulty with first.
 
Secondly, once you have identified the types of questions that you need to focus on, you should set a series of goals that you need to accomplish in order to be able to answer each type of question.  For example, if you are having trouble with the reading comprehension questions on the exam, you may decide that you need to focus on improving your vocabulary and your reading skills in order to understand the information presented in the passages.  In order to accomplish these goals, you may then decide that you need to read a passage each night and practice answering some questions related to each passage to get a better idea of how to approach the questions.  Since you need to improve both your vocabulary and your reading skills, you may decide that you should alternate between passages that stress vocabulary and passages that require more reading by reading a short passage with some unfamiliar words on the first night you study, reading a long passage with primarily familiar words the next night you study, and then reading another short passage with some unfamiliar words on the third night you study.  This allows you to separate the material you need to learn into a series of specific goals that you can spread out over the time you have available instead of attempting to learn everything all at once.
 
Third, when you are attempting to set your study goals, you should make sure that each goal is a valid goal.  In other words, if you plan on establishing a series of study goals, you need to make sure that each goal is something that you can actually achieve, and that there is some way for you to tell that you have actually achieved that goal.  In order to make sure that a goal is valid, you should make sure that you clearly describe the objective that you want to achieve and set a specific deadline for that goal.  This will help you to stay motivated because you know that you need to accomplish a certain amount by a certain time.  Each goal should also be something that you can realistically accomplish within the time allowed and something that is measurable.  
 
For example, studying everything that might be covered on the Police Officer Exam on the night before the exam is probably not a realistic goal.  Studying one section or a certain portion of a section each night for several weeks before the exam might be something that you can actually accomplish.  Studying everything on the Police Officer Exam is also a difficult goal to measure unless you break it down into smaller goals.

Studying one section each night, on the other hand, is a relatively easy goal to measure because you can determine whether or not you have accomplished your goal based on how many paragraphs or pages are left for you to study in a particular section.  It is important for you to be able to measure how close you are to accomplishing a particular goal because this will help you to measure your total progress as you to continue to study the material.
 
Finally, once you have established all of your goals, it is important to remember that your goals should not necessarily be set in stone.  This is because there are many events beyond your control that may affect the amount of time that you have available, which may in turn affect your ability to actually accomplish your goals.  As a result, it may be necessary for you to change your goals if you are no longer able to accomplish everything in the time that you have allotted because you don't have as much time as you originally expected.  It is important to note that this does not mean that you should give up if you are running out of time on a goal, but instead that you should alter your other goals to compensate for lost time if you are unable to achieve a specific goal.
 
Even though a study goal should be relatively specific, it is not necessary for every study goal to be related to how much studying you have left to accomplish.  In other words, it may actually be a good idea to establish a series of major goals such as learning how to approach the reading comprehension questions on the exam, learning how to approach the memory and observation questions on the exam, how to approach the grammar questions on the exam, and the other types of questions found on the exam.  These goals represent major goals that you are attempting to achieve in order to pass the Police Officer Exam so it can be useful to keep these goals in mind.  These goals are difficult to measure, however, as it is usually very difficult to measure how much you have actually learned about a particular subject.  Therefore, it is usually a good idea to have several major goals that can be split into smaller goals that are easier to measure such as reading a certain amount or studying a certain section.
 
Accomplishing study goals
There are a number of different versions of the Police Officer Exam and each version typically covers a large amount of information.  In order to study all of the information that is relevant to the specific version of the Police Officer Exam that you are taking, you will need to set a series of study goals.  Each of these goals will help you to stay motivated and allow you to measure your progress as you study.  However, a set of study goals alone is not necessarily enough for you to succeed on the exam as each goal is simply an objective that you want to achieve.  It is important for you to make sure that you are actually progressing towards accomplishing a particular goal each time you study.  The best way to do this is to follow a few simple steps.
 
First, you should try to identify anything that may affect your ability to accomplish your goals.  This might include distractions, anything that you will need to continue functioning (such as food or sleep), and anything else that might prevent you from accomplishing one of your goals.  Once you have identified each of the factors that may be a potential distraction you should try to identify ways to eliminate, or reduce, the effects of these factors.  For example, you may decide to study in your bedroom with the door locked so people can't distract you while you are trying to study.
 
Secondly, if you have set a large goal that seems to be too overwhelming or a goal that you keep putting aside, it is usually a good idea to break the goal down into two or more smaller goals.  For example, instead of trying to improve your reading skills all in one night, you may decide to read a certain number of pages tonight, the same number of pages tomorrow night, and continue reading a relatively small number of pages each night until you feel you have become more comfortable reading the information.  This allows you to take a single task that appears to be too large or overwhelming and split it into several smaller, less difficult, tasks.  This will make it easier for you to accomplish the overall goal.
 
Finally, while you are studying for the Police Officer Exam, you should try to focus on achieving one goal at a time.  Focusing on too many tasks at once can be distracting and/or overwhelming, which can make it much more difficult for you to study the material.  This can be a problem because you will be much more likely to procrastinate if you are too distracted and/or too overwhelmed by the material.  As a result, you should try to focus on one goal at time because you will not be able to accomplish as much if you focus on too many goals at once.  In other words, you should try to focus on one specific goal at a time, accomplish that goal, and then move on to the next goal so that you can accomplish as many goals as possible.