Police Officers Board Exam Study Guide

by Kristin Swain, studioD

When you decide to be a police officer there are several steps that you have to go through before you can put on the uniform and slip behind the wheel of a patrol car. You have to have your application approved and pass police academy training. Before either of those steps can happen you have to pass the police board exam. To pass you don't necessarily have to have law enforcement training or knowledge, but you do need a good study guide.

What's Your Jurisdiction?

Before you can begin your test preparations you need a study guide. Laws and regulations may vary slightly between jurisdictions, making it necessary to have the correct study guide for the branch and location of law enforcement agency that you're applying to. Determine what jurisdiction the job that you want to apply for is in and contact the local department to find out which study guide is appropriate. Many law enforcement agencies have a wealth of information online about police officer board testing in their areas and several offer free study guides to prospective applicants that include practice test questions and answers for the exam.

Written Exam

There are two sections to the police officer's board exam. One is the written test, which consists of three separate parts. There is a written ability test that evaluates your communication skills. The other two sections are both multiple choice, a life experience survey and a work style questionnaire. Each section evaluates skills that are essential to being successful as a police officer including expression, comprehension, deductive reasoning, the applicant's past history as it relates to being a police officer, motivation and personality traits.

Oral Test

A large part of being a successful police officer hinges on being able to take and respond to oral commands. The oral directions segment of the exam tests the officer candidate's ability to understand and react to oral commands from a superior officer in a stressful situation. During this part of the exam you are judged on how well you are able to respond to these tasks, including timing and accuracy. Directions may be taped and replayed during your test or may be given by an officer in person. This section of the exam is normally timed.

Areas of Expertise

Each jurisdiction has a different version of the police officer's board exam that you must pass to serve as an officer in that area. You may be tested on memory, facial recognition, directional and spatial vision and orientation, problem-solving, grammar and spelling, vocabulary, math, reasoning and situational scenarios. The practice exam questions that you use as a part of your study guide should cover all of these areas.

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