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There is no single police officer written exam used by every department. Agencies, civil-service systems and state testing programs choose different publishers, sections, score rules and hiring stages.
Start with the official job bulletin or candidate guide for the department you applied to. It should tell you whether the written test includes reading comprehension, grammar, report writing, math, logic, memory, observation, situational judgment or another skill.
This page gives you original practice for the most transferable written-test skills. It does not reproduce a live police exam, departmental policy or confidential test content.
First: identify your actual exam
Before studying, write down:
- the agency and job title;
- the exact test name or publisher, if listed;
- the test date and location or remote-test rules;
- the sections described in the official bulletin;
- the time limit;
- calculator, scratch-paper and identification rules;
- the agency’s published progression or passing standard, if one is provided.
Do not assume another department’s cutoff score or test format applies to you.
If your invitation names a specific exam, use the matching guide. For example, California candidates may encounter the PELLET-B, while other agencies use different written tests.
What police written exams can measure
Common skill areas include:
- reading comprehension;
- vocabulary and grammar;
- clear report writing;
- basic arithmetic;
- logic and reasoning;
- observation and memory;
- following written rules;
- situational judgment;
- attention to detail.
Not every exam includes every area.
Reading comprehension
Read the passage as written. Do not add facts because they seem likely.
Question 1
Passage:
A store employee arrived at 7:45 a.m. and found the rear door unlocked. The employee did not enter the building and called the manager. The manager arrived ten minutes later and contacted police. No damaged lock was visible from outside.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
A. The rear door had been forced open.
B. The employee entered the building before calling the manager.
C. The manager arrived after the employee.
D. Property was confirmed missing.
Answer: C.
Why: The passage says the manager arrived ten minutes after the employee found the door unlocked. The other statements add facts that were not given.
Question 2
Which statement cannot be concluded from the same passage?
A. The employee found the rear door unlocked.
B. The manager contacted police.
C. Someone committed a burglary.
D. No damaged lock was visible from outside.
Answer: C.
Why: An unlocked door alone does not prove a burglary occurred.
Grammar and report writing
Police written tests often reward clear, factual language rather than dramatic writing.
Question 3
Which sentence is clearest and most objective?
A. The obviously guilty man ran away suspiciously.
B. The man appeared bad and probably knew he was caught.
C. The man ran north across the parking lot after the officer asked him to stop.
D. The criminal sprinted because he feared arrest.
Answer: C.
Why: It describes observable behavior without assuming guilt or motive.
Question 4
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
A. The two witnesses was interviewed separately.
B. The two witnesses were interviewed separately.
C. The two witness were interviewed separately.
D. The two witnesses is interviewed separately.
Answer: B.
Basic math
The math on many entry-level written exams is practical rather than advanced, but use the official guide to confirm your test.
Question 5
A vehicle travels 42 miles in 1.5 hours at a constant average rate. What is the average speed?
A. 21 mph
B. 28 mph
C. 36 mph
D. 63 mph
Answer: B.
Why: 42 ÷ 1.5 = 28.
Question 6
A report contains 24 items. Six require correction. What percentage require correction?
A. 20%
B. 25%
C. 30%
D. 40%
Answer: B.
Why: 6 ÷ 24 = 0.25, or 25%.
Logic and rule application
Use the rule supplied by the question. Do not replace it with a real-world policy you learned elsewhere.
Practice rule for Questions 7–8:
- Category A: record contains a missing required field.
- Category B: record contains conflicting values.
- Category C: record is complete and internally consistent.
These categories are fictional and exist only for the exercise.
Question 7
Record:
Name: Jordan Lee | Address: 74 Brookside Drive | Phone: blank
A. Category A
B. Category B
C. Category C
Answer: A.
Why: A required field is missing under the practice rule.
Question 8
Record:
Vehicle color: blue | Notes: vehicle described as red | Plate: 7KQX214
A. Category A
B. Category B
C. Category C
Answer: B.
Why: The record contains conflicting values.
Observation and detail
Question 9
Reference:
Witness: Marissa Calderon | Vehicle: silver SUV | Plate: 6TRM208
Which option is identical?
A. Marisa Calderon | silver SUV | 6TRM208
B. Marissa Calderon | silver SUV | 6TMR208
C. Marissa Calderon | silver SUV | 6TRM208
D. Marissa Calderon | gray SUV | 6TRM208
Answer: C.
Why: The other options change a name, transpose letters or change the vehicle color.
Situational judgment
Situational questions are highly dependent on the agency and the instructions given by the test. Do not learn universal police tactics from a prep site.
A useful test-taking approach is to ask:
- What facts are actually given?
- Is there an immediate safety or legal issue identified by the scenario?
- What action is clearly within the role described?
- Does the answer follow the rule or policy supplied by the question?
- Does it avoid unsupported assumptions or unnecessary escalation?
Question 10
A fictional office procedure says that any report containing conflicting identification numbers must be reviewed before final submission. You notice two different ID numbers in the same report near the deadline. What should you do?
A. Choose the number that looks more familiar.
B. Submit the report unchanged to meet the deadline.
C. Verify the discrepancy and follow the required review process before final submission.
D. Delete both numbers.
Answer: C.
Why: The practice rule explicitly requires review when identification numbers conflict.
How to study reading comprehension
Use short factual passages and practise three distinctions:
- stated fact;
- reasonable inference supported by the text;
- unsupported assumption.
A common error is turning “may” into “did,” or treating a possibility as a confirmed fact.
Read the question before rereading the passage so you know what detail you are looking for.
How to study grammar and report writing
Focus on clear, factual language.
Practise:
- subject–verb agreement;
- pronouns;
- punctuation;
- sentence fragments;
- confusing word pairs;
- chronological order;
- separating observation from conclusion.
When two sentences are grammatically correct, the clearer and more objective version is often easier to defend.
How to study math
Use the topics named in your official guide. Useful entry-level review can include:
- addition and subtraction;
- multiplication and division;
- fractions and decimals;
- percentages;
- ratios;
- averages;
- distance, rate and time at a basic level.
Do not spend hours on advanced algebra if your exam guide does not require it.
How to prepare for observation and memory
Use short records containing:
- names;
- addresses;
- times;
- descriptions;
- numbers;
- sequences.
Then compare what you remember with the source. Record whether the error was a missing detail, transposition or substitution.
Written exam vs the rest of the hiring process
A written exam is usually only one part of police hiring. Agencies may also use interviews, background investigation, physical ability testing, medical or psychological evaluation, academy requirements or other stages.
The sequence and standards vary. Use the department’s official hiring page for the complete process.
For interview preparation, use the police interview guide.
A seven-day written-test plan
Day 1
Read the official candidate guide and take a short baseline set.
Day 2
Reading comprehension and vocabulary.
Day 3
Grammar and report writing.
Day 4
Math.
Day 5
Logic, rules and attention to detail.
Day 6
Observation, memory and any agency-specific section.
Day 7
One mixed practice set at the timing style in your actual exam, followed by error review.
How to review mistakes
Classify each wrong answer:
- knowledge error — you did not know the rule or language skill;
- reading error — you missed a qualifier or added a fact;
- calculation error — the method was right but arithmetic failed;
- detail error — you changed a name, number or direction;
- pace error — you rushed a question you could solve untimed.
Fix the cause rather than repeating the same question until you remember its answer.
Optional additional practice
If you want a larger third-party police written-exam question bank, JobTestPrep’s police exam preparation is one commercial option. Check the current product against the exact assessment named by your agency before buying.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Studying for a generic police exam without reading the agency bulletin.
- Treating another department’s passing score as yours.
- Adding facts that are not in a reading passage.
- Writing conclusions as if they were observations.
- Memorizing real police procedures for a fictional rule-application question.
- Practising only your strongest section.
- Repeating the same questions instead of reviewing why you missed them.
Police officer exam FAQ
Is there one national police officer written exam?
No. Agencies and civil-service systems use different exams and progression standards.
What subjects are usually worth reviewing?
Reading, grammar, report writing, basic math, logic and attention to detail are common transferable areas, but your official candidate guide controls the actual content.
Is there one passing score?
No. Use the standard published by the agency or testing authority for your recruitment.
Should I study police law and tactics for the written test?
Only if the official exam guide says job knowledge is tested. Many entry-level exams are designed around general abilities rather than academy knowledge.
Are these real police exam questions?
No. They are original educational examples.