The Law Enforcement Exam

The law enforcement written exam includes various test sections. Each section is to test general abilities that are required for the job. Each exam may refer to each section differently, so it is important to become familiar with all test sections.

1. Reading Comprehension

The reading comprehension section is found on almost every police written exam. You will be given one or two passages and asked to answer questions about the passage. Some question types may be; the main idea, specific facts or details, or you may be asked to draw a conclusion from what is stated in the passage. Better prepare yourself for this section with sample questions and answers. This section may also be referred to as Written Expression or Written Comprehension.

 2. Legal Definitions

The legal definitions section is sometimes found within the reading comprehension section of the police exam. After reading a passage you may also be asked for the correct meaning of a word. You may also be asked to find a synonym or antonym of a given word. Another type of question that you may find is fill-in. You will be given a sentence and must find the word that best fits the completion of the sentence.

3. Memory

In the law enforcement memory section of the exam, you will most likely be given a picture or document to study and be asked to memorize as much as you can within a certain time frame. After which you will be given a set of questions to answer without having the picture or document in front of you. The purpose of this section is to see how well you can remember things. This section is found on most police exams. They may give a video clip instead of a picture.

4. Reasoning

In this section of the law enforcement exam you may find two types of questions. Questions based on rules and regulations or questions based on the interpretation of the law. The purpose of these types of questions is to test your ability to go from general rules to specific rules in order to draw a logical conclusion. Deductive reasoning is sometimes called top-down logic. You will have to find a rule or concept that explains a series of events that are unrelated. This is to show your ability to go from the specific to the general in order to draw a conclusion. The purpose of this is to see if you notice patterns and details, to help you draw a conclusion.

5. Sentence Ordering

In this section of the law enforcement exam you will be tested on your ability to put information in the best or most appropriate order. They may give you a set of rules that you must follow. This is to test your ability to follow procedures.

6. Math

The law enforcement math section tests your basic math skills. It includes: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. There will most likely math word problems that are found in everyday situations. Some tests may include fraction, decimals and percentages, and others may not include a math section at all.