New York Police Officer Written Exam Preparation - 2024 - Practice4Me (2024)

Residents of New York (NY) that intend on becoming police officers need to be prepared to take some kind of written exam. Each written exam will have a certain number of questions that may ask you about your personal experiences, beliefs, or motivations. The tests could also ask you questions that will measure your basic reading, mathematical, and writing skills. Applicants that score the highest on these police exams will be more likely to receive a job offer than applicants that barely pass or don’t pass at all. Learn how to accurately answer questions on the New York Police Officer Written Exam and easily pass this challenging exam.

What Is the New York Police Officer Hiring Process?

You first need to apply to whichever New York police department you are interested in working at. Once you submit your application, you may need to undergo a background check. In addition to this, the police department may choose to include further screening steps, such as an oral interview or written exam. Most police departments choose to test their candidates with written exams because they help the hiring team get a closer look at the people who have applied. These written exams will test your ability to perform essential functions and basic tasks required of a New York police officer. Apart from the written exam, you may be asked to take a physical fitness test to ensure that you’re healthy enough to conduct police officer duties. All of these screening steps are essential, as police officers have the power to make a difference in their communities. Because of this, only the top applicants will be hired.

What Is the New York Police Officer Written Exam?

The state of New York does not have a specific exam that is administered to every candidate. Instead, police departments typically choose from one of two New York exams. Each of these exams requires applicants to answer reading comprehension, memorization, writing, and lifestyle questions. It is important that you understand the correct way to answer these questions. In some cases, the questions may be worded in a confusing or tricky manner, or it may seem like more than one answer is correct. You need to prepare for these exams, and the first step is understanding which exam you’ll be asked to take. Generally, New York police departments administer one of the following exams:

• New York Police Department (NYPD) Exam
• New York State Civil Service Police Exam
• Buffalo Entry-Level Police Exam (BELPE)
• National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory (NCJOSI)
• Port Authority Police Officer (PAPD)

New York City Police Officer Test

As the largest police department in the entire United States, the NYPD has a lot of pressure to maintain a respectable public image. For this reason, many people want to join the NYPD, but only a few will be selected. Job seekers that have applied to the NYPD will likely be asked to take the NYPD exam. This is a computer-based test that only includes multiple-choice questions. Test takers will have 2 hours to complete the entire exam and must receive a minimum passing score of 70%. You will be tested on ten basic competencies that are expected of an NYPD police officer.

• Reading Comprehension: You are required to read through a provided passage or written text that includes specific information. These passages could be a single paragraph or could be several paragraphs long. Once you’ve read through the passages, you will need to answer several questions regarding the information you read about. You may be asked about specific details, or you may be asked to summarize the paragraphs.
• Writing Comprehension: You are required to read incomplete sentences and complete them by choosing words or phrases that match with the content and are grammatically correct.
• Memorization: Many candidates consider this section to be the hardest section on the exam. The reason for this is because you will be provided with a photo and given ten minutes to study it. During that time, you are expected to memorize the layout of the photo and any tiny details that may be important later on. After ten minutes, you will need to answer questions about the photo. They may ask orientation or detailed questions.
• Visualization: You are required to visualize how an object has been manipulated or reshaped. You will need to recognize how an object has been altered, and these objects could include faces, diagrams, floor plans, geometric shapes, and more.
• Spatial Orientation: You are required to look at a map and identify the shortest route from point A to point B. You may also need to work around roadblocks or construction, so make sure to pay attention to any hazards listed on the map.
• Deductive Reasoning: You are required to read through a provided set of rules and then use those rules to answer questions. The rules may apply to maps, tables, or other types of information.
• Inductive Reasoning: You are required to come to logical conclusions based on information provided to you. You could be shown offense classifications followed by questions asking you to identify the crime that was committed. You may also have to decide whether or not a witness statement is correct.
• Problem Sensitivity: You are required to read through a scenario and decide if there would be any problems that could arise. You may be asked to identify specific sections that seem problematic or indicate a potential issue.
• Information Ordering: You are required to order a set of numbers, actions, or rules into a logical order based on a set of rules provided to you.
• Mathematics: You are required to solve simple mathematical problems that could revolve around arithmetic or word problems.

New York State Police Officer Exam

If you are applying for a New York State police officer position, you will most likely be taking the NYS Civil Service Police Exam. This exam requires a minimum passing score of 70% and includes the following three major sections:

• Basic Abilities: This section will cover memorization, preparing written material, writing abilities, and reading comprehension. The purpose of this section is to ensure that you have the minimum skills required to perform police officer work.
• Life Experience Survey: This section will ask you about previous experiences you’ve had and how you reacted to them. The purpose of this section is to allow the hiring managers to better understand who you are and what you’ve been through.
• Work Style Questionnaire: This section will ask you about previous work experiences you’ve had and how you handled them. This section shows the hiring managers how you handled difficult scenarios at work and whether you have the ability to diffuse stressful situations.

Buffalo Police Officer Exam

The Buffalo Police Department generally uses the Buffalo Entry-Level Police Exam, or the BELPE. This test is designed by I/O Solutions and is unique to the city of Buffalo. You will need to answer basic ability questions that help the police department learn more about your skills and abilities.

Other New York Police Officer Written Exams by City or Position

How to Prepare for the New York Police Tests?

Becoming a police officer in New York is an amazing accomplishment that most people never dream of doing. Police work requires individuals to be dedicated and determined to work hard and protect the community. This is why written exams are almost always included in the hiring process. Sometimes, applicants become overwhelmed with the pressure of wanting to score well on these police officer exams. However, if you go into the test stressed out, your score will likely reflect that. You can overcome this stress by using free online tools like study guides and sample questions that will give you a brief overview of the tests. Practice exams also help, as they provide in-depth insight on the layout of the exam and the types of difficult questions you could be asked. Practicing is essential for scoring well on the exam. If you don’t practice, you’ll have no idea how well you will score or if you will even understand the questions. If you want to score high on the New York Police Officer Written Exam, you need to prepare well in advance with example questions and practice exams.