Police Sergeant Test Preparation – 2024
If you are a police officer who is ready to move to the next stage of your career, you may be considering applying to be a police sergeant. Part of the hiring process for sergeants typically includes completing an oral exam and a written exam.
What Is the Police Sergeant Test?
Different states, departments, and federal agencies have unique hiring processes. There are various tests you might encounter when applying for a sergeant position. You should be able to confirm ahead of time the specific test you’ll need to complete.
Many police sergeant tests include some or all of the following topics.
Preparing Written Material
This section tests your writing skills, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice. The questions may be multiple choice or may require you to write your answers in complete sentences. Another name for this section is Written Expression.
Understanding and Interpreting Written Material
This section measures your reading comprehension skills. You will need to read a text or passage that relates to police work, such as a short article or an incident report, and answer associated questions.
Supervision
One of a sergeant’s primary duties is supervising other officers. This test section assesses your knowledge of different management skills and your ability to implement them. Questions may ask you to choose the option that best describes how you would respond to a particular supervisory situation. Other items might relate to following the chain of command, understanding and improving department policies, and organization.
Law Enforcement Methods and Practices
This test section determines your understanding of methods and practices that police officers use on the job. Common topics include community outreach, resource distribution, data collection, and crime mapping. Questions may relate to standard police practices as well as practices that are specific to the department where you’re applying.
Local Laws
Police sergeants need a detailed understanding of local laws and regulations. They must also understand how those laws apply to different scenarios. This section includes questions on specific laws. You may be asked to choose a situation from several options that is relevant to a particular law. Or, you may need to name the law that would apply to a crime described in the question.
How to Prepare for the Police Sergeant Test?
Unlike entry-level police exams, for a sergeant test, you will need some prior knowledge of law enforcement. If you’re ready to apply, you already have much of the knowledge you need, but you should consider studying police practices and local laws.
Online practice tests are an effective way to prepare for your sergeant exam. A good practice test will help you identify any areas you need to study further, and will ensure you understand the format of the test and what to expect.
