National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory (NCJOSI) Sample Questions & Online Preparation – 2024
What Is the NCJOSI?
The National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory (NCJOSI) exam is an entry-level test many police departments use in the United States. The company that produces the exam, I/O Solutions (IOS), supplies two versions of the test, each with different time limits and topics.
Both test versions have two parts: a cognitive section and a behavioral attributes section. The cognitive portions differ between the two versions, and a behavioral section follows both tests.
Reviewing the different characteristics of the NCJOSI exams is essential because many police departments use the test but rename it to reflect their own agency. For example, The Chicago Police Department uses this test but named it the Chicago Police Officer Exam (CPOE).
While your specific department may not tell you if they are giving you the NCJOSI-1 or the NCJOSI-2, they may provide defining characteristics like the number of questions, the time limit, or the topics covered. Be sure to call and ask your HR department if there is any information they can give you about the test ahead of time. That way, you can tailor your study plan to the correct assessment.
NCJOSI-1 Exam
The NCJOSI-1 exam is the shorter of the two versions. This test consists of 45 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 1.5 hours. There are four topics in this version of the exam:
- Mathematics: Law enforcement officers must be able to perform mathematical calculations while on duty. This test will present word problems and examine your ability to perform essential functions such as addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication.
- Problem Solving: Problem-solving is essential for officers because they regularly need to think quickly and make decisions in stressful situations. These questions will assess your decision-making abilities and your critical thinking skills.
- Reading Comprehension: Reading comprehension is essential since the police are given lots of written information at a time and must be able to understand the material quickly. For this portion of the exam, you will be given text that you must read and answer questions about.
- Writing: Writing is also an important skill for criminal justice officers because reports and documentation are a large part of the job. During this section, the test will ask questions related to spelling, grammar, and sentence structure.
While the skills tested on this portion of the exam may seem basic, it is crucial not to underestimate this test. Even if you feel confident in your abilities, you should still take time to practice and prepare for this test.
NCJOSI-2 Exam
The NCJOSI-2 exam is the longer of the two versions. This test consists of 80 multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 2.5 hours. The cognitive portion of this exam covers various topics, including:
Behavioral and Attitudinal Assessment
Whether you take the NCJOSI 1 or the NCJOSI 2, the second part of your exam will be the behavioral and attitudinal assessment. The behavioral portion of the criminal justice officer exam assesses your attitudes, beliefs, and preferences.
In this section, you will receive several statements followed by an agreement scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. If you have taken the NCJOSI-1 cognitive section, you can expect to have 42 statements in the behavioral assessment. If you have taken the NCJOSI-2, you can expect to answer 120 questions in this section.
You must answer honestly about how much you agree with each statement. It is important to remember that there are no right or wrong answers in this section. However, the department you are applying for will use your responses to judge whether you would be a good fit and if you would be a successful officer. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind the values of the force and the attitudes and behaviors of successful officers when responding to each statement.
Free NCJOSI Exam Practice Questions
The following are examples of questions that you may find in the cognitive portion of the NCJOSI exam:
Question 1:
Sally is buying a birthday present for her little brother. She has $85 to spend. She decided to get him a Lego set for $32, a science kit for $21, and a video game for $22. How much money does she have left?
- $10
- $12
- $14
- $16
Question 2:
Identify which underlined portion of the following sentence contains an error.
Bob is planning to go to the store tomorrow. His wife Sonia is making a pie for their guests later this week and he must buy apples for the pie. His friend Jerry is very exciting for the apple pie because it is his favorite.
- Planning
- Making
- Exciting
- Because
Sample Question 3:
Choose the correct spelling of the missing word:
Her dog wants to go play at the park, but he cannot because it is _____.
- Reigning
- Raining
- Rayning
- Reignyng
Sample Behavioral and Attitudinal Question:
The following is an example of a question that you may find in the behavioral portion of the NCJOSI exam:
Please rate how well you agree with the following statement:
Working in a team gives me a sense of joy:
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neither Agree nor Disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
Answers:
- A
- C
- B
- There are no correct answers on this question. You should answer honestly, but keep in mind that criminal justice officers often have to work in teams.
How to Prepare for the NCJOSI Assessment?
The best way to prepare for the NCJOSI assessment is to work through sample questions and practice tests. There are also online study guides that can help give tips and tricks for taking the exam and improving your score.
Remember to ask the human resources team at your department if they can tell you any information about the test you will be taking. You can use that information to narrow down which NCJOSI exam you must study for and find practice tests of that kind.
Law enforcement is a competitive field, so you must ensure that you do as well as possible on whichever test you take. Studying for the exam ahead of time will help boost your confidence and your score.
