Police Officer Exam

1. Question 1 · Written Comprehension

   Which statement best expresses the main purpose of Procedure 7-11?
   • A.To limit the amount of currency an officer may hold during a tour
   • B.To maintain a continuous record of custody so that property can be returned to its owner or used in court
   • C.To explain how supervisors inspect firearms recovered at crime scenes
   • D.To identify the kinds of property that may be disposed of without being invoiced
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: B. To maintain a continuous record of custody so that property can be returned to its owner or used in court

   The first paragraph states the purpose directly: an unbroken record of who has held each item so it can be returned or presented in court without challenge. The firearm inspection is only one detail of the second paragraph, and no property is disposed of without being described on the invoice; even perishable items are invoiced before disposal.

2. Question 2 · Written Expression

   An arrest involved two officers and one suspect. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
   • A.The two officer's radios were damaged during the struggle, and the suspect's phone was recovered.
   • B.The two officers radios' were damaged during the struggle, and the suspects phone was recovered.
   • C.The two officers' radios were damaged during the struggle, and the suspect's phone was recovered.
   • D.The two officers' radios were damaged during the struggle, and the suspects' phone was recovered.
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: C. The two officers' radios were damaged during the struggle, and the suspect's phone was recovered.

   A plural noun ending in s takes an apostrophe after the s (officers'), and a singular noun takes an apostrophe before the s (suspect's). The version with "suspects'" is the most tempting, but it would mean the phone belonged to more than one suspect, and only one suspect was involved.

3. Question 3 · Memorization

   What was the license plate on the blue pickup truck?
   • A.BNE 3071
   • B.KTR 4481
   • C.FDL 5530
   • D.KTR 4418
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: D. KTR 4418

   The blue pickup at the left of the street carried plate KTR 4418. BNE 3071 belonged to the white sedan and FDL 5530 to the FAIR SUPPLY van, while KTR 4481 reverses the last two digits.

4. Question 4 · Inductive Reasoning

   Based on the table above, which patrol assignment gives the best chance of preventing or interrupting the next burglary in the Kessler Road pattern?
   • A.Kessler Road and Dalton Street, Mondays through Wednesdays, 1:00–3:00 a.m.
   • B.Harmon Avenue and Kessler Road, every night, 1:00–3:00 a.m.
   • C.Kessler Road, Fridays and Saturdays, 10:00 p.m.–4:00 a.m.
   • D.Kessler Road, Mondays and Tuesdays, 1:00–4:00 a.m.
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: D. Kessler Road, Mondays and Tuesdays, 1:00–4:00 a.m.

   All five Kessler Road burglaries occurred on a Monday or Tuesday between 1:00 and 4:00 a.m., so that assignment covers every incident in the pattern. Patrolling every night until only 3:00 a.m. spreads officers thin and leaves uncovered the last hour of the two incidents whose windows ran to 4:00 a.m.

5. Question 5 · Spatial Orientation

   Officer Kim is parked at the Courthouse when a caller reports a fight at the Bus Depot. Using the map above, what is the fewest number of blocks Officer Kim must drive to reach the Bus Depot without breaking any traffic law?
   • A.6 blocks
   • B.4 blocks
   • C.8 blocks
   • D.5 blocks
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: A. 6 blocks

   The Bus Depot is 3 blocks east and 1 block north of the Courthouse, but Market St runs one way west and Pierce Ave runs one way south, so the car cannot end the trip by driving north on Pierce Ave or east on Market St. A legal 6-block route is: east on Foundry St to Oakmont Ave, then north on Oakmont Ave to Bridge St, then east on Bridge St to Pierce Ave, then south on Pierce Ave to Market St. Four blocks counts only the straight-line grid distance and ignores the one-way arrows; 5 blocks is impossible on this grid because the trip must cover an even number of blocks.

6. Question 6 · Written Comprehension

   Which statement best summarizes the incident described in the narrative?
   • A.Two men took a counterfeit bill back from a store manager and fled west toward Pier Road.
   • B.A customer was arrested at the Corner Market for attempting to pass a counterfeit bill.
   • C.A store manager kept a suspected counterfeit bill for the police after a customer tried to use it, and the customer later returned with another man to demand it back.
   • D.A store manager was threatened by two armed men during a dispute over a purchase.
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: C. A store manager kept a suspected counterfeit bill for the police after a customer tried to use it, and the customer later returned with another man to demand it back.

   The narrative centers on the manager retaining a suspect bill and the customer's return with a second man to demand it. The men never got the bill back, since the officer invoiced it, no one was arrested, and Ms. Haddad stated that neither man threatened her or displayed a weapon.

7. Question 7 · Written Expression

   Which of the following sentences contains a punctuation error?
   • A.The driver refused to exit the vehicle, so I requested a supervisor.
   • B.The driver refused to exit the vehicle, I requested a supervisor.
   • C.Because the driver refused to exit the vehicle, I requested a supervisor.
   • D.The driver refused to exit the vehicle; therefore, I requested a supervisor.
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: B. The driver refused to exit the vehicle, I requested a supervisor.

   Joining two complete sentences with only a comma creates a comma splice. The other versions join the clauses correctly with a comma and a conjunction, an introductory dependent clause, or a semicolon followed by a transition word.

8. Question 8 · Memorization

   What object was directly to the left of the green trash can?
   • A.A blue bicycle
   • B.A red bicycle
   • C.A person holding a skateboard
   • D.The pole of the time-and-temperature sign
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: B. A red bicycle

   A red bicycle stood immediately to the left of the green trash can. The person with the skateboard was farther left, on the other side of the bicycle, and the sign pole stood to the right of the trash can.

9. Question 9 · Inductive Reasoning

   Based on the descriptions above, which two reports most clearly describe the same person?
   • A.R1 and R3
   • B.R2 and R5
   • C.R1 and R4
   • D.R3 and R4
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: A. R1 and R3

   R1 and R3 match on height, thin build, black hair, and age, and both include the distinctive star tattoo on the back of the left hand. R2 and R5 look similar, but the scars are in different places, a permanent mark that should not vary between sightings.

10. Question 10 · Spatial Orientation

    A burglar alarm sounds at the High School while Officer Lowe is parked at the Post Office. Using the map above, what is the fewest number of blocks she must drive to reach the High School legally?
    • A.4 blocks
    • B.5 blocks
    • C.8 blocks
    • D.6 blocks
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D. 6 blocks

    The High School is 3 blocks east and 1 block south of the Post Office, a 4-block grid distance, but Chapel St runs one way west, so the car cannot finish by driving east on Chapel St. It must swing down to Quarry St and come back north on Kendall Ave, for example: east on Fulton St to Jasper Ave, then south on Jasper Ave to Quarry St, then east on Quarry St to Kendall Ave, then north on Kendall Ave to Chapel St, a total of 6 blocks. Four blocks ignores the arrow on Chapel St, and 5 blocks is impossible because every trip between these two corners covers an even number of blocks.

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