There is no single national police written exam. Departments, civil-service agencies and assessment providers use different tests and different hiring sequences.

This page owns the study-method intent. For named exams, practice sets and agency-specific guides, use the Police and Dispatcher Tests hub.

Step 1: Identify the department and test

Start with the official recruitment page or candidate guide. Confirm:

  • department or hiring authority;
  • assessment provider and test name;
  • application and test dates;
  • written-test sections;
  • time limits;
  • calculator or note-taking rules;
  • later hiring stages;
  • accommodations process.

A PELLET-B process, a FrontLine process and a locally written civil-service exam should not be treated as the same test.

Step 2: Build a study list from the official guide

Police written assessments can include skills such as:

  • reading comprehension;
  • grammar and written communication;
  • report-writing fundamentals;
  • basic arithmetic;
  • reasoning;
  • memory or observation;
  • situational judgment;
  • information ordering;
  • map or direction interpretation.

The list is not universal. Study only the sections that are relevant to your actual test.

Step 3: Diagnose your weakest written-test skills

Use a short original practice set and classify errors.

Examples:

  • reading error: missed a condition in the passage;
  • writing error: chose an unclear or grammatically incorrect sentence;
  • math error: percentage or rate calculation;
  • memory error: recalled a detail that was not present;
  • judgment error: selected an extreme response instead of a proportionate policy-based action;
  • timing error: spent too long on one item.

Then practise the skill causing the error rather than repeating the entire test blindly.

Step 4: Practise evidence-based reading

Police written tests often reward careful use of the information provided.

When reading a passage or report-style scenario:

  1. identify who, what, when and where;
  2. separate stated facts from assumptions;
  3. note chronology;
  4. answer only from the information provided unless the instructions say otherwise.

Do not add outside law-enforcement knowledge to a reading-comprehension question that is testing passage evidence.

Step 5: Prepare clear written communication

Writing-related sections can test:

  • grammar;
  • sentence clarity;
  • spelling;
  • punctuation;
  • chronological organization;
  • factual wording.

Practise concise, neutral descriptions. This is test preparation, not instruction in operational police tactics.

Step 6: Treat situational judgment as provider-specific

A good general framework is to look for responses that are:

  • lawful and policy-consistent;
  • proportionate to the scenario;
  • professional;
  • safety-conscious;
  • appropriately escalated;
  • respectful of confidentiality and public trust.

But the scoring model belongs to the actual assessment provider or agency. Do not memorize a universal police SJT answer key.

For broader SJT method, use How to Prepare for a Situational Judgment Test.

Step 7: Add timing after accuracy

Use untimed practice to learn the method. Then add short timed sections.

If the official guide gives a fixed test length, use it for realistic simulation. Do not import a time limit from another department.

Review errors after every timed set.

Separate the written test from the full hiring process

A written score is usually only one stage. Depending on the agency, later steps can include physical testing, interviews, background investigation, psychological or medical evaluation and other eligibility checks.

Preparation should not be based on bypassing or gaming those requirements. Follow the official department process.

Common mistakes

Avoid:

  • assuming all police exams share one national format;
  • studying a different department’s test because its name is similar;
  • using unofficial passing scores as if they were universal;
  • memorizing leaked questions;
  • treating a personality questionnaire like a right-or-wrong knowledge test;
  • ignoring official application or eligibility instructions while focusing only on practice questions.

Use the exact owner that matches your invitation.

Final checklist

Before test day, know:

  • exact agency and provider;
  • confirmed written-test sections;
  • official timing and materials rules;
  • your weakest tested skill;
  • your pacing plan;
  • required identification and arrival/login instructions.

The strongest preparation starts with the official candidate information, then uses targeted practice for the exact skills actually being assessed.