Logical Reasoning
You draw conclusions from facts, spot what follows and what does not, and work through sequences and relationships. Questions are often short scenarios or statements with four possible conclusions.
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Police Officer Exam Study Guide
Logical reasoning, observation, writing, and judgment for law enforcement entrance exams.
65 track practice questions in the bank · Free 25-question practice test included below.
Take Free Practice Test →Overview
Police officers patrol neighborhoods, respond to calls, investigate incidents, and write reports that may be read in court. The entrance exam tests whether you can observe accurately, reason clearly, write plainly, and make sound judgments in situations where the right answer is not always the obvious one.
This guide breaks the exam into its core skills — logical reasoning, observation and memory, written expression, and situational judgment — and gives you concrete drills for each. The practice bank already has a large set of Police Officer questions; use them in timed mixed sets and review every miss.
DCAS multiple-choice exams generally use a 70% pass mark, but the Notice of Examination for the exam you are taking is the final authority on its subjects, format, and rules.
What the exam typically tests
Observation and Memory
You study a scene, a person, or a set of details briefly, then answer questions about it after it is taken away. Accuracy on small details — clothing, direction, order of events — is what is tested.
Written Expression
You choose the clearest, most correct way to write a sentence or a short report passage, fixing grammar, word choice, and punctuation. Clear and direct beats fancy.
Reading Comprehension
You read passages, notices, and procedures and answer questions about what they say and what should be done. Watch for words like 'except', 'not', and 'always'.
Situational Judgment
Scenarios ask what an officer should do first or what the best response is — balancing safety, the law, department procedure, and the public. The best answer is usually the calm, procedural, safety-first one.
Problem Sensitivity
You read a situation and identify the problem or the thing likely to go wrong, without necessarily solving it. This is the 'something is off here' skill.
Topic checklist
Work through this list honestly — drill the items you cannot do yet.
- ☐ Draw the one conclusion that must be true from a short set of facts.
- ☐ Recall a person's clothing, build, and direction of travel after a two-minute study.
- ☐ Pick the clearest and most grammatically correct version of a report sentence.
- ☐ State what a written procedure requires, in order, without adding assumptions.
- ☐ Choose the safest first action in a scenario with competing priorities.
- ☐ Spot the detail that makes a situation a problem before it becomes an incident.
- ☐ Order events in a short incident narrative correctly.
- ☐ Explain why a tempting answer is wrong, not just why the right one is right.
- ☐ Complete a 25-question mixed set within your time target without rushing the last items.
- ☐ Identify the rule or principle behind a judgment question, so you can reuse it.
How to prepare
1Conclusion drill
Daily, do 10 logical reasoning items. For each, underline the facts given and cross out any answer that adds a fact not stated. Good looks like 8 or more correct with a reason you can state.
2Two-minute observation drill
Three times a week, study a photo or a written scene for two minutes, cover it, and write down 10 details from memory. Good looks like at least 8 correct, including order and direction.
3Report-writing fix-up
Twice a week, take 10 flawed sentences and rewrite each one clearly and correctly. Good looks like a sentence a supervisor could paste into a report unchanged.
4Scenario debrief
Do 10 situational judgment questions a day. For every miss, write the principle behind the correct answer in one sentence (for example: 'safety first, then procedure, then convenience').
5Timed mixed set
Once a week, do a 50-question timed mixed set from the Police Officer pool. Review every miss the same day and re-drill the subject it came from before the next set.
Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕ Adding facts that were not in the question: on reasoning items, the correct answer follows only from what was stated — anything you assume is a trap.
- ✕ Choosing the most dramatic action in a scenario: the best answer is usually the calm, procedural first step, not the boldest one.
- ✕ Rushing observation items: study the scene for the full time given instead of glancing and guessing.
- ✕ Picking the fanciest wording: on writing items, the simplest correct sentence usually wins.
- ✕ Skipping review: doing questions without reviewing misses repeats the same errors instead of fixing them.
Exam day strategy
- ✓ Arrive early with exactly what the admission notice requires and nothing extra that could slow you down.
- ✓ Read the question before the answer choices on reasoning items so the options do not steer you.
- ✓ On observation items, use the full study time — do not rush to the questions.
- ✓ Mark hard questions and return to them; keep moving so you reach every item.
- ✓ Change an answer only when you find a concrete reason the first choice is wrong.
- ✓ Keep a steady pace and save a few minutes at the end to check unanswered items.
Sample questions
Try these 3 sample questions from the practice bank. The correct answer is marked — read the explanation even when you get one right.
Sample 1 · Logical Reasoning
No police officers are under 21 years old. Sam is 19 years old. What must be true?
- A.Sam is a police officer
- B.Sam is not a police officer ✓ Correct answer
- C.Sam will become a police officer
- D.Sam is exactly 21
If no police officer is under 21 and Sam is 19, Sam cannot be a police officer.
Sample 2 · Vocabulary
In government and law, what is JURISDICTION?
- A.A method of filing records
- B.The legal authority to make decisions over an area or subject ✓ Correct answer
- C.A type of court building
- D.A form of public transportation
Jurisdiction is the official power to make legal decisions and judgments within a defined area or over a subject. The other options describe places or processes, not authority.
Sample 3 · Problem Solving
A school safety agent notices a side gate that should be locked is standing open during dismissal, with students nearby. What is the correct immediate action?
- A.Wait until dismissal ends to check the gate
- B.Secure the gate, stay in the area to monitor student movement, and report the issue to the supervisor and the school office ✓ Correct answer
- C.Leave the gate open because students are using it
- D.Ask a student to watch the gate
Securing the gate and monitoring the area addresses the safety risk right away, and reporting it creates a record for repair. Waiting leaves the opening unguarded during the busiest time.
Official sources
The exam announcement (Notice of Examination) is the final authority for the exam you are taking; check it for the exam number, eligibility, subjects tested, and instructions. DCAS multiple-choice exams generally use a 70% pass mark.
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Important disclaimer
All questions on NYCExamPrep.com are original practice questions written for study purposes. They are not official DCAS questions, and this site is not affiliated with the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) or the City of New York.