Post Orders
Questions test what an officer does at a fixed post: who may enter, what to check, what to log, and when to call for help. The correct answer follows the post orders exactly.
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Special Officer Exam Study Guide
Post orders, facility security, and situational judgment for Special Officer civil service exams.
12 track practice questions in the bank · Free 25-question practice test included below.
Take Free Practice Test →Overview
Special officers provide security at city facilities: they staff fixed posts, screen visitors, patrol buildings, respond to alarms and incidents, and write reports. The job is built on the post orders — the written instructions for each post — and on steady judgment.
This guide covers the skills these exams typically test: post orders and facility security, visitor screening, incident reporting, observation, and situational judgment. Learn the principle behind each correct answer ('verify first', 'stay at your post', 'call for help') and you will see the same patterns across many questions.
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
Facility Security
Screening visitors, checking credentials, controlling access, and recognizing security risks are core duties. The correct answer verifies before allowing entry.
Situational Judgment
Scenarios ask what an officer should do when a visitor argues, a package is left unattended, or someone is injured. Calm, procedural, safety-first answers beat forceful ones.
Observation and Memory
You study a scene, a person, or a set of facts briefly and answer questions about it after it is taken away. Details like clothing, location, and order of events matter most.
Incident Reporting
You choose the clearest, most accurate way to record an incident: complete, factual, and in order. Opinions and missing details are the traps.
Reading Comprehension
You read rules, memos, and post orders and answer questions about what they require. Watch for exact wording — 'must', 'may', 'before', 'only'.
Topic checklist
Work through this list honestly — drill the items you cannot do yet.
- ☐ State the duties of a fixed-post officer in order.
- ☐ Choose the correct response when a visitor has no identification.
- ☐ Explain what to check on a patrol round and what to report.
- ☐ Write an incident report that is factual, complete, and in chronological order.
- ☐ Recall who was where and in what order after studying a scene for two minutes.
- ☐ Choose the safe response to an unattended bag or suspicious package.
- ☐ Explain what to do first when an alarm sounds.
- ☐ Pick the calm, procedural response to an angry visitor.
- ☐ State when to call a supervisor and when to call for emergency help.
- ☐ Complete a 25-question mixed set within your time target.
How to prepare
1First-step judgment drill
Daily, do 10 situational judgment questions. For each, state the post-order principle behind the correct answer in one sentence — for example, 'verify before allowing entry.' Good looks like the first step correct.
2Post-order recall drill
Twice a week, write the fixed-post duties from memory — screening, logging, patrolling, reporting — then check them against your notes. Good looks like a complete list in the right order.
3Report rewrite
Twice a week, take a sloppy incident paragraph and rewrite it as a clean report: facts only, in order, nothing missing. Good looks like a paragraph a supervisor could file unchanged.
4Two-minute observation drill
Three times a week, study a written scene for two minutes, cover it, and list 10 details from memory. Good looks like at least 8 correct, including who, where, and in what order.
5Timed mixed set
Once a week, do a 25-question timed mixed set from the Special Officer pool. Review every miss the same day and re-drill the topic it came from.
Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕ Leaving a post without authorization or without notifying a supervisor: the correct answer stays at the post and calls for help.
- ✕ Letting someone in without checking credentials: verify identity and authorization first, even when the person seems to belong.
- ✕ Escalating a confrontation: the correct response is usually a calm instruction and, if needed, a call for assistance — not a physical response.
- ✕ Writing opinions in an incident report: record what was said and done, not what you thought about it.
- ✕ Guessing on observation items instead of using the full study time given.
Exam day strategy
- ✓ Arrive early with exactly what the admission notice requires.
- ✓ Read the full question before the answer choices, especially on post-order items.
- ✓ On judgment items, ask: 'what do the post orders say to do first?'
- ✓ Use the full study time on observation items.
- ✓ Mark hard questions, move on, and return to them at the end.
- ✓ Save a few minutes to check that every question has an answer.
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 · Situational Judgment
A special officer is staffing a fixed post when a person with no identification asks to enter the facility. What should the officer do FIRST?
- A.Allow the person in, since they seem to know the building.
- B.Ask for identification, verify the person's authorization, and log the entry. ✓ Correct answer
- C.Call a supervisor before asking for any identification.
- D.Deny entry without asking any questions.
Post orders require checking identification and authorization before allowing entry. Letting the person in on their word or skipping the check is the most common wrong answer; calling a supervisor is reasonable only after the initial check, not before it.
Sample 2 · Situational Judgment
A special officer at a fixed post receives a radio call that a visitor needs help in another part of the building. What should the officer do FIRST?
- A.Leave the post immediately to help the person.
- B.Ignore the call, since the officer is assigned to this post.
- C.Stay at the post and call for assistance while keeping the entrance secure. ✓ Correct answer
- D.Search the building alone to find the person.
The officer should stay at the post and call for assistance rather than leaving it unattended. Searching the building alone, ignoring the call, or leaving the post without coverage all break post orders.
Sample 3 · Situational Judgment
During a patrol, a special officer finds an unattended bag in a hallway. What is the BEST action?
- A.Open the bag to check its contents.
- B.Move the bag to a side room.
- C.Keep people away from the bag, report it to a supervisor, and follow the facility's procedure. ✓ Correct answer
- D.Ignore it, since it is probably someone's forgotten lunch.
The officer should not touch or move the bag. The safe response is to keep people away, report it to a supervisor, and follow the facility's procedure. Searching the bag or moving it to a side room risks injury.
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.