Police Officer Exam Practice Test: Free Written Test Questions (NYPD Abilities)

255 practice questions for police and corrections officer written exams, built on the nine abilities the NYC Police Officer exam notice (DCAS 7311-7322) says it may test: written comprehension, written expression, information ordering, problem sensitivity, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, memorization, spatial orientation and visualization, plus the selective attention and situational judgment subjects in New York State's entry-level law enforcement guide. You study a wanted notice and then answer from memory, trace routes on our own street maps, pick the disguised face, read procedures and apply made-up rules the way the real test supplies its own. Every answer explains the method with a Remember line, and your score report shows the abilities you miss.

The real test: The NYPD Police Officer exam (DCAS Notice 7311-7322, 2026-27) is multiple choice at a computer; the application fee is $0, calculators are not allowed, and 70% passes. The notice lists nine abilities it may test: written comprehension, written expression, information ordering, problem sensitivity, deductive and inductive reasoning, memorization, spatial orientation and visualization. Our practice test is 60 questions in 90 minutes across those nine plus selective attention and situational judgment, passing at 70% (42 of 60).

Here: 255 questions. Our own practice questions on the abilities in the NYC DCAS Police Officer exam notice (7311-7322) and the NYS entry-level law enforcement test guide. Procedures, codes, definitions, maps and faces are made up; not any department's test questions. Free.

What's on the test

"On the test" is the rough share of a 60-question test for each topic, following the exam's published weights.

10 sample questions

1. Read this definition: "A person is guilty of Unlawful Posting when he or she places a sign or notice on public property without the written permission of the agency that controls it." Which one of the following is required for Unlawful Posting under this definition?

   • A.The sign stays up more than one day
   • B.The sign contains false information
   • C.The person was asked to remove the sign
   • D.The sign is on public property
   Show answer

   D. The sign is on public property

   PC-29 · 1. Written Comprehension

2. Officer Diaz wrote these notes: "Time: 2:15 p.m. Place: 44 Bay St., lobby. Victim: Ana Ruiz. Her purse was taken by a man in a red jacket, who ran toward Main St." Which one of the following expresses the information most clearly and accurately?

   • A.At 2:15 p.m., Ana Ruiz ran toward Main Street after a man in a red jacket took her purse in the lobby of 44 Bay Street.
   • B.A man in a red jacket in the lobby of 44 Bay Street took a purse and ran toward Main Street with Ana Ruiz at 2:15 p.m.
   • C.Ana Ruiz, in a red jacket, had her purse taken at 2:15 p.m. by a man in the lobby of 44 Bay Street who ran toward Main Street.
   • D.At 2:15 p.m. in the lobby of 44 Bay Street, a man in a red jacket took Ana Ruiz's purse and ran toward Main Street.
   Show answer

   D. At 2:15 p.m. in the lobby of 44 Bay Street, a man in a red jacket took Ana Ruiz's purse and ran toward Main Street.

   PE-01 · 2. Written Expression

3. When arresting a person, an officer must: (1) handcuff the prisoner, hands behind the back; (2) search the prisoner for weapons; (3) tell the prisoner he or she is under arrest and why, if safe; (4) notify the dispatcher of the arrest and location; (5) transport the prisoner to the station house. Officer Roy has just told a man he is under arrest for assault and handcuffed him. What should Officer Roy do next?

   • A.Search the man for weapons
   • B.Transport the man to the station house
   • C.Tell the man why he is under arrest
   • D.Notify the dispatcher
   Show answer

   A. Search the man for weapons

   PO-01 · 3. Information Ordering

4. While on foot patrol at 2 a.m., an officer sees four situations. Which one most needs a closer look?

   • A.A taxi idling outside an all-night diner
   • B.A man walking slowly past parked cars, looking into each one and trying a door handle
   • C.Two men unloading bread at the back of a bakery
   • D.A woman jogging with headphones along a lit street, alone, at an hour when few people are out
   Show answer

   B. A man walking slowly past parked cars, looking into each one and trying a door handle

   PP-01 · 4. Problem Sensitivity

5. Use this definition: "Petit Larceny: taking property worth $1,000 or less that belongs to another person, intending to keep it from the owner." Which one of the following is the best example of Petit Larceny?

   • A.A man takes a $300 bicycle from a rack and rides it home to keep
   • B.A boy picks up a scarf he thinks someone threw away
   • C.A woman borrows her neighbor's ladder with permission and forgets to return it
   • D.A man takes a $1,500 laptop from a café table
   Show answer

   A. A man takes a $300 bicycle from a rack and rides it home to keep

   PD-01 · 5. Deductive Reasoning

6. Car thefts in a precinct last month: all were Honda or Toyota models from 2010 to 2015, taken from streets near the highway on-ramp, overnight. A new report comes in. Which one most likely belongs to the same pattern?

   • A.A 2014 Honda taken from the on-ramp area at 2 p.m.
   • B.A 2013 Toyota taken from a locked garage downtown
   • C.A 2012 Honda taken overnight from a street by the on-ramp
   • D.A 2021 Ford taken at noon from a mall lot
   Show answer

   C. A 2012 Honda taken overnight from a street by the on-ramp

   PI-08 · 6. Inductive Reasoning

7. Your sergeant gives you an order you think is a poor idea, but it is lawful and within policy. What is the most effective response?

   • A.Carry it out your own way instead
   • B.Ask other officers whether they agree with you before deciding whether to follow it
   • C.Refuse until the sergeant explains the reason
   • D.Carry out the order and raise your concern with the sergeant afterward
   Show answer

   D. Carry out the order and raise your concern with the sergeant afterward

   PJ-01 · 11. Situational Judgment

8. A rule says: "An officer may issue a warning instead of a summons for an equipment violation if the driver shows proof that the problem has been fixed." Which one of the following is true under this rule?

   • A.The driver may choose a warning instead of a summons.
   • B.The officer must issue a warning whenever the driver shows proof of the repair.
   • C.The officer must issue a summons for every equipment violation.
   • D.The officer may choose a warning when the driver shows proof of the repair.
   Show answer

   D. The officer may choose a warning when the driver shows proof of the repair.

   PC-30 · 1. Written Comprehension

9. Which one of the following sentences is the clearest for a police report?

   • A.He told me that he took his ladder back from his neighbor's yard last night.
   • B.Mr. Lee told me that he had taken his ladder.
   • C.Mr. Lee told Mr. Ford that he had taken his ladder.
   • D.Mr. Lee told me that his neighbor, Mr. Ford, had taken Mr. Lee's ladder.
   Show answer

   D. Mr. Lee told me that his neighbor, Mr. Ford, had taken Mr. Lee's ladder.

   PE-02 · 2. Written Expression

10. At a vehicle crash with injuries, an officer is to: first, make the scene safe (flares, hazard lights); second, give first aid and request EMS; third, identify the drivers and witnesses; fourth, take photographs; fifth, clear the roadway. Officer Kim has placed flares and requested EMS, who are now treating the injured driver. What should Officer Kim do next?

    • A.Take photographs of both vehicles and the road
    • B.Place more flares
    • C.Identify the drivers and witnesses
    • D.Clear the roadway
    Show answer

    C. Identify the drivers and witnesses

    PO-02 · 3. Information Ordering

What the study guide does

• Short study rounds and flip cards.
• A practice test built like the real one: 60 questions, 42 to pass.
• Pass Meter: your chance of passing if you sat the test today, worked out from your own answers.
• An explanation for every answer.