35 Reasoning & Judgment Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. A department policy states: "Every officer assigned to the Harbor Patrol Unit is certified in swift-water rescue." Officer Nakamura is not certified in swift-water rescue. Based only on this information, which conclusion MUST be true?

   • A.Officer Nakamura is not assigned to the Harbor Patrol Unit✓ Answer
   • B.Officer Nakamura is assigned to the Harbor Patrol Unit
   • C.Some officers in the Harbor Patrol Unit are not certified in swift-water rescue
   • D.Officer Nakamura will be assigned to the Harbor Patrol Unit once he is certified

   If every member of a group has a certain property, then anyone lacking that property cannot be a member of the group. Nakamura lacks the certification that all Harbor Patrol officers are stated to have, so he cannot be assigned there. The rule never says that holding the certification places an officer in the unit, so nothing about future assignment or about uncertified unit members follows.

   Ref QB-YUUECTSource: Deductive reasoning by contrapositive (modus tollens); ability definition per NYC DCAS Police Officer Notice of Examination 6311 — "applying general rules to specific problems"Report a problem with this question

2. 2. A department uses these dispatch priorities: PRIORITY 1 — immediate response, emergency lights and siren authorized; used only when a threat to life is reported. PRIORITY 2 — prompt response, no emergency equipment; used when a crime is in progress with no injury reported. PRIORITY 3 — routine response; used when the incident is over and no suspect is at the scene. RULE 4.02: A responding officer may never change the priority of an assigned call. Only the on-duty supervisor may raise or lower a priority. The officer must relay any new information to dispatch. Officer Cole is driving to a Priority 3 stolen-bicycle report. En route, dispatch relays that the complainant just called back: the person who took the bicycle has returned and is arguing with her in the driveway. No weapon and no injury are reported. What should Officer Cole do?

   • A.Relay the new information to dispatch and request that the on-duty supervisor reassign the priority, continuing to respond in the meantime✓ Answer
   • B.Continue responding to the call as a Priority 3 and say nothing further to dispatch, since the priority assigned at intake cannot be changed
   • C.Cancel the response and ask dispatch to have the complainant come to the station to file the report
   • D.Upgrade the call to Priority 1 himself and respond with lights and siren because a suspect is now on scene

   Rule 4.02 does two things at once: it forbids the officer from changing the priority himself, and it obligates him to relay new information to dispatch. Only the combination of those two duties is fully correct, so the answer must pair the right verdict (no self-upgrade) with the right procedure (report it and let the supervisor decide). Choosing to upgrade himself is the trap set by real-world intuition, and staying silent violates the reporting half of the same rule.

   Ref QB-ECBXKRSource: Rule 4.02 as quoted in the stem (priority changes reserved to the supervisor; officer must relay new information)Report a problem with this question

3. 3. A found-property policy reads: P-9.1 Found property with an estimated value under $250 is entered on Form R-2 and placed in the precinct property locker. P-9.2 Found property that is perishable is photographed, entered on Form R-2, and disposed of at once; perishable property is never placed in the property locker, regardless of value. P-9.3 Found currency, in any amount, is entered on Form R-1 and deposited in the station safe. There are no exceptions to this rule. Officer Ibarra recovers an unattended cooler from a bus bench. It contains $80 in cash and two pounds of fresh fish worth about $30. Which action complies with the policy?

   • A.Enter the $80 on Form R-1 and deposit it in the station safe; photograph the fish, enter it on Form R-2, and dispose of it at once✓ Answer
   • B.Enter both the cash and the fish on Form R-1 and place the entire cooler in the station safe
   • C.Photograph everything, enter it all on Form R-2, and dispose of the whole cooler because it contains perishable property
   • D.Enter both the cash and the fish together on Form R-2 and place the cooler in the property locker, since each item is worth less than $250

   Each item must be routed by the rule that governs it, not by the container it was found in. P-9.3 is absolute for currency, so the $80 goes on Form R-1 into the safe no matter how small the amount; P-9.2 is absolute for perishables, so the fish is photographed, logged on R-2, and disposed of rather than stored. The under-$250 locker rule in P-9.1 cannot override either absolute provision.

   Ref QB-XUG47SSource: Policy sections P-9.1, P-9.2 and P-9.3 as quoted in the stem (absolute qualifiers "never" and "no exceptions" control)Report a problem with this question

4. 4. A records manual defines: CODE 41 — Property Damage: property damaged without the owner's consent, with no entry into a structure. CODE 42 — Unlawful Structure Entry: entry into a closed structure without the owner's consent, whether or not property is removed. CODE 43 — Theft From Structure: entry into a closed structure without consent AND removal of property from it. FILING RULE: When more than one code applies to a single incident, the report is filed under the highest-numbered applicable code. A person smashed the window of a locked garden shed, climbed inside, and was chased off by a neighbor before taking anything. Nothing was removed. How is the report filed?

   • A.As two separate reports, one under Code 41 and one under Code 42
   • B.Under Code 43, because the person clearly entered intending to steal
   • C.Under Code 42, because entry into the closed shed occurred and nothing was removed✓ Answer
   • D.Under Code 41, because the only completed act was breaking the window

   Two codes are satisfied by these facts: the broken window fits 41 and the entry into the closed shed fits 42, while 43 fails because its definition requires that property actually be removed. The filing rule then resolves the overlap by requiring a single report under the highest-numbered applicable code, which is 42. Intent to steal is not part of any definition given, so it cannot be used to reach Code 43.

   Ref QB-DCYKEQSource: Records manual Codes 41-43 and the filing rule (highest-numbered applicable code) as quoted in the stemReport a problem with this question

5. 5. A posted parking chart reads: ZONE A — No stopping, standing, or parking, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Monday through Friday. ZONE B — Two-hour parking, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., daily. PERMIT NOTE — A vehicle displaying a valid Contractor Permit is exempt from posted time limits. A Contractor Permit never exempts a vehicle from a no-stopping restriction. On a Tuesday at 8:15 a.m., Officer Reyes finds a van displaying a valid Contractor Permit parked in Zone A. It has been there about 20 minutes. Applying only the chart, what is the correct determination?

   • A.No violation, because the posted Contractor Permit exempts the van from the Zone A restriction whenever crew members are actively working inside the building
   • B.No violation, because the van has been parked for less than two hours
   • C.A violation, because the permit does not exempt the van from the Zone A no-stopping restriction in effect at 8:15 a.m. on a weekday✓ Answer
   • D.A violation only if the van remains in Zone A for more than two hours

   The permit note grants exactly one exemption — from posted time limits — and then states absolutely that it never applies to a no-stopping restriction. Zone A is a no-stopping restriction, and 8:15 a.m. on a Tuesday falls inside its 7:00-9:00 a.m. weekday window, so the permit is irrelevant. The two-hour rule belongs to Zone B and cannot be imported into Zone A.

   Ref QB-WU5SZQSource: Parking chart Zone A restriction and Permit Note ("never exempts... from a no-stopping restriction") as quoted in the stemReport a problem with this question

6. 6. Four people gave statements about a collision between a delivery van and a scooter at Ash Street and 9th Avenue. TRENT (café window): "The scooter went through the intersection and the van hit it. A man in a grey hooded sweatshirt ran off the sidewalk into the street right afterward and started waving cars away." OZAWA (bus stop): "I didn't see the crash, I heard it. When I looked up, a guy in a grey hoodie was already in the middle of the street stopping traffic with his hands." BOYLE (driving behind the van): "I'd guess the van driver was on his phone, the way he drifted." FARROW: "I'm an off-duty firefighter. I was walking on the sidewalk, saw the van and the scooter hit, and I stepped into the street to keep cars back until units arrived. I was wearing a grey sweatshirt." Which conclusion is BEST supported?

   • A.The van driver deliberately tried to cut off the scooter
   • B.The man who directed traffic after the collision was Farrow, the off-duty firefighter✓ Answer
   • C.Ozawa saw the scooter enter the intersection before the van struck it
   • D.The van driver was using a phone at the moment of the collision

   Inductive items are scored by cross-referencing accounts, and only the identity inference survives that test: Trent and Ozawa independently describe a man in a grey hooded sweatshirt directing traffic immediately after the crash, and Farrow places himself in a grey sweatshirt doing exactly that. Boyle's statement is expressly a guess ("I'd guess"), Ozawa states he did not see the crash so he cannot have seen the scooter enter, and no witness reports anything showing the driver's intent.

   Ref QB-CCM99PSource: Inductive reasoning scoring principles (cross-reference multiple accounts; a witness's guess is not evidence; motive is not inferable unless stated) — ability definition per NYC DCAS Police Officer NOE 6311Report a problem with this question

7. 7. Four people gave statements about a disturbance inside a hardware store. ALVAREZ (clerk): "Two men were arguing by the register. The taller one shoved the other and then walked out the front door carrying a cordless drill he had not paid for." NOWAK (customer): "I saw the shove. The man who did the shoving walked out with a boxed power tool under his arm." PHAM (customer): "Honestly, I don't really remember whether anyone was pushed. I was looking at my phone." RUIZ (delivery driver, outside): "I heard one of the paramedics say the man who got shoved had a broken wrist." Which conclusion is BEST supported?

   • A.The man who left the store with the power tool is the same man who shoved the other man✓ Answer
   • B.The man who was shoved suffered a broken wrist
   • C.No shove occurred, because one witness inside the store does not recall a push
   • D.The man who left the store intended to injure the other man

   Two witnesses who were present and looking directly at the argument independently link the same person to both acts — the shove and walking out with the power tool — and that overlap is what makes the conclusion supportable. Pham's failure to recall is not evidence that nothing happened and is outweighed by two direct observations; Ruiz is repeating what he heard someone else say, which is hearsay rather than something he observed; and intent to injure is never inferable from the fact of a shove alone.

   Ref QB-VUSEUPSource: Inductive reasoning scoring principles (two direct accounts outweigh a non-recollection; hearsay and intent claims are unsupported) — ability definition per NYC DCAS Police Officer NOE 6311Report a problem with this question

8. 8. At roll call a sergeant says: "All six burglaries reported on Alder Street last month happened on a Tuesday. So the next burglary on Alder Street will happen on a Tuesday, and there is no point putting extra patrol on that street on any other day." Which choice best identifies the flaw in the sergeant's reasoning?

   • A.It presents numbers without listing the specific addresses where the burglaries occurred
   • B.It treats a pattern found in a small set of past events as a guarantee about a future event, when the pattern may be coincidental or may change✓ Answer
   • C.It fails to state whether the burglaries were residential or commercial
   • D.It relies entirely on the burglary reports themselves without independently confirming that every one of them was filed accurately

   A pattern observed in past cases can justify a prediction of likelihood, but it cannot make a future event certain, and a sample of six incidents in one month is far too small to rule out coincidence or a shift in the offender's habits. The sergeant converts "has always happened so far" into "must happen next," which is the classic inductive overreach. The other choices raise side issues that do not touch the leap from past pattern to guaranteed future event.

   Ref QB-KC4MFXSource: Inductive reasoning: hasty generalization from a limited sample; conclusions of likelihood versus certaintyReport a problem with this question

9. 9. Complete the series: 4, 7, 13, 25, 49, ?

   • A.89
   • B.97✓ Answer
   • C.98
   • D.73

   Each term is found by doubling the previous term and subtracting 1 (4x2-1=7, 7x2-1=13, 13x2-1=25, 25x2-1=49), which is the same as saying the gaps double: 3, 6, 12, 24, then 48. Applying the rule, 49x2-1=97, or equivalently 49+48=97. The distractor 98 comes from doubling without subtracting 1, which fails when checked against the earlier terms.

   Ref QB-4V9S2YSource: Pattern recognition / number series: identify the transformation between adjacent terms and verify it on earlier pairs before selectingReport a problem with this question

10. 10. Complete the series: ZA, YC, XE, WG, ?

    • A.VI✓ Answer
    • B.UJ
    • C.UI
    • D.VH

    The pair must be treated as two independent sequences. The first letters run backward through the alphabet one step at a time (Z, Y, X, W, so V is next), while the second letters advance by two, skipping one letter each time (A, C, E, G, so I is next). Combining the two rules gives VI; VH and UI each apply only one of the two rules correctly.

    Ref QB-27RXDPSource: Pattern recognition / letter series: resolve compound items into separate positional rules and verify each rule across all given termsReport a problem with this question

11. 11. A crime analyst summarizes five recent burglaries: (1) Tuesday, 2:15 p.m. — ground-floor apartment, entry through an unlocked rear sliding door, only prescription medication taken. (2) Thursday, 11:40 p.m. — detached house, front door pried open with a flat tool, television and laptop taken. (3) Wednesday, 1:50 p.m. — ground-floor apartment, entry through an unlocked rear window, only prescription medication taken. (4) Saturday, 3:10 a.m. — retail store, front glass smashed, cash register taken. (5) Friday, 9:00 a.m. — house entered with a key by a former tenant, furniture removed. Which two incidents are most likely the work of the same offender?

    • A.Incidents 1 and 2
    • B.Incidents 2 and 4
    • C.Incidents 3 and 5
    • D.Incidents 1 and 3✓ Answer

    Crime-pattern analysis compares target type, method of entry, time of day, and property taken, and a link is strongest when several of those factors match at once. Incidents 1 and 3 match on all four: ground-floor apartments, entry through an unsecured rear opening with no force used, early afternoon on a weekday, and prescription medication as the only property taken. Incidents 2 and 4 share only a late-night time frame while differing in target and method, and the remaining pairs match on almost nothing.

    Ref QB-HPJSTNSource: Pattern recognition applied to crime analysis: linking cases by target, method of entry, time of day and property taken (IOS ability rationale)Report a problem with this question

12. 12. Officer Vance's notes contain these five statements about an armed robbery at a pharmacy, listed out of order: (1) The clerk pressed the silent alarm under the counter. (2) A grey sedan double-parked in front of the pharmacy with its engine running. (3) Officer Vance arrived and detained the driver of the sedan. (4) A man wearing a mask walked in and demanded the money in the register. (5) The masked man ran out and the sedan stalled at the curb. Which sequence places the events in the order in which they must have occurred?

    • A.2 - 4 - 1 - 5 - 3✓ Answer
    • B.2 - 4 - 5 - 1 - 3
    • C.2 - 1 - 4 - 5 - 3
    • D.4 - 2 - 1 - 5 - 3

    Sort the statements into before, during and after the robbery. Statement 3 is the only event after police arrival, so it is last, and statement 5 (the escape) must immediately precede it. Within the robbery, the clerk's alarm in statement 1 is a reaction and therefore must follow the demand in statement 4, and the waiting sedan in statement 2 is the only setup event, so it comes first.

    Ref QB-374AKQSource: Information ordering: before/during/after bucketing with unique anchors; a reaction statement must follow the statement that triggers it (NYC DCAS ability definition)Report a problem with this question

13. 13. Evidence Procedure 7 must be performed in this exact order, with no step taken out of sequence: (1) photograph the item where it lies, before it is moved; (2) collect the item wearing gloves and place it in an appropriate container; (3) seal the container and mark the seal with your initials, the date and the time; (4) complete the evidence tag with the case number and a description; (5) transfer the sealed item to the property clerk and obtain a signed receipt. Officer Whitlock finds a folding knife on a kitchen floor. Which sequence complies with Procedure 7?

    • A.Photograph the knife where it lies, collect it in a container, seal the container and initial the seal with the date and time, complete the evidence tag, then transfer it to the property clerk for a signed receipt✓ Answer
    • B.Photograph the knife, collect it, complete the evidence tag, then seal and initial the container, then transfer it
    • C.Photograph the knife where it lies, collect it in a container, seal the container and initial the seal with the date, transfer it to the property clerk for a signed receipt, and complete the evidence tag afterward
    • D.Collect the knife first, photograph it later at the property room, then seal it, tag it, and transfer it

    Ordering items are answered from the sequence printed in the stem, and the procedure states plainly that no step may be taken out of sequence. Only one option runs 1-2-3-4-5: photograph in place, collect, seal and initial, tag, transfer with a signed receipt. The others photograph after moving the item, swap the tag and seal steps, or transfer before the tag is complete, each of which breaks the required order and the documented chain of custody.

    Ref QB-JPW4ZPSource: Evidence Procedure 7, steps 1-5 as quoted in the stem ("no step may be performed out of order")Report a problem with this question

14. 14. A complainant reports that her parked car was broken into overnight and a bag was taken from the passenger seat. Officer Reyes observes the following: the driver's window glass is lying on the pavement outside the car with none on the seat; the door lock shows no pry marks; an alarm sticker is on the windshield and the complainant says the alarm never sounded; the ignition is undamaged. Which observation most directly indicates that the window was broken from INSIDE the vehicle rather than from outside?

    • A.The ignition is undamaged
    • B.The alarm never sounded
    • C.The door lock and the surrounding door frame show no pry marks or other damage
    • D.The window glass is lying outside the car on the pavement, with none on the seat✓ Answer

    Broken glass falls on the far side of the force that broke it, so a window struck from outside deposits fragments inside the passenger compartment. Glass lying entirely on the pavement with none on the seat is therefore physical evidence pointing to a break from within the car, and it is the one observation that contradicts the reported account rather than merely leaving it unexplained. The absence of pry marks, a silent alarm and an intact ignition are each consistent with several innocent explanations and prove nothing about direction of force.

    Ref QB-Y62A3MSource: Problem sensitivity: identifying the discrepancy between a complainant's account and the physical evidence (NYC DCAS ability definition); glass fragments travel in the direction of the applied forceReport a problem with this question

15. 15. Officer Salas is the first unit at a two-car collision. Within seconds she notices all of the following. Applying the principle that protecting life comes before every other task, which condition requires her attention FIRST?

    • A.A passenger sitting on the curb who is pale, breathing rapidly, and has a spreading red stain soaking through his pant leg✓ Answer
    • B.One of the drivers insisting on giving his statement to her right now
    • C.Engine coolant dripping slowly from one radiator onto the pavement
    • D.Traffic backing up in both directions behind the collision scene while a growing line of drivers sound their horns impatiently

    Uncontrolled bleeding with pallor and rapid breathing is a time-critical threat to life, and it is the only listed condition that can kill someone in the next few minutes. The priority hierarchy places life safety above hazards, above investigation, and above public convenience, so bleeding control comes before traffic control, before taking statements, and before a slow coolant drip, which is not flammable and creates no immediate danger. Statements can be taken later and take as long as necessary; a life-threatening injury cannot wait.

    Ref QB-FPU4GKSource: Situational judgment priority hierarchy: protecting life is always the first priority; safety problems are handled before investigative ones (Ergometrics FrontLine candidate preparation guidance)Report a problem with this question

16. 16. For departmental reporting, a "Suspicious Circumstance" is defined as an observed condition that is unusual for the time and place and has no apparent lawful explanation, WHERE NO CRIME HAS YET BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE OCCURRED. Which of the following situations does NOT meet that definition?

    • A.At 2:00 a.m., a ladder is propped against the rear second-floor window of a house and no work vehicle is anywhere nearby
    • B.At 2:00 a.m., a person sits in a running car in a residential driveway with the headlights off for about 40 minutes
    • C.At 11:00 p.m., a store's front window is smashed and the cash drawer is standing open and empty✓ Answer
    • D.At 3:00 a.m., two people sit inside a parked van in a closed industrial lot using a flashlight, and the van displays no lot permit

    The definition contains three elements, and the last one is a limit: the category applies only where no crime has yet been shown to have occurred. A smashed window together with an open, empty cash drawer is direct evidence that a crime has already taken place, so the situation is a reported crime rather than a suspicious circumstance. The other three are unusual for the hour and lack an apparent lawful explanation, but nothing in them establishes that a crime has occurred.

    Ref QB-Z6DM8NSource: Category definition of "Suspicious Circumstance" as quoted in the stem (all three elements, including the no-crime-shown limitation, must be satisfied)Report a problem with this question

17. 17. Officer Delgado's patrol car is facing south. She makes a left turn, then a U-turn, then a right turn. Which direction is she facing now?

    • A.South
    • B.East
    • C.North✓ Answer
    • D.West

    Each turn must be figured from the officer's current heading, not from the map's north. Facing south, a left turn puts her facing east; a U-turn reverses that to west; a right turn from west puts her facing north. Answering relative to map north instead of the current heading is the most common error on this item type.

    Ref QB-GP7FNMSource: Spatial orientation: determining heading after successive turns relative to current direction of travel (NYC DCAS ability definition)Report a problem with this question

18. 18. On a grid, the avenues run north-south and are named 1st, 2nd and 3rd from west to east. The streets run east-west and are named Ash, Birch and Cedar from north to south. Ash Street is one-way westbound. Birch Street is one-way eastbound. 2nd Avenue is one-way southbound. 1st Avenue, 3rd Avenue and Cedar Street are two-way. Officer Ruiz is at 1st Avenue and Cedar Street and must drive to 3rd Avenue and Ash Street. Which route is both legal and shortest?

    • A.East on Cedar Street to 3rd Avenue, then north on 3rd Avenue to Ash Street✓ Answer
    • B.North on 1st Avenue to Birch Street, east on Birch Street to 2nd Avenue, north on 2nd Avenue to Ash Street, then east on Ash Street to 3rd Avenue
    • C.East on Cedar Street to 2nd Avenue, north on 2nd Avenue to Ash Street, then east on Ash Street to 3rd Avenue
    • D.North on 1st Avenue to Ash Street, then east on Ash Street to 3rd Avenue

    The trip requires moving two blocks east and two blocks north, so any legal four-block route is shortest. Every option except one travels east on Ash Street, which is one-way westbound, and two of them also travel north on 2nd Avenue, which is one-way southbound. Only Cedar Street east to 3rd Avenue, then 3rd Avenue north to Ash Street, uses two-way roadways in permitted directions for the whole four blocks.

    Ref QB-676A4USource: Spatial orientation / map reading: shortest legal route subject to the one-way designations stated in the stemReport a problem with this question

19. 19. Officer Kane is inside a home taking a report of a burglary that happened yesterday; no suspect is present and no one is injured. Mid-interview, dispatch broadcasts a carjacking in progress two blocks away with a weapon displayed, and asks for available units. Kane is the closest unit. What should he do?

    • A.Finish the report first, because an officer should never leave an assignment unfinished
    • B.Stay where he is and continue the burglary interview, asking dispatch to send a different unit to the emergency because the burglary victim called first
    • C.Tell the complainant he must respond to an emergency, advise dispatch he is responding, and arrange to return or have the report completed later✓ Answer
    • D.Ask the complainant whether she would mind if he left before he answers the call

    The rule against leaving a scene with a problem unresolved yields when something of higher priority arises, and an armed crime in progress outranks a report of a crime that ended yesterday. The correct response also contains the two procedural pieces the situation demands: telling dispatch he is responding, and making sure the complainant is not simply abandoned but knows the report will be completed. Asking the complainant's permission surrenders a decision that is the officer's to make, and staying put subordinates an in-progress armed offense to paperwork.

    Ref QB-NPY4HTSource: Situational judgment priority hierarchy: a higher-priority emergency arising mid-task justifies suspending the lower-priority task; keep dispatch informed (Ergometrics FrontLine candidate preparation guidance)Report a problem with this question

20. 20. Officer Nunes is dispatched alone at 2:00 a.m. to an open rear door at a closed warehouse. Nothing indicates that anyone is inside and there is no report of a person in danger. Her backup unit is about four minutes away and she has radio contact. What is the best action?

    • A.Close the door, clear the call as unfounded, and resume patrol
    • B.Stand at the doorway and announce loudly several times that she is a police officer and is coming in, then enter and search alone to see whether anyone inside responds
    • C.Enter and search the building immediately and alone, so that anyone inside cannot escape
    • D.Take a position of cover where she can watch the open door, advise dispatch of her exact location and what she has, and wait the four minutes for her backup before entering✓ Answer

    Because no one is reported to be in danger, there is no life-safety emergency that would justify entering an unsecured building alone, and the officer should not handle a potentially dangerous situation without backup. Containing the scene from cover keeps her able to see anyone who leaves while accounting for weapons she cannot see, and telling dispatch her exact location and situation is what makes help effective if the call turns bad. Closing the door leaves a possible crime uninvestigated, and announcing entry alone gives away her position while still leaving her without backup.

    Ref QB-7XPEKHSource: Situational judgment, officer safety: never handle a dangerous situation alone without backup; contain the situation and keep dispatch informed of location and activity (Ergometrics FrontLine candidate preparation guidance)Report a problem with this question

21. 21. Officer Bergstrom has taken a cooperative man into custody. The man is handcuffed and has been polite throughout. It begins to rain and he asks to sit in the back of the patrol car. What should Officer Bergstrom do before placing him inside?

    • A.Place him in the car right away, since he is handcuffed and has been cooperative
    • B.Ask him whether he has anything on him and rely on his answer
    • C.Have him wait outside in the rain until a transport van arrives, so no search is needed
    • D.Search him for weapons and contraband before he is placed inside, and check the rear seat area as well✓ Answer

    The standing safety rule is that a person is never confined or transported without being searched first, because handcuffs restrain the hands but do not account for weapons or contraband the officer cannot see. Cooperativeness is not a substitute for a search: people do not always tell the truth, and a concealed weapon or item is exactly what an officer would not be told about. Checking the rear seat area also establishes what was in the car before the person was placed there, which protects the officer and the arrestee alike.

    Ref QB-QEVK6JSource: Situational judgment, officer safety: never confine or transport a person without searching them first; account for weapons you cannot see (Ergometrics FrontLine candidate preparation guidance)Report a problem with this question

22. 22. Two officers respond to a loud-music complaint at 11:30 p.m. The resident opens the door and immediately begins complaining loudly that police always target his family. No offense beyond the noise complaint is apparent, and the situation is not dangerous. Which approach is best?

    • A.Let him vent briefly without taking it personally, explain that a neighbor complained and what the noise rule requires, and ask him to turn it down, offering options for the rest of the night✓ Answer
    • B.Tell him his opinion of the police is irrelevant and demand his identification
    • C.Say nothing and leave, since the matter is minor and the resident is upset
    • D.Cut him off mid-sentence, order him to shut the music off immediately and completely, and warn him that he will be cited and could even be arrested if officers have to come back again later tonight

    Officers are expected to gain control at the lowest level that works, and discretion is widest for the least serious offenses, so a noise complaint calls for explanation and cooperation rather than commands or threats. People who deal with police are often upset and may need to vent; letting that run briefly without taking it personally usually defuses the encounter, and adding the reason for the contact plus workable options is what turns compliance into lasting cooperation. The heavy-handed option escalates a minor matter unnecessarily, while leaving without addressing the complaint abandons an unresolved problem and the neighbor who called.

    Ref QB-8X2SRJSource: Situational judgment: gain control at the lowest level that works; discretion scales inversely with seriousness; explain and offer options (Ergometrics FrontLine candidate preparation guidance)Report a problem with this question

23. 23. A training bulletin gives these definitions. LARCENY: taking another person's property without consent, intending to keep it. ROBBERY: larceny carried out by force or the threat of immediate force against a person. BURGLARY: unlawfully entering a building intending to commit a crime inside. EXTORTION: obtaining property by threatening harm at some future time. A man approaches a food-truck customer on the sidewalk, says "Give me the watch or I'll hit you right now," and takes it. Based ONLY on these definitions, which offense did he most likely commit?

    • A.Extortion
    • B.Larceny
    • C.Burglary
    • D.Robbery✓ Answer

    The man used a threat of immediate force ("I'll hit you right now") to take property from a person, which matches the robbery definition exactly; extortion requires a threat of future harm, burglary requires entering a building, and simple larceny involves no force or threat at all.

    Ref QB-RE8XBKSource: NYS Trooper Exam Study Guide (IOS) deductive-reasoning offense-classification format; definitions applied strictly as supplied in the stemReport a problem with this question

24. 24. Department pursuit policy states: "An officer may pursue a fleeing vehicle only when its driver is suspected of a violent felony. A pursuit MUST be terminated whenever it enters an active school zone during posted school hours, regardless of the offense." Officer Rios is pursuing a driver suspected of an armed carjacking. At 2:30 p.m. on a school day, the pursuit enters a school zone during its posted hours. Under this policy, Rios must:

    • A.Continue, because armed carjacking is a violent felony
    • B.Terminate the pursuit upon entering the school zone✓ Answer
    • C.Slow to the school-zone speed limit and continue
    • D.Request a supervisor's permission to keep pursuing

    The school-zone clause applies "regardless of the offense," so it overrides the violent-felony authorization: a policy provision with an unconditional termination trigger must be followed as written, and no supervisor approval or reduced speed is offered as an alternative in the text.

    Ref QB-5XYR8FSource: DCAS Exam No. 5342 NOE — deductive reasoning ('applying general rules to specific problems'); pursuit policy text as given in stemReport a problem with this question

25. 25. A traffic order reads: "Section 12(b): A vehicle found blocking a fire hydrant shall be towed. Exception: if the registered owner is present and can move the vehicle at once, the officer shall issue a summons and shall not tow." Officer Park finds a sedan blocking a hydrant. As the tow truck is being requested, the registered owner runs up with his keys and offers to move the car immediately. Under Section 12(b), Park should:

    • A.Give a verbal warning, since the owner came back fast
    • B.Have the car towed, since it was blocking a hydrant
    • C.Issue a summons and let the owner move the car now✓ Answer
    • D.Tow the car and also issue the owner a summons

    Both conditions of the exception are met — the registered owner is present and can move the car at once — so the rule requires a summons and expressly forbids towing; a warning is not authorized anywhere in the section, and the general tow rule applies only when the exception's conditions are unmet.

    Ref QB-NE6XTFSource: Stem Section 12(b) exception clause; DCAS deductive-reasoning ability definition (conditional rule application)Report a problem with this question

26. 26. Four witnesses saw a hit-and-run car speed away and each wrote down its license plate. Witness 1: KDR-386. Witness 2: KDR-336. Witness 3: KBR-386. Witness 4: KDP-386. Assuming each witness recorded most of the characters correctly, which plate is MOST LIKELY the correct one?

    • A.KDR-386✓ Answer
    • B.KDP-386
    • C.KBR-386
    • D.KDR-336

    Comparing the versions position by position, K, D, R, 3, 8 and 6 are each reported by at least three of the four independent witnesses, and KDR-386 is the only version that agrees with that majority at every position — each of the other versions contains one character that only a single witness reported.

    Ref QB-6XB4EGSource: DCAS inductive-reasoning ability; witness-corroboration keying method taught in the NYS Trooper Exam Study Guide (IOS)Report a problem with this question

27. 27. Within eight days, four gas stations along Route 9 were robbed: (1) Monday 11:40 p.m. — clerk describes a tall man in a red baseball cap; (2) Wednesday 12:15 a.m. — no camera, clerk saw a tall man in a red cap; (3) Friday 11:05 p.m. — robber wore a red cap, height not noted; (4) the next Monday 12:50 a.m. — clerk describes a tall man, hat not noted. Which conclusion is BEST supported by these reports?

    • A.One man is certainly responsible for all four robberies
    • B.The robberies share a late-night, Route 9 station pattern✓ Answer
    • C.The robber will hit another Route 9 station within days
    • D.The robber most likely lives somewhere close to Route 9

    The only conclusion fully supported by the listed facts is the shared pattern — all four robberies hit Route 9 stations between roughly 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.; declaring with certainty that one man did all four, predicting the timing of the next robbery, or inferring where the robber lives all overreach the information actually given.

    Ref QB-PEH9ZGSource: DCAS inductive-reasoning ability; NYS Trooper Exam Study Guide rule that credited conclusions must not overreach the stated factsReport a problem with this question

28. 28. Three victims of a pickpocket give descriptions. Victim 1: a man about 5'6", in his 20s, gray hoodie, tattoo on his left hand. Victim 2: a short young man in a gray sweatshirt with a tattooed hand. Victim 3: a man about 5'5" in a gray hoodie carrying a red backpack. Officers stop four people nearby. Who matches the MOST details from these reports?

    • A.A 5'5" woman in her 20s, gray hoodie, with a red backpack
    • B.A 6'1" man in his 20s, gray hoodie, with a red backpack
    • C.A 5'6" man in his 20s, gray hoodie, left-hand tattoo✓ Answer
    • D.A 5'6" man in his 40s, black hoodie, left-hand tattoo

    The first subject matches every repeatedly corroborated detail — a gray hooded top (3 reports), short stature around 5'5"–5'6" (2 reports), a young man in his 20s (2 reports), and a tattooed hand (2 reports) — while each other subject contradicts a detail that multiple victims reported: height, age and top color, or sex.

    Ref QB-3X94WCSource: DCAS inductive-reasoning ability — combining separate witness reports into a supported conclusion (description matching)Report a problem with this question

29. 29. Reporting a burglary of his apartment, a tenant states: (1) he could not recall the exact brand of his stolen wristwatch; (2) he was at his office from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and never left it; (3) around noon he noticed a strange van parked outside his apartment building; (4) he gave rough value estimates because he had no receipts. Which statement should prompt the officer to ask follow-up questions?

    • A.Statement 3, seeing his building at noon despite never leaving work✓ Answer
    • B.Statement 1, forgetting the brand of one's own watch
    • C.Statement 4, giving estimates instead of exact receipts
    • D.Statement 2, staying inside an office for ten straight hours

    Statements 2 and 3 cannot both be true: a man who never left his office between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. could not have personally seen a van outside his apartment building at noon, so that concrete contradiction must be resolved; hazy memory of a brand, long work hours, or missing receipts are common and not inherently inconsistent.

    Ref QB-KEF9GDSource: DCAS problem-sensitivity ability — credited answer is the concrete, identifiable discrepancy between statementsReport a problem with this question

30. 30. While on foot patrol at midday, Officer Cole notices four situations. Which one MOST warrants his immediate attention?

    • A.Several teenagers laughing loudly at a crowded bus stop
    • B.A jogger whose dog is running off-leash across the park
    • C.A delivery truck double-parked outside a busy bakery
    • D.A man in a heavy coat on a hot day pacing by a bank door✓ Answer

    A coat far too heavy for the weather can conceal a weapon, and pacing while watching a bank entrance is behavior consistent with someone preparing a robbery, so this is the situation most likely to go seriously wrong; the other three are routine minor violations or ordinary activity posing no comparable risk.

    Ref QB-AZPK4NSource: DCAS problem-sensitivity ability — 'being able to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong'Report a problem with this question

31. 31. A homeowner tells Officer Diaz that a burglar smashed the rear window from the outside to get in while she was away. Diaz notes four things: the back door was locked from the inside; dresser drawers were pulled out and emptied; muddy shoe prints ran across the carpet; and nearly all of the broken glass lay on the ground OUTSIDE beneath the window. Which observation conflicts with the homeowner's account?

    • A.The dresser drawers pulled out and emptied
    • B.The muddy shoe prints across the carpeting
    • C.The broken glass lying outside the window✓ Answer
    • D.The back door being locked from the inside

    Glass travels in the direction of the force that breaks it, so a window smashed from the outside would leave most of the glass inside the room; glass piled outside indicates the window was broken from within, which contradicts the account. The locked door, emptied drawers, and muddy prints are all consistent with a burglary.

    Ref QB-SGHEHMSource: DCAS problem-sensitivity ability; glass-fall direction principle used in staged-burglary training scenariosReport a problem with this question

32. 32. Procedure 5-2, "Missing Child," must be followed in this order: (1) obtain the child's description and the time and place last seen; (2) if the child may still be inside the building where last seen, search that building at once; (3) broadcast the description to all units; (4) notify the patrol supervisor; (5) canvass the surrounding area. At a supermarket, Officer Webb has just obtained a description from a mother who says her son was beside her in the store five minutes ago. What should Webb do NEXT?

    • A.Search the inside of the supermarket at once✓ Answer
    • B.Broadcast the boy's description to all units
    • C.Canvass the parking lot and nearby streets
    • D.Notify the patrol supervisor of the report

    Step 2 is a conditional step that comes before broadcasting: because the boy was beside his mother in the store only five minutes ago, he may still be inside the building where he was last seen, so the procedure requires searching that building at once; broadcasting, notifying the supervisor, or canvassing first would skip the triggered conditional step.

    Ref QB-9ZB9XKSource: DCAS information-ordering ability — 'following correctly a rule or set of rules or actions in a certain order'; stem Procedure 5-2 step (2)Report a problem with this question

33. 33. These five sentences describe one incident, out of order: (1) Officer Tran handcuffed the man and advised him of his rights. (2) A cashier reported that a man had just fled after stealing two bottles of liquor. (3) Two blocks away, Officer Tran stopped a man matching the description. (4) The dispatcher broadcast the cashier's description of the thief. (5) Brought to the scene of the stop, the cashier identified the man as the thief. Which order is MOST logical?

    • A.2, 4, 3, 5, 1✓ Answer
    • B.4, 2, 3, 1, 5
    • C.2, 3, 4, 5, 1
    • D.2, 4, 5, 3, 1

    The events can only run report, broadcast, stop, identification, arrest: Tran could not stop a man "matching the description" before the dispatcher broadcast it, the dispatcher could not broadcast before the cashier reported, and the cashier could not identify a detained man before the stop — so 2, 4, 3, 5, 1 is the only workable order.

    Ref QB-RG64CKSource: DCAS information-ordering ability — sentence-sequencing item format per the NYS Trooper Exam Study Guide (IOS)Report a problem with this question

34. 34. Officer Iker is assigned to direct traffic around a broken water main. He hears shouting and sees an elderly man collapse on the sidewalk about thirty yards away; the man is not moving. No other officer is nearby. What should Iker do FIRST?

    • A.Go to the man at once, radioing for an ambulance on the way✓ Answer
    • B.Wave a passing driver over to check the man and report back
    • C.Radio for an ambulance and keep directing traffic meanwhile
    • D.Stay at his post, since traffic control is his assignment

    Protecting life outranks an assigned traffic post: an unresponsive collapsed man may need aid within minutes, so the officer should go to him immediately while summoning EMS by radio — calling for help while acting, not instead of acting. Staying at the post or delegating to a passerby places a lower priority above a possible life-threatening emergency.

    Ref QB-8ZYWRJSource: Police SJT priority hierarchy: life/safety > orders and procedure > property > assigned administrative duty (policeteststudyguide.com SJT doctrine)Report a problem with this question

35. 35. While backing the patrol car out of a narrow alley at the end of a quiet shift, Officer Boone scrapes the fender of a legally parked car. There are no witnesses and no cameras in sight. His partner says, "It's barely a scratch — let's just head in." What should Boone do?

    • A.Pay the car's owner privately so that no report is required
    • B.Drive on, since the damage is minor and nobody observed it
    • C.Leave a note with his personal number and settle it off duty
    • D.Report the scrape to his supervisor and document the damage✓ Answer

    Integrity requires full and honest reporting of any on-duty incident, so the only acceptable action is to notify the supervisor and document the damage; driving off, settling privately, or handling it off the record all conceal an on-duty collision, and concealment is itself misconduct no matter how minor the damage or how unlikely discovery seems.

    Ref QB-QGTR6JSource: Police SJT integrity standard — report honestly, never conceal or falsify an on-duty incident (universal credited-answer rule in official and prep SJT guidance)Report a problem with this question

Practice questions modeled on the common domains of police officer written entrance exams (reading, writing/grammar, math, reasoning). Not legal advice and not affiliated with or endorsed by any law-enforcement agency or testing vendor. Agencies use different exams — check your agency's announcement for its specific format. BLS occupation profile →