Visualization questions on your police exam will test your ability to recognize and predict patterns. You will be asked to mentally rearrange images so they match up with a given pattern structure. Tests across the country are different and will present visualization questions in many formats, but the key is prediction: You must understand what you are given, and then use it to determine what will come in the future.
Once again, the key to approaching this section is to slow down and take each part of the question step by step, especially if pattern recognition is not your strong point. Do not panic, and be methodical. Paying close attention to details is extremely important—if something is given to you, you can be sure it's an important detail to notice.
As you saw in the Test What You Know section, one possible question type will test you on how patterns and objects look when they are moved and rearranged. These questions require you to form mental images of how a picture will look as it changes.
Let’s look at a sample question. Which of the following boxes is the next element in the given pattern?
This example is a more basic question, but it gives you a good idea of how you will have to think to answer this question type successfully. In each box, you see an X. As the pattern progresses, an X is added to every box. So, the next element to this pattern is Choice (D), the box with five Xs.
Let’s look at another visualization question.
Right away, we see that there is only one X in each of the boxes. So, we are not really looking for any type of number building or sequential ordering. But we do see the X moving its position in each box. How it is moving? It looks like it's traveling around the corners. In what direction is it traveling? Here, we see that the X is moving in clockwise fashion. So, the best answer is Choice (B).
Since there are no hard and fast rules to these question types, it's hard to know how to prepare—unlike math questions, you can't really memorize rules. You just need to train your brain on how to visualize objects and how they look when they change. Now, like anything else, this section may come more easily to some than others. That's okay! Remember, you will only see a few of these questions on the test. The exam writers are not looking for architects or engineers—they are looking for future police officers. They are simply looking for basic imaging and reasoning skills.
Visualization questions are, in essence, brainteasers. So, we have to condition and train our brains to these types of questions. Oftentimes these types of pattern-recognition questions can be found in IQ tests. Searching the Internet for pattern-recognition tests can be very helpful. The more practice you have with these kinds of questions, the better you will perform on Test Day.
Use everything to your advantage to practice for these questions. Play pattern games like word search, Sudoku, or the Jumble, which may be found in your local paper. Also, there are plenty of games and apps that focus on pattern building and sequential ordering. Dedicate a few hours a week to training your mind for this section of the test. That way, when someone asks you why you are playing games on your phone, you can honestly say that you are studying!