Memorize Elements of Street Scenes

Many police exams will start with an image you will have time to study. Then a series of questions will test your memory and observation skills. The majority of these questions will require you to study an illustration or photo of a street scene, like the one you just practiced in the Test What You Know section.

You will be given a certain length of time to look at the scene and then be asked to answer several questions about details shown. If you are lucky, you already have a good memory, but you can always sharpen it. Even if your memory isn’t so great, you can learn better memory skills.

Do not just stare at the picture. Remember, they will have a page full of details to look at, and you need to know them. Methodically start looking at the picture. Make sure you cover it from top to bottom. Do not think that because something is on top of the page they will not ask about it. Everything is in play.

Think of the image you are given as a movie scene, and focus on the three basics you would find in any movie: setting, characters, and action.

Setting:

• Take note of any numbers, such as street addresses and license plate numbers.
• Look for other useful identifiers—business signs, names on buildings, statues, or other landmarks. Carefully read all that you see, and remember all details you can.
• Does the area seem prosperous or struggling? Crowded or deserted? Can you tell whether it’s a weekday or weekend, daytime or evening or night?
• Pay attention to the streets and the direction the cars or buses are pointed in.
  

Characters:

• How many people are there?
• Ages? Genders?
• What is each person wearing?
• Use two words to describe the physical appearance of each person. For instance, “tall, hairy man” or “plump, elderly woman.”
• If one of the characters has an especially distinctive physical characteristic, note it: “tall, hairy man with eye patch.”
  
• What about their facial expressions?
• What, if anything, is each character carrying?

Action:

• What is each person doing?
• Group them, using your two-word descriptions: “Tall, hairy man escorting plump, elderly woman across the intersection.”
• What can you infer about the relationships among the members of the group? Are they boss/coworkers, friends, spouses, strangers?
• Are any of the groups interacting? For instance, “Tall, hairy man escorting plump, elderly woman across intersection. Young, slender man with blond ponytail is running behind them, reaching toward her shopping bag.”
  

You should also look for numbers of all kinds: clocks (and, of course, note the time), any visible license plates, and addresses. Make sure you also take notice of specific numbers of objects: How many cars are parked on the street? How many people are on the corner?

The best way to prepare for this kind of test is to practice noticing everything around you in the time leading up to your exam. For the next few days, make a point of going through this exercise with as many things as you can—news photographs, advertisements, even the crowd in a movie theater or sports arena. Do this often enough, and it will become second nature.

Let's walk through some examples together.

For this picture, you might be asked any of the following questions:

• What time was it when this photograph was taken?
• What is a description of the car waiting at the traffic light?
• How many floors is the parking garage shown?
• What type of establishment is advertised on the corner of the parking garage?
• What traffic law is in place for the rightmost lane of the road shown?

Yes, there is a lot to remember, but five minutes is a long time. Scan the picture, try to take everything in that you can, and then start zooming in on particular items. Do not get caught up in staring at just one item. A good tip to remember is to try to memorize information in some sort of order— top to bottom or left to right.

Here is another picture with some great signage.

For this picture you might see questions like:

• What is the price of regular gas?
• According to the sign, what type of fuel is being sold at the gas station?
• What is the speed limit?
• What does the sign on the lawn say?

If it is an indoor scene, there will be a good probability that it will be a sketch of a crime scene. All the same rules apply as in street scenes: Look at calendars, clocks, and anything out of place. Look for weapons, and start associating items with each other and their locations.

Note: This type of question tends to come at the beginning of most police exams because everyone is starting off at the same time and the proctor has to time the exercise for everyone. At this point, your anxiety and nerves are all built up. Go in expecting this question type to come first—don't let it catch you off guard. Take a deep breath. Relax and concentrate all your energy into focusing on the picture.

No matter what type of memorization exercise you are given, once the proctor collects the memorization image or booklet, start writing down notes on what you can remember if that is permitted.