Police Officer Exam

In an earlier chapter you were told that oral interviews are often a part of the process used in selecting police officers. Therefore, candidates who are seeking employment with a police department that uses the oral interview as a formal component of its entry-level selection process must attach great importance to the information presented in this chapter. We believe the information in this chapter is of importance to you even if the department you are interested in does not have a formal oral interview component, because the qualities measured in a formal oral interview are always evaluated. If they are not specifically evaluated in a structured oral interview, then they are evaluated as part of the probationary period. Said another way, police departments know the profile of their ideal candidate. They know what they want their officers to be like and how they want them to behave. In some cases, they use a formal process to determine if you fit that profile. In other cases, they make this determination in other, less direct ways. But they always make that determination before granting you full civil service tenure. Your job is to find out the kind of person they want you to be, and then, insofar as it is possible, to be that person.

Sometimes candidates, in their desire to obtain employment as a police officer, will present false factual information about their background to investigators. This is a grievous and irreversible error. You must understand that the factual information about yourself that you supply will be checked. If a subsequent determination is made that you misrepresented your background in an attempt to deceive, you will be rejected. In many cases, the rejection is made even if the information you misrepresented is not cause for automatic disqualification. The bottom line is this: Be truthful and accurate about your background. You will not be judged solely on any one fact but on the total of all of the facts.

Your chances of success on an oral interview are increased if you have a good working knowledge of the oral interview process. Please understand that we cannot describe for you the exact process as it exists in each jurisdiction. There are simply too many variations of the process. There are certain concepts, however, that are the same regardless of the exact process, and it is these concepts that you should understand.

The first thing you should understand is the reason oral interviews are needed. There are certain attitudes and abilities that a police officer must have that cannot be measured by a written examination. For example, during an oral interview, an evaluator can measure your communication abilities. In addition, your attitude, which means your approach toward police work, can also be observed during an oral interview. These attitudes and abilities are not as effectively measured on a written test.

No! Some jurisdictions do not include an oral component in their selection process. In most cases when they are not used, the reason is economics. Oral interviews are costly; therefore, they are not used in some jurisdictions, especially in larger ones where hundreds—even thousands—of prospective candidates would have to be interviewed. On the other hand, some jurisdictions rely heavily on oral interviews and not on written tests.

To begin with, most oral interviews are usually conducted by a panel of three people, although you might see anywhere from one to five panelists. In almost all cases you can expect to have someone on the board who has a police background, and someone from the local personnel agency. Quite often an attempt is made to have community representation on the board, and in some instances the services of a psychologist are used. If you are furnished ahead of time with information about the composition of the board, you should display this knowledge during the interview since it will probably help you score better. For example, if you know the names of the board members, use them during the interview.

Yes! There are mandatory questions that must be asked of each candidate. Think of the interview as being quite structured. Panelists do not ask different questions of candidates based on how the interview goes; they ask each candidate the same basic questions. These questions must, of course, be legal. For example, questions about marital status, religious affiliation, or political beliefs would be illegal. Questions must also be job related. For this reason, you should secure a copy of the job description (also known as a position description) for the police officer title in the jurisdiction where you are applying. This description is very often included as part of the job announcement (sometimes called the test announcement) that is published when the police test is scheduled. The job description is important to you with respect to the oral interview because it tells you those typical tasks of a police officer that are emphasized in the jurisdiction where you are applying. The persons responsible for formulating the questions asked during the oral interview almost always use the job description to develop interview questions. It is, therefore, relatively safe for you to assume that some of the questions during your oral interview will be related to those tasks that are included in the job description.

IMPERMISSIBLE QUESTIONS

Marital status
Religious affiliation
Political beliefs

Each board member is an evaluator and is trained in the scoring process. From the start of the interview until its conclusion you will probably see board members making notes as you speak. What they are doing is recording positive or negative comments about you in accordance with the guidelines that were established during their training. Immediately after each interview, the panelists independently arrive at a numerical rating within an agreed upon range, e.g., from one to ten, with, for example, one being the lowest rating and ten being the highest. Then, after each board member has arrived at a score for the interview, a group discussion is held to guard against the possibility that one of the members missed some very important negative or positive information. While consensus among the raters is not required, quite often the ratings have to fall within a certain range of each other.

From the preceding discussion it is now quite apparent to you that the scoring of oral interviews is a subjective process. Unlike a written multiple-choice examination, there is not just one correct answer to each question asked during an oral interview. Although evaluators are trained to be as objective as possible, to overlook the fact that the process is subjective is a big mistake. Therefore, you should not answer questions from your perspective of what the ideal police officer should be. Rather, your goal should be to convince the board members that you will be the kind of police officer they think is ideal. And you can rest assured that they are very traditional in their beliefs. They have a fixed idea of how a police officer should behave and how a police officer should present himself/herself. This includes appearance. This is why it is a good idea to find out in advance whatever you can about the composition of the board. This will be discussed in more detail later.

Yes. Reviewing a sample rating form allows a candidate to see at a glance the attitudes and skills that are typically measured during an oral interview for the position of police officer. A sample oral interview rating form is shown below. Remember, however, when you review this form that it is only a sample of what a rating form typically looks like. It is meant to give you a general idea of what the form used in your jurisdiction might be.

In those departments that use a formal oral interview as part of their selection process, you will often be told by those conducting the examination that you cannot prepare for it. In some jurisdictions you will be told to simply appear at the appointed time and to be yourself. This is bad advice. The truth is that there are a number of steps you can take ahead of time that can greatly increase your chances of being selected. These steps follow:

1.STUDY THE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT. The police officer job announcement for your jurisdiction usually contains statements concerning the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the job. It also contains examples of the typical tasks performed by police officers in that jurisdiction. The oral board members are very often given the job announcement as the source for the questions they develop for the interview. It, therefore, contains many clues as to the types of questions you will be asked and the responses you should give. Study this announcement, anticipate questions from it, and frame tentative answers.

2.REVIEW YOUR JOB APPLICATION. You may very well be asked questions during your interview about information you included on your job application. You should be quite familiar with that information so that you will be able to answer promptly and coherently when asked about it. Also consider the possibility that you could be asked to elaborate on some portion of the job application at the interview. You should, therefore, be prepared to do so.

PRE-INTERVIEW STRATEGIES

Study the job announcement.

Review the job application.

Learn about the specific department.

Be a community volunteer.

Enroll in a criminal justice program.

Talk to police officers.

Practice answers to questions.

Work on your personal appearance.

Learn suggested responses.

3.LEARN ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT INVOLVED. Make an effort to gain knowledge about the department you want to join. Know the salary, fringe benefits, retirement policy, and promotional opportunities. Also try to gain an understanding of the current critical issues the department is trying to deal with. As explained below, this information should be discussed during the interview if it becomes relevant to the interview, and it should.

4.LEARN ABOUT THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED. Make an effort to gain knowledge about the local community you want to serve as a police officer. Make sure you indicate during your interview an understanding of the importance of the police gaining the trust of all citizens regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, age, and/or sexual preference. Remember, diversity in a community is a positive force, but the burden of developing good community relations rests with the police.

5.TAKE PART IN VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS. Police agencies value candidates who have taken part in community volunteer programs. Insofar as possible, you should participate in such volunteer programs. Examples are auxiliary police programs and internships arranged through educational programs.

6.ENROLL IN A CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM. If you have the opportunity, you should enroll in a criminal justice program at an accredited college or university. This would not only help you at the interview, but by doing so you would be taking the first step toward getting promoted after you are appointed.

7.SPEAK TO SOMEONE WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE PROCESS. Find relatives or friends who are members of the department and discuss the process with them. Unless they are prohibited from doing so, and that is unlikely, they can give you a lot of insight and valuable information about the interview. Although the specific questions asked from test to test usually differ, the structure of the interview usually remains fixed. Find out the type of questions that are asked and then prepare yourself to answer them as discussed below.

8.WORK ON YOUR METHOD OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS. It is a mistake to believe that having the correct response to a question is the only thing that matters. Of course, accuracy is important, but your method of answering questions is also of great importance. Your answer must reflect organized thought. Where appropriate, introduce your answer, give your answer, and then conclude your answer. In other words, employ a format that includes an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. In addition, using the above sample rating form as your guide:

c.Speak loudly enough to be heard, but remember to modulate your tone of voice. Candidates who speak in a monotone lose points.

d.Use appropriate hand gestures to make a point. Don’t sit with your arms crossed or with your hands folded in front of you.

f.Display empathy for crime victims and other unfortunate people, such as the homeless.

9.PREPARE TO MAKE A GOOD PERSONAL APPEARANCE. Your personal appearance at your interview is of critical importance. Board members expect you to dress in conservative business attire. Any departure from that mode of dress can hurt your chances. Remember, appearance is the first thing noticed about you when you enter the interview room, and first impressions are extremely important. If you do not own conservative business attire, borrow it, rent it, or buy it, and then be sure to wear it.

10.LEARN SOME SUGGESTED RESPONSES. Below we have listed some interview responses. Practice working these responses, rephrased in your own words, into the interview. Couple these responses with information gleaned from the job announcement, your job application, your volunteer efforts, your college experience, and your police officer contacts in answering general questions you might be asked. Then, ask a friend to help you and do some dry runs. With your friend acting as the interviewer, practice answering a series of general questions. To facilitate this, we have included below a list of general questions often asked during interviews of police officer candidates. We strongly urge that you videotape these dry run interviews, then listen to your answers, observe your body language, and strive to improve on the content of your answers as well as your method of delivery.

a.I have a relative (or friend) who has been a police officer for quite a long time and over the years I have discussed police work a lot with him (or her). These discussions led me to admire the work being done by police officers and to want to be one myself.

b.My interest in police work led me to do volunteer work with the police department, and/or to enroll in a college-level criminal justice program, and that experience served to increase my interest in becoming a police officer.

c.Perhaps more so than any other public servant, police officers should be extremely honest and have ethical standards that are beyond reproach. I feel this way because police officers are armed and they are entrusted with a great deal of authority, which gives them an even greater responsibility to the community they serve.

d.Police officers should be mature individuals who possess a great deal of common sense. I feel this way because I realize that it is impossible for a police department to have a standard procedure for every situation encountered in the street. And, when exercising common sense, police officers should always be guided by the truism that their job is to serve the community.

e.If I am fortunate enough to earn the job of being a police officer, I will treat people just as I would like my family to be treated by the police, and I will be guided by the rule that it is never appropriate to be anything except courteous and respectful to those whom I deal with in an official capacity.

f.All my life I have enjoyed helping other people. It makes me feel good. And, what better way is there to help people than working as a police officer?

g.Police officers should be able to communicate well. This certainly includes listening. A police officer who doesn’t take the time to listen carefully to what others are telling him is not doing his job properly.

h.Police officers must be extremely tolerant of the viewpoints of others. They must understand that just because a person is different from them, that doesn’t mean they are not entitled to the same level of police service any officer would want given to his family or friends.

i.If I was forced to choose, I would have to say that having high ethical standards is the most important characteristic a police officer should possess.

j.In my opinion, a police officer should use force only as an absolute last resort, when it is absolutely necessary to protect someone. And, even then, the amount of force used should be the minimum necessary to deal with the situation at hand.

k.The protection of life is clearly the most important responsibility, and it takes precedence over all other matters.

l.Concerning the need to be honest, a police officer should not accept anything from a merchant without paying for it, even a free cup of coffee.

m.I occasionally drink alcoholic beverages at social functions, but I would not, under any circumstances, use illegal drugs. Nor would I attend any function where illegal drugs were being used.

n.When a police officer is off duty, he or she must remain mindful of the fact that he or she is still a police officer. For this reason, a police officer’s off-duty conduct must be beyond reproach.

o.If someone offered me money to violate my oath of office, I would follow the policy of my department. If the policy was to make an immediate arrest, I would not hesitate to do so.

p.If I had knowledge that another police officer was involved in a criminal activity, such as taking a bribe, I would follow the policy of my department in that situation. If the policy was to make an immediate arrest, I would not hesitate to do so. In my opinion, it is doubly wrong for a police officer to commit a crime, and I simply would not tolerate it.

q.If a well-known celebrity or politician committed a criminal act and I was aware of it, I would handle that person in the same manner as I would handle any other person in the same situation. It is wrong to give preferential treatment to anyone for any reason.

r.There is no question that I am interested in the salary, pension, and other fringe benefits that go with the job of a police officer, but my interest in being a police officer involves more than just these material considerations. I want a job that will give me a feeling that I am contributing to the betterment of society, and that, more than anything else, is why I want to be a police officer.

The following is a list of general questions that are often used during oral interviews for the police officer’s job.

h.What would you do if a friend of yours committed a crime and you knew about it?

You have done everything possible to prepare yourself for your interview. You have learned a lot and it is now time for all of your effort to pay off. It would be a tragedy if all that work was wasted because of a foolish mistake you made on the day of your interview. Listed below are our recommendations to prevent that from happening.

1.DRESS APPROPRIATELY. We already discussed the importance of appearance, but it is important enough to mention once again. Don’t dress to be stylish. Dress the way the board members think you should be dressed; they want you to dress neatly and conservatively. Also, be sure to bring notes with you to use as last-minute reminders of your interview room strategy. Review them just before the interview.

2.PLAN TO ARRIVE EARLY. You absolutely must arrive on time for your interview. Arriving late, or even at the last minute, is a big mistake. Punctuality is the hallmark of a reliable police officer. Make sure you know the route you are going to take and how much travel time is involved in the trip to the interview site. If you are using public transportation, make sure you know the bus or train schedules for the day you are being interviewed. Remember that in other than peak rush hour times, there are fewer buses and trains running. If you are traveling by car, make sure you are aware of the traffic patterns involved at the time of your trip, and make sure you know ahead of time where you will park upon arrival. For all of the above reasons, we recommend that you make a practice run one week ahead of the day of your interview at the exact time you will be making the trip on interview day. All of this may seem excessive, but there have been many instances where people lost their opportunity because they did not take the necessary precautions against arriving late for their interview. If it turns out that you have to wait to have your interview, take time to review your interview room strategy.

3.MAINTAIN A PROFESSIONAL DEMEANOR FROM START TO FINISH. Be courteous and dignified from the time you walk into the interview site to the time you leave. Don’t make the mistake of believing that you will be judged solely during the interview. Quite often the impression you make upon arrival and while you are waiting for your interview can help you or hurt you. Remember that first impressions are quite often lasting impressions.

4.HOW TO START THE INTERVIEW. When you are finally called into the interview room, here is what you can expect. You will see the board members, and they will probably be sitting down. Don’t sit down until you are invited to do so. Be sure to thank whoever extends that invitation to you. You may or may not be introduced to the board members. If you are introduced, listen carefully to their names. If, during the interview, you refer to board members by their names you will enhance your chances. Expect to see a recording device on the desk, and notepads and other papers.

5.LISTEN. While this may seem to be a basic recommendation, it is the most important recommendation for you to follow while you are being interviewed. Don’t anticipate the question. Listen attentively and make sure you understand the question before you answer.

A FINAL WORD

This chapter has given you an overview of what to expect in a typical oral interview for the police officer position. We have explained concepts to follow to achieve your optimal score. But you must remain flexible on the day of the interview. Apply those concepts that are appropriate to your interview as it unfolds. Don’t get flustered if the interview involves a format you are not expecting. Stay cool. Regardless of the format, if you come across as possessing the attributes we have discussed in this chapter, you should do well. Good luck.