What is on the LAPD Entrance Exam?
The one common question I get on email from potential police applicants is “What is on the LAPD written examination?” Since so many readers are from the west coast, I thought it would be a good idea to write a brief article about the LAPD testing procedure.
LAPD Exam – Reading Comprehension Section
Let’s take quick look inside the LAPD Exam and determine exactly what this department is looking for. One of the sections in the test will be reading comprehension. Reading comprehension questions will typically be based on one or more situational paragraphs that require a candidate to determine the proper course of action to take based on departmental policies and procedures.
It may seem pretty easy. but when you are out on the street, you might have three different version of a single incident, and you’ll need to take the proper action to resolve the situation. The best way to prepare for this section of the test is to read as much as you can like an article in a newspaper, magazine, and/or book, and then have someone quiz you on what you’ve just read.
LAPD Exam – Memory Recall Section
Another section that is equally important inside the police written test is the memory recognition section. In this portion of the test your ability to remember information, and quickly dispatch that information to other officers via radio is critical.
For instance, if you are the first officer at a crime scene, you’ll need to gather info about the suspect like physical description, type of car he/she may be driving, is he/she armed, and are there other participants involved in the crime.
Once you get all of these information, you’ll need to distribute that information over the radio so other officers nearby can hear. This is critical as other officers need to know who or what they are looking for.
Other sections in the LAPD exam that you’ll need to prepare for are the…
- Reasoning and judgment
- Math
- Writing
- Directional map reading
- Communication
There are some clever things that you can do to strengthen any areas in the exam that you might be a little weak. One thing that you can get that’s proven to be a good resource for recruits is a police exam study guide. All police exam books are not made equal though so make sure that you get one that is not outdated and is written by a reputable source.
