I am thinking of taking the exam to become a police officer in one of the local cities where I live. I'm not nervous but do not know what to expect when it comes to the exam and the physical test. I e-mailed the Department and asked specifically about the physical exam and was e-mailed back the following:

This is a five component assessment:
Number of sit-up completed in 60 seconds Leg endurance: number of revolutions on a stationary bike in 60 seconds Arm endurance: number of revolutions on an arm ergometer in 60 seconds Arm lift: number of pounds lifted versus the level of resistance in three attempts 1 ½ mile run completed in no more than 14 minutes and 55 seconds

The physical fitness part does not sound like too much of a challenge for a young fit male. I'm kind of nervous about that part because I know there has to be some kind of stickler in there to give a tough challenge.

The part I am really worried about is the interview and the exam. I just do not want to go unprepared and give a dumb answer to a question or give the wrong impressions. Would you guys recommend studying any kind of material? I was thinking of maybe using one of those ASVAB books to try and relearn anything from high school I might be forgetting.

I feel so lost but it's something I really want

- Chris

 

I don't know about over where you live, but here there's also a physc test involved.

Had a few friends pass all of the physical tests, but didn't quite make the grade on the physcology test.

Anyway, good luck.

 

If the PD is going to send you through the academy, then they shouldn't try to slam you too hard in the interview. Should mainly be some judgement type questions and such. Even if the interviewer try to get you to change your answer, don't. It's a test to see how certain you are of yourself. Go to a book store and look in the section where the asvab books are. There should be a police book somewhere arround there. Basic tips are all you really get from those, though. Most agencies have a study guide available. The tests are mainly reading comprehension and word useage. There really won't be any police knowledge questions. The test, by law, has to equal across the board. Good luck.

 

in my town of 40,000 people you have to have at least 2 years of college before they wil even consider hiring you

 

Thanks for the advice TxCop312, I'm going to hit the store before I head to work this afternoon. What you are saying makes a lot of sense, as they are just trying to root out the wrong people for this kind of work.

The city I'm applying for the requirments are being 21 and having a high school diploma. There are the obvious disqualifiers though, such as a Dishonorable Discharge from the Military, bad credit, felonies etc. etc.

- Chris

 

ahhhhhhh cops scare me !!!!! i swear i didnt do it!...

im from a small town and my dad is on the council and he said its pretty easy to become a police officer there... as long as your qualified. just smile and answer everything honestly and youll be fine!

Matt

 

Tomcat...There are a lot of books available that can help you out...In California the testing process is very long, sometimes 6 months to a year...some of the typical requirements are: 21 or older, valid drivers license, highschool diploma, no felony convictions...The general exam and fitness test are easy...The psyc test is long and boring...some agencies require a polygraph, some do not...background check takes a while...It's a long process but well worth it...When you take the test, just remember they are looking for people with common sense, so don't read into the questions too much...they are not trying to trick you...they are just trying to get an idea of your thought process...good luck with everything

 

And yet they are UNDERPAYED?

(California)

What drives someone to GO THERE? Why do that? THe most thankless career of them all...

And suspected from all sides of all sorts of corruption (mainly by muck-raking periodicals).


What makes the lady or gentleman up who will DO THAT ANYWAY...

It must come from very, very deep inside.

 

Greywolf...It's not as bad as it sounds The worst part of the job is dealing with all the political B.S. If you learn to forget about that stuff and simply do your job, it can be a lot of fun. In order to keep your sanity you have to have a really warped sense of humor

As far as working under a microscope it's no big deal if you do things the right way. A few officers seem to forget about integrity and that makes it difficult for the rest (majority) of us. Every job has pros and cons....and every job has ***holes...(hope it's ok to type it like that)...anyway, it's all in how you deal with it...some people who are hired last 30 years and some last (literally) 30 minutes...It's a long process to go through to get hired so hopefully Tomcat has thought it through and it's something he really wants to do...

 

A few of my freinds graduated with LE degrees.

One of them became a small town (1200 people) cop, he just walked into city hall, was interviewed and working later that night.

 

I appreciate everyones responses, already picked up a book and everything. When I went to the book store I saw a few different books and plan on reading atleast two or three of them. Some of them seem to be a lot more broad in the subject while others teach you all the little things. So I'm going to do my best and study them all thoroughly.

I'm also going to start hitting the gym a lot more. I need to get myself in a little better shape, especially when it comes to running.

- Chris

 

Tomcat, just remember that endurance is more valuable than strength in the long run. When you get into a fight, the adrenaline will get you through the first few minutes. After that, whoever gives out first is the looser. That's not to say that strength isn't important as well, but it's not as important as many think. Grip strength is more important than being able to press 400 lbs.

 

True. Ali no strength but lots of endurance. Forman no endurance but lots of strength. He lost. Straight punches are the best. Hard to see, quick and very hard to block. Hit hard and fast. Stick and move. The best thing you can do in a fight is relax. Think Ali. Cool. If a bigger guy get's you on the ground go for his eyes. He will let go!

Get yourself some moderate weights and work your entire body with high sets and high reps for endurance. Get muscled up and exude self-confidence and few people will want to take you on. Get a Captain Of Crush hand gripper and build up your grip. Wrist curls and reverse wrist curls are excellent for building the forearms. Hand strength comes from the forearm not the hand.

This is all easy for me to say, I'm a bodybuilder. With some work you'll do OK. Don't forget to keep your gun handy.

-1bigsteve (o:

 

I took the test to get into a local POST academy here about a year ago. Passed the first time with a fair score. Several people had been through it many times. It really seemed like a mix on what got people:The physical or the written exams. If you have a choice, do the test when the weather's nice so you dont get burned on the physical part.

Our tests consisted mostly of basic English. Very little simple math. The physical test was a 1 mile sprint, 2 wall jumps, both 6 foot, some sort of course with sprinting, turning jumping and ducking and a 60ft "body drag."

They never would tell people what the goal was..just "Do your best."

First day at the academy was a bit of an eye opener. If you ever went through basic training or OCS, it was like that. yelling and what not.

 

Hey psych, did you get through it all?

I'm thinking about rotating nightly from the physical to the mental parts. Alternate night to night, one night studying the other night working out. Dedicating atleast 2 hours a night to the process.

- Chris