How to Gear Up For The Police Situational Judgement Test

If you are applying for a criminal justice job in the United States there are quite a few tests you may be required to take. Most departments utilize large testing batteries that assess multiple competencies that are relevant to police work. 

One popular test that is used by many law enforcement agencies is the Police Situational Judgement Test (SJT). If you want to learn more about the Police SJT and how to best prepare for yours, just keep reading!

What Are Situational Judgment Tests?

Situational Judgment Tests are psychometric evaluations that utilize written, hypothetical scenarios to determine your behavioral and reactive tendencies.

These tests are popular among careers that include high-stress situations. Knowing how a person is likely to react under stress is important for maintaining a functioning and safe workplace at all times.

Some popular types of SJTs include:

• Customer Service SJT
• Police SJT
• Nursing SJT
• Sales SJT
• Management SJT

What makes situational judgement tests particularly helpful are that they can be easily customized for the position at hand. This means that someone taking a customer service SJT will see completely different prompts than someone taking the Police SJT.

Popular Versions of The Police SJT

Police SJTs are particularly important for a police department to maintain a high level of integrity in hiring. This has led to the use of professionally created SJTs more often than tests crafted in-house.

Some popular Police SJTs include, or are a section of, the following tests:

• Next generation Law Enforcement Test (NGLE)
• Behavioral Personnel Assessment Device (BPAD)
• Police Selection Inventory (PSI)
• Ergometrics Frontline Exam
• National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST)

What Do I Need to Know for The Police SJT?

Successfully passing a Police SJT can be more difficult than other situational judgement tests. This is because there are three important factors to consider when making situational decisions as a police officer – Police Hierarchy, Public Servant Priorities, Traditional Common Sense.

Police Hierarchy

When making decisions as a police officer, it is important to remember the chain of command. Much like dealing with a supervisor or manager in other positions, all decisions must be made with the idea of your place in the hierarchy in mind.

Are you permitted to complete the action you are selecting? Should certain scenarios be escalated to the next ranking officer?

Utilizing this knowledge is vital to assessing scenarios on the Police SJT.

Public Servant Priorities

As a public servant, especially a law enforcement officer, there are priorities that must be held that are not seen in other fields. Some are:

• Securing public order
• Prioritizing the safety of others over self
• Providing non-emergency assistance as needed
• Recognizing problems and stepping up to solve them without being asked
• Upholding the laws at all times

One of the most important skills tested on the Police SJT is the ability to assess “grey area” scenarios and utilizing these priorities to make the right decision on how to proceed.

Common Sense

Another skill being tested on the Police SJT is good old fashioned common sense. Some may even refer to these skills as “street smarts.” These skills can help you to recognize the reality of a vague situation, notice problems before they start, and determine the best way to handle new and unfamiliar scenarios.

Quick Tips for Taking a Police SJT

• Choose your initial answer based off your intuition
• Once you have chosen your initial answer, view it under the scope of police priorities and hierarchy to ensure it is the right answer.
• When in doubt, remember the three fundamental points of consideration: police hierarchy, public service priorities, common sense.
• Read the questions carefully, as they may be strangely worded to try and trick you.
• Spen the appropriate amount of time studying and utilizing practice tests before taking the real thing.

How Do I Prepare for the Police SJT?

Whether you are facing a stand alone Police SJT or you are taking a full assessment battery with an SJT included, JobAssessmentHelp has the practice tests and study materials you need to properly prepare.

JobAssessmentHelp knows that some study guides can be limited and cause you to memorize their answers, not actually learn the material. That’s why they utilize multiple practice tests, hundreds of unique questions, and a full set of prep information to help you truly gain the most knowledge you can about your test.

Ready to pass your Police SJT? Check out the test prep materials available through JobAssessmentHelp.com!