Police exams are becoming increasingly more difficult to
pass because law enforcement agencies are looking for the
most capable officers from the candidates that apply. The
test they are now using is the Police Analytical Thinking
Inventory (PATI), which is very similar to the Law School
Admissions Test (LSAT) used to select the best law school
candidates.
The questions used in each examination focus on logic and
analytical reasoning, and PATI searches for those with
competence in logical thinking and the ability to reason a
problem through, rather than candidates that take a
knee-jerk reaction to difficult situations. What police
departments are looking for are police officers that are
able to use their initiative without having to continually
seek help with the situations they come across, and the
ability to progress quickly through the ranks to a position
of authority and responsibility.
There are too many trainee law enforcement officers that
can handle the simple situations, but when asked to think a
problem through logically are unable to do so; they
frequently make the wrong decisions, creating situations
that others have to sort out later.
There are many instances where these key skills are
necessary in a police officer during the course of their
duties. Domestic violence cases, for example, can present a
particularly difficult situation for a law enforcement
officer to handle. When faced with a wife displaying facial
injuries and a husband with a deep cut to his head, three
screaming children and the child protective service
unavailable for some hours, what do you do?
Who is guilty of the assault and who had reacted in
self-defense. What happens to the children? Should anybody
be arrested, and if so, then whom? This kind of situation
is not unusual, and requires logical and analytical
thinking to come to the correct decision. Your response
will determine how well you will handle yourself in such
day to day situations as a police officer.
New Police Exam Formats are trying to Weed out Candidates
that are NOT Good Decision Makers
Decisions are not always easy to make, but good police
officers are able to make them. A law enforcement officer
should be able to make the right call without having to
continually seek the advice of their supervisor. Some
officers can pass normal question and answer exams, and
anybody can pass a multiple choice test, but when faced
with an ordinary problem that requires rational thorough
processes to resolve, many fold and are unable to handle
them properly.
The police force does not need people that can answer
simple exam questions, but law enforcement officers that
can think through a problem and come up with the correct
solution every time. Police officers on the job rarely come
across situations requiring academic knowledge, but every
day face problems that have to be solved in practical ways.
It is the problem solvers and those that can put their
knowledge to practical use that the police force wants:
officers that can react quickly to a situation and find the
right solution.
That is why PATI questions are included in the tests and
examinations of so many police departments. These "Brain
Buster" tests are designed to make you think, analyze,
apply logic, and come up with a reasoned solution to
problems that police officers come across every day. So how
do you learn to become a problem solver like that? Is it
possible to learn, or is it a skill that some people are
born with?
What you are able to be taught, and to learn, are certain
rules that you can apply to problems. If you enjoy problem
solving such as puzzles and riddles, than you should find
this fairly easy. There are strategies that can be learned,
and applied to specific situations. Apply the rules, and
the solutions should follow on logically.
If You are a Problem Solver you'll Do Well on the Entrance
Exam and be an Effective Police Officer
When you are getting ready for the Police Officer Entrance
Exam, you should be preparing mentally for these kinds of
problems. Be aware that they might be asked, so that they
don't come as surprise and panic you. There are more than
just intelligence and memory of facts involved here, but a
knowledge of the rules and the right strategies to use. Not
all exams will include PATI type questions, but you should
be prepared in case they do, because that would give you a
head start over the other candidates.
If you improve your reasoning and logical thinking
abilities while applying rules and strategies to logic
questions, you will find police exams easier to pass, and
so improve your career prospects within the police force.
Summary:
The Police Analytical Thinking Inventory (PATI) test is
being increasingly used by police departments to seek out
those police officers that show initiative in logical and
analytical thinking. There are strategies that can be
learned to enable you to handle such tests and situations,
and so improve your performance both in exams and as a
working police officer.
----------------------------------------------------
Don Cirillo a 25 year veteran of law enforcement has helped
many law enforcement candidates score high on their Police
Exam. You can learn how you can get better scores on your
police exam and become a police officer at
(http://www.police-exam.info). It includes test questions,
interview strategies, and much more -- everything you need
to get the job! Reach Don at support@cfiweb.com
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