What You Need to Pass The NPOST Test

What Does NPOST Stand for?

NPOST stands for National Police Officer Selection Test. If you’re preparing to take the National Police Test, then you should know that it’s a tough test and involves a lot more than passing a written exam. The reason why it’s tough is that there are thousands of questions on each test.

When you apply for a job, the NPOST will require you to submit a copy of your official NPOST test results, personal information, and any documents or proof of work experience that can support your eligibility for the job. After you have submitted all the required documents, you will receive an application stub. Once you receive the application stub, you will be able to see if you received an approved NPOST application or not. If you received an approved NPOST, you will now be able to access your NPOST online. You will need to log in to your NPOST account and fill up your username and password in order for you to access your NPOST account.

NPOST Test Structure

The National Performance Questionnaire is the most common tool that police officers use to assess a candidate’s basic skills and knowledge. It is used to determine the candidate’s weak points and give criteria to improve and enhance his/her weak areas. In order to pass the NPOST with at least a decent result, it’s important to know what the test entails and how to appropriately prepare for it. Basically, the test consists of two parts: a written exam and a driving exam. 

Written exam

The written exam is usually a multiple-choice exam. In this test, a candidate needs to answer ninety multiple-choice questions while answering no more than four.

Driving exam

The driving exam is a different type of exam in the hiring process. Most police agencies across the United States consider the driving exam as a crucial factor in the applicant’s capability and potential for the job. A driving exam proves a candidate’s physical and mental capacity to drive and follow instructions while under pressure. Without a successful driving exam, a candidate will not be considered for the post of a police officer in most police agencies across the United States.

How to Prepare for The NPOST Test

Most applicants who are preparing well in the application selection process usually face two major obstacles in the application process. First, they are not sure about what type of NPOST test to take. Second, they do not know how to prepare well for the exam. Both problems, though, can easily be solved. In this article, you will learn some of the ways on how you can prepare well for the NPOST examination.

Reviewing and improving knowledge

First, you have to prepare well by taking a grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word study refresher class. This class can easily be found at any local community college or technical school. As you prepare for the NPOST test, it is also important for you to familiarize yourself with common essay topics such as argument, case study, explanation, conclusion, and use of words. By doing so, you can prepare well for the critical thinking section of the exam. You will be asked to solve a grammar and language problem or a reasoning problem under a time limit.

When taking the test, you will need to have a clear understanding of every question and answer it with complete precision. For this reason, you need to learn all the relevant information regarding the test. You should also know how to prepare well for the test so that you can pass it with great achievement.

Completing practice tests

The next step is to complete practice tests that will help you in preparing for the NPOST exam. The most common format for these tests is multiple-choice questions. To prepare for the multiple-choice questions, you can choose to answer one or two questions, write an essay. Even you can read a chapter from a book, article, or other reading material and compile your answer using the correct sentence construction, proper punctuation, and spelling. These also give you a grammar and language section III to take from five to fifteen minutes.

Writing response essay

The last step is to write an essay containing your response to the previously provided question and present supporting evidence. The essay must be based on the topic and written in a persuasive manner. The essay should also contain supporting proof and be corrected by a spell checker, grammar checker, or proofreading software. Once you have compiled all of your essay’s various parts, you will have to meet a certain deadline in order for your NPOST application to be accepted.

Other Related Sources

1. What is NPOST Test?

The National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST) is an entry-level basic skills test that was created by Stanard & Associates, Inc. It is used by law enforcement agencies to select the best candidates who possess the necessary cognitive skills to successfully and efficiently perform the duties of a law enforcement officer. The test is used by agencies at the municipal, county, state, and federal level of law enforcement. Three states – Iowa, Utah, and Wyoming have mandated it as the statewide entry-level test, while a total of 25 Police Chief Associations use it in various states.  

Source: What is the NPOST and How to Pass It Successfully

2. Question on NPOST Test

There are four sections in this 1 hour, 15 minute test:

1. Mathematics – 20 questions in 20 minutes
   • Word questions requiring basic math – no calculators.
2. Reading Comprehension – 25 questions in 25 minutes
   • Read a policy or procedure and answer questions about it based only upon the information presented.
3. English Grammar – 20 questions in 15 minutes
   • Choose the best word to complete a sentence or identify the misspelled word in a sentence.
4. Incident Report Writing – 10 questions in 15 minutes
   • Read a police incident report and answer questions by writing a clear, accurate and complete sentence.

Source: NPOST – THE NATIONAL POLICE OFFICER SELECTION TEST – BUT NOT REALLY!

3. How to pass NPOST Test?

Passing the NPOST might be the first step to a long and successful career as a police officer. This is one of the most common entry-level police written tests administered around the U.S. and the abbreviation stands for National Police Officer Selection Test. Do not let the name confuse you. In fact, there is no national standard for a written exam for becoming a law enforcement officer and each agency is different. States have adopted certain exams to be valid throughout the state and agencies need to adhere to that requirement. The NPOST, for example, is the state-wide entry-level police officer test for the states of Iowa, Utah, and Wyoming, while 25 State Associations of Chiefs of Police have also chosen to administer the test. 

Source: NPOST Practical Tips and Guidance 

4. NPOST preparation

Agencies use the NPOST at the municipal, state, and federal levels. The Associations of Chiefs of Police in 25 of the 50 states use it. There are three states (Iowa, Utah, and Wyoming) that use the NPOST statewide for entry-level police agency hiring. This means there is a good chance that you will take the NPOST when applying for a job with a police agency. However, you should always confirm ahead of time the particular test you will need to take when applying for an opening.

The purpose of the NPOST is to determine if candidates have the necessary cognitive skills to succeed at policework. Test-takers do not need prior experience or knowledge of law enforcement to pass.

Source: NPOST Online Preparation & Sample Questions – 2021