When you are applying for a job in law enforcement, you will be faced with Situational Judgment questions, either on the written exam or during the interview. The questions will ask you to view a scenario and then rate certain responses from very ineffective to very effective over a 5 or 7-point scale. It is not easy for the unprepared test taker to choose the correct answer from 5 to 7 choices.
There are seven measures of ATTITUDE that are critical to master in order to do well on these Situational Judgment Tests.
Decision Making Skills
Communications Skills
Use of Power and Authority
Integrity and Professionalism
Sensitivity to the Team
Openness & Flexibility
Service Orientation
These inclinations are easy to list, but difficult to teach. In this article, I will discuss the proper Use of Power and Authority.
Scenario: Protester Outside the White House
You are on duty during a protest around the White House.
(Voice over radio): “This radio message is for all officers working perimeter patrol. You need to do something about the protester in your area. That area has now become restricted due to a security concern, and we need to clear the area of all people.”
(Woman protestor): “Officer, I have a constitutional right to protest, and I won't leave until my voice is heard! This is a peaceful protest so you can't tell me what to do!”
Good Use of Power and Authority
Examples of appropriate responses ranked average to very effective:
Tell her she must leave the restricted area immediately.
Explain that this has just become a restricted area and tell her to leave.
Tell her that in order to continue her peaceful protest, she will need to move it out of the area.
Tell her, “I am sorry, but we take the security of the White House very seriously. A security concern has come up. You may continue your protest in a different area that I will show you.”
The responses above progressively improve as the officer offers some explanation (education) to the citizen. The best response provides alternatives to the citizen that help address her concerns and interests.
Bad Examples of Use of Power and Authority
Examples of poor responses ranked from bad to terrible:
Warn her to stop raising her voice at you.
Officer tells her to move immediately or he will arrest her.
The officer pulls his or her gun out as yells at everyone to “get back?”
The problem with the first response is that in law enforcement, you cannot allow your personal feelings to interfere with good judgment. It is not against the law for her to yell at you or call you names.
The other responses are obvious overreactions to the situation. Such overreactions can move the routine problem towards dangerous outcomes.
How to Pass Situational Judgment Tests
Sgt. Godoy’s Prep Course for Mastering Situational Judgment Tests
Notice that evaluating a response using only one criteria, like Proper use of Power and Authority, is not enough to answer Situational Judgment questions with 5 to 7 choices.
Most of my Police Test Prep courses include a video tutorial on how to ace the Situational Judgment Test. Alternatively, you can purchase this lesson on an à la carte basis by clicking on this image.