Police Hiring: Situational Judgment Tests - Integrity and Professionalism

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.

1. Decision Making Skills

2. Communications Skills

3. Use of Power and Authority

4. Integrity and Professionalism

5. Sensitivity to the Team

6. Openness & Flexibility

7. Service Orientation

These inclinations are easy to list, but sometimes difficult to put into practice. In this article, I will discuss Integrity and Professionalism.

What is Integrity and Professionalism?

The definition of Integrity is, “Integrity is a person's commitment to honesty, ethics, and doing the right thing, even when faced with challenges or temptations.”

As an applicant to becoming a police officer, you hear the phrase Integrity and Professionalism frequently used to describe desirable traits. But it’s not always easy to put these into action. An easy way for you to think about Integrity and Professionalism, is to ask yourself, “Will my Acton Make the Agency Proud?”

Here are some examples that display high Integrity and Professionalism.

• You are having lunch at a cafe and a citizen comes over and praises the work you do in law enforcement and offers to pay for your lunch. Taking favors from citizens is never a good idea as you don’t want to put yourself into some future compromising situation. High professionalism means turning this offer down.

• You are tasked by your supervisor with clearing an area of protesters. Ordering the folks to leave may be effective but does not give your agency the good look it deserves. Offering some guidance as to alternatives for the citizens in question is a good display of professionalism.

• You are giving a ticket to a driver who violated a recently installed crosswalk light. The driver lives in the neighborhood and does not understand why the new signal was installed. A professional response will offer some background and explanation to the citizen indicating that the city is working hard to make everyone safer.

• Your agency allows officers to keep their patrol cars over the weekend. But the rule is that the car cannot be used for personal trips. Since no one will know, you decide to take the car to the grocery store, perhaps to save fuel in your private auto. This would be an example of “lack of integrity.”

Learn How to Ace the Situational Judgment Test

Sgt. Godoy’s Test Prep Course for Situational Judgment Tests

Notice that evaluating a response using only one criteria, like Communications Skill, 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.

Police Hiring: Situational Judgment Tests - Communications Skills

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.

1. Decision Making Skills

2. Communications Skills

3. Use of Power and Authority

4. Integrity and Professionalism

5. Sensitivity to the Team

6. Openness & Flexibility

7. Service Orientation

These inclinations are easy to list, but sometimes difficult to put into practice. In this article, I will discuss Communications Skills.

Communicating with the Public

During your law enforcement testing and interviews, you will run into many questions about what good communications look like. Your first inclination will be to think about how and what should be communicated with the public that you are serving … or controlling. Indeed, it is very important that you be able to communicate clearly with the public, but there are other aspects you need to consider.

There are many ways to give an order to a citizen. “Get back!” is the simplest form. “Get back. We need room for the traffic,” is a more helpful form of the same command that adds the element of education. “Get back. We need to clear this area due to a security concern. Protesters may continue their gathering on the next block south.” This command not only includes the element of educating the citizen but offers an alternative. Offering alternatives, in general, is an effective method to ease tension. This is what good communication with the public looks like.

Communicating with Your Team Members

But communications also impact your relationships with your supervisors and teammates. Asking for help is one example. There are circumstances where you really do need help. Examples:

You are seriously sick. Do your teammates know this? Does your supervisor know this? It’s your job to make sure he or she does because dispatching you to a dangerous situation may endanger not only you but other team members as well.

• Failing to call for backups because you think you can handle a dangerous situation by yourself would be another example of a communications blunder.

• Even when you are willing to volunteer for an urgent task your supervisor needs done, if you are exhausted from days of excessive overtime, have the personal confidence to share that fact with your boss so that he or she can make better decisions.

Situational Judgment Testing will assess your communication skills and instincts in both external and internal scenarios. 

Learn How to Ace the Situational Judgment Test

Sgt. Godoy’s Test Prep Course for Situational Judgment Tests

Notice that evaluating a response using only one criteria, like Communications Skill, 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.

Police Hiring: Situational Judgment Tests - Decision Making Skills

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.

1. Decision Making Skills

2. Communications Skills

3. Use of Power and Authority

4. Integrity and Professionalism

5. Sensitivity to the Team

6. Openness & Flexibility

7. Service Orientation

These inclinations are easy to list, but sometimes difficult to put into practice. In this article, I will discuss examples of good and bad Decision Making Skills.

Decision Making and Action - Examples

How do you react to situations? Many people choose to ignore situations and do nothing. In law enforcement, that is seldom a good choice.

The first step in good decision making is acknowledgment. Let your supervisor, citizens on the street and your partners know that you are aware that action is needed.

In most of my courses, you are instructed to memorize the the hierarchy of responses needed by law enforcement officers. Here is that prioritized list:

1. Protection of human life, including yours.

2. Respect your chain of command.

3. Maintaining order.

4. Enforcing Laws.

5. Assisting People in Non-emergency Situations.

6. Maintaining Order in your Area of Responsibility.

7. Maintaining Good Public Relations.

Therefore, if your boss tells you to stand watch over a store, and you see someone being assaulted, you should have no hesitation to ignore your bosses order and help the victim. Less obvious examples include how you respond to potentially dangerous situations, as simple as a road sign that has fallen into the street. Do you move it or ignore it?

Other situations might include, “How do you respond to teamwork situations?” For example, a team member calls in sick and your boss needs assistance covering for their absence. What should you do? Simple communications is a form of taking action.

Another example you will run into on police exams may involve how do you respond to gentle suggestions from your supervisor that certain skills need to be improved, perhaps by taking night classes? What should you do? To ignore such input would be unwise.

For all of these situations, you need to take some action.

Learn How to Ace the Situational Judgment Test

Sgt. Godoy’s Prep Course for Mastering Situational Judgment Tests

Notice that evaluating a response using only one criteria, like Decision Making, 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.

Police Hiring: Situational Judgment Tests - Use of Power and Authority

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.

1. Decision Making Skills

2. Communications Skills

3. Use of Power and Authority

4. Integrity and Professionalism

5. Sensitivity to the Team

6. Openness & Flexibility

7. 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.

Conquer the Police Written Exam with Sgt. Godoy’s Police Exam Practice Test

Becoming a police officer is a noble and rewarding career path. However, before you can get your badge, you must pass the police written exam, for which preparation is essential. That’s where police exam practice tests come into play.

What is the Most Common Reason for Failing the Police Written Exam?

Typically, over 70% of police applicants will fail the police written exam. The reason most applicants fail the police exam is because they run out of time. Much like learning a new video game, taking practice tests will improve your response time and test score.

Free Police Exam Practice Tests

What are the Benefits of High Quality Police Exam Practice Tests?

Police exams are notoriously difficult, requiring you to demonstrate abilities like reading comprehension, reasoning, and math. Practice tests offer a valuable opportunity to:

• Familiarize yourself with the format and content of the exam:

Practice tests mimic the actual exam in terms of question types, difficulty level, and time limits. It reduces your anxiety on test day and allows you to concentrate on demonstrating your knowledge and skills.

• Identify your strengths and weaknesses:

By analyzing your performance on practice tests, you can pinpoint areas where you excel and those that require more attention. It helps you tailor your study sessions and maximize your time.

• Boost your confidence:

Completing practice tests builds confidence and helps you approach the actual exam with a positive and assured mindset.

• Improve your test-taking skills:

You learn to read instructions, manage your time well, and provide thoughtful answers to questions by taking practice exams.  It leads to better decision-making and problem-solving under pressure.

Spatial orientation questions on the police written exam.

Sgt. Godoy believes everyone deserves access to quality resources for their law enforcement career journey. That’s why there is a comprehensive selection of free police practice tests covering various exam formats and topics, including:

• Written Comprehension: Practice reading passages and answering questions that assess your understanding of the main idea, supporting details, and arguments.

• Reasoning: Test your ability to analyze information, identify patterns, and draw logical conclusions.

• Math: Solve math problems related to percentages, fractions, ratios, and other fundamental concepts.

• Observation and Recall: Exercise your memory skills by memorizing details and recalling information accurately. Information may be presented to you as written text, images or videos.

• Spatial Orientation: Assess your ability to visualize objects and understand their spatial relationships. This component also includes map reading and following directions.

Start your journey to become a police officer today!

Get the most effective free police practice police tests and other resources from Sgt. George Godoy.  With dedication and preparation, you can ace the police written exam and achieve your dream of serving the community as a police officer.

How my Student Failed His Police Panel Interview

I received the following email that really upset me. Here is student who claims he studied my Mastering the Interview prep course, but really fell on his face when his opportunity to shine came up. Everyone interested in joining law enforcement should READ THIS STORY - even though it is frustrating.

"After studying your Mastering the Interview course, I took my interview today and did poorly. There were 3 questions that caught me off guard and I couldn't come up with a good answer in time. What would you recommend?

1. Why should police have a positive attitude and have good community relations?

2.What should the police be doing to improve community relations that they aren't already doing?.

3. What preparations did you take to get ready for a career law enforcement?"

This applicant’s failure highlights several valuable lessons:

Lesson 1: Get Prepared for your Interview

The oral interview is probably the most important step in the hiring process. This is true for any job in any field. You are almost to the end of the long journey, so don’t screw this up! Good preparation will be apparent to your reviewers not only in your answers but your overall self-confidence.

Lesson 2: Don’t Waste your Money

The main point presented in my prep course is that you need to understand what issues are facing the organization you are applying to. What are they proud of and what challenges do they face? This is especially true in law enforcement. How this student missed this point is UNBELIEVABLE to me, but a good lesson for all of us. Sometimes we read things without actually learning anything! Ask yourself a day after you study some subject, “What did you learn?”

Don’t waste your money on my prep courses if you’re not going to take it seriously!

Lesson 3: Do Your Own Research

Normally, I am very sensitive to any question submitted by students, but in this case, my answer was terse and placed the monkey back in the place it belongs - the applicant. Take ownership of your career and your job search. Look what happened when I cut and pasted the exact question from the email into a Google search!

Here is that link again -

Mastering the Interview prep course.

Sgt. George Godoy

A New Generation of Police Officers

On September 29, 2021, I received this nice email from a student who purchased my PELLETB prep course nine months earlier:

“Sgt. Godoy,

I wanted to thank you for the prep course. I am happy to report that I have completed the entire hiring process and will be starting at the police academy in 3-weeks. This is my dream come true!

Donnalou Ramirez”

The email by itself was not exceptional. I receive lots of these messages each year and appreciate all of them. In this case, however, I was in for a surprise. Donnalou turned out to be truly exceptional. I think that current applicants will find her story interesting and learn some valuable life’s lessons from her.

Donnalou Ramirez

Motivation to become a Police Officer

As a child, I looked up to my parents who were both law enforcement officers. For most of my life, however, I desired to become a lawyer (a prosecutor). Towards that goal, I attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where I majored in legal studies and minored in sociology. During my sophomore year of college, I got my first internship as an intern at a District Attorney’s office in the bay area. The experience was not gratifying. I realized working behind the scenes and primarily with litigation was not for me. I wanted to have a more direct impact on the world I live in.

Changing Course

Following my internship, I decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. Before I left this academic phase of my life, I decided to get a master’s degree in Business Administration. I felt that this would help me become a stronger leader and improve my communicational skills. As soon as I finished my master’s degree, I started applying to multiple law enforcement agencies in my region.

Hurdles Along the Way

For me, the hardest part was getting started with the application process. Locating and organizing all the paperwork and information was time consuming and sometimes frustrating. I needed to contact former employers, coworkers, close friends and family to let them know they might be contacted. It was difficult to locate specific information such as current home addresses, emails addresses and phone numbers

Donnalou Ramirez - from soccer to police officer

Even with my recent college experience, I was nervous about each step of the hiring process including the written exam, which was the California PELLETB. The agencies I was applying to had higher standards than most. They required a T-score of 50 to pass instead of the more common 48. I purchased Sergeant Godoy’s PELLETB QuikPrep course, studied diligently and passed the written test without trouble.

My agencies required that you pass the written exam before being invited to the physical abilities test. I was already in great shape because of my many years playing soccer. More recently, have been focused on competitive bodybuilding and became nationally recognized in that sport. Bodybuilding taught me as much about willpower and mental strength as it did physical strength.

Advanced Assessments were More Challenging

Next was the oral interview. I prepared for my interview by attending my desired agency’s online workshop, studying the Mastering the Police Interview course, and by running through mock interviews with former law enforcement officers. It is important to be able to advocate for yourself and confidently be able to tell your story. Equally important is that you answer every question concisely and thoroughly. Some questions will be more direct, for example “Why do you want to be a police officer?” and other questions will have multiple parts. Much like future police work, you need to PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS.

My agency started its background investigation after I had ranked in the top tier for my oral interview. Things like the Psych exam and Polygraph were conducted in parallel over the next several months. These tests were more challenging than the written test and I was grateful I had Sergeant Godoy’s advanced courses to guide me through them.

I received my conditional offer after completion of the polygraph and background. Once, my background was completed, my entire application up to this point was reviewed by the hiring board panel, then I received a conditional offer of employment.

In retrospect, the exams were not as hard as I expected. Part of the reason certainly is due to the preparation I did. Waiting to hear your results and not knowing how long to be wait was the most frustrating part. I never was quite sure what the timeline was. Get use to the hurry-up and wait process. Police work is like this. I believe the extensive police hiring process gives you a great taste of the kind of stress you will face during the job. It is crucial to learn to be patient with the waiting and the unknown.

Advice for Others

1.    Start getting in good Shape …

months before you apply. Do not put this off. Female candidates need to work on their upper-body strength. I observed several females struggled getting over the 6-ft. wall, so don’t underestimate this challenge.

2.    You can never be overprepared …

no matter how smart you are. I found Sergeant Godoy’s courses based upon their good reputation and was not disappointed. The agencies I applied to had far more applicants than openings, so scoring higher than my competitors was important.

3.    Take one step at a time

For example, don’t spend time studying for the Polygraph or Interview until you need to.

4.    Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Keep it in mind that every interaction with the recruiting staff is a good opportunity to build a relationship. Also, if you know anyone who is working, or has worked for the department, reach out to them, and ask questions about the department’s moral, polices, issues, etc.

5.    Finish Strong

The advanced assessments, like the Polygraph and Interview, are places where good preparation will make or break you. I strongly recommend the technique of rehearsing your answers with a friend or family member using the questions in Sgt. Godoy’s advanced courses. The stress of taking these evaluations can cause you to fumble questions that would otherwise be straightforward if you only took time to think about them beforehand.

6.    Commit yourself to success

Donnalou Ramirez

The most useful advice I received along the way is to make sure your heart is invested in your pursuits. When you are fully committed, the challenges become easier to cope with. The most useful advice I’d give others is to never give up or lose faith pursuing what you are truly passionate about. When there is a will, there is a way.

7. Keep yourself pumped up

This was my formula for success. I am certainly very excited about joining the academy in the next few days.

Donnalou Ramirez

FBI Recruiting More Woman and Minorities - Law Enforcement Experience Not Required

Reprinted with author’s Permission: Sara Sidery, WDRB Media.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville's FBI is looking for more women and minorities to become special agents as the agency seeks people from all backgrounds. Experience in law enforcement isn't required.

One of Louisville's top agents made a career change to join the agency.

"Truth be told, even though working as a FBI special agent has been a dream job, it was not my first thought," said Quincy Barnett, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge at FBI Louisville.

Quincy Barnett, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge at FBI Louisville

Twenty years ago, Barnett never thought his job would take him to where he is today.

"I didn't go to school for criminal justice," he said. "I went to school for accounting."

The number-two agent in Louisville started his career in the corporate world.

"I got laid off. I got laid off, and this was right in the Enron era," said Barnett, recalling how 600 of his coworkers suddenly lost their jobs at the same time.

"I later find out that one of the officers of the company had been investigated and arrested by the FBI," he said. "And that triggered something in me: that you can't hurt people; you can't hurt people to this magnitude without being accountable for it."

Barnett hopes others might consider the FBI their next career move.

"We have a number of accountants. We have a number of lawyers. We've got nurses. We've got teachers. We've got English majors," he said. "All aspects of society, the FBI covers."

The FBI is hosting a diversity recruitment event next Wednesday. Currently 22% of all agents are women and 20% are a minority.

"As a minority, I can't say the challenges aren't there, but that's something that we're going to face in different facets of life," said Barnett. "But as a minority, working for the FBI, I can choose to be part of the solution."

Barnett says different backgrounds, race, gender, and education makes the FBI stronger and builds trust. Barnett said it's a job that makes a difference in local communities and throughout society.

"If I do my job well enough, either I can stop someone else from having to go through the pain that I had to, or I can hold them accountable," Barnett said.

FBI Louisville will host its Diversity Special Agent Recruitment Event on Wednesday, August 25, where interested candidates can learn more about the career path.

Due to COVID restrictions, a small number of people will be invited to attend in person. Other qualified candidates will be able to attend virtually.

Those who attend can speak with special agents working a variety of crimes, members of specialty teams, and more.

Anyone interested in applying should send an email to Louisvilleapplicants@fbi.gov

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