Spatial Orientation

Spatial Orientation questions are often found on the Police Written Exam. Spatial Orientation questions are one form of Non-verbal Reasoning questions. Many people have a hard time visualizing objects and relationships in 2 and 3 dimensions.

As the name implies, Spatial Orientation involves the ability to read maps, give and follow directions and visualize activity in both 2-dimensions and in a three-dimension space.

Selective Attention

Selective Attention is another type of visualization question designed to test your ability to concentrate on a task without getting distracted by external stimuli. Law enforcement officers use this ability when sitting in a patrol car doing paperwork while the radio is on or while doing a security check when a lot of commotion is taking place. This skill is also relevant when trying to recall a long series of characters like a license plate, VIN or driver’s license numbers.

Flexibility of Closure

Flexibility of Closure is another type of visualization question that involves the ability to find an object that is somehow hidden within a group of other objects. This would involve picking out a particular face in a crowd of faces. In this case, the individual knows what he or she is looking for; the task is to identify the one pattern that is buried in a larger pattern.

Map Reading

The most common form of Spatial Orientation question is where the applicant is given a street map and asked to identify the shortest route between two locations. As shown in the illustration here, students need to pay close attention to the compass directions (North, South, etc.), one-way streets designations and building entry and exit points.

Another form of question is presented as verbal directions, like go 1 block north then three block east, etc. and then identify where you are.

3-D Orientation - Floorplans

Law enforcement officers must be able to quickly navigate through buildings and to visualize the movement of people in buildings or neighborhoods. Examples of 3-dimensional Spatial Orientation questions are shown on this page. Surprisingly, one of the most challenging type involves reading floorplans, especially when multi-story buildings are involved. Unless you grew up in a busy city, you will need to practice such questions in order to pass this portion of your police exam.

Facial Recognition

Facial Recognition is an important ability for law enforcement officers and most entry-level police tests include questions on the topic. It is surprising how many people have great difficulty recognizing faces. In fact, there is a recognized condition known as Face Blindness or Prosopagnosia.

Until now, it has been difficult it is to find good test prep material to teach you how to learn this skill.