Police Officer Practice Questions (2026) — Free Sample Questions with Answers

Answer: C

6:15 p.m.: 6:15 p.m. is when the owner parked the truck.

10:20 p.m.: 10:20 p.m. is when the owner found the truck missing.

9:30 p.m.: Correct. The neighbor said she saw the two men by the truck at about 9:30 p.m.

10:40 p.m.: 10:40 p.m. is when Officer Collins responded.

Memory passages pack several times and numbers together. While studying, link each number to who and what it belongs to (parked, seen, discovered, responded).

Answer: A

I arrived at 11:05 p.m. and saw that the front window was broken. Homeowner Jill Park arrived at 11:20 p.m. and stated that her laptop and jewelry box were missing.: Correct. It keeps the order of events, includes every fact and attributes the missing-property information to Park.

When I arrived at 11:05 p.m., homeowner Jill Park showed me the broken front window. At 11:20 p.m. she stated that her laptop and jewelry box were missing.: This says Park was there at 11:05 p.m., but the notes show she arrived at 11:20 p.m.

I arrived at 11:05 p.m. and found the front window broken and a laptop and jewelry box missing. Homeowner Jill Park arrived at 11:20 p.m. and confirmed this.: This says the officer found the items missing. The notes show only that Park stated they were missing.

I arrived at 11:05 p.m. and saw that the front window was broken. Homeowner Jill Park arrived at 11:20 p.m. and stated that her laptop was missing.: This leaves out the jewelry box, so the report is incomplete.

A good report keeps events in time order, includes every fact and states who provided each piece of information.

Answer: B

At 2:15 p.m., a suspect took $320 from the register at Grove Pharmacy, 410 Main Street, where Amy Ruiz is a clerk. The suspect fled east on Main Street on foot.: The amount is wrong. The notes say $230, not $320; transposed numbers make a report inaccurate.

At 2:15 p.m., a suspect took $230 from the register at Grove Pharmacy, 410 Main Street, where Amy Ruiz is a clerk. The suspect fled east on Main Street on foot.: Correct. Every fact is included and accurate, in clear, complete sentences.

Fleeing on foot east on Main Street, $230 was taken from the register at Grove Pharmacy, 410 Main Street, by a suspect at 2:15 p.m. from clerk Amy Ruiz.: The opening phrase is a dangling modifier: it says the money was 'fleeing on foot'. The order of events is also confused.

At 2:15 p.m., a suspect took $230 from the register at Grove Pharmacy, 410 Main Street, where Amy Ruiz is a clerk. The suspect fled west on Main Street on foot.: The direction is wrong. The notes say the suspect fled east, which matters for officers searching the area.

The best report version is complete, accurate in every detail (numbers, directions, names) and clearly written. Check each fact against the notes.

Answer: C

Officers should spend most of their time answering emergency calls.: The passage contrasts community policing with only responding to calls; it does not recommend more call response.

Abandoned buildings are the main cause of crime in most neighborhoods.: Abandoned buildings are one example of a problem; the passage does not call them the main cause of crime.

Community policing relies on partnerships to prevent neighborhood problems.: Correct. Every sentence describes officers working with residents and agencies to solve problems before crimes occur.

Residents should be required to report all crimes they observe to officers.: The passage says residents become more willing to share information, not that they should be required to.

The main idea is the point all sentences support. Reject choices that are a single example or that add a requirement the passage never states.

Answer: C

Petit larceny, because the wallet and cash were worth $1,000 or less: Value alone would make it petit larceny, but the definitions make taking from a person's clothing grand larceny regardless of value.

No larceny, because the passenger did not notice the theft: Neither definition requires that the victim notice the theft.

Grand larceny, because the property was taken from her clothing: Correct. The second part of the grand larceny definition covers property of any value taken directly from a person's clothing.

Grand larceny, because a wallet is valued at more than $1,000: The wallet held $40; it is grand larceny because of where it was taken from, not its value.

When a definition has an 'OR', check every alternative. A special circumstance (taking from the person) can override the value threshold.

Answer: C

Running down the alley, the officer's flashlight fell into a drain.: Dangling modifier: the sentence says the flashlight was running down the alley.

The officer ran down the alley his flashlight fell into a drain.: Run-on sentence: two complete thoughts are joined without punctuation or a connecting word.

While the officer ran down the alley, his flashlight fell into a drain.: Correct. The clause makes clear that the officer was running and the flashlight fell.

Because the officer ran down the alley. His flashlight fell into a drain.: Sentence fragment: 'Because the officer ran down the alley' cannot stand alone.

PELLETB clarity items test common errors: dangling or misplaced modifiers, run-ons, fragments and unclear references. Pick the sentence with none of them.