TCOLE Practice Questions (2026) — Free Sample Questions with Answers

Answer: C

Intentionally: Wrong. Acting intentionally means it is the person's conscious objective or desire to engage in the conduct or cause the result.

Knowingly: Wrong. Acting knowingly means the person is aware that the conduct is reasonably certain to cause the result. That is more than just being aware of a risk.

Recklessly: Correct. PC 6.03(c) defines recklessness as being aware of but consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk.

With criminal negligence: Wrong. Criminal negligence (6.03(d)) means the person ought to be aware of the risk but fails to perceive it. Here the person was actually aware of it.

From most to least culpable: intentional (conscious objective), knowing (reasonably certain), reckless (aware but disregards), criminally negligent (ought to be aware but is not).

Answer: B

Only for felonies, and only when a warrant cannot be obtained in time: Wrong. Article 14.01(b) is not limited to felonies, and it does not require showing that a warrant could not be obtained.

For any offense committed in the officer's presence or within the officer's view: Correct. Article 14.01(b) authorizes a warrantless arrest for any offense committed in the officer's presence or within view.

For any offense reported to him by a credible witness, at any time after it occurs: Wrong. Arrests based on reports are limited to specific situations in Article 14.03. They are not allowed for any offense at any time.

Only for breaches of the peace, and only with a supervisor's approval: Wrong. Breach of the peace is the Article 14.01(a) standard for private persons arresting for felonies or breaches of the peace. Supervisor approval is not required.

The core warrantless arrest rule (14.01(b)) is any offense in the officer's presence or view. Article 14.03 adds specific exceptions, such as family violence.

Answer: A

A suspect who just fired a pistol at a store clerk during a robbery: Correct. Deadly force may be justified when the officer reasonably believes the conduct for which arrest is authorized included the use or attempted use of deadly force.

An unarmed teenager fleeing after shoplifting a pair of sneakers: Wrong. A nonviolent, unarmed theft suspect does not meet 9.51(c), and Tennessee v. Garner bars deadly force against such a suspect.

A driver who ran from a stop for an expired registration sticker: Wrong. A minor traffic offense with no deadly-force conduct and no substantial risk of death or serious injury to others does not justify deadly force.

A burglar seen leaving an empty, closed business at night carrying a laptop: Wrong. This is Garner's fact pattern. A nondangerous fleeing burglar may not be shot to prevent escape.

Deadly force to arrest or prevent escape requires (1) the conduct included use or attempted use of deadly force, or (2) a substantial risk of death or serious injury if the arrest is delayed, and it must be immediately necessary.

Answer: C

No, because DWI requires an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more: Wrong. 0.08 is only one way to prove intoxication under PC 49.01(2)(B).

No, because any result under 0.08 creates a legal presumption that he was sober: Wrong. Texas has no presumption of sobriety below 0.08.

Yes, because loss of normal mental or physical faculties is also intoxication: Correct. PC 49.01(2)(A) defines intoxicated as not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties because of alcohol or another substance.

Yes, but only if a blood specimen later confirms at least 0.08: Wrong. Impairment can be proven by observation and field sobriety tests without any 0.08 result.

There are two ways to prove intoxication: loss of normal use of faculties, or an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more.

Answer: B

They must get an arrest warrant, because the offense was not in their view: Wrong. Article 14.03(a)(4) is a specific exception to the in-view requirement for family violence.

They may arrest without a warrant on probable cause of a family violence offense: Correct. CCP 14.03(a)(4) allows a warrantless arrest of a person the officer has probable cause to believe committed an offense involving family violence.

They may arrest only if the woman agrees to sign a written complaint: Wrong. Arrest authority rests on probable cause, not on the victim's willingness to file a complaint.

They may only give a citation, because dating partners are not family members: Wrong. Family violence includes dating violence and members of a household (Family Code 71.0021, 71.004), and a citation is not the limit.

Family violence is a key Article 14.03 exception: probable cause allows a warrantless arrest even if the officer did not see the offense. Officers also give the victim written notice of rights under CCP 5.04.

Answer: D

Recording the race or ethnicity of each person stopped, as required in agency reports: Wrong. Collecting and reporting stop data is required by law. It is not racial profiling.

Any traffic stop in which the driver and the officer are of different races: Wrong. Racial profiling depends on the basis for the officer's action, not on whether the officer and driver share a race.

Stopping a driver whose description matches a suspect broadcast in a recent robbery: Wrong. Acting on information that identifies a specific suspect is excluded from the definition.

A law enforcement-initiated action based on race or ethnicity rather than behavior: Correct. The statute defines racial profiling as action based on race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than on behavior or information identifying the person as involved in crime.

Racial profiling is action based on race, ethnicity, or national origin instead of behavior or suspect-specific information. Agencies must adopt policies and report stop data.