Police Exam Ready

Guide · the police written test

Police written exam: what it tests, test by test

A police written exam is an early hiring screen. It checks reading and writing, and some tests add math, judgment from video scenes or memory. There is no single national exam: your department names the test, or a state rule does. This guide puts the four tests this site covers side by side, sorts their sections by skill and shows who decides what counts as a pass.

There is no single police written exam

The test you take depends on who is hiring:

  • A state rule. California agencies need PELLETB or another validated reading and writing test (POST Regulation 1951). Florida requires a CJBAT pass before any basic recruit academy. Iowa requires the NPOST of every entry-level applicant. For municipal police, Pennsylvania accepts Nelson-Denny or NPOST.
  • A testing service. Departments in many states send applicants to NTN for the FrontLine National. One sitting reaches every department you select.
  • The department's own test. NYPD uses the NYC DCAS exam, LAPD its own multiple-choice test and the Chicago Police Department its own exam.

The job posting tells you which. Some departments accept more than one test: SFPD takes a FrontLine score or a PELLETB score.

Four tests side by side

Checked Oct 21, 2026 against each source linked in the table. Short values from each test owner's documents.
TestSectionsQuestionsTesting timeFormatWritten responseHow it is scoredGo to
PELLETBCalifornia Commission on Peace Officer Standards and TrainingWriting + Reading65–781 h 45 minPaper and pencilNoT-score (mean 50)Practice Facts
FrontLine NationalNational Testing NetworkVideo + Writing + ReadingNot publishedAbout 2 h 15 minVideo, online or centerYes, 10-min reportScore per sectionPractice Facts
NPOSTStanard & Associates4 timed sections7575 minPaper or onlineYes, written answersPercent per sectionPractice Facts
CJBATFlorida Department of Law Enforcement3 timed sections971 h 30 minComputer, Pearson VUENoPass/failPractice Facts

What the sections test, skill by skill

Reading

Every one of the four tests has a reading section, and on each you answer from the passage alone, not from what you know about police work. The FrontLine's reading works differently from the others: you fill in the blank with the word that fits a passage. Practice: PELLETB reading comprehension, NPOST reading, FrontLine reading, CJBAT written comprehension.

Grammar, spelling and vocabulary

The PELLETB splits writing into three sub-tests of 15–18 items each. Clarity asks which of two sentences is written more clearly. Vocabulary asks for the meaning of a word, and spelling for the correct spelling of a missing word. The NPOST's grammar section has 20 items. The CJBAT tests the same skills as written expression.

Report writing

Two of the tests make you write. On the NPOST's incident report section you read a filled-in incident form and answer each question in a complete sentence. On the FrontLine's report-writing section you watch a scene, take notes and write a factual report against the clock. The PELLETB and the CJBAT have no written response.

Math

The NPOST is the only one of the four with a math section: 20 items of everyday and money arithmetic. Calculators are not allowed; scratch paper is provided.

Judgment from video

The FrontLine's human relations section plays short video scenes, and you pick the best way to handle each one. The items play without stopping, with only seconds per answer.

Memory and reasoning

The CJBAT gives you a picture to study, then asks questions about it from memory (10 items). Its third section adds deductive reasoning, where you apply a stated rule to a situation, and inductive reasoning, where you find the pattern across several cases. A behavioral section of 47 items comes first.

Old PELLETB guides still teach CLOZE

What changed: CLOZE reading sub-test removed on January 1, 2025. Testing time now: 1 hour 45 minutes of testing, about 2 hours 15 minutes in total, including 30 minutes of instructions. POST's applicant FAQ page still describes the old test, so use the current Applicant Preparation Guide and skip CLOZE drills in older books and videos.

Passing score: mostly the department's call

Of the four, only the CJBAT has a pass mark set by its owner, FDLE. For the other three, the hiring agency sets the cut:

  • CJBAT: A score of 70 or higher across all three sections, plus at least 30 of the 50 Section II and III questions correct. Candidates see only pass or fail, never a number.
  • PELLETB: Set by the agency. POST recommends a T-score of 42 or higher. Scores are T-scores, not percent correct.
  • NPOST: Set by the agency. Iowa requires 70% on each section by rule, and Utah agencies such as West Jordan use the same cut.
  • FrontLine: Set by the department. Cuts for video, reading and writing on our department cards run from 55 / 65 / 65 (Santa Clara SO, SDPD) through 60 / 70 / 70 (SFPD, Portland PB) to 65 / 70 / 70 (Oakland PD, Salem PD). At SFPD each part is passed on its own.

Retake waits and how long a score counts also differ by test, as the table shows. A department can set a stricter rule than the test owner.

Checked Oct 21, 2026 against each source linked in the table. Test-level rules. Each agency's own rule is on its department page.
TestPassing scoreRetake ruleScore valid forTest feeGo to
PELLETBCalifornia Commission on Peace Officer Standards and TrainingSet by the agency30 daysNo POST limitNo POST feePractice Facts
FrontLine NationalNational Testing NetworkSet by the department3 months1 yearVaries by departmentPractice Facts
NPOSTStanard & AssociatesSet by the agencySet by the siteSet by the agencySet by the siteas of Oct 21, 2026 · site fees change, check with the test sitePractice Facts
CJBATFlorida Department of Law Enforcement70, plus 30 of 503 tries per 12 months4 years$39Practice Facts

A police exam study guide that fits your test

  1. Confirm the test name in the job posting before you buy anything. A PELLETB book won't help on the NPOST.
  2. Start with the test owner's material. PELLETB: Free Applicant Preparation Guide from POST, with keyed sample items for each sub-test. Each test's study guide page lists its owner's material: PELLETB, NPOST, FrontLine, CJBAT.
  3. Practice in the test's medium. The PELLETB is taken with paper and pencil, so practice on paper. NPOST report answers are written by hand. The FrontLine runs on video, at home or at a test center.
  4. Time each section on its own. On the NPOST, each section is timed on its own: 20, 25, 15 and 15 minutes, so one slow section can't borrow minutes from another.
  5. Read every explanation, not just the key. Our explanations cover each wrong option, and the wrong options are where the traps are.

Sample questions from all four tests

0 of 4 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 4 · PELLETB · Spelling · 15–18 itemsNot answered

Select the correctly spelled word to complete the sentence: The suspect had no ______ to discard the evidence.

Answer explanations

A

Incorrect: "oportunity" drops one "p" of the double "pp" (o[p]portunity).

B

Incorrect: "oppertunity" has "e" where the correct spelling has "o" (opp[o]rtunity).

C

Correct: "opportunity" is the correct spelling: o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y.

D

Incorrect: "opportunaty" has "a" where the correct spelling has "i" (opportun[i]ty).

Question 2 of 4 · FrontLine National · Human Relations (video)Not answered

Officer Blake hands a driver a speeding ticket. The driver crumples it, calls Blake a name, and says he'll "see him in court." He then starts his car to leave. He has made no threats. What should Officer Blake do?

Answer explanations

A

Incorrect: Following a driver who has done nothing wrong since the stop looks like harassment.

B

Incorrect: Rude words with no threat are not grounds for an arrest.

C

Correct: He made no threats and the ticket is already issued. Rude words alone are not grounds to hold him, and he is free to contest the ticket in court.

D

Incorrect: Ordering him out of the car over his language extends the stop for no lawful reason and can escalate it.

Question 3 of 4 · NPOST · Mathematics · 20 itemsNot answered

Equipment for the department lists at $250.00. The vendor offers two coupons, but only one may be used: Coupon A takes $40.00 off, and Coupon B takes 15% off. What is the lowest price the department can pay?

Answer explanations

A

Incorrect: $172.50 uses both coupons, but only one is allowed.

B

Incorrect: $215.00 is 14% off, not 15%.

C

Incorrect: $212.50 is the price with Coupon B, which saves less.

D

Incorrect: $200.00 is 20% off, not 15%.

E

Correct: $210.00 is the price with Coupon A ($40 off), which beats 15% off ($37.50).

Question 4 of 4 · CJBAT · Written ExpressionNot answered

Which of the following sentences is most clearly written?

Answer explanations

A

Incorrect: Ending with "Elm Street in a green jacket" makes the jacket seem to belong to the street.

B

Incorrect: Opening with "In a green jacket, the witness" makes it sound as if the witness wore it.

C

Incorrect: In "the store in a green jacket," the jacket sits next to the store, so it is unclear who wore it.

D

Correct: In "a man in a green jacket run," the jacket comes right after the man, so it plainly describes him.

Answer every question to see your score

Each practice page has many more: PELLETB, NPOST, FrontLine, CJBAT.

Practice on your phone

PELLETB practice app

More PELLETB practice questions with explanations, in a study app. Not affiliated with California POST.

Get the practice appDownload on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play

FrontLine National practice app

More FrontLine National practice questions with explanations, in a study app. Not affiliated with NTN.

Get the practice appDownload on theApp StoreAndroid: practice in the browser

NPOST practice app

More NPOST practice questions with explanations, in a study app. Not affiliated with Stanard.

Get the practice appDownload on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play

CJBAT practice app

More CJBAT practice questions with explanations, in a study app. Not affiliated with FDLE.

Get the practice appDownload on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play

Optional. The guide and the questions above stay on this page.

Find your department's test

Police written exam questions

What type of questions are on the police written exam?

Most items are multiple choice: reading passages, grammar and spelling, vocabulary and, on the NPOST, arithmetic. The NPOST and the FrontLine also make you write: short sentence answers on the NPOST, a written report on a video scene on the FrontLine. The CJBAT adds memory and reasoning items.

Is the police written test hard?

The content is reading, writing and reasoning, not police knowledge, and each test runs on a strict clock: the PELLETB gives 1 h 45 min of testing and the NPOST 75 min, with each NPOST section timed on its own. Practice against those limits. A department may also set a higher cut than the test owner, so check yours.

How long is a police written test score good for?

It depends on the test:

  • CJBAT: 4 years from the test date.
  • FrontLine: 1 year from the test date; departments choose how long they use a score within that year.
  • PELLETB: No POST time limit; each agency may set its own window.
  • NPOST: Set by the agency; Iowa: 12 months from the test date; Salt Lake City: results do not expire.
Can I retake the police written exam?

Yes, after a wait. The PELLETB wait is 30 days, counted across all agencies. FrontLine retakes wait 3 months, and a retest replaces your earlier scores. The CJBAT allows 3 tries per 12 months. For the NPOST the rule is set by the test site.

Is the written test the same as the police academy exam?

No. The written test comes before you're hired or admitted. A state certification exam comes after the academy. In Florida that's the SOCE, a separate exam from the CJBAT.