Garda Trainee Recruitment Test: Stages and Practice Questions

Becoming a Garda Trainee means passing a competition that publicjobs runs on behalf of An Garda Síochána. An Garda Síochána says Stage 1 is made up of online verbal and numerical reasoning tests, an assessment questionnaire and a written exercise; Stage 2 is a competency-based interview; and the final stage, run by An Garda Síochána, covers the fitness test, medical, substance misuse testing and vetting. The tests are not published, so the 50 questions below are our own practice for the two reasoning tests.

Stage 1 (online): Verbal reasoning test, numerical reasoning test, an assessment questionnaire and a written exercise
Stage 2: Competency-based interview and role play, carried out remotely via Zoom
Test language: The aptitude tests are available only in English
Run by: publicjobs (selection), then An Garda Síochána (appointment checks)

From the official source listed at the bottom of the page.

Stages in the Garda Trainee recruitment process

ApplicationYou apply through publicjobs, which runs the application and selection process on behalf of An Garda Síochána.
Stage 1 – online tests and assessmentOnline verbal and numerical reasoning tests, an assessment questionnaire and a written exercise. Those who score highest are called to interview first.
Stage 2 – interviewA competency-based interview, with a role play, carried out remotely via Zoom.
Eligibility assessmentpublicjobs assesses the eligibility of applicants before they enter the competitive selection stages.
Appointments processRun by An Garda Síochána: the Physical Competency Test, substance misuse testing, a medical assessment and vetting.
Foundation Training ProgrammeTraining at the Garda College and in designated training stations, leading to a Level 7 BA in Applied Policing accredited by the University of Limerick.

Garda Trainee Test practice test — 50 questions

Original questions written to prepare for the Garda Trainee Test; they are not official test questions. Answer them without an account and see an explanation for each one.

Question 1 of 50

Passage: "All community Gardaí in the district attend a monthly meeting with residents. Sergeant Walsh is a community Garda in the district." Statement: Sergeant Walsh attends the monthly meeting with residents.

Question 2 of 50

Choose the word closest in meaning to "diligent".

Question 3 of 50

A station has 40 Gardaí, and 25% are on night duty. How many are on night duty?

Question 4 of 50

Find the next number: 3, 6, 12, 24, …

Question 5 of 50

Choose the word opposite in meaning to "scarce".

Question 6 of 50

A patrol car travels 150 km in 2.5 hours. What is its average speed?

Question 7 of 50

Passage: "The new station opened in March. It has twelve interview rooms, more than any other station in the county." Statement: The new station is the largest station in the county.

Question 8 of 50

Book is to reader as recipe is to …

Question 9 of 50

Reported thefts fell from 80 to 60. What is the percentage decrease?

Question 10 of 50

Which word is spelled correctly?

What to practise for the Garda Trainee Test

Verbal reasoning – true, false or cannot say
Vocabulary: synonyms and antonyms
Word analogies
Reading comprehension
Numerical reasoning – percentages and ratios
Reading tables and figures
Rates, time and distance
Number series

Type any of these topics into the quiz generator to make a practice quiz. Quiz templates

How to prepare for the Garda Trainee Test with SimpleQuizMaker

Work through the 50 practice questions below in sets of ten and read the explanation for every miss.
Type a topic such as "percentage and ratio word problems" and generate your own quiz of up to 10 questions – the free plan includes 5 AI generations a month.
Paste a passage of your own notes and turn it into a reading-comprehension quiz to share – quiz takers do not need an account.
On the Student plan you can upload PDF, Word or image files and create up to 100 questions per quiz.

Garda Trainee Test tips

Read all the information publicjobs sends you before Stage 1 and pay attention to its instructions and deadlines.
Check your publicjobs Application Centre and your junk/spam folders regularly – test and interview notices can be filtered there.
For verbal reasoning, answer only from the passage: "cannot say" means the text does not settle it either way.
Write out your working on paper for numerical questions while you practise, so you can see where an error crept in.
Stage 1 scores set the order in which candidates are called to interview, so aim high, not just for a pass.

Make your own Garda Trainee Test practice quiz

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{short} FAQ

Are these real Garda Trainee test questions?

No. All 50 questions are original items written by SimpleQuizMaker. They are not official publicjobs or An Garda Síochána items; they practise the verbal and numerical reasoning that An Garda Síochána says Stage 1 includes.

What is in Stage 1 of the Garda Trainee competition?

An Garda Síochána says Stage 1 is made up of online verbal and numerical reasoning tests, an assessment questionnaire and a written exercise. publicjobs sends candidates further information before the online assessment.

What happens after Stage 1?

Successful candidates are invited to a competency-based interview and role play carried out remotely via Zoom. Those who pass then move to An Garda Síochána for the Physical Competency Test, substance misuse testing, a medical assessment and vetting.

Can I sit the tests in Irish?

The Garda Trainee FAQ says the aptitude tests are available only in English, although you must be proficient in either English or Irish to be eligible.

Does my Stage 1 score matter if I pass?

Yes. An Garda Síochána says the selection stages are batched, so those who score highest at Stage 1 are called to interview first; everyone who passes is called during the competition.

Can I make my own Garda practice quizzes?

Yes. Type a topic or paste text and SimpleQuizMaker generates a quiz of up to 10 questions on the free plan (5 generations a month). The Student plan adds PDF, Word and image uploads and up to 100 questions per quiz.

Official sources

SimpleQuizMaker is not affiliated with any police service, fire department, recruiting body or government. Our questions are original practice items, not official test questions. Always check the current rules with the official source.

Garda Trainee Test at a glance