Skip to content

NYPD Police Officer Exam: What It Covers and Practice Questions

The NYPD Police Officer exam is a New York City civil service exam, and applications for City exams go through DCAS and its online OASys system. The NYPD publishes a preparation tutorial (dated April 2021) whose answer key lists the areas covered: memorization, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, information ordering and visualization. The tutorial also says there is no guarantee every area will appear and that others may be added. The 50 questions below are our own practice for the three areas that work as plain text: deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning and information ordering.

NYPD Police Officer Exam at a glance

Areas covered (NYPD tutorial)
Memorization, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, information ordering, visualization
Administered as
A NYC civil service exam; applications run through DCAS OASys
Official prep material
The NYPD Police Officer Exam Preparation Tutorial (PDF, April 2021)
Extra study suggested
The tutorial mentions reading comprehension passages and grammar

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

Ability areas listed in the NYPD exam tutorial

  • MemorizationYou study a picture for a set time, then answer questions about it without looking back.
  • Deductive reasoningApplying a stated rule, definition or procedure to a specific situation, such as deciding which example fits a legal definition.
  • Inductive reasoningSpotting the pattern across several pieces of information, such as which witness account or plate number is most likely correct.
  • Information orderingFollowing steps of a procedure in the order given and knowing what comes next.
  • VisualizationPicturing how something looks from another angle or after it is moved, typically from a diagram or map.

NYPD Police Officer Exam practice test — 50 questions

Original questions written to prepare for the NYPD Police Officer Exam; they are not official test questions. Answer them without an account and see an explanation for each one.

Question 1 of 50

Rule: "Trespass is knowingly entering or remaining unlawfully on premises." Which is the best example of trespass under this rule?

Question 2 of 50

Rule: "Officers must issue a summons for parking at a fire hydrant unless the driver is in the vehicle and moves it immediately." A driver sits in a car at a hydrant and moves it at once when asked. What should the officer do?

Question 3 of 50

Rule: "Petit larceny is stealing property worth $1,000 or less." Which is petit larceny under this rule?

Question 4 of 50

Rule: "A lost child must be brought to the precinct if a parent cannot be located within 30 minutes." An officer has searched 20 minutes without finding the parent. What does the rule require now?

Question 5 of 50

Rule: "Officers may use a department vehicle only for official business." Which use follows the rule?

Question 6 of 50

Rule: "Criminal mischief is intentionally damaging another person's property." Which is the best example?

Question 7 of 50

Rule: "An officer who finds property must voucher it before the end of the tour." Officer Lee finds a backpack at 3 p.m.; her tour ends at 4 p.m. By when must she voucher it?

Question 8 of 50

Rule: "Menacing is intentionally placing another person in fear of physical injury by displaying a weapon." Which fits best?

Question 9 of 50

Rule: "Officers must notify a supervisor when any prisoner is injured." A prisoner trips in the cell and cuts his hand. What is required?

Question 10 of 50

Rule: "A juvenile is anyone under 18." Which person is a juvenile under this rule?

What to practise for the NYPD Police Officer Exam

  • Applying definitions of offenses to scenarios
  • Following department procedures step by step
  • Comparing witness descriptions
  • Finding the most likely correct license plate or detail
  • Ordering events in time
  • Reading short incident passages carefully
  • Simple arithmetic in staffing and scheduling questions

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

How to prepare for the NYPD Police Officer Exam with SimpleQuizMaker

  1. Work through the NYPD tutorial first so the question styles feel familiar.
  2. Take our 50 questions in sets of ten and read every explanation, including for ones you got right.
  3. For memorization, practice studying a busy photo for a few minutes and then listing details from memory.
  4. Paste your own notes or a procedure into SimpleQuizMaker to turn them into a new quiz.

NYPD Police Officer Exam tips

  • Answer from the passage or rule given, not from what you think the law is in real life.
  • In procedure questions, look for "in the order given" and find the exact step the scenario has reached.
  • In witness questions, the account that agrees with the majority on most details is usually the most likely correct.
  • Watch qualifiers such as "LEAST accurate", "most likely" and "first".
  • Check arithmetic twice when a detail (like one officer reassigned) changes the total.

Make your own NYPD Police Officer Exam practice quiz

Free account, no card needed. Type a topic or paste your notes and the AI builds the quiz in seconds.

Create a free accountOpen the quiz maker

{short} FAQ

Are these official NYPD or DCAS exam questions?

No. Every question here is original practice written for this page. They are not official NYPD or DCAS items and are not affiliated with either agency. For the official preparation material, use the NYPD tutorial linked under sources.

What areas does the NYPD Police Officer exam cover?

The NYPD tutorial lists memorization, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, information ordering and visualization, while noting that not every area is guaranteed and others may be added.

Why are there no memorization or visualization questions here?

Both depend on studying a picture or diagram, which does not work as a plain text question. Use the picture exercises in the NYPD tutorial for those.

Where do I apply for the exam?

NYC civil service exams are applied for through DCAS and its OASys system. Check the NYPD careers page and the DCAS exam schedule for current filing periods.

Do I need an account to take this practice quiz?

No. Anyone can take the practice questions on this page without signing up.

Can I make more practice questions?

Yes. On the free plan you can create quizzes from a topic or pasted text, 5 generations a month with up to 10 questions each. The Student plan ($2.99/month or $29.99/year) adds PDF, Word and image uploads and up to 100 questions.

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.