SOCE 2026 MAIN EXAM MANUAL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Written statements - ✔✔are a person's written account of an incident or occurrence
that may or may not be made under oath or affirmation.
✔✔Field notes should include the following basic facts: - ✔✔• Where did the incident
take place?
• When did the incident take place?
• Who was involved?
• What happened?
• How did it happen?
• Why did it happen?
• Actions taken by the officer
✔✔Where: - ✔✔the location of an incident is a legal requirement which proves
jurisdiction.
✔✔When: - ✔✔is simply documenting the date and time that the incident occurred.
✔✔Who: - ✔✔represents everyone who may have information about what happened.
✔✔What: - ✔✔is the information regarding the nature of an incident.
✔✔How: - ✔✔Often, through observation, you can determine how an incident
happened.
✔✔Why: - ✔✔the reason for an incident is sometimes called the motive
✔✔Action Taken by the Officer: - ✔✔
✔✔v= - ✔✔victim
✔✔F= - ✔✔Female
✔✔DOB - ✔✔Date of Birth
✔✔W= - ✔✔White
✔✔tod= - ✔✔Time of Day
✔✔yr= - ✔✔year
✔✔s= - ✔✔suspect
,✔✔B= - ✔✔Black
✔✔aka= - ✔✔Also known as
✔✔yoa= - ✔✔years of age
✔✔nmi - ✔✔No middle name
✔✔hr= - ✔✔hour
✔✔ph= - ✔✔phone
✔✔M= - ✔✔male
✔✔tot= - ✔✔turned over to
✔✔Mirroring: - ✔✔act as if you are looking into a mirror, seeing the interviewee as a
reflection of yourself.
✔✔Minimal encouragers: - ✔✔are brief statements which indicate that you heard what
the interviewee said and are inclined to hear more. Examples include "Okay," "Go on,"
and "Then what?"
✔✔Cognitive interviewing: - ✔✔involves asking questions designed to reveal cognitive
memory through the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
✔✔Two Common Signs of Deception during an Interview - ✔✔Physiological and
behavioral signs
✔✔Physiological signs of deception - ✔✔• increased perspiration
• changes in skin color
• dry mouth
• observable increase in pulse rate
• observable change in breathing rate
✔✔Behavioral signs of deception - ✔✔• change in tone of voice, volume of speech,
rapidity of speech, pauses or silence
• foot tapping
• leg shaking
• finger tapping
• pacing
• inability to sit still
• refusing to look at the questioner
,• giving answers that appear rehearsed
• giving verbal responses that are inconsistent with nonverbal responses
• attempting to change the line of questioning
• being overly eager to help
• giving too much or too little clarification
• responding to questions with questions
• looking for an escape route
• asking for simple questions to be repeated
✔✔statement - ✔✔is a permanent, verbal, or written record of a person's account of an
incident or occurrence that may or may not be made under oath or affirmation.
✔✔sworn statement - ✔✔is written or oral facts that are stated under oath or penalty of
perjury.
✔✔An oath - ✔✔is a vow or a pledge to tell the truth regarding an incident or
occurrence.
✔✔An affirmation - ✔✔is a solemn and formal declaration or assertion made in place of
an oath.
✔✔interview - ✔✔is a conversation with a person who has knowledge of an event or
individual; it is a noncustodial meeting.
✔✔pre-interview process - ✔✔includes determining whom to talk to, when to interview
them, the order in which to talk to people, where to conduct it, what information to
obtain, and how to record them.
✔✔When interviewing Juveniles - ✔✔Be sure you are familiar with agency policies and
procedures on parents' and children's access to each other
✔✔Cooperative interviewee - ✔✔• Establish rapport.
• Confirm the interviewee's observations and statements.
• Ask direct questions.
• Do not confuse or frustrate the interviewee.
✔✔Uncooperative interviewee - ✔✔• Establish control of the interview.
• Keep your composure.
✔✔Reluctant interviewee - ✔✔• Establish rapport.
• State the purpose of the interview.
• Speak in a subdued tone of voice.
✔✔Hostile interviewee - ✔✔• Establish control of the interview.
• Maintain a neutral demeanor.
, • Do not argue with the interviewee.
• Follow safety precautions, including checking for a weapon.
• Ask direct questions.
• Try to reduce the interviewee's stress and anxiety.
✔✔Talkative interviewee - ✔✔• Establish the purpose of the interview.
• Be patient.
• Ask closed-ended questions to redirect the interviewee back to the subject of the
interview. Close-ended questions are phrased to receive a specific response, such as
yes or no.
✔✔Victim - ✔✔• Evaluate whether the victim is physically and mentally able to
participate in the interview.
• Build rapport.
• Be aware of the victim's verbal and nonverbal cues.
• Prompt the victim with primary and follow-up questions.
• Maintain a relaxed and calm interview environment.
✔✔Suspect - ✔✔• Consider the safety of all concerned.
• Give Miranda warnings, when applicable.
• Do not stereotype, pre-judge, ridicule, or bully the suspect.
• Be honest and straightforward.
✔✔Other interviewees not directly involved with the incident - ✔✔• Listen carefully to
the interviewee.
• Be polite, patient, and understanding.
• Encourage the interviewee to disclose information.
✔✔complainant - ✔✔someone who reports a crime or alleges that a crime has been
committed
✔✔confidential informant - ✔✔someone who provides information in confidence about a
crime, either from a sense of civic duty or in the expectation of some personal benefit or
advantage, and whose identity is normally not disclosed until required by law.
✔✔Who: - ✔✔Who were you with? Who was involved? Who do you think did it? Who is
the victim?
✔✔What: - ✔✔What happened? What did you see? What were the circumstances?
What offense was committed?
✔✔When: - ✔✔When did you realize something was happening? When, in terms of
date and time, did the incident occur?
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Written statements - ✔✔are a person's written account of an incident or occurrence
that may or may not be made under oath or affirmation.
✔✔Field notes should include the following basic facts: - ✔✔• Where did the incident
take place?
• When did the incident take place?
• Who was involved?
• What happened?
• How did it happen?
• Why did it happen?
• Actions taken by the officer
✔✔Where: - ✔✔the location of an incident is a legal requirement which proves
jurisdiction.
✔✔When: - ✔✔is simply documenting the date and time that the incident occurred.
✔✔Who: - ✔✔represents everyone who may have information about what happened.
✔✔What: - ✔✔is the information regarding the nature of an incident.
✔✔How: - ✔✔Often, through observation, you can determine how an incident
happened.
✔✔Why: - ✔✔the reason for an incident is sometimes called the motive
✔✔Action Taken by the Officer: - ✔✔
✔✔v= - ✔✔victim
✔✔F= - ✔✔Female
✔✔DOB - ✔✔Date of Birth
✔✔W= - ✔✔White
✔✔tod= - ✔✔Time of Day
✔✔yr= - ✔✔year
✔✔s= - ✔✔suspect
,✔✔B= - ✔✔Black
✔✔aka= - ✔✔Also known as
✔✔yoa= - ✔✔years of age
✔✔nmi - ✔✔No middle name
✔✔hr= - ✔✔hour
✔✔ph= - ✔✔phone
✔✔M= - ✔✔male
✔✔tot= - ✔✔turned over to
✔✔Mirroring: - ✔✔act as if you are looking into a mirror, seeing the interviewee as a
reflection of yourself.
✔✔Minimal encouragers: - ✔✔are brief statements which indicate that you heard what
the interviewee said and are inclined to hear more. Examples include "Okay," "Go on,"
and "Then what?"
✔✔Cognitive interviewing: - ✔✔involves asking questions designed to reveal cognitive
memory through the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
✔✔Two Common Signs of Deception during an Interview - ✔✔Physiological and
behavioral signs
✔✔Physiological signs of deception - ✔✔• increased perspiration
• changes in skin color
• dry mouth
• observable increase in pulse rate
• observable change in breathing rate
✔✔Behavioral signs of deception - ✔✔• change in tone of voice, volume of speech,
rapidity of speech, pauses or silence
• foot tapping
• leg shaking
• finger tapping
• pacing
• inability to sit still
• refusing to look at the questioner
,• giving answers that appear rehearsed
• giving verbal responses that are inconsistent with nonverbal responses
• attempting to change the line of questioning
• being overly eager to help
• giving too much or too little clarification
• responding to questions with questions
• looking for an escape route
• asking for simple questions to be repeated
✔✔statement - ✔✔is a permanent, verbal, or written record of a person's account of an
incident or occurrence that may or may not be made under oath or affirmation.
✔✔sworn statement - ✔✔is written or oral facts that are stated under oath or penalty of
perjury.
✔✔An oath - ✔✔is a vow or a pledge to tell the truth regarding an incident or
occurrence.
✔✔An affirmation - ✔✔is a solemn and formal declaration or assertion made in place of
an oath.
✔✔interview - ✔✔is a conversation with a person who has knowledge of an event or
individual; it is a noncustodial meeting.
✔✔pre-interview process - ✔✔includes determining whom to talk to, when to interview
them, the order in which to talk to people, where to conduct it, what information to
obtain, and how to record them.
✔✔When interviewing Juveniles - ✔✔Be sure you are familiar with agency policies and
procedures on parents' and children's access to each other
✔✔Cooperative interviewee - ✔✔• Establish rapport.
• Confirm the interviewee's observations and statements.
• Ask direct questions.
• Do not confuse or frustrate the interviewee.
✔✔Uncooperative interviewee - ✔✔• Establish control of the interview.
• Keep your composure.
✔✔Reluctant interviewee - ✔✔• Establish rapport.
• State the purpose of the interview.
• Speak in a subdued tone of voice.
✔✔Hostile interviewee - ✔✔• Establish control of the interview.
• Maintain a neutral demeanor.
, • Do not argue with the interviewee.
• Follow safety precautions, including checking for a weapon.
• Ask direct questions.
• Try to reduce the interviewee's stress and anxiety.
✔✔Talkative interviewee - ✔✔• Establish the purpose of the interview.
• Be patient.
• Ask closed-ended questions to redirect the interviewee back to the subject of the
interview. Close-ended questions are phrased to receive a specific response, such as
yes or no.
✔✔Victim - ✔✔• Evaluate whether the victim is physically and mentally able to
participate in the interview.
• Build rapport.
• Be aware of the victim's verbal and nonverbal cues.
• Prompt the victim with primary and follow-up questions.
• Maintain a relaxed and calm interview environment.
✔✔Suspect - ✔✔• Consider the safety of all concerned.
• Give Miranda warnings, when applicable.
• Do not stereotype, pre-judge, ridicule, or bully the suspect.
• Be honest and straightforward.
✔✔Other interviewees not directly involved with the incident - ✔✔• Listen carefully to
the interviewee.
• Be polite, patient, and understanding.
• Encourage the interviewee to disclose information.
✔✔complainant - ✔✔someone who reports a crime or alleges that a crime has been
committed
✔✔confidential informant - ✔✔someone who provides information in confidence about a
crime, either from a sense of civic duty or in the expectation of some personal benefit or
advantage, and whose identity is normally not disclosed until required by law.
✔✔Who: - ✔✔Who were you with? Who was involved? Who do you think did it? Who is
the victim?
✔✔What: - ✔✔What happened? What did you see? What were the circumstances?
What offense was committed?
✔✔When: - ✔✔When did you realize something was happening? When, in terms of
date and time, did the incident occur?
