NYPD Police Officer Civil Service Exam 2026 – 190 Entry-Level
Practice Questions with Answers & Detailed Rationales, Reading
Comprehension, Memory, Written Expression, Logical Reasoning,
Judgment & Problem-Solving Scenarios
SECTION I: WRITTEN COMPREHENSION & LANGUAGE FLUENCY
Question 1
Officer Martinez responded to a call regarding a dispute between neighbours. Upon arrival,
she observed two individuals arguing loudly on a sidewalk. One individual, later identified as
Mr. Chen, was holding a garden tool in a menacing manner. Officer Martinez separated the
parties and interviewed witnesses. Based on the information gathered, she determined that
Mr. Chen had threatened his neighbour with the tool after a disagreement about property
lines. Which of the following best summarizes the situation Officer Martinez encountered?
A. A property line dispute that required mediation between two neighbours.
B. A verbal argument where a garden tool was present but not used as a weapon.
C. A dispute escalated by a threatening display of a garden tool.
D. A routine neighbour disagreement that resolved upon police arrival.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The scenario describes a dispute escalated by a threatening display of a garden
tool, which transforms a verbal argument into a menacing situation requiring police
intervention.
Question 2
The following notes were taken at a crime scene: Victim stated suspect fled northbound on
Lexington Ave. Suspect described as male, 30s, red jacket, blue jeans. Victim last saw suspect
at 2200 hrs. Suspect took victim's wallet containing $200 and a MetroCard. Which of the
following options presents the facts most clearly and accurately?
,A. The victim reported that a male suspect in his thirties wearing a red jacket and blue jeans
stole his wallet containing $200 and a MetroCard before fleeing north on Lexington Avenue
at approximately 10:00 PM.
B. A suspect wearing a red jacket fled northbound after taking a wallet from a victim on
Lexington Avenue at 2200 hours.
C. The victim's wallet with $200 was stolen by a male suspect who ran north on Lexington
Avenue.
D. At 10:00 PM, a male in his thirties stole a wallet and MetroCard from a victim on
Lexington Avenue.
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Option A includes all critical details—suspect description, direction of flight,
stolen items, location, and time—in a clear, chronological narrative.
Question 3
A police report contains the following sentence: "The officer seen the suspect fleeing the
scene and pursued him on foot." Which of the following identifies the grammatical error in
this sentence?
A. The word "seen" should be "saw" to indicate past tense correctly.
B. The word "fleeing" should be "flee" to match the infinitive form.
C. The word "pursued" should be "pursuing" for parallel structure.
D. The sentence is grammatically correct as written.
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: "Seen" is the past participle and requires a helping verb; the simple past tense
"saw" is grammatically correct in this context.
Question 4
Which of the following sentences contains a punctuation error?
,A. The suspect, who was wearing a black hoodie, fled when officers arrived.
B. Officers recovered the stolen property; however, the suspect had already fled.
C. The victim stated "I saw him run toward the park."
D. After securing the scene officers began interviewing witnesses.
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: A comma is needed after the introductory phrase "After securing the scene" to
separate it from the main clause.
Question 5
Officer Chen is writing a report about a vehicle stop. The notes indicate: Stopped vehicle at
1430. Driver appeared nervous. Smelled alcohol. Administered field sobriety tests. Driver
failed. Arrested driver at 1500. Vehicle towed. Which of the following represents the most
appropriate chronological summary for the report?
A. At 1430 hours, I stopped a vehicle. The driver appeared nervous and smelled of alcohol.
After administering field sobriety tests, which the driver failed, I arrested the driver at 1500
hours and had the vehicle towed.
B. I stopped a vehicle at 1430 and arrested the driver at 1500 after field sobriety tests. The
vehicle was towed.
C. After stopping a vehicle at 1430, the driver was arrested at 1500 for failing field sobriety
tests.
D. A vehicle stop was conducted at 1430 where the driver failed field sobriety tests and was
subsequently arrested.
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Option A maintains proper chronological order and includes all relevant
observations leading to the arrest.
Question 6
, Read the following passage: "The Neighbourhood Policing philosophy assigns officers to
specific sectors to build relationships with community members. These steady sector officers
are not assigned to details or backfill positions during their regular tours, allowing them to
focus on problem-solving and engagement within their assigned areas." According to the
passage, what is the primary purpose of not assigning steady sector officers to backfill
positions?
A. To reduce overtime costs for the department.
B. To ensure officers maintain specialized skills.
C. To allow officers to focus on community engagement and problem-solving.
D. To comply with union regulations regarding assignments.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The passage explicitly states that this practice allows steady sector officers to
focus on problem-solving and engagement within their assigned sectors.
Question 7
Which of the following sentences is written most clearly and professionally for a police
report?
A. Me and my partner responded to the call.
B. My partner and myself responded to the call.
C. My partner and I responded to the call.
D. Myself and my partner responded to the call.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: "My partner and I" is the correct subject pronoun form for the subject of the
sentence.
Question 8
Practice Questions with Answers & Detailed Rationales, Reading
Comprehension, Memory, Written Expression, Logical Reasoning,
Judgment & Problem-Solving Scenarios
SECTION I: WRITTEN COMPREHENSION & LANGUAGE FLUENCY
Question 1
Officer Martinez responded to a call regarding a dispute between neighbours. Upon arrival,
she observed two individuals arguing loudly on a sidewalk. One individual, later identified as
Mr. Chen, was holding a garden tool in a menacing manner. Officer Martinez separated the
parties and interviewed witnesses. Based on the information gathered, she determined that
Mr. Chen had threatened his neighbour with the tool after a disagreement about property
lines. Which of the following best summarizes the situation Officer Martinez encountered?
A. A property line dispute that required mediation between two neighbours.
B. A verbal argument where a garden tool was present but not used as a weapon.
C. A dispute escalated by a threatening display of a garden tool.
D. A routine neighbour disagreement that resolved upon police arrival.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The scenario describes a dispute escalated by a threatening display of a garden
tool, which transforms a verbal argument into a menacing situation requiring police
intervention.
Question 2
The following notes were taken at a crime scene: Victim stated suspect fled northbound on
Lexington Ave. Suspect described as male, 30s, red jacket, blue jeans. Victim last saw suspect
at 2200 hrs. Suspect took victim's wallet containing $200 and a MetroCard. Which of the
following options presents the facts most clearly and accurately?
,A. The victim reported that a male suspect in his thirties wearing a red jacket and blue jeans
stole his wallet containing $200 and a MetroCard before fleeing north on Lexington Avenue
at approximately 10:00 PM.
B. A suspect wearing a red jacket fled northbound after taking a wallet from a victim on
Lexington Avenue at 2200 hours.
C. The victim's wallet with $200 was stolen by a male suspect who ran north on Lexington
Avenue.
D. At 10:00 PM, a male in his thirties stole a wallet and MetroCard from a victim on
Lexington Avenue.
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Option A includes all critical details—suspect description, direction of flight,
stolen items, location, and time—in a clear, chronological narrative.
Question 3
A police report contains the following sentence: "The officer seen the suspect fleeing the
scene and pursued him on foot." Which of the following identifies the grammatical error in
this sentence?
A. The word "seen" should be "saw" to indicate past tense correctly.
B. The word "fleeing" should be "flee" to match the infinitive form.
C. The word "pursued" should be "pursuing" for parallel structure.
D. The sentence is grammatically correct as written.
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: "Seen" is the past participle and requires a helping verb; the simple past tense
"saw" is grammatically correct in this context.
Question 4
Which of the following sentences contains a punctuation error?
,A. The suspect, who was wearing a black hoodie, fled when officers arrived.
B. Officers recovered the stolen property; however, the suspect had already fled.
C. The victim stated "I saw him run toward the park."
D. After securing the scene officers began interviewing witnesses.
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: A comma is needed after the introductory phrase "After securing the scene" to
separate it from the main clause.
Question 5
Officer Chen is writing a report about a vehicle stop. The notes indicate: Stopped vehicle at
1430. Driver appeared nervous. Smelled alcohol. Administered field sobriety tests. Driver
failed. Arrested driver at 1500. Vehicle towed. Which of the following represents the most
appropriate chronological summary for the report?
A. At 1430 hours, I stopped a vehicle. The driver appeared nervous and smelled of alcohol.
After administering field sobriety tests, which the driver failed, I arrested the driver at 1500
hours and had the vehicle towed.
B. I stopped a vehicle at 1430 and arrested the driver at 1500 after field sobriety tests. The
vehicle was towed.
C. After stopping a vehicle at 1430, the driver was arrested at 1500 for failing field sobriety
tests.
D. A vehicle stop was conducted at 1430 where the driver failed field sobriety tests and was
subsequently arrested.
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Option A maintains proper chronological order and includes all relevant
observations leading to the arrest.
Question 6
, Read the following passage: "The Neighbourhood Policing philosophy assigns officers to
specific sectors to build relationships with community members. These steady sector officers
are not assigned to details or backfill positions during their regular tours, allowing them to
focus on problem-solving and engagement within their assigned areas." According to the
passage, what is the primary purpose of not assigning steady sector officers to backfill
positions?
A. To reduce overtime costs for the department.
B. To ensure officers maintain specialized skills.
C. To allow officers to focus on community engagement and problem-solving.
D. To comply with union regulations regarding assignments.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The passage explicitly states that this practice allows steady sector officers to
focus on problem-solving and engagement within their assigned sectors.
Question 7
Which of the following sentences is written most clearly and professionally for a police
report?
A. Me and my partner responded to the call.
B. My partner and myself responded to the call.
C. My partner and I responded to the call.
D. Myself and my partner responded to the call.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: "My partner and I" is the correct subject pronoun form for the subject of the
sentence.
Question 8
