DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) Final Knowledge
Exam
200-Question Practice Exam with Answer Key & Rationale — 2026/2027
Study Edition
Original practice questions authored from the standardized public DRE / Drug Evaluation and
Classification (DEC) curriculum (NHTSA/IACP), for study and self-assessment purposes.
,QUESTIONS, ANSWERS & RATIONALE
1. What does the acronym 'DRE' stand for in the context of impaired-
driving enforcement?
A) Detained Roadside Examiner
B) Drug Recognition Expert/Evaluator
C) Directed Response Enforcement
D) Departmental Review Examiner
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: DRE stands for Drug Recognition Expert (also called Drug
Recognition Evaluator), an officer trained to recognize drug
impairment.
2. What does 'DEC' stand for?
A) Drug Evaluation and Classification
B) Detection and Enforcement Center
C) Driving Examination Checklist
D) Distribution and Control
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: DEC refers to the Drug Evaluation and Classification
program, the formal name for the overall DRE process.
,3. The DRE program is generally credited as having originated with which
agency in the early 1970s?
A) Federal Bureau of Investigation
B) Los Angeles Police Department
C) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
D) Texas Department of Public Safety
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: LAPD officers first developed systematic drug-impairment
recognition procedures after noticing many obviously impaired
arrestees had BAC readings of 0.00.
4. Which two organizations currently sponsor/administer the national
DRE program?
A) FBI and DEA
B) IACP and NHTSA
C) FDA and CDC
D) DOT and OSHA
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), in
partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), administers the program nationally.
, 5. Before becoming a certified DRE, an officer must first be trained and
certified in which foundational program?
A) Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST)
B) Crime Scene Investigation
C) Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement only
D) Basic Patrol Academy
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: SFST certification is a prerequisite because the DRE protocol
builds directly on standardized field sobriety test skills.
6. The DRE evaluation is best described as a(n):
A) Medical diagnosis of addiction
B) Systematic and standardized 12-step procedure
C) Informal roadside guess
D) Purely chemical test
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The DRE protocol is a standardized, systematic, and
objective 12-step evaluation, not a medical diagnosis or informal
assessment.
7. A DRE's final opinion regarding drug category is ultimately meant to be
corroborated by:
Exam
200-Question Practice Exam with Answer Key & Rationale — 2026/2027
Study Edition
Original practice questions authored from the standardized public DRE / Drug Evaluation and
Classification (DEC) curriculum (NHTSA/IACP), for study and self-assessment purposes.
,QUESTIONS, ANSWERS & RATIONALE
1. What does the acronym 'DRE' stand for in the context of impaired-
driving enforcement?
A) Detained Roadside Examiner
B) Drug Recognition Expert/Evaluator
C) Directed Response Enforcement
D) Departmental Review Examiner
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: DRE stands for Drug Recognition Expert (also called Drug
Recognition Evaluator), an officer trained to recognize drug
impairment.
2. What does 'DEC' stand for?
A) Drug Evaluation and Classification
B) Detection and Enforcement Center
C) Driving Examination Checklist
D) Distribution and Control
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: DEC refers to the Drug Evaluation and Classification
program, the formal name for the overall DRE process.
,3. The DRE program is generally credited as having originated with which
agency in the early 1970s?
A) Federal Bureau of Investigation
B) Los Angeles Police Department
C) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
D) Texas Department of Public Safety
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: LAPD officers first developed systematic drug-impairment
recognition procedures after noticing many obviously impaired
arrestees had BAC readings of 0.00.
4. Which two organizations currently sponsor/administer the national
DRE program?
A) FBI and DEA
B) IACP and NHTSA
C) FDA and CDC
D) DOT and OSHA
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), in
partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), administers the program nationally.
, 5. Before becoming a certified DRE, an officer must first be trained and
certified in which foundational program?
A) Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST)
B) Crime Scene Investigation
C) Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement only
D) Basic Patrol Academy
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: SFST certification is a prerequisite because the DRE protocol
builds directly on standardized field sobriety test skills.
6. The DRE evaluation is best described as a(n):
A) Medical diagnosis of addiction
B) Systematic and standardized 12-step procedure
C) Informal roadside guess
D) Purely chemical test
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The DRE protocol is a standardized, systematic, and
objective 12-step evaluation, not a medical diagnosis or informal
assessment.
7. A DRE's final opinion regarding drug category is ultimately meant to be
corroborated by:
