Safety Forces Testing

2021 POLICE SERGEANT

PROMOTIONAL TEST GUIDE

Issued: May 12, 2021

Page intentionally left blank.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………. 1
Overview of Examination
Information Session

PHASE I: OPEN-BOOK MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAMINATION……………. 2

PHASE II: CLOSED-BOOK MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAMINATION……….. 2

MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST-TAKING SKILLS………………………………… 3

Marking the Answer Sheet
Test-Taking Strategies
Error Analysis

MULTIPLE-CHOICE APPEAL PROCEDURES…………………..…………… 6

Basis of Appeals
Resolution of Appeals

PHASE III: WRITTEN WORK SAMPLE EXAMINATION.…………………… 8

Clerical Review/Limited Appeals

PHASE IV: ORAL EXAMINATION…………………………….……………… 9

Oral Communication
Command Presence
Interpersonal Relations
Supervision
Problem Analysis
Problem Resolution

STUDY SKILLS…………………………………………………………………….. 17
Concentration Techniques
Reading Comprehension Techniques
Note-Taking Systems
Memory Techniques
Visualization
Tips
INTRODUCTION

Overview of Examination
This test guide is designed to assist you in your preparation for the 2021 Police
Sergeant Promotional Examination. This guide will provide information about each
exam phase including test format, test administration plans, and test scoring
procedures. Additionally, this guide will offer study tips and test-taking techniques.

Applications to take the 2021 Police Sergeant Exam must be submitted online at the
Commission’s website during the filing period of July 1 through July 31, 2021.
Candidates who apply, have the qualifying experience (at least three years of
continuous accredited service as a permanent appointee in the class of Columbus
Police Officer immediately prior to the date of the first phase of the examination), and
are in possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license will be invited to test.

The examination consists of four phases:

 Phase I: Open-Book Multiple Choice Examination – September 1, 2021

 Phase II: Closed-Book Multiple Choice Examination – September 1, 2021
 Phase III: Written Work Sample Examination – September 1, 2021
 Phase IV: Oral Board Examination – October 27, 2021

The examination dates, listed above, have been scheduled. However, unforeseen
events may cause the dates to change. Such changes will be announced in the City of
Columbus Division of Police (CPD) Daily Bulletin, on the Civil Service Commission
(CSC) website at www.columbus.gov/civilservice/, and/or in the admission notices to
candidates.

Be attentive to your test notice for the correct test locations and times. You are advised
to arrive to the test sites early to avoid being denied entrance to each phase of the
examination. Instructions on parking and entry to the building will be provided in your
test admission notice.

Each exam phase will be converted to z-scores and weighted based on the phase
weighting using the straightforward mathematical approach used in past years for all
such exams. Per the FOP Contract, seniority points will be added to passing scores.

These examinations are designed on the basis of information obtained from a job
analysis of the Police Sergeant job classification. The job analysis provides a
description of the duties performed by Columbus Police Sergeants and identifies the
knowledge, skills, and abilities required to effectively perform the job.

Information Session
The 2021 Information Session will not be delivered in person. Instead the presentation
will be recorded and then made available as a video. The video will be posted online. A
link to the video will be posted to the Commission’s Police Sergeant web page by
August 1, 2021. Candidates will be notified via email notice once the video is posted.

1
The Commission’s Police Sergeant Exam web page:
https://www.columbus.gov/civilservice/uniformed-police-series/Police-Sergeant/

PHASE I – OPEN-BOOK MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAMINATION

Phase I, the open-book multiple-choice will take place on September 1, 2021, at The
Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High Street. You must bring your valid
Ohio driver’s license to Phase I of the exam to verify that you meet this portion of the
minimum qualifications for the position. The first phase of the examination will be an
open-book multiple-choice exam. This part of the exam uses a multiple-choice format. It
is designed to test knowledge that does not require memorization but can be retrieved
from source materials.

The questions on this phase of the exam will be derived from the sources included on
the reading list. There will be approximately 60 questions on this phase. Candidates will
record responses on a scan-enabled answer sheet, and only responses on that sheet
will be scored.

You will be permitted to use all the sources on the reading list during this exam. You
must bring your own printed copies of the sources to this exam. You may not share
sources during the examination. Sources will be subject to inspection at the test site to
ensure that no additional summary pages or materials have been added.

PHASE II – CLOSED-BOOK MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAMINATION

Phase II of the examination will be a closed-book multiple-choice exam. The phase will
also take place at The Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High Street. This
part of the exam uses a multiple-choice format designed to test knowledge that is taken
from memory without the option to reference source materials. You will not be permitted
to use any of the sources on the reading list for this phase. Phase II of the exam will be
given the same day as Phase I.

The questions on Phase II will be derived from the sources included on the reading list.
There will be approximately 60 questions on this phase. Candidates will record
responses on a scan-enabled answer sheet, and only responses on that sheet will be
scored.

2
MULTIPLE-CHOICE TEST-TAKING SKILLS

Marking the Answer Sheet

All of the questions on the open- and closed-book portions of the examination are in a
multiple-choice format. You are to mark your answers (A, B, C, etc.) on separate scan-
enabled answer sheets, which you will be given during the examination. The answer
sheets will be scored by machine, so it is important that you follow marking instructions
carefully.

When you use the answer sheets during the examination, follow these instructions:

1. Make good dark marks that completely fill in the circle for the alternative that you
believe is the best response.

2. Use only the #2 pencils you will be given during the examination. Do not use felt-tip
or any other pens.

3. Make one, and only one, mark for each question.

4. Fill in your answers on your computer answer sheet as you go and not wait until the
end of the test.

5. To change an answer, fully erase the answer you intend to change then mark your
new answer. Completely erase any changed answers.

6. Frequently check that the question number in the test booklet corresponds with the
number of the space you are marking on the answer sheets.

7. Follow the test monitor’s instructions carefully for marking your Identification Number
on the answer sheet.

8. Although you are permitted and encouraged to mark in the test booklet, your score
will be based only on the answers that are correctly recorded on the answer sheets.

Test Taking Strategies

The following test-taking strategies may be helpful to you when taking the multiple-
choice tests:

1. Make sure that you listen to the verbal and read the written directions carefully.

2. Make sure you know how to mark the separate answer sheet correctly.

3. Make sure you know how much time you have to complete the examination.

4. Read each question carefully. Try to answer the question before you look at the
answers provided. If you know the answer, compare your answer to the available
choices and pick the closest alternative.

3
5. If you don’t know what the answer is to a question before looking at the alternatives,
first eliminate those choices that are clearly wrong. This makes the chance of picking
the correct answer better. After eliminating these obviously wrong answers, pick the
best alternative from those that are left. You might mark the question, come back to
it, and change the answer later.

6. Don’t be afraid to go with the first answer that comes to your mind. Often, first
instincts are correct.

7. Answer the easy questions first and then go back to the harder ones so that you do
not spend too much time on any one item.

8. Answer every question, even if you must guess. The final raw score is equal to the
total number of correct responses.

9. Find clue words. Words such as all, only, none, every, must, require and never
harden the meaning of the sentence by indicating that there are no exceptions. As a
general rule, alternatives with these words have a lesser chance of being correct.
Words such as some, sometimes, may, generally, and possibly soften the
meaning of a statement and leave more room for an alternative to be correct.

10.Be careful not to be misled by alternatives that are only partially true, or only true if
certain conditions are present and such conditions are not presented in the question.

11.When reading test questions, you may mark in the test booklet. Here are some
suggestions.

a. Use slash marks (/) to break up sentences into smaller segments. This will
help you focus on each piece of information.
b. Circle key words that tell what the sentence is all about. This will help you get
an understanding of the sentence and will make it easier if you have to find an
answer.
c. Underline or highlight words that harden or soften the meaning.
d. Put marks next to each alternative (e. g., “g” = “clearly a good answer”, “x” =
“clearly a bad answer”). If you have to re-read the question or answers, this
will save time.

12. Since writing in the test booklet is permitted, circle or mark the answer you selected
and recorded on the answer sheet. This will help if you have time to review your
responses and during the subsequent appeals period.

13. If you have time, go back and look at every question and answer. Make any changes
on your answer sheet that are necessary.

14. Remember, test monitors are there to assist with procedures and to help you
perform to the best of your ability. If you have any questions, ask for assistance
before the examination begins or whenever a question arises. Monitors can answer

4
 questions about exam procedure and clarify instructions but may not answer
questions about exam content.

15. With approximately 60 questions on the open-book and on the closed-book exams,
you may want to pace yourself and leave time to go back and check your work. This
is especially important on the open-book exam. The time allotted is likely not enough
to look up and confirm every answer. Thus, pacing yourself during the open-book
exam is critical.

16. The test questions and keyed responses are developed using the source materials
on the reading list. The CSC and the SMEs make great efforts to develop test
material that match the job, but in the event there are discrepancies between
practices performed on the job and the practices as stated in the source, the keyed
response will reflect the source.

Error Analysis
There are several possible reasons for choosing an incorrect response. Practice test
booklets are available at the local library or through bookstores. Taking practice tests
and then analyzing your performance may help you identify your test-taking strengths
and weaknesses. The following are six possible reasons for incorrectly answering a
question along with possible methods of avoiding those errors:

1. You have accidentally marked the wrong space on the answer sheet. Since there
are a limited number of questions on the exam, careless errors such as these are
costly. Check each answer choice on the answer sheet to ensure you are marking
the answer you have chosen. As an additional check, after you complete the exam,
go back over every question and make sure the answers match.

2. You have misread a question or answer by overlooking a key word or phrase. The
solution to this problem is UNDERLINING/HIGHLIGHTING. Underlining or
highlighting makes those key words and phrases stand out when choosing an
answer. Once you have underlined/highlighted the key words and phrases, check
the details of the possible answers with the details you underlined/highlighted, one
by one. If every detail doesn’t match, consider that answer suspect and try another.
Always keep in mind that you are looking for the best answer of the choices
listed.

3. You do not know the meaning of one or more key terms. This could be a problem in
PREPARATION and/or VOCABULARY. Underline or highlight key terms and make
sure you know what they mean as part of your study process. If an unfamiliar term is
a technical term, it most likely will be defined in the sources. If an unfamiliar term is
not a technical term, go to a dictionary and look it up. It is a good idea to build your
own glossary of terms and their meanings as a part of your test preparation.

4. You may have been unable to distinguish the important and unimportant parts of a
question because it was complicated or difficult to understand. These are the
questions you should skip until the end of the test. These are the questions on which
you should use the slash mark technique discussed earlier. Use slash marks to

5
 break up the material into small segments, and then concentrate on one segment at
a time. When you go back to these questions first read the possible answers before
reading the question. This tells you what to concentrate on while reading the
question. Read for the general meaning and do not get bogged down by individual
words or phrases you do not understand.

5. You may miss a question because you are simply not used to comparing
combinations of information. This is a problem of re-arranging information in the
correct way so that it makes sense. Underline or highlight critical pieces of
information and then compare the information with the possible answers point by
point. Also, concentrate on eliminating the wrong answers first.

6. You may have selected an answer that “looked good.” There are a number of factors
that can cause you to fall for incorrect answers that look good.

a. An incorrect answer may contain an exact phrase from the question.

b. An incorrect answer may contain a phrase or sentence that is used out of
context. For example, an idea, which is expressed but then rejected, may be
presented as an idea that was supported in the question.
c. An incorrect answer may overstate what the question has stated. For
example, if the question says, “Some officers,” the incorrect answer may say,
“All officers.”

Listed below are some specific strategies for avoiding the tendency to fall for
incorrect answers that look good.

a. Have an answer in mind before you look over the alternatives. This will make
you less susceptible to choosing an answer that looks good.
b. Do not forget to use the method of marking each alternative to indicate what
you think about it (e.g. bad, good, or possible) before choosing one.
c. Stick strictly to the facts of the question and do not fall for answers that
stretch or exaggerate the facts described in the test question. This is the time
to watch out for words that harden or soften a phrase. Examples of words that
harden a phrase include: only, never, always, must, require, whenever, all,
etc. Examples of words that soften a phrase include: may, sometimes, could,
usually, should, normally, etc.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE APPEAL PROCEDURES

The multiple-choice examinations will be subject to a one-round appeal process. The
appeal process allows you the opportunity to challenge the identified keyed response(s)
for test question(s). Any upheld appeal will change the key for all candidates. The dates
of the appeals are September 2, 3, and 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 1111 E. Broad
Street. In the one-round appeal process, candidate appeals will be anonymous and will
be reviewed by subject matter experts (SMEs). The SMEs will be drawn from the CPD
and will be at least at the rank of Police Sergeant. The SMEs will make
recommendations as to the merit of each appeal. If an appeal is upheld, it will result in

6
that item being either deleted or re-keyed for all candidates taking the exam. All
decisions will be final.

You will be permitted to mark your answers in your test booklets during the test for later
use during the appeal period. During the appeals process, you will be permitted to review
your test booklet, but not your scanned answer sheet. Therefore, marking your answers
in your test booklet during the exam will allow you to review your responses during the
appeal process. These markings are solely for your own use. The official computer
answer sheets are the only documents that will be used to determine your raw scores.

You will be permitted to submit appeals on Phases I and II during the three-day period
following the Phases I and II test administration. On appeal days you will be provided with
the answer keys and your own test booklets. Candidates must bring their own source
material to reference for appeals, and are strictly prohibited from writing in those source
materials or from removing any test materials (original, machine-copied, or hand-copied
notes) from the appeal site. Candidates are not permitted to have conversations with other
candidates while attending appeals.

Cell phones, computers, and any other electronic devices are prohibited from use in the
appeal room. Candidates who bring these electronic devices to appeals will be asked to
secure them with a monitor. Only exam candidates are permitted in the appeals room: no
adult family or friends.

Basis of Appeals: Candidates must indicate the basis on which the appeal is being filed.
Appeals which are ambiguous, do not refer to one of the four reasons listed below, or are
unsubstantiated, may be summarily dismissed. For each appeal submitted, candidates
must clearly indicate the reason the appeal is being filed and explain the rationale. An item
may be appealed for one of the following reasons only:

1. No correct alternative: The appellant must specify the reason the keyed alternative is
incorrect.

2. Multiple equally correct alternatives: The appellant must demonstrate that an un-keyed
alternative is at least as proper as the keyed alternative.

3. Item is not contained in a source on the reading list: The appellant must demonstrate
that the item was based on reference material not contained in a source on the
reading list.

4. Incorrectly keyed alternative: The appellant must demonstrate that the keyed
alternative is incorrect and a different alternative is correct.

Resolution of Appeals
SMEs will review the appeals and make recommendations based upon the merit(s) of the
appeal(s). There must be a consensus among the SMEs in order to delete or re-key an
exam question. Generally, the recommendation(s) made by the SMEs will be followed;
however, the CSC does retain the right to make the final decision. Typically, test items for
which appeals are granted as a result of reasons 1 to 3 will be deleted from the exam. If an

7
appeal is granted on the basis of an incorrectly keyed alternative, the key will be corrected.
Appeal outcomes will be applied to all candidates, and the results will be made available to
all candidates during the clerical review.

PHASE III – WRITTEN WORK SAMPLE EXAMINATION

Phase III, the written work sample will take place on September 1, 2021, at The Greater
Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High Street. Each element of the written work
sample is designed to assess various knowledge, skills, and abilities deemed necessary
to be an effective Police Sergeant. The written work sample examination will consist of
a series of typical situations a Columbus Police Sergeant might face on the job.
Candidates may be asked to describe how they would handle each situation.
Candidates may be required to complete or review a letter, a memo, an outline, and/or
other written work product. The situation may require a brief description of actions to be
taken or call for a detailed plan of action. Candidates will be given a limited amount of
time to complete this phase of the test.

In addition to the sources on the reading list, candidates will be permitted to bring a
dictionary to the written work sample exam. Electronic dictionaries, however, are not
permitted. All candidates must bring their own copies of the reading list sources to the
exam. Candidates may not share sources or dictionaries during the examination. All
sources will be subject to inspection at the test site to ensure that no additional
summary pages have been added. The use of tabs, highlighting, underlining, and notes
in the margins are allowed.

Scoring of the written work sample exam will utilize a check-off type answer key. CSC
analysts will work closely with SMEs in the CPD to create the key. The scoring key may
include negative point values (e.g., in cases where responses violate Division policy). Where
possible, SMEs and analysts will identify the knowledge source from which each keyed
response was derived. Some of the keyed responses will be based upon SME input
describing best and/or common practices in response to the written work sample items.
During the grading process for the Police Sergeant exam, candidates’ responses will be
compared to the answers identified on the key. Two CSC analysts will grade each
candidate’s exam separately. After this initial grading, the score sheets will be compared
response number by response number. If there are any response numbers where one grader
gave credit and the other grader did not give credit, then this response number will be scored
by a third grader. Credit for response numbers will be determined on a two-out-of-three
basis.

Clerical Review/Limited Appeals

You will be given an opportunity to participate in a clerical review process for the written
work sample. During the clerical review, you may check the accuracy of the scoring
process. You may petition for a review of a response that you provided in the event you
believe your response is consistent with the key but was not awarded point(s). Points
awarded to you as a result of the clerical review will only impact your score.

At the same time as the clerical review, a limited appeal process for the written work
sample component will be implemented. The appeal process allows you the opportunity

8
to challenge keyed responses. If you believe that you have identified that an answer on
the key is critically flawed, you may submit an appeal. If the appeal is upheld, the keyed
response will be deleted for all candidates. If a keyed response is removed from the
written work sample exam, it may cause originally reported scores to be lowered.
Clerical review petitions and appeals shall be submitted in writing and anonymously,
that is, identified by candidate identification number only. Cell phones, computers, and
any other electronic devices are prohibited from use in the appeals/clerical review
room. Candidates who bring these electronic devices to appeals will be asked to secure
them with a monitor. Candidates may not work in groups and will not be permitted to
talk with other candidates during this time.

Internal SMEs, at the rank of Police Sergeant or above, will conduct the petition reviews
and determine whether points will be awarded based upon the petitions filed. SMEs will
also review the appeals. The CSC Executive Director reserves the right to make all final
decisions on appeals and clerical review petitions.

During the clerical review, you will also have an opportunity to check the accuracy of the
scoring of your multiple-choice exams answer sheets. In the event your tally of the total
score does not match the total score recorded by the Commission, you should inform a
staff member immediately to have the discrepancy verified and corrected. It is during
this review that you will have an opportunity to see the results of the multiple-choice
appeals.

The clerical review is scheduled for October 21, 22, 25, and 26, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. at 1111 East Broad St., the CSC Testing Center. Remember that the review
period is subject to change and any change will be announced on the CSC website
and/or in email notices sent to candidates.

PHASE IV – ORAL EXAMINATION

The last phase of the promotional examination is the oral exam; this phase consists of
two oral exercises. This exam will be administered one full day on October 27, 2021.
Candidates will be given two exercises for which they must present solutions.
Candidates will be given a set amount of time in which to prepare responses for the
exercises. The allotted response time for the Police Sergeant exam will be
approximately eight to ten minutes for each exercise. The exact exam response times
have not been determined. Candidates will be sequestered either before or after their
examination. There will be no live interaction with role players. Candidates will, instead,
sit alone in a room and verbally respond to visual prompts presented on a television
monitor.

You will be given 60 minutes of preparation time to plan your responses to the two oral
board exercises. You may bring reading list source materials to the test site for this
exam phase, but extra note pages will not be permitted. This preparation will be done in
a preparation room apart from the rooms in which the oral exercises will be held. The
assessors will not observe candidates during this preparation time. You will be given the
written oral exercises at the beginning of your preparation period. During the
preparation time, you may generate notes to use during the actual exercises. When you

9
complete your preparation time, you will bring the printed exercises with you and any
notes that you generated; however, your source materials will be held in another
location for your retrieval after the exercises are completed.

Each exercise will contain one or more visual prompts to which the candidate is to
respond. This exam will be a video-based exam. Again, there will be no live interaction
with role players. Candidates will, instead, sit alone in a room and verbally respond to
visual prompts presented on a television monitor. By testing in this manner, it is ensured
that each candidate receives the same prompts at the same time with no
inconsistencies or variations. Each candidate’s responses will be video recorded and
graded by assessors at a later date. At the appropriate time, a test monitor will bring you
to the exam room. If you have questions about the test instructions or test procedures, ask
a test monitor before your exam begins. Due to the reliance on technology and the use of
individual rooms, if a problem occurs while you are taking the test, immediately open the
door to your test room and speak to a test monitor. Problems could include, the video not
advancing while the audio continues to play or the audio and video stops, stalls, or pauses
for a period of time outside of the timed/scheduled pauses designed for your response.
Multiple video cameras will be activated to record your responses. Only your responses
recorded during the eight to ten minute response time for each exercise will be
considered for grading. The assessors, when conducting evaluations, will not consider
any notes the candidates prepare or use during the oral exercises.

For each exercise, you will be expected to respond as if you currently hold the rank of
Police Sergeant with the Columbus Division of Police. Your performance should be
complete, concise, demonstrate a thorough awareness of the issues at stake, and
deliver sound resolutions to the problem(s) at hand. This is just guidance. It is most
important that the candidate answer the questions as asked.

The oral board scenarios may be of a number of different types. For example, one type of
scenario might require the candidate to have a one-on-one discussion with a subordinate
experiencing some difficulties. These difficulties might relate to performance, discipline, or
personal problems.

Another type of scenario might require the candidate to address a group consisting of two
or three subordinates. The candidate may be asked to discuss a critique of an emergency
scene with the group or to cover some other issue that is relevant to the position being
tested.

Another type of problem might require the candidate to address a civilian or a group of
civilians on topics such as community policing or crime in the neighborhood.

Finally, one of the exercises might be a presentation followed by a structured interview.

The candidate may be expected to present on a given topic or situation and may be
required to respond to a set of pre-determined questions. The candidate may be expected
to handle a situation or answer questions.

The oral exercises may be any of the different types or a combination of the different
types. The goal is to present the candidate with job-related, realistic problems that will

10
have to be resolved through verbal communication. Instructions for each problem will
specify the form in which candidates are to provide their responses.

At the designated time, you will be seated in a preparation room, given the scenarios, and
provided the opportunity to prepare. You will be permitted to use the sources listed on the
reading list for this phase while preparing for the oral board exercises. You will not be
permitted to bring reference sources in with you when you participate in the actual oral
presentations unless the materials are part of the exam scenario packet provided to you
as you enter the preparation room. Note: You are not permitted to bring any prepared
notes or outlines into the preparation room. Only the sources listed on the reading
list as related to Phase IV are permitted in the preparation.

Only scenario materials provided by Civil Service and notes prepared by the
candidate during the preparation period may be carried into the oral test rooms.
Candidates will be permitted to use any notes during the responses that were generated
during the preparation period. All such notes will be collected following each candidate's
final oral response.

Each oral exercise will be video-recorded. CSC plans to have two panels of three raters
score each response.

Candidates’ presentations should be complete, concise, demonstrate a thorough

awareness of the issues and result in sound resolutions to the problems. Candidates
will be evaluated on any four of six dimensions per exercise: [1) Oral Communication or
2) Command Presence], [3) Interpersonal Relations or 4) Supervision], 5) Problem
Analysis and 6) Problem Resolution. Descriptions of these dimensions and examples of
performance follow. The examples of effective and ineffective performance that follow
are not universal and may only apply to some of the oral board exercises.

Oral Communication
Oral Communication has two basic components: 1) the ability to make one's thoughts or
ideas understood by others and 2) the ability to understand thoughts or ideas expressed
by others.

Oral Communication involves the ability to organize thoughts and express them in a
clear and logical manner, to comprehend another's meaning, and to use appropriate
vocabulary and correct grammar in oral expression. Oral communication also involves
the ability to listen and accurately comprehend what others are saying or asking.
Candidates who speak distinctly and at an appropriate pace, enunciating clearly to the
oral board members, are better able to communicate their ideas than candidates who
rush or mumble. Candidates who do not carefully listen to others run the risk of
misinterpreting information. Candidates whose answers are unfocused and rambling
present themselves as being confused and unable to comprehend or convey the
information presented.

Outlining during preparation is one strategy that can help to enhance a candidate's
organization of thoughts. Thoughts and ideas will generally come across more clearly if
they have been organized on paper. An outline can be very useful for generating oral
responses to the scenarios.

11
 Examples of Effective Performance:
• Verbalizes a well thought-out plan of action
• Presents an organized, detailed outline of steps to gain control of the situation
• Expresses ideas clearly and concisely
• Uses active listening to demonstrate understanding of the material presented
orally in the role-play and follow-up questions
• Answers questions completely and precisely
• Uses body language, gestures, and tone of voice to support message

Examples of Ineffective Performance:

• Presents a confused or unclear plan of action
• Voices ideas randomly and/or several at a time
• Fails to answer questions asked by raters
• Only responds to portions of questions
• Contradicts self or previous statements
• Talks too long to make point; rambles
• Repeats the same information again and again
• Uses words that distract from the message (i.e. ‘uh, ‘you know’)
• Uses non-verbal actions that distract from the message (i.e. tapping pen)

Command Presence
Command Presence involves the ability to portray oneself as a person in authority and
someone who is trusted and respected. On the emergency scene, it is an individual’s
ability to exhibit self-control while in the face of enormous challenges, even when one is
not formally assigned a leadership role. In the non-emergency environment, it is when
an individual presents him/herself as someone in charge.

Candidates who possess effective command presence will be seen as knowledgeable,

calm in the middle of chaos, inspirational, and motivational to their subordinates. A
candidate should be able to bring order to the chaos on an emergency scene and be
easily recognized and respected by everyone on the scene.

If a candidate lacks command presence, he/she is prone to lose the ability to effectively
lead officers. Candidates lacking command presence are most likely to find themselves
having the most difficulties confronting criminals on the street. Criminals size up officers
and may carry out more felonious assaults against officers with ineffective command
presence. Command presence is not to be confused with arrogance. Candidates who
display command presence should remain humble and compassionate while displaying
a professional and courteous demeanor. Command presence can be vital for the safety
of officers, offenders, and bystanders.

The following are behaviors that candidates may exhibit that either improve or hinder
their command presence.

Examples of Effective Performance:

 Assumes command of a situation in a strong authoritative way
 Expresses oneself as knowledgeable and professional

12
  Displays firm adherence to values and mission, despite challenges
 Remains calm in a stressful situation
 Exhibits confidence in one’s abilities
 Uses eye-contact and tone to support clear message
 Posture is upright and shoulders are slightly back
 Speaks with a low, steady, deliberate pace

Examples of Ineffective Performance:

 Takes a passive approach in assuming command or avoids taking charge
 Is unfamiliar with what is within law, policy, or procedure when called upon
 Disciplines or embarrasses subordinates or others in the presence of others
 Yells at subordinates for their mistakes
 Avoids and denies responsibility
 Neglects to take action when action is necessary
 Fidgets, rolls-eyes, sweats, shakes, hunches shoulders
 Voice is shaky or raises voice (yells)
 Uses lots of filler words such as ‘uh,’ ‘you know’

Interpersonal Relations
Interpersonal Relations has two basic components: 1) the ability to work with peers,
coworkers, and/or the public in a cooperative and constructive manner and 2) the ability
to consider and respect the feelings, needs, and viewpoints of these groups.

Interpersonal Relations involves the ability to establish and maintain cooperative and
constructive working relationships with peers, coworkers, and/or the public. Those
candidates who are insensitive to the needs of others typically convey that insensitivity
during the role-playing situations.

Candidates should be able to talk to others in a manner that is not demeaning or

arrogant, thus establishing positive relationships during the sessions. Having effective
interpersonal ability, however, does not mean being non-assertive or indecisive.
Effective performance requires the demonstration of sensitivity along with the
assertiveness necessary to function in the position.

Listed below are some examples of behaviors reflecting effective interpersonal relations
that may be displayed:
1. Eliciting the input of others, particularly those individuals who may have trouble
speaking up on their own;

2. Giving others full attention when they speak by listening to and looking at them;

3. Complimenting or giving credit to others for good ideas or performance;

4. Disagreeing with others in a non-threatening manner;

5. Offering support and assistance to individuals experiencing problems;

13
6. Focusing on ineffective behavior when discussing performance problems, rather
than focusing on individual personality characteristics.

Examples of Effective Performance:

 Conveys empathy and respect
 Remains open and sensitive
 Asks questions and elicits information without being judgmental or
condescending
 Initiates corrective action in a supportive, positive way
 Is dependable and reliable; Instills trust

Examples of Ineffective Performance:

 Approaches others with disdain or arrogance
 Asks questions in an accusatory tone
 Adopts a condescending attitude
 Offers little or no help in resolving the problem(s)
 Becomes defensive
 Initiates corrective action in a non-supportive, negative way
 Is impatient or easily frustrated
 Is dishonest, misleads, or is unrealistic

Supervision
Supervision involves the display of an appropriate interpersonal style in guiding
subordinates toward task accomplishment by establishing and maintaining cooperative
and constructive working relationships. Supervision also includes considering the
feelings and needs of subordinates, respecting the views of subordinates, and providing
counseling advice to subordinates when appropriate. Supervision may also include the
ability to manage non-personnel resources to ensure that personnel has the tools and
training needed to complete assigned tasks effectively.

Listed below are some examples of behaviors reflecting effective supervision that may
be displayed:

1. Making expectations and goals clear;

2. Assigning subordinates work or goals that are challenging and reachable;

3. Making subordinates feel needed and highly valued;

4. Utilizing a teamwork approach to make decisions (i.e. asking subordinates for input if
there is a better way to do things);

5. Counseling subordinates or creating a plan for a subordinate to improve

performance;

6. Working to obtain the tools and resources needed to accomplish work-related tasks;

7. Providing follow-up with subordinates.

14
The examples of effective and ineffective performance from Interpersonal Relations
apply to Supervision as well. The primary distinction is that Supervision relates to how
candidates respond to subordinates, whereas Interpersonal Relations is limited to
candidates responding to peers, coworkers, and/or members of the public.

Examples of Effective Performance:

 Conveys empathy and respect
 Remains open and sensitive
 Asks questions and elicits information without being judgmental or
condescending
 Initiates corrective action in a supportive, positive way
 Provides clear and concise expectations, assignments and goals
 Determines resources needed to accomplish goals and endeavors to obtain
such resources

Examples of Ineffective Performance:

 Sets goals that cannot be met
 Allows or justifies poor performance
 Does not offer training, resources or tools needed to accomplish tasks
 Approaches others with disdain or arrogance
 Asks questions in an accusatory tone
 Adopts a condescending attitude
 Offers little or no help in resolving problem(s)
 Becomes defensive
 Initiates corrective action in a non-supportive, negative way

Problem Analysis
Problem Analysis can be defined as having two basic components: 1) distinguishing
relevant from irrelevant information and focusing on the relevant information when
resolving problems or performing tasks, and 2) seeking out additional information that is
needed to resolve problems or accomplish tasks.

Problem analysis includes the ability to research and gather information. It involves the
ability to identify the problem and include all relevant information in the presentation.
When preparing, candidates should consider all facts relating to the problem and should
be able to distinguish important from unimportant information. Candidates should
present a plan of action encompassing all important and accurate information from the
exercises. Candidates should demonstrate a working knowledge of what is and what is
not within policy. Those candidates who include trivial information in their presentation
are wasting time and indicate to the oral board that they really do not understand the
important aspects of a problem.

When presenting the problem or solution, candidates should be specific with regard to
the reasons for the solutions they offer to the problems. Candidates who consider
possible causes of the problem and address solutions based on the underlying causes
will convey a clear understanding of the problem. Candidates who listen carefully to

15
information related during the exercise and incorporate this information into their
response will fare better than candidates who respond without carefully listening to the
questions.

Outlining and underlining during preparation are two strategies that can help to enhance
a candidate's analysis of the problem. Underlining the important parts of the exercise
description during preparation is one method that can help a candidate focus upon the
important information. Outlining can help to organize available information and clarify
what additional information is needed to make a sound decision.

Examples of Effective Performance:

 Considers all available information; does not stop at the first answers
 Looks at underlying as well as surface issues
 Disregards unimportant or irrelevant factors
 Sees hidden problems or sees hidden problems with various solutions
 Seeks additional information to understand the problem

Examples of Ineffective Performance:

 Recognizes only obvious concerns, but fails to include more subtle, relevant
concerns
 Fails to consider all aspects of the situation
 Concentrates on unimportant or irrelevant details
 Fails to elicit information from stakeholders
 Focuses on trivial information

Problem Resolution
The dimension of problem resolution has two basic components: 1) evaluating and
considering the implications of alternative solutions to problems and issues, and 2)
deciding on the implementation of a solution to a problem or issue.

Problem resolution involves the ability to critically evaluate possible solutions to a

situation and formulate a logical implementation of an effective solution. Candidates
who are able to evaluate alternative solutions to the problem will perform better than
candidates who stick to only one possible solution or outcome. Candidates should take
proper and realistic action in order to resolve the problem; examples might include
providing coaching, mentoring, and disciplining the subordinate, as needed.

Candidates should convey their awareness of the implications of the solutions they
propose. Candidates who only touch the surface of the problem and concentrate on
easy solutions convey that they do not fully comprehend the problem or the
consequences of their actions.

The following guidelines or strategies may help enhance problem resolution skills:

1. Generate and consider alternative courses of action or solutions. When evaluating

potential solutions to problems, candidates should consider the impact of each
solution on all individuals who could be affected by the solution. This would include

16
 those individuals who decide on the solution, as well as those individuals who must
implement, abide by, and enforce the solution.
2. Consider the short and long-range implications of decisions that are made, since
some solutions may be beneficial only for the short term, while others may be more
beneficial for the long term.
3. Take steps to minimize any potentially troublesome "side-effects" of the chosen
solution.

Examples of Effective Performance:

 Thoroughly considers the problem
 Develops alternative approaches to deal with a problem
 Critically evaluates the feasibility of alternative solutions
 Presents a logical solution indicating evaluation of all factors
 Manages time wisely
 Considers the public perception of a solution
 Considers the impact on various stakeholders

Examples of Ineffective Performance:

 Only deals with a portion of the problem
 Jumps to conclusions without supporting evidence
 Fails to consider alternatives
 Uses little or no logic to reach conclusions
 Is unable to support decisions or conclusions with facts or logic
 Displays ineffective time management skills
 Fails to consider the public perception of a solution

STUDY SKILLS

The following section describes several study techniques that may be useful in
preparing for the examination. You probably have your own method of studying and
may even use a combination of the methods presented here. If you have always studied
the same way, you may want to try something new. You may want to find a more
effective method for studying. The methods discussed are alternatives that you can try
in order to determine which method works best for you.

Concentration Techniques
You must pay attention to the material if you expect to remember it during the
examination. There are several things that you can do that will help you pay attention to
the material.

1. Make the material more interesting or meaningful. One way to do that is to apply the
material to your own personal experiences. For example, when studying the
supervisor’s manual, try to relate the concepts to something you have done or
something you have seen a supervisor do.

2. Eliminate distractions from your study environment. These distractions compete for
your attention, interfere with your concentration, and “turn off” your memory of the

17
 material. It is difficult for people to pay attention to several things at the same time.
Instead, a person usually switches back and forth, paying attention first to one thing
and then to another. Unfortunately, any material that did not receive attention will not
be remembered. This means that listening to the radio while you are studying, or
studying in a noisy area will leave gaps in your memory of the material you are trying
to learn. Establishing a regular “place to study” may help you to focus your attention.

3. Eliminate internal distractions. Avoid trying to learn or memorize material when you
are tired or hungry. Fatigue reduces the amount of material that you can remember.
Both fatigue and hunger make concentration difficult. One way to avoid internal
distractions is to schedule study times with regular breaks and to set realistic goals.

4. Use the check-mark technique. This technique involves keeping a separate sheet of
paper beside you and marking a check on it each time your mind wanders. This
makes you aware of how often you are not concentrating and forces you to keep
focused. Too many checks could indicate that a different study time could allow you
to concentrate better and use your time more effectively.

Reading Comprehension Techniques

1. Page-at-a-Time Method

This method involves stopping at the bottom of each page and summarizing the
content in a few sentences. Ask yourself, “What did the author say on this page?”
The page-at-a-time method makes you concentrate by forcing your mind to focus on
the material while it is still fresh.

2. Organizational Pattern Method

This method involves determining how the author is presenting the material. Once
you have identified an author’s organizational pattern, you may be able to better
organize both your note taking and your thinking. There are several types of
organizational patterns:

a. Process Pattern: In this pattern, steps are presented in sequence. A police

procedure, for example, would be described step-by-step.
b. Increasing Importance Pattern: This pattern presents information from the
least important to the most important.
c. Decreasing Importance Pattern: Using this pattern, the author organizes
information from the most important to the least important.
d. Cause and Effect Pattern: With this pattern, when you identify a cause or
a problem, you are prompted to look for the effect or the solution.
e. Compare or Contrast Pattern: This pattern involves presenting similarities
or differences among theories, ideas, procedures, etc.

18
3. Paragraph Method

This method involves stopping at the end of each paragraph and summarizing it into
one sentence. Simply ask yourself, “What was this paragraph meant to convey?”
This helps to ensure that you understand what you read. It will also be helpful to
identify the types of sentences and paragraphs you are reading. This approach
allows you to identify where the important information is in the material.

a. Identify types of sentences by function

- Topic sentences are controlling ideas
- Supporting sentences explain and prove the main idea
- Concluding sentences sum up the discussion
b. Identify types of paragraphs.
- Introductory paragraphs give the main idea
- Expository paragraphs present new information
- Transitional paragraphs tie information together
- Summarizing paragraphs restate main ideas and draw conclusions

4. SQ3R: A method for Studying

The symbols “SQ3R” stand for SURVEY, QUESTION, READ, RECITE, and
REVIEW.

a. Survey: To survey is to find the limits or borders of an area. Surveying the

material to be studied is the first step in the SQ3R method. This step allows you
to distinguish between important information and trivial detail.

The most obvious way to survey a body of information is to scan it from start to
finish. By skimming over the pages, you will get an idea of what is to come and
how long it will take to cover the material. This will help you to break the
assignment down into reasonable time blocks. In some of the internal sources,
this type of survey is made much easier through chapter summaries and
introduction paragraphs. The chapter summaries in the Arrest Search and
Seizure Manual and the introductions in the Directives can give a quick overview
of the important parts or pieces of the section. If you look at the section itself, you
will see that it is usually broken down into smaller parts or pieces through the use
of headings. Bold headings introduce big or important elements; smaller
headings introduce sub areas of these important elements. These headings can
provide an important road map through the section.

b. Question: Most people need a reason to do things. The same is true for studying
or reading a textbook. Try to formulate questions about the text you are about to
read. Finding the answers to these questions will give more meaning to the
material that you are reading. One way to develop these questions is to begin
with the list of headings from the chapter outline. Write a question for each major
and minor heading.

19
c. Read: For most people, reading means the same thing as studying. Reading is
important, but it will be done more effectively when the survey and question
steps have been completed.

Material should be read in the small “chunks” that you identified in the survey
stage. One section might be all of the material under a major heading. If several
pages are included under a major heading, divide it up into smaller sections
separated by minor headings. Try to determine how many sections you will read
in a given study session. Once you are able to answer the questions you
developed in the previous step, you can move on to the next section. Be sure
you understand the material in the section you are reading before you move on
to the next section. A good time to take breaks is between these sections, not in
the middle of them.

It is important to understand the material you are reading. One way to do this is
to keep a list of all unfamiliar terms and their meanings. The quicker you get to
know the meaning of all the terms, the more effective your studying will be. You
might want to keep a notebook of these unfamiliar terms as well as important
terms. You will find that this notebook of terms will be a big help in preparing for
the closed-book examination.

To become a more active participant in the studying process, you might also
want to mark or underline or highlight the text while you are reading. This will
also help you to focus on the major ideas. Reviewing the material will be easier
since you have already given yourself some hints and associations that will aid in
later recall.

Highlight or underline key words and concepts and make notes to yourself in the
margins. If you choose to use the underlining and marking method, here are a
few guidelines:

 Read through the entire section once before doing any underlining or
marking.
 Don’t mark or underline too much; the value of the technique lies in
highlighting only the most important material.
 Use ink if possible so that the underlining and notes do not disappear or
become unclear in the course of studying.
 Use symbols as much as possible. For example, use “?” as a symbol for
questions you have; use “*” to stand for a particularly important idea.

The act of identifying and choosing the most important material to be highlighted
will make recalling this information in the chapter or section easier at a later point
in time.

d. Recite: An important step in this method is the Recite Step. Recitation will help
you to remember the information that you have just read.

20
 Recitation does not have to be out loud, but it should be formal. Don’t just look
over the information and say to yourself, “Now I know it.” The point is that you
should recite the information that you are trying to learn. This can be done in
several ways. One popular method is to close the book and try to repeat what
you have just read. Then check to see if you were correct. A second way is to
answer questions about the material you have just read.

Reciting material with the assistance of another individual is also helpful. You
can ask each other questions about portions of the material, which will make you
recite the material in a very formal way. Choosing someone who is familiar with
the material is not necessary. The person only has to be able to recognize that
what you have said is what is written in the book or in your notes.

In order to be most effective, recitation should take place quite soon after you’ve
first learned or read the material. This is important because the greatest amount
of information is lost or forgotten right after it is first learned.

Do not try to recite too much information at once. Depending on the number of
pages covered, this might be all of the information in one major heading or even
one subheading. A whole chapter or section is certainly too large a unit for
recitation purposes.

e. Review: The last step of the SQ3R method is review. When you have finished
studying a block of material such as a chapter or section, you should review what
you have learned. This can be done through reciting or through answering
specific questions. The point is that you should go back over the material once
you think you have learned it.

The second form of review is done just before you begin a new study session. In
this form of review, you are actually preparing yourself for new learning by
strengthening previous learning. This helps to ensure that any old learning that is
needed as a basis for new learning is correct and available.

The final form of review is done before a test and is most effective in a group with
other test takers. This cuts down on some of the drudgery of pre-test studying
and can increase the meaningfulness of the information. It is sometimes easier to
remember the information if you think back to who said what and how the review
conversation went.

21
Note-Taking Systems
1. Cornell Note-Taking System

This system involves drawing lines to leave margins of a couple of inches on the left
and bottom part of the paper. The left margin is used for cue words or questions, and
the bottom is used to summarize. The note taking process for this method is as
follows;

a. Record
b. Question
c. Recite
d. Reflect
e. Review
f. Summarize

2. Questions-in-the-Margin System for Reading Source Material

a. Survey the entire section

b. Return to first paragraph and read to determine what is important
c. Write a brief question about the key points in the margin
d. Underline or highlight key words, phrases, or sentences which answer your
questions

Memory Techniques
1. Distributed vs. Massed Practice

Distributed practice involves studying for short periods on many days, for example,
studying for 50 minutes with a 10-minute break each hour. Multiple study sessions
with breaks would be distributed throughout several weeks/months before the exam.
This method reduces fatigue and boredom. Also, motivation is stronger in short
blocks of time.

Massed practice involves studying for many hours on relatively few days. It is a
method also called cramming. This method is generally useful for creative efforts, for
example, when writing a paper.

Visualization
The left-brain is used for reading, note-taking and memorization, while the right brain is
used for looking at graphs, shapes, and forms, and for visualizing and focusing on the
whole. By visualizing while studying, you use both hemispheres of the brain and
strengthen the ability to recall information at a later time.

A concept map or word diagram can help you to visualize material. This is an outline in
a flow chart format that shows key points and how they are related. It can be used to
reinforce important facts, clarify difficult passages, and organize and pull together ideas,
and can be used as a review.

22
Tips
1. Start early.
2. Schedule regular study times.
3. Recitation and repetition are important in transferring information from short-term
memory to long-term memory. More material is retained when a greater proportion of
study time is spent reciting.
4. Creating associations can be useful, as you will organize related information in your
memory.
5. Identify someone in the role of Sergeant or higher who could help you learn the
information and discuss relevant examples that relate to the material.

23