How to Pass the MTA Police Exam in 2025
Feb 11, 2025
What Is the MTA Police Exam?
MTA police exams are the tests required to pass to become a criminal justice officer in New York City, Connecticut or in seven counties in New York state.
They are also known as MTAPD exams or police tests and take two formats:
- The NCJOSI I
- The NCJOSI II
NCJOSI stands for ‘National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory.’
Passing an MTA police test allows the candidate to become a criminal justice officer.
The MTA police exam is taken to be considered for roles in police departments.
These include positions with the K-9 Division, counter-terrorism, communications unit and community policing.
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There are eight steps in the application for becoming a national criminal justice officer, and passing the NCJOSI is the second.
- Apply online
- MTAPD exams
- Physical fitness test
- Panel interview
- A background investigation and fingerprinting
- Psychological evaluation
- Polygraph test
- Completion of police academy curriculum training
After applying online, candidates are randomly selected to take the tests.
If a candidate passes the MTAPD exam, they will then be invited to the following stages of an interview.
Both versions of the NCJSOI tests are multiple-choice and include cognitive ability and behavioral assessments.
They consist of multiple-choice questions divided into two separate tests.
The NCJOSI 1 is a one and a half hours test with four sections:
- Problem-solving
- Reading comprehension
- Mathematical reasoning
- Writing
A behavioral psychometric assessment follows these tests.
The NCJOSI 2 test is a five-hour test that includes 200 questions on a much broader set of skills.
The test begins with 80 questions testing:
- Verbal comprehension
- Verbal expression
- Problem sensitivity
- Reductive reasoning
- Deductive reasoning
- Spatial orientation
- Reading comprehension
- Mathematical reasoning
- Visualization
- Selective attention
- Flexibility of closure
These question sections are followed by a behavioral psychometric assessment comprising 120 questions.
To determine which NCJOSI test you are required to take, you should contact the police department that has invited you to be tested.
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The Police Entrance Exam: What to Expect
The MTAPD tests are a broad assessment of specific skills required in criminal justice officer work.
They evaluate abilities such as spatial reasoning (the ability to locate yourself in a complex building) and deductive reasoning (the ability to rule out information to deduce an answer).
The NTA exams are completed on paper.
The answer sheet is separate from the question booklet.
The answer sheet is a list of multiple-choice questions to be marked with black dots in pencil.
Some questions are based on paragraphs of text.
Others refer to visuals such as incident reports, tables of information or graphs.
Although the questions cover a broad set of cognitive skills and abilities, the question types are mixed following pieces of information.
Each piece of information presented is followed by a range of four to five questions that test different cognitive abilities.
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MTA Exam Question Formats and Example Questions
Deductive Reasoning Questions
Deductive reasoning questions are questions concerning rules and regulations and will often relate to one scenario only.
They evaluate a police officer's ability to apply rules and policies to a scenario to choose the best course of action to take according to the law.
These questions are jargon-heavy, and preparing for them will require an extensive understanding of policing terminology.
Inductive Reasoning Questions
Example Question:
Police officers use inductive reasoning to find the common element between multiple crimes.
These questions test a candidate's ability to review multiple crimes of a similar nature and spot the patterns that will lead to the correct identification of a criminal.
Vehicle Theft Report
| Make: | Citroen |
|---|---|
| Model: | Berlingo |
| Age of Vehicle: | 4 years old |
| Value at purchase: | $22,000 |
| Approximate Value: | $16,000 |
| Location at time stolen: | Carpark at the corner of Washington at 5th |
| Time noted as stolen: | 15:52 |
| Date Stolen: | 24/07/2013 |
| Time reported: | 16:15 |
| Date Reported: | 24/07/2013 |
Compare the table above and the passage to answer the following question:
Statement from phone recording at 4.15 p.m.:
Hi. I'd like to report my vehicle stolen. It is a red Citroen van I left in the car park on Washington close to 6th avenue. I left it just under 20 minutes ago and when I returned from the store it was gone.
Question:
Following the phone call, which item has been incorrectly logged on the vehicle theft report?
a) The date the car was stolen
b) The time the car was stolen
c) The location of the stolen vehicle
d) The age of the vehicle
e) The color of the vehicle
The correct answer is: c)
The location of the stolen vehicle is incorrect as the owner stated it was left on 6th avenue but the report states 5th avenue.
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Information Ordering Questions
Information ordering is essential in policing.
These questions test an officer's ability to extract a chronological sequence of events from jumbled statements.
This is an essential skill in policing when corroborating evidence from multiple witnesses or defendants.
Example Question:
Jerry Jones has been arrested for dealing narcotics from his house. His phone has been tapped and recorded, and he describes details of the arrest to his friend.
The following statements can be heard in the recording:
- I was walking towards my house at the intersection of 9th and Washington Avenue.
- The next thing I knew, police cars had blocked my street, and a cop was holding me down.
- This homeless guy came up the step asking me for dope.
- I watched him walk back down the steps and make a call on his cell phone.
- I said if he wanted it cheaper, he could get it from the guy down the street on 9th, but he should stick to this and get it from me if he wanted the good stuff.
Question:
What was the last action that led to Jerry being arrested?
a) Mr. An undercover officer approached jones
b) Mr. Jones offered to sell an undercover officer narcotics
c) Mr. Jones' street was blocked by police cars
d) Mr. Jones recommended to the homeless man he should buy narcotics elsewhere
e) Mr. Jones arrived at his home
The correct answer is: b) Mr. Jones offered to sell the undercover officer narcotics.
This is the last action Mr. Jones took to lead to his arrest. Although the homeless man walked away, this is not an action on the part of Mr. Jones.
Spatial Orientation Questions
Spatial orientation is the ability to locate yourself within a complex building or public space.
This skill is essential in policing.
Criminal justice officers need to predict and chase criminals on foot and in vehicles and retain detailed knowledge of their local areas to do so.
These questions present a map or diagram of a building.
The candidate must identify the fastest route between two points on the map from a list of five options.
Selective Attention Questions
These questions test concentration and demonstrate that a candidate can stay calm enough to perform routine duties in high-stress situations.
This is an essential skill in policing.
Taking statements or carrying out security checks at crime scenes is a part of day-to-day policing.
The MTA police exam tests this skill by presenting candidates with a complicated line of numbers, letters, symbols, and multiple-choice questions to evaluate a candidate's ability to extract patterns without distraction calmly.
Problem Sensitivity Questions
These questions ask the candidate to identify a problem buried in a densely written passage of text.
There are then five options of courses of action that would solve the problem.
The candidate must identify the best next step.
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Visualization Tests
Visualization questions assess an officer's ability to recall visual information.
For example, identifying an object from a description in a crime scene.
Visualization is essential in criminal justice officer work as officers need to quickly identify and locate pieces of physical evidence after it has been categorized and removed from a crime scene.
Flexibility of Closure Questions
Finding a face in a crowd is an essential skill for a police officer.
The flexibility of closure questions assesses a candidate's ability to spot a pattern buried in a cluster of other patterns.
This is tested by presenting a long series of numbers, words or shapes, followed by multiple-choice questions.
Verbal Comprehension Questions
These questions are simple fact-checking questions.
Candidates are presented with a paragraph of information or table, followed by five or six multiple-choice questions.
Candidates must select the correct answer for each question.
Example Question:
The question below is based on the following passage:
Eliza's Mother has called to say that her daughter has not been seen since she left school. Eliza carries an iPhone with her every day but does not usually let her Mother know she is walking home; however, she always arrives home safely between 3.15 a.m. and 3.30 a.m.
Her Mother has not seen Eliza since she left for school this morning. She has called her neighbors and friends and Eliza's phone. However, Eliza isn't answering, and no one else in the neighborhood has seen her. Eliza's Mother called her friend at 5.00 p.m. and then called the police at 6.00 p.m.
Eliza is 13 years old, blonde hair blue eyes. She is 5'2" tall and was last seen wearing a blue school blazer and red sneakers.
Question:
At what time did Eliza's Mother call the police?
a) 3.15 a.m.
b) 4.15 a.m.
c) 5.00 p.m.
d) 5.30 p.m.
e) 6.00 p.m.
The correct answer is: 6.00 p.m.
Various times in the paragraph are included to mislead the reader.
Take care in questions like this to make sure you have read the question correctly.
In this case, it is Eliza's mother's phone call that you are looking for the time for, not any of her other reported activities.
Verbal Expression Questions
The verbal expression questions of the MTA police exams test a candidate's ability to explain language logically through sentence completion.
After reading a passage of text, or mock police paperwork form, candidates must complete a sentence stem with an answer selected from five questions.
Example Question:
Which of the following words fits in the statement?
The officer stated that he wasn't going to go home until the defendant _________ incarcerated:
a) Hasn't
b) Had been
c) Has been
d) Hasn't been
e) Will be
The correct answer is: b) Had been
This is a part of a third conditional sentence structure.
Because the first verb is in the past continuous, the second has to be in the simple past tense to be correct in English.
When practicing for these questions, read each carefully in the context of the sentence before choosing the correct answer.
Situational Judgement Tests
The final 120 questions on the NCJOSI II test ask candidates to evaluate their behaviors.
These questions are different from the 80 cognitive ability questions.
There are no right or wrong answers.
Candidates read a paragraph describing a day-to-day policing situation and must select from five multiple-choice possibilities of responding to the situation.
It is important not to be dishonest in answering the situational judgment tests on the MTPDA exam.
It is a psychometric test in which answers will be cross-referenced and carefully analyzed by computers and assessors.
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How to Prepare for Your MTAPD Practice Exam in 2025
It is worth taking time to practice each type of question included on the MTAPD police exams separately before beginning timed practice tests.
As they are so specific to policing, it is unlikely a candidate will encounter them elsewhere.
The information in each question is police-specific.
It is worth practicing to familiarise yourself with the language used in the questions.
During this untimed practice, take a moment to research any policing vocabulary you do not understand.
A common downfall on this test is due to candidates not knowing vocabulary.
Then, take practice tests using a timer.
There are 200 questions to answer in two and a half hours.
Most require that candidates break down a dense paragraph of information or a complex diagram before answering them.
The answer sheet and question pamphlet are separate. The answer sheet only contains circles to draw dots inside.
It is easy to slip by rushing and marking the incorrect circle on paper by accident.
Prepare by familiarizing yourself with the test format.
When you arrive at the test center, prepare for strict security searches.
You will not be allowed to enter the test center with another person, and you will be asked to give up any devices such as mobile phones or smartwatches.
Final Thoughts
The MTA police exam is specific in the subjects which it tests and the format in which it tests them.
To pass, you should be up to date with legal and police jargon.
This regularly appears in paragraphs and diagrams that the questions are based on.
Timing yourself while practicing is key to passing.
However, it is worth evaluating through practice which kinds of questions take you the shortest amount of time with this test.
Starting with those, leave more time for the questions you find hardest.
There is no need to complete the NCJOSI II test in order.
All the multiple-choice options are presented in one column on an answer sheet, including the situational judgment questions.
Take care of the answer sheet.
Fill in the circles completely, and avoid making marks elsewhere on the paper. This could work against you when your answer sheet is scanned.
No points are deducted for wrong answers on the MTAPD exam; therefore, it is best to guess if you are unsure of an answer, then leave the answer sheet blank.
Tests take place on set dates and are not available to take too often.
When considering applying to become a police officer, ensure you complete your online application well before the next published date for the MTPDA exam.
Therefore, you have adequate time to study, revise and take practice tests.
There are few free practice tests available for the MPTDA exam; therefore, invest in practice papers from reliable sources with good user reviews.
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