TEST PREP
Your preparation starts here and now
JIM
HARRIS
Officer James Harris of the Toms River Police
Department started privately tutoring officers for
their promotional testing. He now owns and operates
the J. Harris Academy of Police Testing, and is one of
the foremost experts on law enforcement promotional testing in New Jersey. Officer Harris provided his
thoughts to answer questions about the promotion
and testing process.
What should officers do to begin preparing for promotional testing?
Law Enforcement Officers that are employed by non-civil service
departments are usually aware that their agency is preparing to test
for promotions. Although officers may not know exactly when the
test will be, it is critical to start preparing early to get a head start on
the competition. Typically, the testing process will take place within
a short time frame from the date of announcement to the date of the
test. (On average, 60 days. ) With the amount of material that needs
to be absorbed in that short time frame, officers should start with
reviewing the Attorney General Guidelines:
• Civil Service Captains and Lieutenants test every three years.
•
With the announcement expected on July 1, they should have
already contacted a test prep company to assist them in their
preparation and begin studying.
As for Civil Service Sergeant’s candidates, the exam is not given
at the discretion of the Civil Service Commission. As you know,
they announced a Sergeant’s exam on Jan. 1, 2014, but they
have yet to set a test date. This delay is most likely the result of
the 2011 Police Sergeant Consent Decree which came about
after the lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. This
lawsuit has created significant delays in testing. With that said,
officers need to start preparing and it is imperative that officers
start by staying up to date with Attorney General Guidelines,
Criminal Law and Case Law.
What is your take on the current civil service exams? What
improvements have been made or not been made?
The exam is just an instrument to gauge baseline knowledge
about the segments of the job for the title that the candidates are
testing. No matter what examination you provide, not everyone will
CONTINUED ON PAGE 80
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