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TEST PREP Students preparing for the 2016 Sergeant’s Exam get a chance to practice on the video assessment portion through a simulation Bernstein Test Prep set up a week before the test at Colts Neck High School. The Rehearsal Candidates get the chance to see and feel promotional test condition at Bernstein event Imagine walking into the video assessment portion of the NJ Civil Service Police Sergeant’s Exam on Jan. 16 with a been-there-done-that feeling? The candidates who will emerge with the highest scores on the 2016 promotional exam probably will be the ones for whom that DR. JEFF feeling became a reality. BERNSTIEN A week before test day, Bernstein Test Prep brought its students prepping for the sergeant’s exam to Colts Neck High School. At the site where the actual test was held, Dr. Jeff Bernstein deployed some scientific principles from his psychology expertise to give his students a trial run, a rehearsal actually, for the all-important video assessment portion of the exam. “Psychologists call it behavioral rehearsal,” Dr. Bernstein explained. “The whole purpose of the behavioral rehearsal is to practice in the environment, much in the same way a football team would play a preseason game. It’s not about counting points or score. It’s an opportunity to improve performance and try out what you can do.” In this first-ever preparation event, Bernstein reserved the Colts Neck High School facility the Saturday before test date. He created a full-blown practice test, including sample test questions and individual practice on the video assessments that students were able to watch on replay. He had students practice in the same room where the test was being administered with the same television monitors that were used in the video assessment portion. He even had students familiarize themselves with the parking set-up, where the bathrooms were located and other details to make sure there would be no surprises. The objective was two-fold, at least. One goal was to view the tape for ideas on how to better respond to the assessments presented on the actual test. Another was to get more practice with the video portion to build strengths and reduce weaknesses. But another objective emphasized what Dr. Bernstein believes is the true key to scoring as high as possible on the exam. “Reducing test anxiety,” he asserted. “As a psychologist, I see that as my main job. This idea just took it to the next level. To actually go to the test center and be in the classrooms gives stuDR. JEFF dents the extra edge. That is what they are paying us for.” BERNSTEIN From a real-world-application perspective, the pre-test prep also allowed the best candidates to rise above the competition. The video portion, after all, is designed to identify those candidates who have a good understanding of proper supervisory principles and practices, and a good understanding of what a sergeant should do in different kinds of situations. “Those candidates who really know what to do see it on the video,” Dr. Bernstein continued. “They understand the actions that need to be taken in a situation.” Looking ahead, Bernstein students can expect the same type of game-day preparation for future test prep. Dr. Bernstein reports that research shows practicing under game-day conditions leads to increased confidence and a more relaxed feeling when the real event occurs. So what this test prep special achieved is the same result law enforcement officers strive for when doing simulation-training. It’s the same philosophy as doing active-shooter scenario training, according to Bernstein. While the scores from the Police Sergeant’s Exam are still pending, Dr. Bernstein said he did hear some exit poll results. “After the test X[