Texas Police Officer Written Exam Online Preparation and Tips – 2024

As one of the largest states in the U.S., Texas has dozens of police departments looking to hire stellar police officers. You can join this elite force, but you’ll first have to pass a written exam. Written exams are a standardized way to test your knowledge and skill level. Your results determine your future as a Texas (TX) police officer, which is why you should know how to prepare.

What Is the Texas Police Officer Hiring Process?

The first thing you need to do is to review the police department’s minimum requirements and apply. Then, you may be requested to take a police officer written exam. Each police department can choose to administer a different type of exam. However, most exams will include similar questions that test your knowledge of basic life skills and experiences. If you pass the written exam, you may move on to the police department’s physical fitness exam and an oral interview. Once you’ve made it through all the required steps, you may receive a job offer.

What Is the Texas Police Officer Written Exam?

Texas police departments deal with different types of crimes, which is why they have different hiring requirements. One of the most notable differences is the type of written exam. Texas police departments have the flexibility to choose which type of police exam to administer or to even administer one at all. It is your responsibility to check with your local police department and verify their testing requirements. However, most Texas police departments will use one of the following written exams:

• The Law Enforcement Entry Level Test (LEVEL) by Bannon and Associates
• Frontline National Test by Ergometrics
• The National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST)
• Nelson-Danny Reading Comprehension Tool

Houston Police Officer Exam

The Houston Police Department requires you to complete a basic reading comprehension exam. You will take this test after you have completed the interview stage. During the test, you will read various passages and answer relevant questions.

Austin Police Officer Exam

The Austin Police Department requires you to complete the Nelson-Danny Reading Comprehension Test. This test includes two sections. The first section covers vocabulary and includes 80 questions. The second section covers reading comprehension and includes 38 questions. After the test, you will also be required to complete a writing sample based on a video. The video will show a crime that was committed, and you will be asked to describe the incident using complete sentences.

Dallas Police Officer Exam

The Dallas Police Department requires you to complete a Civil Service Written Exam. This test covers a variety of topics, including mathematics, writing, and reading. You only have 2.5 hours to complete the exam and need to score a minimum of 80% to pass. Unlike other police exams, candidates are allowed to use a calculator during the math section.

El Paso Police Officer Exam

The El Paso Police Department requires you to complete the Frontline National test. This exam includes two tests. The first test is a video-based test that covers human relations and judgment. The second test is a writing test that requires you to create a written report detailing a video-based scenario. This section will have a 10-minute time limit. Afterward, you will also answer 15 multiple-choice questions within 10 minutes about the report you wrote. Finally, you will answer an additional 30 multiple-choice questions within 15 minutes about missing words and phrases. In total, you will have 3.5 hours to complete both tests and need to score a minimum of 70% to pass.

Forth Worth Police Officer Exam

The Forth Worth Police Department requires you to complete the QB Examination published by Wollack & Associates. This test includes 100 multiple-choice questions with a 75-minute time limit. There will be two sections that each ask you 50 questions. You will need to score a minimum of 79% to pass this test and complete questions from the following sections:

• Writing Section tests your knowledge on sentence recognition, subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, adjectives and adverbs, and spelling.
• Reading Comprehension Section requires you to read 13 short passages and answer 3 to 4 questions after each passage. You will be required to identify main ideas, recognize keywords, determine word meaning, draw conclusions, and identify negating questions.

San Antonio Police Officer Exam

The San Antonio Police Department uses the San Antonio Entry-Level Law Enforcement Exam, or SAELLEE. This exam includes a cognitive abilities section and a behavioral orientation section. You will have three hours to complete both sections of the exam. The SAELLEE includes the following two sections:

• Cognitive Abilities Section: This section includes three subsections and a total of 100 multiple-choice questions. You will be tested on their language skills, visualization skills, and reasoning skills.
• Behavioral Orientation Section: This section includes 150 questions that use a scaling system to identify how strongly you agree with a given statement.

LEVEL Police Exam

The LEVEL exam was developed by Bannon & Associates and includes 100 multiple-choice questions. These questions will cover topics like grammar and syntax, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, decision making, arithmetic, and reading comprehension. You must complete the entire exam within 2.5 hours.

Other Texas Police Officer Written Exams by City or Position

How to Prepare for the Texas Police Officer Written Exam?

Preparing for the Texas police officer exam doesn’t need to be an overwhelming task. There are multiple free resources that provide you with practice exams that include sample questions. These questions are extremely similar to the types of questions you would see on the actual exam. You can repeat the practice exams as many times as necessary. You can also time yourself to ensure that you’re able to quickly answer questions within the specified time limit. When you prepare with online materials, you’ll have exclusive access to example questions and practice exams that expertly prepare you to pass the real test. If you don’t study and prepare, you risk receiving a low score on the exam. Police officer positions are highly competitive, and only the most-qualified candidates will be selected. Become a highly qualified candidate and stand out from your peers by passing the Texas Police Officer Written Exam.