The Police Sergeant examination is a two-stage process. Each stage of the examination must be passed in order to continue and successfully complete this examination. The examination components and the order of delivery are described below. In all instances, the Structured Oral Board component must be the final stage of the examination process. Strict adherence to the Ethical Guidelines for assessors, test proctors/monitors, and applicants/employees should be followed. (See Section 9.6 of the Examination Procedures Manual.)
Stage 1. Knowledge Test for Police Sergeant
The Police Sergeant Knowledge Test is a screen-out element. An applicant/employee must pass this stage in order to continue to the next stage of this examination. The Police Sergeant Knowledge Test is composed of 74 multiple-choice questions (5 experimental) with a 2 hour time limit. A passing score of 70% must be achieved in order to pass the Knowledge Test. A passing Knowledge Test will count as 35% of the total examination score. Scores may not be rounded. An applicant/employee should be encouraged to follow all directions and to complete every question in the examination.
Topic areas covered in this test stage include:
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Legal Guide for Police
- Police Administration
- Police Field Operations
- Supervision of Personnel
Preliminary Requirements for the Knowledge Test
Before administering the Police Sergeant Knowledge Test, a test proctor should review the following documents listed in the secure section of SUCSS apps for an overview of the testing process.
Human resources must read the following:
- Information for Test Administrators;
- Ethical Guidelines (Section 9.6);
- Employment Guidelines.
An applicant/employee considering applying for a Police Sergeant position should review the following documents listed on our public website withinwithin our Classification/Testing dropdown list at the top of the page under Test Preparation labeled Police Series.
Applicant/Employee materials to be read are the following:
- Information to Applicants;
- Ethical Guidelines (Section 9.6);
- Study Guide; and
- Suggested Reading List for Police Sergent Knowledge Test.
An applicant/employee should read the suggested reading material for the Police Sergeant Knowledge Test at least 2 weeks prior to administration of this portion of the test. Employers should have the reading materials available for an applicant/employee to review in the human resources office or on reserve in the library. It is suggested that in order to achieve a passing score the Knowledge Test portion of the Police Sergeant examination, the chapters in the books on the reference list for the examination should be read and studied carefully. Some of the examination questions may not require any preparation at all, while others are based on material included in the reference list.
The suggested reference list and the relative chapters for the Police Sergeant Knowledge Test are listed below:
Section 1: Police Supervision/Management
Iannone, N. F., Iannone, M. P., and Bernstein, J. (2008). Supervision of Police Personnel. (7th Ed.) Prentice-Hall Inc.
| Chapter |
Chapter Title |
| 1 |
The Supervisor’s Role |
| 2 |
The Supervisor’s Function in Organization, Administration, & Management |
| 3 |
Leadership, Supervision, and Command Presence |
| 6 |
Interpersonal Communications |
| 8 |
Some Psychological Aspects of Supervision |
| 10 |
Employee Dissatisfaction and Grievances |
| 11 |
Discipline: Principles, Policies, and Practices |
| 12 |
Personnel Complaint Investigation Procedures and Techniques |
| 13 |
Personnel Evaluation Systems |
| 14 |
Performance Rating Standards and Methods |
| 16 |
Tactical Deployment of Field Forces |
Section 2: Police Administration
Swanson, C., Territo, L., and Taylor, R. (2007). Police Administration: Structures, Processes, and Behavior. (7th Ed.) Prentice-Hall Inc.
| Chapter |
Chapter Title |
| 2 |
Policing Today |
| 6 |
Organizational Design |
| 7 |
Leadership |
| 8 |
Planning and Decision Making |
| 10 |
Human Resource Management |
| 11 |
Labor Relations |
| 13 |
Stress and Police Personnel |
| 14 |
Legal Aspects of Police Administration |
Section 3: Criminal Investigation
Adams, T., Caddell, A., and Krutsinger, J. (2003). Crime Scene Investigation. (2nd Ed.) Prentice-Hall Inc.
| Chapter |
Chapter Title |
| 3 |
The Initial Response |
| 4 |
The Crime Scene Search |
| 5 |
Evidence Collection |
| 6 |
Evidence by the Type of Crime |
| 9 |
Documenting the Crime: Reports, Photographs, Videos, and Sketches |
| 11 |
Going to Court |
Section 4: Field Operations
Adams, T. (2007). Police Field Operations. (7th Ed.) Prentice-Hall Inc.
| Chapter |
Chapter Title |
| 1 |
Introduction to Patrol Operations |
| 2 |
Community Policing |
| 5 |
Basic Patrol Procedures |
| 6 |
Frequently Handled Assignments |
| 7 |
Traffic Direction and Enforcement |
| 9 |
Crimes in Progress |
| 11 |
Interviews and Interrogations |
| 12 |
Arrest, Search, Custody, and Use of Force |
| 13 |
Reporting and Records |
Section 5: Constitutional Law
Walker, J., and Hemmens, C. (2008). Legal Guide for Police. (8th Ed.) Anderson Publishing.
| Chapter |
Chapter Title |
| 1 |
Results of Failure to Comply with Constitutional Mandates |
| 2 |
Police Power and Limitations |
| 3 |
Police Authority to Detain |
| 4 |
Law of Arrest |
| 5 |
Search and Seizure with a Warrant |
| 6 |
Search and Seizure without a Warrant |
| 7 |
Questioning Suspects |
| 8 |
Pretrial Identification Procedures |
NOTE: To assist an applicant/employee in achieving a passing score for this stage of the Police Sergeant examination, it is imperative that the suggested reading material for the examination is available. Some of the examination questions do not require any preparation at all, while others are based on the material included in the suggested reading.
The information referenced above is also listed in a PDF format on our public website within our Classification/Testing drop-down list at the top of the page under Test Preparation labeled Police Series page under Sergeant Materials i.e. Study Guides/ Suggested Reading List.
Notification of Score
An applicant/employee will receive a notification regarding the passing or failing at this stage of the exam from the university. If an applicant/employee receive a passing score, the respective university will forward contact information for eligible the applicant/employee to the University System office to complete the final stage of the examination, the Structured Oral Board. The University System office will contact the human resources office, the Police Chief, and the applicant/employee with the applicant’s/employee’s scheduled examination appointment information at the University System office to complete the Structured Oral Board for Police Sergeant.
Failure to pass the Police Sergeant Knowledge Test will disqualify the applicant/employee from proceeding to the next stage of the testing process and will result in a failure to successfully complete the examination. If an applicant/employee fails the Knowledge Test for the Police Sergeant, the Test Administrator should indicate on the Credentials Assessment via E-Test and issue the failing score to the applicant/employee.
Stage 2. Structured Oral Board
The Structured Oral Board, also a screen-out element, is always the final stage of the Police Sergeant testing process. The Police Sergeant Structured Oral Board consists of 3 exercises with a total time limit of 1 ¾ hours and accounts for 65% of the entire examination score. A panel of 4 trained assessors and monitored by the University System office will rate the Structured Oral Board based on 3 exercises. A passing score of 70% must be achieved in order to pass the Structured Oral Board. Scores may not be rounded.
Police Sergeant Structured Oral Board topic areas may include:
- Written Report
- Presentation - (Background Presentation)
- Interview - (Structured Oral Interview)
- Role-Play - (Community or Shift Meeting)
The Structured Oral Board is an evaluation of the oral presentation by an applicant/employee in response to a series of defined questions, reactions to scenarios, or other defined exercises. The applicant/employee will have a designated time period to respond to each question/exercise. An applicant/employee will be rated by each assessor on information provided by the applicant/employee during their oral presentations and responses to a set of oral and written questions furnished by the University System office. The final Structured Oral Board rating is arrived at by averaging the ratings of the 4 assessors on the elements they administered and scored after the applicant/employee has departed from the examination room. To maintain a fair and consistent testing process, neither the assessors’ names nor their ratings are shared with applicant/employee at any time during this process.
The applicant’s/employee’s total score is a composite score computed by averaging all 4 assessor scores and not the rating of an individual assessor. Neither applicant/employee nor employing units will be permitted to see nor told the individual ratings of the Structured Oral Board assessors. The University System office requires that assessors keep information obtained from applicant/employee confidential. Failure to follow this policy may result in voiding the examination and/or voiding of the register by the University System office. No persons will be allowed in the examining room during the examination process other than assessors, the applicant/employee, the proctor(s), and members of the University System staff (or other as delegated by the University System office). The applicant’s/employee’s race, color, religion, sex (including sexual harassment and pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, military status, familial status, sexual orientation (including gender identity) or unfavorable military discharge must not be considered in determining the rating of an applicant’s/employee’s Structured Oral Board score.
Preliminary Requirements for Structured Oral Board
Before submitting an applicant/employee for the Police Sergeant Structured Oral Board examination, human resources representatives should review the following documents listed in the SUCSS apps for an overview of the testing process.
Human resources must read the following:
- General Procedures for Police Sergeant Structured Oral Board
Human Resources must notify the University System office with a list and contact information for the applicants that have successfully passed Stage 1 – Sergeant Knowledge Test within the prescribed time period.
Before participating in the Police Sergeant Structured Oral Interview, an assessor will review the following documents provided by the respective university for an overview of the testing process.
Assessors must read the following:
- Ethics, The Assessment Process and Confidentiality Statement (Form9.2c) (must also be signed each time he/she assesses);
- Ethical Guidelines (Section 9.6);
- Orientation of Assessors for Police Sergeant Structured Oral Board;
- Assessor Training Information (Sergeant Assessment Center);
- Sergeant Assessment Center Assessment Overview for Candidates;
- Candidate Progression Chart;
- Candidate Instructions (for each exercise);
- Exercise Instructions and related Assessor Scripts (for each exercise);
- Assessment Rating Scale; and
- Exercise Rating Forms with Behavioral Guidelines (for each exercise).
Assessors must complete the following:
- Training Process;
- Reimbursement Form;
- Ethics, The Assessment Process and Confidentiality Statement (Form 9.2c)(must also be signed at each administration of the exam) ; and
- Evaluation Sheet for Oral Examining Procedure (Form 9.2e) (Assessors must complete at the end of the Structured Oral Board process).
- Upon participating in the Police Sergeant Structured Oral Board, an applicant/employee will review the following documents provided by the University System office for an overview of the testing process.
Applicant/Employee Materials to be read:
- Ethical Guidelines (Section 9.6);
- State Universities Civil Service Act and Confidentiality Statement (Form 9.2d) (must also be signed each time applicant takes exam);
- Sergeant Assessment Center Overview for Candidates;
- Candidate and Assessor Progression diagram; and
- Candidate Instructions (for each exercise).
University Police administrative staff are recommended by the University Police Chiefs to the University System staff to serve as assessors. The University System office is responsible for coordinating the Police Sergeant Structured Oral Board examination. This includes selecting assessors from the trained pool of state universities assessors and scheduling applicants/employees.
The University System office representatives will proctor and monitor the Structured Oral Board, but will not participate in questioning the applicant/employee. They may interrupt the examining process if they feel that the examination is not being properly conducted.
Notification of Score
The Knowledge Test component and the Structured Oral Board component for the Police Sergeant examination ultimately determine the applicant’s/employee’s final score. The employment register for each classification is subsequently established based on the final test scores.
If an applicant/employee passes or fails the Structured Oral Board for the Police Sergeant, the University System office Test Administrator will complete the information on the Credentials Assessment via E-Test for Stage 2 and send notification to the university’s human resources. Upon completion of the University System office’s system-wide administration of the entire examination (Structured Oral Board) process, notification will be sent to the participating universities’ human resources. An applicant/employee will be notified from their respective university’s human resources of their final examination score through a Notification of Exam Score within 10 business days of receipt of score notification from the University System office. This document, derived from E-Test, will share a scoring summary of the Credentials Assessment and the Knowledge Test score with a breakdown of the Police Sergeant Knowledge Test’s exam questions by category/area. (See Example 9.4a for Candidate’s Oral Board failure letter.)
No further breakdowns or rechecks will be provided by the University System office.
Failure to pass the Structured Oral Board will disqualify the applicant/employee and result in a failure to successfully complete the examination.
