The Police Corporal 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 recommended 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 Corporal
The Police Corporal 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 Corporal Knowledge Test is composed of 50 multiple-choice questions with a 2 hour time limit. A passing score of 70% or a minimum of 35 correct answers must be achieved in order to pass the Knowledge Test. A passing Knowledge Test will count as 40% 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:
- Illinois Vehicle Code
- Police Functions
- English Language
- Verbal Reasoning
- Decision Making and Prioritizing
- Management
- Mathematics
Preliminary Requirements for Knowledge Test
Before administering the Police Corporal Knowledge Test, a test proctor should review the following documents listed in the 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 Corporal 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);
- Suggested Reading List for Police Corporal Knowledge Test.
An applicant/employee should read the suggested reading material list for the Police Corporal 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.
The suggested reading material is listed below for the Police Corporal Knowledge Test:
- Hacker, Diana T. A Pocket Style Manual, any Ed. St. Martin's Press.
- Iannone, N. F. & Iannone, M. P. (2001). Supervision of Police Personnel. (6th Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
- Illinois Vehicle Code (2000 Edition.). Charlottesville, VA: Matthew Bender & Company,
- O'Hara, Charles E., & O'Hara, Gregory L. (1994). Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation, 6th Edition. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Pub. Ltd.
- Purpura, Phillip P. (1997). Criminal Justice: An Introduction. Butterworth-Heinemann.
NOTE: To assist an applicant/employee in achieving a passing score for this stage of the Police Corporal 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 (and on the previous page) 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.
Notification of Score
An applicant/employee will receive a notification regarding their score from the university. If an applicant receives a passing score, the Test Administrator should indicate on the Credentials Assessment via E-Test and notify the applicant/employee when to appear at the human resources office to complete the final stage of the examination, the Structured Oral Interview.
Failure to pass the Police Corporal 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 Corporal, the Test Administrator should indicate on the Credentials Assessment via E-Test and issue the failing score to the applicant/employee.
Stage 3. Structured Oral Board
The Structured Oral Board, also a screen-out element, is always the final stage of the Police Corporal testing process. The Police Corporal Structured Oral Board consists of 3 exercises furnished by the University System office with a total time limit of 45 minutes and accounts for 60% of the entire examination score. A panel of 3 trained assessors monitored by the university’s human resources representative will rate the Structured Oral Board based on 5 dimensions. A passing score of 70% must be achieved in order to pass the Structured Oral Board as well as the examination. Scores may not be rounded.
Police Corporal Structured Oral Board topic areas include:
- Problem Analysis (Written Exercise)
- What If? (Oral Exercise)
- Oral Résumé – a presentation of common topics discussed during a Résumé (Oral Exercise):
- Personal Data
- Education
- Law enforcement training/experience or military training
- Honors/special awards in the area of law enforcement
- Law enforcement specialty skills
- Community service
- Other Achievements
The Police Corporal 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 their oral presentations and responses to the various exercises and a set of oral and written exercise questions furnished by the State Universities Civil Service System (University System). The final Structured Oral Board rating is arrived at by averaging the ratings of the 3 assessors on each evaluation element 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 the applicant/employee at any time during this process.
The applicant’s/employee’s total score is a composite score computed by averaging all 3 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 candidate. 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 administering the Police Corporal Structured Oral Interview, a test proctor 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 Corporal Structured Oral Board
- Police Corporal Structured Oral Board Proctor/Monitor Training Guide
- Orientation of Assessors for Police Corporal Structured Oral Board
Human resources must complete and submit these forms to the University System office:
- Request to Conduct Police Corporal Structured Oral Board (Form 9.2a) (Must be approved each time.)
- Recommendation for Service as Assessor for Police Corporal Structured Oral Board (Form 9.2b) (Once assessor is trained and approved, this form does not have to be resubmitted unless Assessor's title/rank/employment status changes.)
Before participating in the Police Corporal 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 (Form 9.2c) (must also be signed each time he/she assesses);
- Ethical Guidelines (Section 9.6);
- Orientation of Assessors for Police Corporal Structured Oral Board;
- Assessor Training Information;
- Candidate Instructions (for each exercise);
- Exercise Questions (for each exercise Applicant and Assessor);
- Assessor Scripts (for appropriate exercises);
- Evaluation/Rating Forms (for each exercise);
Assessors must complete the following:
- Training Process;
- Ethics, The Assessment Process and Confidentiality Statement (Form 9.2c) (must also be signed each time he/she assesses); and
- Evaluation Sheet for Oral Examining Procedure (Form 9.2e). (Assessors must complete at the end of the Structured Oral Interview/Board process.)
Upon participating in the Police Corporal Structured Oral Board, an applicant/employee will review the following documents provided by the respective university for an overview of the testing process.
Applicant 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); and
- Oral Résumé Guidelines;
- Structured Oral Board Overview for Candidates; and
- Structured Oral Interview Introduction/Candidate Instructions.
A review and approval of assessors and testing protocols are necessary before conducting this portion of the Police Corporal examination.
University’s Human Resources are responsible for coordinating the Structured Oral Board examination. This includes selecting assessors from the pool of University System assessors recommended by the employer and approved by the University System office and scheduling applicant/employee.
University Human Resources office representatives will monitor the Structured Oral Board. The DER, representative, monitor or proctors should not participate in questioning the applicant/employee, but should interrupt the examining procedure if he/she feels that the examination is not being properly conducted. The DER, representative, monitor or proctors may not make recommendations based on the applicant’s/employee’s examination to the employing department.
Notification of Score
The Knowledge Test component and the Structured Oral Board component for the Police Corporal 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 Corporal, the Test Administrator should complete the information on the Credentials Assessment via E-Test for Stage 2 and issue the final examination score to them. An applicant/employee will be notified by Human Resources of their final examination score through a Notification of Exam Score within ten (10) business days of completion of the university’s entire examination (Structured Oral Board). 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 Knowledge Test’s exam questions by category. (See Example 9.3a 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.
