How to Pass the Police Written Exam
If you’re wondering how to pass the police written exam, you’re in the right place.
There are quite a few steps to becoming a police officer and one of them is passing the police written exam. At the Santa Clara Police Department we accept two separate written exams. The first is called the PELLETB test. PELLETB stands for POST Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery. The second written exam we accept is the NTN which stands for National Testing Network. Both tests are designed to measure similar aptitude factors which primarily focus on language. Said differently, the written tests are designed to see how well you can communicate using the English language. A key predictor of how well you will do on the test is to ask yourself, “How well do you read, write and speak English?”
PELLETB - The PELLETB is a multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank written examination designed to measure reading and writing ability. Applicants are given 2 ½ hours to complete the PELLETB, which contains five sections:
Spelling (applicants select the correct spelling of a word from a list of options)
Vocabulary (applicants select the correct meaning of a word from a list of options)
Clarity (applicants select the sentence that is most clearly written from a pair of options)
Reading Comprehension (applicants read a passage and answer questions about the passage’s content)
CLOZE (applicants use contextual clues to complete a passage that contains blanks/missing words)
NTN - The NTN Law Enforcement test is comprised of the Human Relations Test, the Report Writing Test and the Multiple-Choice Reading Test. The Human Relations Test focuses on using good judgment in enforcement, public relations, and teamwork. It was specifically designed for entry-level law enforcement. For the first part, candidates will be shown a brief scenario on video and will be asked to write a factual report describing the scenario. For the second part, candidates will use the report they wrote during the first part of the Report Writing Test to answer multiple-choice questions. The multiple-choice reading test is designed specifically for law enforcement officers, a job requiring ongoing study of difficult and technical materials. This test is based on actual job materials. Candidates will be required to choose a word that best fits in the blank.
Learn more about the NTN test.
who has to take the exam?
Applicants for the position of Recruit Police Officer are required to take one of the written tests. This requirement is waived for the Lateral Police Officer position.
Where to Take the Tests
Both tests are administered in many different locations. The Santa Clara Police Department doesn’t administer the tests. For information on where to take the NTN please click here. The PELLETB test is administered in several different locations across California. The locations closest to Santa Clara can be found here.
Minimum Scores
Is anyone in the Hiring/Recruiting team really going to look at your scores? Absolutely! We want to hire folks who are excellent communicators. One way you can demonstrate that is by scoring high on these tests. While you must achieve a minimum passing score to be eligible to apply, we hope you’ll put in the time and effort needed to score much higher.
The minimum passing score we will accept for the PELLETB is 50.
The minimum passing score we will accept for the NTN is 65% Video, 70% Reading, and 70% Writing.