How Can I Prepare For The Written Examination?
There are around 100 questions covering reading, writing, and logical reasoning on the written examination.
You will need to have excellent reading and writing skills, such as spelling, English comprehension, grammar and vocabulary.
We recommend you read articles, magazines, publications and books and then quiz yourself later on in the day on items you read.
Practice writing without the use of spell-checking software or electronic devices.
There are several resources online to help people improve these skills.
What Is The Memory Recall Portion Of The Test?
As a police officer, it is imperative that you be able to quickly and accurately recall information you see, hear, or read.
During the exam, you may be shown a picture or series of pictures to study for a period of time. You will then continue a different portion of the exam. After a period of time, questions about what you saw in the photo or photos will be asked, to see if you retained the information.
Why Is Spelling and Grammar Important?
Everything we do in law enforcement is documented. This documentation is then viewed by other police officers, supervisors, attorneys, judges, all parties to a crime, and can be released to the public.
Your credibility and the department’s professionalism is on view for the world to see. Although it may seem small, when people find errors in your written documentation, they may wonder what errors were made in the arrest of a subject or an investigation.
What Should I Wear Or Look Like For My Testing?
You should practice good hygiene, such as having clean fingernails. Your hair should be neat and professional in appearance.
Clean, professional business attire should be considered any time you make an appearance. Obviously, this isn’t the case for the physical agility, where you should be wearing appropriate training clothing.
For the oral interview, you should wear a properly tailored suit, with shined shoes. Don’t wear outlandish ties or colors, or have any lapel pins or jewelry on which would cause a distraction.
Do Traffic Tickets Affect My Ability To Get Hired?
Traffic tickets themselves do not necessarily pose a problem in the hiring process; however, repetitious receiving of traffic tickets can have an impact on your processing.
How Can I Prepare For The Physical Agility?
While lifting weights are excellent for building strength and toning a person’s physique, it does little to help you prepare your joints, muscles, and tendons for the physical agility test in terms of different movements and cardiovascular demands.
Any type of functional fitness workout, such as a bootcamp, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), or CrossFit style workout routine would be excellent to use in your preparation for the physical agility test. You should also be able to run a few miles in a reasonable amount of time.
Do You Check Social Media Activity?
We will view your online activities, as this is a good way for us to see how you conduct yourself in life.
We want to know answers to questions like: Are you hostile or confrontational with people expressing different opinions? Do you bully people online? Who are your friends or followers? What do you like to do or not like to do?
In today’s climate, social media can reveal a great deal about a person. If you exercise good judgment, display a positive attitude, and behave in a manner desired of a member of the law enforcement community, your social media activities will be viewed favorably.
I've Had Some Credit Issues. Will This Hurt Me?
We also understand things happen in a person’s life, such as a divorce or catastrophic event, may negatively impact your credit. We take this into consideration when reviewing your credit information.
Each applicant is evaluated individually, on a case-by-case basis.
What Are The Top Reasons People Fail The Process?
There are a number of reasons why people fail, but the top reasons are typical:
Dishonesty – Either omitting or failing to disclose anything on paperwork or verbally will always cause a disqualification.
Attention To Detail – Not fully completing paperwork or caring about personal appearance.
Not Meeting Obligations – Arriving late or forgetting appointments.
Lack Of Soft Skills – Unable to shake hands, make eye contact or finish a sentence.
What Should I know For The Oral Interview?
We’re also going to see how well you have prepared, and your specific desire to work at the Hemet Police Department. What do you know about our department? Who is our leadership team? What’s the population, square mileage, and ethnicity of our community?
The interview panel will also be looking at your attire, your hygiene, and how you handle yourself in the interview. Are you confident or reserved? Are you arrogant or militant? Can you speak confidently, or are you scared and intimidated?
Your Success.
We are here to help you!
Becoming a member of a law enforcement agency is no simple task. Whether you are applying to become a police officer, dispatcher, or other non-sworn member of our team, there is an intensive testing process. We want to help you understand that process, and give you the best chance of joining this profession, and more importantly, the Hemet Police Department.
View our helpful "Your Success" Recruitment Pages to learn more about the various phases of our hiring process. Have any questions? Click below to reach out to a recruiter.