Civil Service Test Preparation Course

Garland Police Department

Preparation

 Sleep  Relax  Diet  Know the test format

Preparation Continued…

 Read a wide variety of materials, including those which you are not normally familiar – Science magazines – Journals – Textbooks – Biographies – Philosophy, Economics, Science, Law

Test Anxiety

 Embrace the anxiety  Nervousness can motivate

During Tests

 Read and pay careful attention to all directions  Read each passage and accompanying questions  Read and respond to items one at a time, rather than thinking about the whole test   Reread, when necessary, the parts of a passage needed for selecting the correct answer Don’t expect to find a pattern in the positions of correct answers

During Tests continued…

 Don’t make uneducated guesses. Try to get the correct answer by reasoning and eliminating wrong answers   Decide exactly what the question is asking; one response is clearly best Don’t spend too much time on any one question  Skip difficult questions until all other questions have been answered. On scrap paper, keep a record of the unanswered items to return to, if time permits

During Tests Continued…

 Make sure to record the answer in the correct place on the answer sheet  Only change an answer if you are sure the first one you picked was wrong. Be sure to completely erase changed answers  Work as rapidly as possible with accuracy  After completion of the test, use any remaining time to check your answers  Keep a good attitude and think positively!!!

Test-Taking Strategies

    Narrow your choices by eliminating obviously wrong answers Try to decide what the answer to the question is before you read all of the choices, but be sure to read all answers before selecting one. Sometimes two answers will be similar and only one will be correct Do not be afraid to change an answer if you feel strongly about it Do not be discouraged if you cannot answer a question. Leave it and to on. You may find the answer or clues to the answer in subsequent questions

Test Taking Strategies cont…

  Beware of questions with “no”, “not”, and “none”. These words easily change the meaning of a question.

If you have to guess: – Reject answers that use specific determiners such as everyone, always, never, etc.

– Look for grammatical inconsistencies which may help eliminate wrong answers.

– – Choose the longest, most precise answer.

Choose the answer that is in the middle.

– Choose answers which use qualifying terms such as: often, many, etc.

– Choose the answer which first caught your eye.

Civil Service Test Format

 160 multiple choice questions –

Approximate

Breakdown  60 reading comprehension: 8 paragraphs outlining a scenario. Each paragraph has 7-8 questions to see if you get the main idea.

 30 are statements or sentences, and you are asked to select the one with the most detail, or that is the most descriptive.

Test Format Continued-

 20 questions over spelling.

 20 questions over appropriate sentence structure and clarity.

 20 questions over appropriate use of grammar.

 10 questions ask you to select the correct word or phrase in a sentence.

 2 hours to complete (app. 45 seconds per questions).

Grammar

Sentence Fragments

 Example – The man in the lineup wearing the plaid shirt.

 Correct – The man in the lineup wearing the plaid shirt was the witness’ first choice.

Subject/Verb Agreement

 Officer Prince, who spends many days off jumping with an elite group of skydivers,

remain/remains

calm under the most stressful conditions.

 Subject separated from the verb  The subject is Officer Prince not skydivers  Correct answer:

remains

Compound Subjects

 The applicant told the interviewers that his drive, determination, and intelligence

make/makes

him an ideal recruit.

 The list of singular nouns (drive, determination, and intelligence) are one compound subject, which requires a plural verb.

 Correct answer:

make

Compound Impostors

 Neither the rookie nor the old-timer

knows/know

how to handle the situation.

 Knows is correct because you can re-write the sentence as: –

Neither one knows how to handle the situation. Neither one is the implied meaning of neither/nor.

Ambiguous Pronoun Reference

 I’ve always been interested in forensic psychology, so I’ve decided to be one.

 Correct: I’ve always been interested in forensic psychology, so I’ve decided to make that my specialty.

Ambiguous Pronoun Reference Continued…

 Officers Smith and Jones jumped into their cruiser and, hitting the siren, raced to the scene. It was brand new.

 Correct: Officers Smith and Jones jumped into their brand-new cruiser and, hitting the siren, raced to the scene.

Personal Pronouns

 Stand in for people or things – I, me, you, he, she, him, her, it, we, us, they, them, one –

John and Latisha have been friends for years; they went to kindergarten together.

Relative Pronouns

 Used in clauses relating to someone or something – Who, whom, which, that, where, whose –

The suspect, who had been arrested several times before, seemed quite comfortable with the processing routine.

Possessive Pronouns

 Refer to things belonging to some individual or group – Mine, yours, his, hers, theirs, ours –

Enrique did well on the test, but Sally did even better; in fact, her score was the highest in the state.

Misplaced Modifiers

 Noxious gases pouring out the rear, Officer Smith ran toward the derailed railroad car.

 Correct: Officer Smith ran toward the derailed railroad car, which had noxious gases pouring out the rear.

Double Negatives

 The suspect said that he didn’t commit no burglaries.

 Correct: – The suspect said he didn’t commit any burglaries.

– The suspect said he committed no burglaries.

Double Negatives continued…

 With the new computerized databases, it doesn’t take hardly any time to run a license check.

 Correct: – With the new computerized databases, it doesn’t take any time to run a license check.

The Apostrophe

 Can indicate possession or a contraction.

– “That locker is John’s”.

 In the plural form, the apostrophe is after the s, such as: All the trees’ leaves fell during the winter.

  Contraction “That car

can’t

be John’s”.

– The apostrophe in can’t signals a contraction – the shortened combination of two words with the apostrophe marking the place of the missing letter or letters.

Word Usage

 Their, there, they’re   “Their” indicates possession by more than one person, not including the speaker.

– “That’s

their

car.” “There” indicates distance from the speaker – The dog is over

there

.

 “They’re” is a contraction for “they are” – “

They’re

sitting in the car.”

Word Usage Continued…

 “Your” and “you’re”  “Your” indicates possession by someone the speaker is talking to.

 “

Your

golf game has improved.”  “You’re” is a contraction, meaning “you are.”  “

You’re

doing a good job.”

Word Usage Continued…

 Its and it’s  “Its” is the possessive form of “it” – as in:  “The department has lowered

its

standards”.

 “It’s” is a contraction of “it is” – “The department has lowered its standards, and

it’s

a shame.”

Words that sound similar

  Lay and Lie “Lay” is a transitive verb, one that indicates an action done

to

. Transitive verbs are incomplete without an object – “I’m going to

lay

dining room.” tile in the  “Lie” is a regular verb, one that indicates an action done

by

– “I’m going to

lay

tile in the dining room, and then I’m going to

lie

down for a nap.”

Words that sound similar

    Raise and Rise This difference is similar to that between “lay” and “lie.” “Raise” is done

to

something – “The chief is going to have to

raise

a lot of community support.” “Rise” is done

by

someone or something – “The chief is going to have to

raise

support before he can structure.”

rise

a lot of community in the political

Words that sound similar

   Accept and Except “Accept” means taking possession or acknowledging ownership of something – “The Lieutenant said he wouldn’t

accept

late reports.” “Except” indicates a special case – “The Lieutenant said he wouldn’t

accept

late reports,

except

in situations involving an inexperienced officer.

Words that sound similar

 Effect and Affect  “Effect” is a noun, a result of some action – “The

effect

of the earthquake is devastating.”  “Affect” is a verb, resulting in an effect – “The

effect

of the earthquake is devastating; nothing this disastrous has ever region before.”

affected

the

Words that sound similar

   Site and Sight “Site” indicates a location – “The

site

of the outdoor music festival was a pasture south of town.” “Sight” is related to vision, either the sense itself or something that is seen – “The

site

of the outdoor music festival was a pasture south of town. After three days of crowds and rain, the area was quite a

sight

.”

Words that sound similar

  Persecute and Prosecute “Persecute” means inflicting some kind of torment on someone – “The Nazis continued to

persecute

the Jews during the period leading up to World War II.”  “Prosecute” involves bringing legal action – “Some of the Nazis that

persecuted

Jews during World War II were crimes.”

prosecuted

for their war

Words that sound similar

   Precede and Proceed “Precede” means to come before – “The polygraph exam investigation in the Garland Police Department’s hiring process.”

precedes

the background “Proceed” means to continue – “The background investigation exam

precedes

the polygraph in the Garland Police Department’s hiring process. If the background investigation is failed, then the applicant will not

proceed

further in the process.

Spelling

Some of the Most Common Misspelled Words

          

minuscule millennium

necessary

occurrence accommodate perseverance supersede noticeable harass a lot mischievous

    

pastime occurred embarrass separate preceding

    

definitely questionnaire conscientious

transferred

separate

Reading Comprehension

 Pre-reading – Do quick survey of the material.  Is there a title? If so, what does it tell you about the article?

 Are there pictures, charts, illustrations? What information do they give you?

 What does the first sentence say?

 Based on the pre-reading, you can make a pretty good prediction about the content of the text itself.

Reading Comprehension



Active Reading

 Don’t be afraid to mark words, write ideas, underline sentences, etc. This will assist you in spotting the building blocks of an essay or article.

Reading Comprehension



Building Blocks of a Essay or Article

 The Purpose  The Main Idea  Paragraph Topics  Details  Keywords

Reading Comprehension



Purpose

 Identify the purpose of the passage.

– Why did the author write the material you’re reading? To inform you? Persuade you? Motivate you? What particular issue does the text cover?

– In the margin write down what you think the author’s purpose is. It will be related to, but exactly the same as the main idea.

Reading Comprehension



Main Idea

– The main idea is a specific idea that supports the author’s broader purpose. Often, the first sentence is a clue to the main idea, or topic; sometimes, the first sentence is a straight-forward statement of the topic. Don’t count on that, because the writer may choose to leave the main idea unstated, expecting you to draw your own conclusions from the evidence and arguments in the passage.

 Look for a statement of the main idea and underline it, if you find it. If there doesn’t seem to be a sentence that sums up the topic, write your own statement of the main idea in the margin.

Reading Comprehension



Paragraph Topics

 Each paragraph adds something slightly different to the author’s argument; the supporting element contained in the paragraph is the paragraph topic. It may or may not be directly stated.

Reading Comprehension



Details

 Details are always directly stated.

 There are more details than main ideas and topics –

Remember: there is only one main idea and one paragraph topic per paragraph, so there will obviously be more details.

Reading Comprehension



Keywords

 Keywords link the sentences within and between paragraphs; they also guide the reader through the author’s argument.

 Six types of keywords

Six Types of Keywords

 Continuation Keywords  Illustration Keywords  Contrast Keywords  Conclusion Keywords  Evidence Keywords  Importance Keywords

Continuation Keywords

 Tell you that you are getting more of the same kind of information. They new details builds on the earlier one. The most common continuation keywords are

and, also, moreover, and furthermore.

 The GPD Swat team competed in a national competition this year.

Furthermore

, they finished in the top ten.

Illustration Keywords

 Let you know that the author is about to give you an example of an idea or concept.

For example

and

for instance

are the two most common illustration keywords.

 Economics has many practical uses.

For example

, it is used in the pricing of inventory at many large retail stores.

Contrast Keywords

 Tell you that the author is about to change direction in his argument, or mention an opposing idea. The most most contrast keywords are

but, however, although, otherwise, nevertheless,

and

by contrast

.

 Yesterday was rainy and cold.

However

, today it’s sunny and warm.

Conclusion Keywords

 Let you know that the author is about to summarize or restate an important idea.

 Conclusion keywords often signal that the author is wrapping up the argument.  Pay attention to conclusion keywords because they often relate directly to the main idea.  The most common conclusion keywords are

therefore, thus, in conclusion

, and

consequently

.

 The man committed nine burglaries.

Therefore

, he was arrested once police were able to locate him.

Evidence Keywords

 Tell you that the author is going to offer a piece of evidence that supports an idea that was just stated.  Often, the evidence has a cause-and-effect relationship with the idea it supports.

 The most common evidence keywords are

because

and

since

.

 In police work it is a good idea to know a second language, English.

because

many citizens do not speak

Importance Keywords

 Let you know that the author thinks a particular idea or fact is very important.  The most common importance keywords are

especially, above all, most of all, primarily,

and

particularly.

 The Chief was

especially

pleased when crime was decreased in the city by twenty percent.

After Reading the Passage

 Before you proceed, think about what you have just read and make sure you fully understand it.

 Identify the key points. What are the most important statements the author made?

 Summarize: Try to shrink these statements down to one or two sentences.

 Any questions? If you have questions that remain unanswered when you finish reading, take another look. Focus on the specific sentences or passages that prompted the questions.

Using Context for Definitions

 Making a good guess about the meaning of a word based on its context.

 Even though they give her nightmares, Dawn likes gruesome movies.

 If you do not know what gruesome means, based on the context of the sentence, you can determine that it means something that would give someone nightmares such as: “scary” or “violent”

When You Hit a Wall

 Re-read  Stop and Think  Paraphrase

Practice Questions

To earn money, John goes from house to house tumblying newspapers.

A. editing B. assembling C. selling D. writing C. Selling

People who worked with him were mickled by John’s strong body odor.

A. disgusted B. delighted C. happy D. repudiated A. Disgusted

The instant replay was not tortentous; even after watching it repeatedly, the referees couldn’t tell whether the receiver was out of bounds.

A. available B. timely C. ambiguous D. conclusive D. Conclusive

After I showed my teacher he’d made an error while grading my paper, he clecked the grade in his grade book.

A.

B.

C.

D.

Noticed Changed Criticized Ignored B. Changed

Because she didn’t want to be late to class, Evelyn gave us the jutley version of her vacation.

A. brief B. fascinating C. painful D. detailed A. brief

Because the offices weren’t being cleaned properly, the building manager yopped the contract with the cleaning company.

A. extended B. renewed C. ended D. sold C. ended

He didn’t like his birthday present from his aunt, but

feigned

excitement to avoid hurting her feelings.

A. hid B. suppressed C. pretended D. felt C. pretended

Western accounts of Buddhism are often inaccurate. They tend to

distort

Buddhist thought by exaggerating some aspects of it and ignoring others.

A. analyze B. explain C. praise D. misrepresent D. misrepresent

Flooding is

anticipated

in the Brazos River valley, so sensible residents in the area are moving to higher ground.

A. moderate B. expected C. rare D. beneficial B. expected

Because the instructor was so

verbose

, the explanation was longer than necessary.

A. serious B. intelligent C. wordy D. experienced C. wordy

She was a

recluse

, living by herself and avoiding other people.

A. loner B. adventurer C. fool D. homemaker A. loner

The governor’s opponents searched for evidence of wrongdoing in her background, but her record was

immaculate

.

A. unbroken B. conclusive C. popular D. spotless D. spotless

Identifying Keywords

Many scientific studies have shown that regular physical exercise helps people deal with psychological stress.

Therefore

, A. people who frequently experience stress should make physical exercise part of their regular routine.

B. one study has found that people who never tend to be older than people who often exercise.

exercise C. without more information, beginning an exercise program could prove dangerous.

D. many people who experience stress aren’t physically fit.

Correct answer: A

A crime scene should be kept off-limits to bystanders and most police officers until the forensic experts have completed their work;

otherwise,

A. Old-fashioned magnifying glasses will have to be used.

B. the forensics team will have nothing to do.

C. important evidence may be damaged or lost completely.

D. the criminal may be among the bystanders.

Correct answer: C

The suspect benefited from the rookie officer’s inexperience,

because

A. The officer had never handled a murder case before.

B. The officer’s flawed search warrant eventually led to the suspect’s release.

C. The suspect knew all the other officers at the precinct.

D. the suspect had a lot of experience, judging from his criminal record.

Correct answer: B

It’s very unlikely that two people will have the same genetic “fingerprint”,

since

A. genetic research has made great advances in the last two decades.

B. only identical twins, which are relatively rare, share the same DNA, or genetic material.

C. practically all of the genetic research done has taken place at universities.

D. man’s genetic codes are so similar to those of the chimpanzee.

Correct answer: B

The city jail was built to serve a much smaller population, and crime rates keep going up.

Consequently

, A. the jail is always filled with far more inmates than it was designed to hold.

B. the mayor has blocked every attempt to improve the situation.

C. the police officers have a hard time find parking spaces.

D. the population figures must be going up as well.

Correct answer: A

The purpose of the new task force is to reduce the rate of gang activity.

Therefore

, A. gangs are expected to accumulate more firearms.

B. a large part of the department’s budget is set aside for new equipment.

C. more research into gang membership should be done.

D. the group’s effectiveness will be judged on whether gang activity declines.

Correct answer: D

Some people seem to believe that stricter gun control would eliminate violent crime.

But

, A. the causes of violent crime are too complicated for any one action, including gun control, to overcome by itself.

B. gun control is favored by many police officers.

C. these people really aren’t part of the mainstream, since they tend to be vegetarians.

D. many Americans feel that the 2 nd Amendment guarantees an unrestricted right to gun ownership.

Correct answer: A

Reading Comprehension Examples

Passage 1

Many people mistakenly believe that the average police officer often uses his or her firearm on duty. While all officers are trained in the use of firearms and are expected to be able to use a weapon when necessary, gunfire plays little role in the everyday duties of a law enforcement officer. It’s not surprising that this misunderstanding exists; the media pays more attention to situations in which a suspect or bystander is shot by an officer than they do to any other police action. This widespread media coverage focused on relatively rare incidents has led to an exaggerated idea about officers’ use of firearms. In fact, most officers rarely draw their weapons, and many officers retire after never having fired a shot for 20 years.

Passage 1

What is the paragraph’s topic?

A. newspaper and television headlines B. people’s beliefs about police officers’ use of guns C. the increase in the use of weapons among police D.

the reckless use of weapons Correct answer- B

Passage 1

Which of the following best states the author’s main idea?

A. Newspapers shouldn’t write about the police B. News stories lead people to think police officers use their weapons more often than they actually do.

C. Officers need to be better trained in the use of firearms.

D. More stories are written about the use of firearms than any other police action.

Correct answer: B

Passage 2

The first detective stories were written by Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle in the mid – 1800’s, a time of great public interest in science and scientific progress. Newspapers continually ran articles describing the latest scientific discoveries, and scientists were often treated like national heroes. Like the rest of the public, Poe and Conan Doyle were fascinated with the systematic, logical approach used by scientists in their experiments. Poe and Conan Doyle both endowed their detective heroes with outstanding powers of scientific reasoning.

The character of Sherlock Holmes illustrates Conan Doyle’s admiration for the scientific mind. In every case that Holmes agrees to investigate, he is able to use the most unlikely pieces of evidence to track down and identify the criminal. Relying on his restless eye and phenomenal reasoning powers, Holmes pieces together the solution to the crime from details like the type of cigar ash left at a crime scene, or the kind of ink used to write a letter. In fact, Holmes’ careful attention to detail reminds the reader of Charles Darwin’s scientific method in earlier.

Origin of Species,

the revolutionary book on natural history published twenty years

Passage 2

Which is the main idea of passage 2?

A. Sherlock Holmes had an eye for detail.

B. Poe and Conan Doyle endowed their characters with great powers of scientific reasoning.

C. Holmes can be compared to Charles Darwin.

D. The detective story was created in the mid – 1800’s.

Correct answer: B

Passage 2

Which of the following is the topic of the 2 nd passage 2?

paragraph in A. Scientists use a methodical, step-by-step approach.

B. Many 19 th century detectives were much like Sherlock Holmes in real life.

C. Sherlock Holmes had the mind of a scientist.

D. Edgar Allan Poe’s writing was superior to that of Arthur Conan Doyle.

Correct answer: C