Built on the official Notice of Examination for Exam Nos. 7311 through 7322.
This guide shows how to study for the NYC Police Officer exam, the City civil service test that many people call the NYPD exam. It turns the official notice into a study plan of two to four weeks: what the test measures, how to drill each of the 9 abilities, what to expect on test day and the mistakes that cost points. Every fact about the exam comes from the notice or another official DCAS page, and we say plainly where the City publishes nothing.
What is on the NYPD exam?
The notice lists abilities, not school subjects. It says the multiple-choice test "may include questions requiring the use of" these 9: Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Memorization, Problem Sensitivity, Spatial Orientation, Visualization, Written Comprehension and Written Expression. None of them is a math ability, and calculators are not allowed. The test is taken on a computer at a DCAS testing center, and you need at least 70% to pass.
The notice also says some questions may be answered from "documents or other information supplied to the candidates on the date of the multiple-choice exam." In other words, much of what you need is given to you on the screen. Your job is to read it carefully and use it correctly. That shapes the whole study plan: you are training skills, not memorizing a textbook. For each ability's official definition, its job example and a practice question, read the 9 abilities explained.
Why your score matters beyond 70%
Passing is the first goal, but it is not the only one. The notice says passing candidates are placed "on an eligible list in final score order" and given a list number. Under the City personnel rules, an agency fills a job by choosing among the top three qualified candidates who are willing to accept (Personnel Rules, Rule IV). So a higher score means a lower list number and an earlier chance to be called. Candidates who qualify also get 10 points of New York City residency credit, added only to a passing score. Our list number guide explains how that works.
That is why the plan below aims well above 70% on practice, not just over the line.
Pick your exam month first
One notice covers 12 monthly exams, Exam Nos. 7311 through 7322. Each has an application and scheduling period of about two weeks, and its testing period falls in the following month. For example, Exam 7315 takes applications from November 2 to November 16, 2026, and tests from December 1 to December 5, 2026. Exam 7316 takes applications from December 1 to December 14, 2026, and tests from January 4 to January 9, 2027. The full calendar is in our guide to how the exam works.
Because the windows repeat every month until June 2027, you can choose a month that leaves you time to prepare. If you need testing accommodations for a disability, the notice says your request must be received at least 30 days before your test date (the notice; DCAS Special Circumstances Guide), so ask early.
A study plan for 2 to 4 weeks
This plan assumes about 45 to 60 minutes a day, five or six days a week. If you have only two weeks, do Week 1 and Week 3. If you have four, spend the extra week on the abilities with your lowest scores. These time frames are our suggestion, not a City rule.
Week 1: find your starting point
- Read the notice once from start to finish, including the ability definitions and job examples.
- Take a free practice test, then read every explanation, even for the questions you got right.
- Write down your two or three weakest abilities. Those get extra time for the rest of the plan.
Week 2: drill one ability at a time
- Spend each session on one or two abilities, using the tips in the next section.
- Keep an error log: the question, the answer you chose, the right answer and the reason you missed it.
- Before each session, reread the log for that ability so that the same mistake does not happen twice.
Week 3: mixed, timed practice
- Work mixed practice sets that switch between abilities, the way a real test may.
- Set your own timer. The City publishes no time limit, so the goal is a steady pace, not a known target.
- Review every miss the same day, and add it to the error log.
Week 4 (optional): close the gaps
- Return to your weakest abilities with short focused drills.
- Do one last mixed set a few days before your test, then rest the day before.
- Get your test-day items ready (see below).
How to practice each ability
Each tip below starts from the notice's definition. The notice gives a police job example for each ability, which hints at the kind of setting the questions may use.
- Deductive Reasoning (applying general rules to specific problems): read every rule and every exception before you look at the options. Many wrong answers break only one small condition, such as a time limit or a distance. Check each option against every part of the rule.
- Inductive Reasoning (combining separate pieces of information into a general conclusion): look for what all the facts have in common, then pick the conclusion that fits all of them. Throw out any option that one fact contradicts, even if it sounds likely.
- Information Ordering (following a rule or set of rules in the right order): read all the steps before you start, and watch for "skip" and "if" conditions. The notice says the things ordered can include numbers, letters, words, pictures, procedures, sentences and logical operations.
- Memorization (remembering words, numbers, pictures and procedures): practice with material you study and then hide before answering. Group details into a few chunks (who, what, where, when) and say them to yourself once before the material goes away. The notice's example mentions "an image and description" of a person, so the real test may use pictures. Our memory questions use written notices and do not cover face or picture memory yet.
- Problem Sensitivity (telling when something is wrong or likely to go wrong): ask which detail does not fit the normal picture. The right answer is often a small sign of danger or a mismatch, not the most dramatic detail.
- Spatial Orientation (knowing where you are in relation to an object, or where it is in relation to you): practice with street maps and turn-by-turn directions. Track the direction you face after each turn, and obey any one-way arrows or other limits the question sets.
- Visualization (imagining how something looks after it is moved or rearranged): the notice mentions changes such as "unfolding or rotation." Practice describing a room or object from a new side, and check each answer one direction at a time: near or far, then left or right.
- Written Comprehension (understanding sentences and paragraphs written in English): answer only from what the passage says. Words like "must," "may," "only," "except" and "within" often decide the answer, so slow down on them.
- Written Expression (writing in English so that others will understand): pick the version that is clear, complete and accurate. Watch for unclear pronouns, run-on sentences and options that add facts nobody saw.
How to review practice so that it sticks
Most of the progress comes from review, not from answering more questions. After each practice set:
- Read the explanation for every question, including the ones you got right. A lucky guess looks the same as a sure answer on a score report.
- Sort each miss into a cause: misread the question, missed a rule or exception, memory slip or ran out of time.
- Fix the cause, not just the question. If you keep missing exceptions, make it a habit to reread the exceptions before you choose.
- Redo the missed questions a few days later without looking at the answer.
Test-day tips from the official notice
Good preparation can be undone by a problem at the door. These rules come from the notice:
- Bring one valid ID with your photo and signature. The first and last name on it must match the name on your application.
- Expect to give up your phone. Phones, smartwatches and other electronic devices are sealed in a Yondr pouch until the exam event is over. Misusing a device can void your score and bar you from City tests for up to five years.
- No calculator. Calculators are not allowed on this exam, which matches the fact that none of the 9 abilities is a math ability.
- Do not leave early by mistake. You are fingerprinted at the site, and if you leave after that and before you finish, you cannot come back in.
- Come alone. No one may come with you or wait for you inside the center, including children.
- Ask for the residency credit if you qualify. The notice says you request the 10-point NYC residency credit by following the instructions given on the test date. A City address on your application is not a request.
DCAS gives "immediate, tentative results at the end of your test" (DCAS: How Do You Get Your Results?). If you think an answer key is wrong, the DCAS protest procedures explain how to review the test and file a protest within 30 days.
Common study mistakes
- Skipping abilities you find easy or strange. The notice publishes no weights, so any of the 9 may count.
- Practicing only untimed. Untimed work is right for learning, but switch to timed mixed sets before test day.
- Answering from your own idea of police work. Questions may give you a made-up rule or document. Use what the question says, even when it differs from what you expect.
- Reading the options before the rule. Read the rule, the facts and the question first, then check each option.
- Trusting unofficial numbers. Claims such as "55 questions in 2 hours" do not come from the notice, which gives no question count or time limit.
- Leaving paperwork to the last minute. Check your ID name, your OASys account and, if you need them, your accommodation request well before your test date.
Frequently asked questions
Is the NYPD exam hard?
It depends on your reading, reasoning and memory skills, and the City does not publish pass rates for this exam, so no one can tell you an official figure. What makes it challenging is that the 9 abilities are different from each other, and the notice publishes no question count, time limit or weights. Practicing every ability with timed sets is the most direct way to make it easier.
How do I pass the NYPD exam?
You need a score of at least 70%. Learn the 9 abilities from the notice, take a practice test to find your weak spots, drill one ability at a time, then finish with timed mixed practice and careful review. Aim higher than 70%, because passing candidates are listed in final score order, and a higher score gets an earlier list number.
How long should I study for the NYC Police Officer exam?
There is no official answer. Our plan uses two to four weeks of short daily sessions, and you can stretch it, since a new exam opens about every month until June 2027. Pick an exam month that leaves you enough time.
Do I need to know laws or police procedures?
The notice lists abilities, such as reading, reasoning and memory, not a body of police knowledge, and it says some questions may be answered from documents supplied on the test date. Read each question's rules and facts carefully and answer from them.
Official sources
- DCAS Notice of Examination, Police Officer, Exam Nos. 7311 through 7322 (PDF)
- DCAS: How Do You Get Your Results?
- DCAS Special Circumstances Guide (PDF)
- DCAS Computer-Based Test Protest Procedures (PDF)
- Personnel Rules and Regulations, Rule IV
PrepRaven is an independent study site. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of New York, DCAS, the NYC Police Department or any City agency. Our practice questions are original and are not taken from any real test. Always confirm dates and rules in the current Notice of Examination.
Last updated October 2026