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NEW POLICE PROMOTIONAL EXAM
COMING TO NEW JERSEY
By Dr. Jeff Bernstein
By now most of you are aware the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against New Jersey’s Police Sergeant promotional exam. They allege in the lawsuit that the multiple
choice exam used from 2000 to 2008 had adverse impact against minorities. Among other things, the U.S. Justice Department wants New Jersey to stop using this multiple choice test.
Some history is in order here to fully understand why the promotional exam will change and
what it will be. Twenty years ago the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) told New Jersey the
multiple choice test they were using then had adverse impact against minorities, and they wanted the testing process changed. New Jersey decided to voluntarily comply and hired a company to
create a new exam. I then represented the NJ State PBA and FOP as
the union consultant. At that time I worked with the civil service
director of selection and placement on the development of the new
exam. Having worked as a patrol sergeant and being an expert in
testing, the union put me in as their guy at the table. I gave my
input, and contributed to the development of the written and oral
assessment test. This was then approved by the United States
Department of Justice. The exam format
was a work sample assessment type test, and was used from the late 80s to the mid 90s. It involved written in-basket
work sample type items and had an oral component. The in-basket
work sample items were things a supervisor might see
every day e.g. reports, letters, memos, schedules, etc. aka high frequency items. There were also
critical incidents that candidates had to address aka high critically items. Most police
officers felt the test was very job related. It
tested what a supervisor actually does. Then, from 2000 to 2009,
Civil Service used a multiple choice exam. It usually involved a
long scenario or fact pattern, followed by an A, B, C or D choice. Many times the legal fact patterns were taken from
a case law book. This was the old style multiple choice test question. In my opinion the main problem with these questions was
too high a reading level e.g. college or law school. The Department of Justice is completely against this type of testing.
They are demanding the exam process
be changed and that civil service stop using this written multiple choice examination. When all is said and done, my experience has been the new test will actually be
fairer and more job related for
everyone who takes it.
Its interesting to note that candidates who took the most recent 2009 Police Promotional exam,
experienced a major change in the exam format. On the
Captains exam, candidates were given a report review audit test
exercise, and a tactical planning test exercise. At the
start of the exam two test booklets were given to the Captain
candidates. Booklet “A” as it was called contained multiple choice
questions. Booklet “B” contained “stimulus material” and
background information which was used in answering the Report
Audit and Tactical Planning exercises. The first
26 questions related to these new exam components. The
report audit exercise contained a series of reports that
candidates had to review. Report guidelines were provided
for candidates to follow. There were 13 questions on the
report audit exercise.
On the tactical planning exercise, candidates were
given work sample items such as background information,
to/from memos, intelligence updates, maps, etc. This
exercise involved a protest march scheduled for the next day.
Candidates were directed by the Chief to ensure the protest march
route had proper police coverage. Assignments had to be
given with specific locations identified on the map. Again,
13 multiple choice questions followed.
On the lieutenant’s exam, the changes were as
follows. There was a four page policy given on suspensions.
Candidates had to review the policy and answer about 6 questions.
Questions were extremely detailed, so a careful reading was
necessary. Lieutenant candidates also had a report review
component. The questions that followed addressed problems
with the report. Errors had to be identified, and grammatical errors in
the report also had to be addressed.
In my 20 plus years of working with DOJ type testing, here’s what I believe will happen
on the police sergeants exam in New Jersey. The DOJ wants New Jersey to use a
testing process that is fair and job related. They want a test that measures what a sergeant really does every day. They want things that supervisors do on a frequent basis tested, as well as critical incidents. What kind of
test format does DOJ like? They like written and
oral work sample assessment test items. You either write out what you would do in a written exam, and say what you will do in an
oral exam. Additionally, written multiple choice questions are ok
if they follow the USDOJ approved format. They are usually applied knowledge, recall,
reference, or differentially weighted. Simply put, they
like a test similar to the Bernstein work sample assessment test. Now, change is scary for most of us. However you need to accept the fact that it’s coming, and prepare for it.
