Police officers and other law enforcement agencies have a series of tests to complete before being awarded the badge and rank within the local department. The training and selection of police officers vary with each department, but the MTA exam is used in most academies.
The test is quite different from many other similar tests because it does not focus solely on weapons safety, physical fitness, and so forth. Instead, it focuses on your mental aptitude and reasoning skills mostly. Here is how you can pass the MTA police exam.
Best methods to study for the MTA
Studying for the MTA is not an easy task because there might be a little more involved than what meets the eye. You need to be well-prepared and have the necessary resources to get through this test.
Using practice tests
Practice tests are the best kind of study material to ever find for a test of this kind. Using the MTA police officer exam to prepare for the real thing can boost your confidence and knowledge about this exam.
Look for NCJOSI II study material
The MTA is based on the NCJOSI II curriculum, and by finding material related to it, you will have a better chance at scoring high on the police aptitude test. There is some study material related to NCJOSI II that shed some light on how to best handle this exam.
Find a study partner
Finding a study partner can be a functional method to get through the police MTA exam together. You can corroborate what you’ve learned when studying and going through the practice tests. Although there might not be as much studying involved for an MTA exam, it helps have a sounding board for the best ways to approach this test.
Learn how to carefully answer questions
When you are under pressure, it might be easy to get anxious and answer questions haphazardly while leaving a huge room for error. Learning how to answer questions carefully can be greatly beneficial in this case. Try to go through each question on the practice exam carefully and see if the score meets your planned target. Doing so will also help you with budgeting time for each section.
Smart planning to clear the MTA Police exam
Nothing beats preparation, and coming in prepared for the MTA police exam will go a long way toward passing. The MTA police exam tests candidates on a variety of skills. What are some of the top exercises used to assess students, and which skills should you work on?
Improve on deductive reasoning
To continue with investigative efforts, you will need to use deductive reasoning to make sense of everything. Taking a step back and considering all witness statements, what has happened, and potential suspects, it is important to have deductive reasoning skills. These skills might be tested when a theory is coined on the test, and you have to reach the most logical reason.
Work on verbal reasoning skills
Verbal reasoning skills make up the very important communication nexus between victims, suspects, witnesses, and police. Some might not be as clear in speech, so a certain level of reasoning aptitude might be in order. Polish your verbal reasoning and communication skills to complete exercises accurately and correctly. These reasoning skills can help pass the police MTA exam.
Prepare yourself for selective attention exercises
Selective attention is important, especially when taking statements from witnesses with a lot of disturbances. Since a witness might not feel comfortable or find the time to come to a quieter place, police officers need to take the statements on-scene. Prepare yourself for giving only one person your attention in a place with so many distractions. Selective attention can also be tested by asking you to weed out relevant details in a story that is cluttered with irrelevant information.
Visual memory skills
Visual memory skills are prerequisites of trade-in policing. Taking note of small details when responding to a scene can help out the investigators. Therefore, the MTA police exam uses a series of exercises to test this skill. One of the exercises is memorizing a photo and then answering with what you remember. Subsequently, your preparations for this test should also entail visual memory exercises.
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