APCAT - Alberta Police Cognitive Ability Logical Reasoning in Policing Questions and Answers

Question 1

An officer responds to a report of a suspicious person in a park late at night.
The person claims to be looking for a lost dog.
The officer observes fresh graffiti on a nearby wall and notices the person has spray paint on their fingers that matches the colour of the graffiti.
Based on these observations, what is the most logical conclusion?

Accepted Answer

The person is likely responsible for the graffiti.

Answer

The person's dog is probably hiding nearby.

Answer

The park is a known area for criminal activity.

Answer

The person requires immediate medical attention.

Question 2

Read the following premises:
1. All issued police equipment must be inventoried at the end of each shift.
2. A conducted energy weapon (CEW) is a piece of issued police equipment.
3. Officer Jones did not inventory his CEW at the end of his shift.
Which of the following statements logically follows from the premises?

Accepted Answer

Officer Jones has violated a procedural rule.

Answer

Officer Jones is not a police officer.

Answer

CEWs do not need to be inventoried.

Answer

Officer Jones lost his CEW during his shift.

Question 3

An officer discovers a vehicle abandoned on the shoulder of a rural highway. The driver's door is ajar, the engine is cold, and a half-full cup of coffee is in the centre console. There are no obvious signs of an accident or struggle. What is the most plausible initial inference for the officer to make?

Accepted Answer

The driver experienced a mechanical breakdown and left to find help.

Answer

The car was stolen and then abandoned by the thief.

Answer

The driver was met with foul play and abducted from the vehicle.

Answer

The driver is taking a nap in the nearby woods.

Question 4

An analyst notes a series of residential burglaries with a distinct pattern. They all occur on Tuesday or Thursday mornings. The point of entry is always a rear window, and the items stolen are small electronics and jewelry. The crimes have occurred in the following postal code areas over four weeks: T2M, T2N, T2P. Based on this pattern, which of the following locations would be the most logical place to increase preventive patrols?

Accepted Answer

A residential area with postal code T2R on a Tuesday morning.

Answer

A commercial district with postal code T3K on a Saturday night.

Answer

An industrial park with postal code T2N on a Thursday afternoon.

Answer

A school zone with postal code T2M on a Friday morning.

Question 5

An officer is interviewing two witnesses after a sidewalk altercation. Witness A says, 'The person in the blue shirt was the aggressor; I saw them yelling first.' Witness B says, 'I didn't see who started it, but I saw the person in the green shirt push the other person.' To create an objective and accurate report, what is the most logical step for the officer?

Accepted Answer

Document both witness statements verbatim without drawing a final conclusion on scene.

Answer

Conclude that the person in the blue shirt was the aggressor because verbal aggression comes first.

Answer

Disregard both statements as they are contradictory and therefore unreliable.

Answer

Arrest the person in the green shirt for assault based on Witness B's statement.

Question 6

Four evidence bags are on a table, labeled 1, 2, 3, and 4. They contain a knife, a wallet, a phone, and a set of keys. You are given the following facts:
- The knife is in the bag directly to the left of the bag containing the phone.
- The keys are in bag 4.
- The wallet is in either bag 1 or bag 3.
Based on these statements, which bag contains the knife?

Accepted Answer

Bag 2

Answer

Bag 1

Answer

Bag 3

Answer

Bag 4