APCAT - Alberta Police Cognitive Ability Test Cognitive Ability 1

Question 1

A suspect is described as wearing a red jacket, black pants, and carrying a blue backpack. An officer spots someone wearing a red jacket and black pants but with a green backpack. What should the officer conclude?

Accepted Answer

The person partially matches the description and warrants further investigation

Answer

Two out of three descriptor elements match. A partial match does not confirm identity but provides reasonable grounds to investigate further — ignoring the discrepancy or treating it as a full match would both be errors in logical reasoning.

Question 2

Under the Canadian Criminal Code, which level of government has exclusive jurisdiction over criminal law?

Accepted Answer

The federal government

Answer

Section 91(27) of the Constitution Act, 1867 grants exclusive authority over criminal law and criminal procedure to the federal Parliament. Provinces administer justice but cannot create criminal offences.

Question 3

A patrol officer works a 10-hour shift. She spends 35% of her time on report writing, 25% on patrol, and the rest on community engagement. How many minutes does she spend on community engagement?

Accepted Answer

240 minutes

Answer

Community engagement accounts for 100% − 35% − 25% = 40% of the shift. 40% of 10 hours = 4 hours = 240 minutes.

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the presumption of innocence in Canadian law is correct?

Accepted Answer

The Crown must prove the accused's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt

Answer

The presumption of innocence, protected under s. 11(d) of the Charter, places the burden of proof on the Crown. The standard in criminal cases is proof beyond a reasonable doubt, not balance of probabilities.

Question 5

Read the following passage and answer the question.

'At 14:23, a witness reported seeing a white sedan leaving the alley. At 14:31, officers found a white sedan parked two blocks away. The driver stated he had been parked there since 14:00.'

Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the information given?

Accepted Answer

There is a discrepancy between the witness timeline and the driver's claim that warrants further inquiry

Answer

The witness saw a white sedan leaving at 14:23, while the driver claims to have been parked since 14:00. This is a factual inconsistency, but the passage alone does not prove the driver is lying — it identifies a discrepancy requiring further investigation.

APCAT - Alberta Police Cognitive Ability Test Practice Test

APCAT - Alberta Police Cognitive Ability Test Practice Test

APCAT - Alberta Police Cognitive Ability Test Cognitive Ability 1