APCAT Written Communication Accuracy 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence avoids the use of jargon and is most suitable for a report read by the public?
- The 10-4 was given by dispatch after the APB was broadcast.
- Dispatch confirmed the message after an all-points bulletin was issued. (Correct answer)
- HQ confirmed comms after the BOL was put out by dispatch.
- The ROE was followed before the MO was confirmed by the IO.
Correct answer: Dispatch confirmed the message after an all-points bulletin was issued.
Option B uses plain language that a general audience can understand, replacing radio codes and acronyms with clear terms.
Question 2: Select the sentence with correct parallel structure.
- The officer interviewed witnesses, collected evidence, and was writing a report.
- The officer interviewed witnesses, collected evidence, and wrote a report. (Correct answer)
- The officer was interviewing witnesses, collected evidence, and writes a report.
- The officer interviews witnesses, had collected evidence, and wrote a report.
Correct answer: The officer interviewed witnesses, collected evidence, and wrote a report.
All three verbs in option B ('interviewed,' 'collected,' 'wrote') are in the simple past tense, maintaining parallel structure.
Question 3: Which sentence correctly uses a colon?
- The suspect had three priors: assault, theft, and fraud. (Correct answer)
- The report included: the time, the location, and the description.
- Officers recovered: a knife, a wallet, and a phone.
- The detective noted that: the alibi was inconsistent.
Correct answer: The suspect had three priors: assault, theft, and fraud.
A colon correctly introduces a list after a complete independent clause; the clause before the colon must be complete on its own.
Question 4: Identify the correctly spelled word used in law enforcement contexts.
- Surveilance
- Surveillance (Correct answer)
- Survaillance
- Survelliance
Correct answer: Surveillance
'Surveillance' is the correct spelling, derived from the French 'surveiller,' meaning to watch over.
Question 5: Which sentence is written in the most objective tone for an official report?
- The suspect, a dangerous criminal, aggressively attacked the innocent victim.
- The accused violently assaulted the poor, helpless complainant.
- The accused struck the complainant once on the left forearm with a closed fist. (Correct answer)
- The terrible suspect punched the victim hard for no reason whatsoever.
Correct answer: The accused struck the complainant once on the left forearm with a closed fist.
Option C uses factual, neutral language describing the action precisely without prejudicial or emotional adjectives.
Question 6: Choose the sentence that correctly uses 'affect' or 'effect.'
- The new policy will effect the way reports are written.
- The trauma had a lasting affect on the witness.
- The new policy will affect the way reports are written. (Correct answer)
- The new policy will have an positive affect on reporting.
Correct answer: The new policy will affect the way reports are written.
'Affect' is used as a verb meaning to influence, which is the correct usage in option C.
Question 7: Which revision best corrects this wordy sentence? 'Due to the fact that it was raining, the officer was not able to see clearly.'
- Due to rain, the officer was unable to see clearly. (Correct answer)
- Because of the fact that rain was happening, the officer couldn't see.
- It was raining and therefore clear vision was not possible for the officer.
- Rain caused a situation in which the officer lacked visual clarity.
Correct answer: Due to rain, the officer was unable to see clearly.
'Due to rain' replaces the wordy phrase 'due to the fact that it was raining,' making the sentence concise.
APCAT Written Communication Accuracy 4
Which sentence avoids the use of jargon and is most suitable for a report read by the public?