California POST Test California POST Situational Judgment 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You stop a driver for speeding and notice open alcohol containers in the backseat. The driver seems sober. What is your BEST first action?
- Immediately arrest the driver for DUI
- Issue only a speeding ticket and ignore the containers
- Ask the driver about the open containers and conduct a field sobriety assessment (Correct answer)
- Call for backup before approaching the vehicle
Correct answer: Ask the driver about the open containers and conduct a field sobriety assessment
Officers should investigate all observed violations, including open containers, while assessing the full situation before determining appropriate action.
Question 2: While on patrol, you witness a fellow officer using excessive force on a restrained suspect. What should you do?
- Ignore it to avoid conflict with your colleague
- Intervene to stop the excessive force and report the incident (Correct answer)
- Wait until after the incident to discuss it privately with the officer
- Only report it if the suspect files a complaint
Correct answer: Intervene to stop the excessive force and report the incident
Officers have a duty to intervene when they witness unlawful use of force and must report such incidents per departmental policy and California law.
Question 3: A citizen approaches you with a complaint about your department but is speaking loudly and drawing a crowd. What is your BEST response?
- Tell the citizen to calm down or you will arrest them for disturbing the peace
- Walk away and tell them to file a formal complaint at the station
- Move the conversation to a quieter location and listen respectfully to their concern (Correct answer)
- Call for a supervisor immediately before engaging with the citizen
Correct answer: Move the conversation to a quieter location and listen respectfully to their concern
De-escalation includes moving a conversation to a calmer environment and actively listening to maintain positive community relations.
Question 4: You are the first to respond to a car accident with injuries. What is your FIRST priority?
- Gather witness statements
- Secure the scene and call for medical assistance (Correct answer)
- Photograph the vehicles
- Issue citations to the at-fault driver
Correct answer: Secure the scene and call for medical assistance
Officer safety and life-safety come first; securing the scene and calling for emergency medical services are the immediate priorities at an injury accident.
Question 5: A supervisor instructs you to write a report leaving out key facts that reflect poorly on the department. You should:
- Follow the order since supervisors have authority over reports
- Write the accurate report and report the supervisor's instructions through proper channels (Correct answer)
- Refuse to write any report at all
- Write two versions — one for the supervisor and one for your own records
Correct answer: Write the accurate report and report the supervisor's instructions through proper channels
Officers are required to write truthful, accurate reports; falsifying reports is illegal, and improper orders should be reported through proper chain of command or oversight.
Question 6: During a traffic stop, the driver hands you a license that appears to be altered. What should you do?
- Return the license and let the driver go with a warning
- Detain the driver for further investigation and run the license through dispatch (Correct answer)
- Immediately arrest the driver for fraud
- Ask the driver if the license is altered
Correct answer: Detain the driver for further investigation and run the license through dispatch
A suspected altered license warrants further investigation, including verification through dispatch, before determining what charge or action is appropriate.
California POST Test California POST Situational Judgment 1
You stop a driver for speeding and notice open alcohol containers in the backseat.
The driver seems sober.
What is your BEST first action?