The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) deputy sheriff written exam is administered by the LA County Department of Human Resources as part of the competitive deputy recruit selection process. Your written exam score determines your placement on the eligibility list — candidates who score higher are prioritized for further steps including the physical agility test, background investigation, polygraph, and psychological evaluation. This free LASD practice test PDF gives you a printable study resource you can review anywhere, covering the core subject areas tested on the written examination.
The LASD written exam is a civil service examination. Strong preparation requires familiarity with reading comprehension techniques, law enforcement judgment scenarios, basic mathematics, spatial reasoning, and fundamental constitutional law concepts. Print this PDF and work through the questions to sharpen your skills before test day.
The LASD deputy recruit written exam covers eight distinct subject areas. Each targets a skill set that deputy sheriffs rely on in patrol, report writing, and community interaction.
You are presented with passages drawn from law enforcement policies, procedures, and legal statutes. Questions ask you to select the most accurate answer based solely on information in the provided passage — no outside legal knowledge required. Careful reading and the ability to distinguish precise meaning from general impression are the key skills tested.
Questions present multiple written versions of a sentence or short passage. You select the version that is grammatically correct, clearly written, and properly punctuated. Spelling, sentence structure, and clarity all factor into these items — skills directly applicable to writing accurate incident and arrest reports.
Arithmetic topics include percentages, ratios, fractions, and basic algebra relevant to field calculations such as speed and distance problems, report statistics, and evidence measurements. Questions are practical rather than abstract — the focus is on numeracy skills a working deputy uses on the job.
You are given a general rule or legal principle and must apply it to a specific scenario to reach the correct conclusion. These questions test logical thinking and the ability to move from general policy to specific action — a core judgment skill for patrol officers.
Described scenarios require you to identify when something is wrong, unsafe, or requires a response. These questions measure your ability to recognize problems before they escalate — situational awareness in a test format.
Map reading, direction following, and scene layout description questions test your ability to understand and communicate physical space — essential for dispatching, responding to calls, and writing accurate location descriptions in reports.
You may be presented with descriptions, sequences, or images and then asked recall questions after the information is removed. These items test short-term memory and the ability to retain details — the same skill used to recall suspect descriptions and event sequences on the job.
Questions cover basic constitutional law concepts including Miranda rights, Fourth Amendment search and seizure principles, and professional judgment scenarios involving citizens, fellow deputies, and supervisors. Interpersonal questions ask you to select the most appropriate professional response from a list of options — these test your values alignment with law enforcement standards as much as your factual knowledge.
PDFs are valuable for offline study, but timed online practice tests let you simulate the pressure of the real exam and get immediate feedback on each answer. Our LASD practice test covers reading comprehension, judgment scenarios, mathematics, and law enforcement knowledge in the format used on the actual deputy recruit written exam. Use online practice for timed simulation and this PDF for deep, flexible review — combining both formats gives you the most complete preparation for the LA County Sheriff examination.
Try these questions from our free LASD - Los Angeles Sheriff Department practice tests. The correct answer and an explanation follow each question.
All sworn deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department must complete academy training. Deputy Miller is a sworn LASD deputy. Which of the following is a logically certain conclusion?
Answer: C. Deputy Miller has completed academy training.
This is an example of deductive reasoning. It starts with a general premise ('All sworn deputies... must complete training') and applies it to a specific case ('Deputy Miller is a sworn deputy') to reach a certain conclusion. The other options are either too broad, speculative, or contradict the initial premise.
In the Los Angeles Sheriff Department, what is the protocol for handling evidence collected at a crime scene?
Answer: D. Immediately document, label, and submit it to the evidence locker
Proper handling of evidence is critical to maintaining its integrity and admissibility in court. Los Angeles Sheriff Department protocol mandates that evidence collected at a crime scene must be immediately documented, labeled with specific details, and then submitted to a secure evidence locker. This strict chain of custody prevents contamination, loss, or tampering, ensuring the evidence's reliability.
What is the purpose of a "Terry Stop" as conducted by the Los Angeles Sheriff Department?
Answer: B. To detain and question a suspect based on reasonable suspicion of criminal activity
A 'Terry Stop' allows law enforcement officers to briefly detain and pat down a person if they have reasonable suspicion that the individual is involved in criminal activity and may be armed. This limited stop and frisk is not a full arrest or search but is a crucial tool for officers to investigate suspicious behavior and ensure safety based on specific, articulable facts.
Which procedural step is required when an officer in the Los Angeles Sheriff Department conducts an arrest?
Answer: A. Read the Miranda rights to the suspect
When an officer conducts an arrest and intends to interrogate the suspect while in custody, they are legally required to read the suspect their Miranda rights. These rights inform the suspect of their right to remain silent and their right to an attorney. This procedural step ensures due process and protects the suspect's constitutional rights against self-incrimination.
Take the full LASD - Los Angeles Sheriff Department practice test