POST Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield POST facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. For a crime to have occurred, there must be a concurrence of which two elements? → Actus Reus and Mens Rea
2. Determine the correct number in the sequence: 1, 3, 5, 7, ____. → 9
3. An officer finds a subject who is bleeding severely from the thigh after a car accident. What is the most appropriate first intervention? → Apply direct pressure to the wound
4. Which of the following sentences is written the clearest? → The team budget is inflated now because of purchases like the new printer.
5. One word is different from the other three below. Which word is different? → Think
6. Which sentence correctly uses the often-confused words 'its' and 'it's'? → The K-9 unit was tracking the suspect by its scent.
7. What does POST training generally say about warning shots? → Warning shots are generally prohibited due to unpredictability and risk to bystanders
8. What is the primary purpose of the POST use-of-force continuum? → To provide a framework for escalating and de-escalating force appropriately
9. In POST training, 'de-escalation' refers to which concept? → Tactics that reduce the need to use force by calming a situation through communication
10. Which of the following is a required element for the crime of burglary under common law? → The breaking and entering of a dwelling.
11. When handling a firearm, an officer should keep their finger off the trigger until which condition is met? → They have decided to fire
12. When responding to a traffic collision, what is an officer's first priority? → Ensuring scene safety and providing or requesting aid for the injured
13. One word is different from the other three below. Which word is different? → Calculator
14. Skid marks at a collision scene are primarily analyzed to: → Estimate the minimum pre-braking speed of the vehicle
15. When an emergency vehicle's speed is doubled, its kinetic energy increases by a factor of: → Four
16. What did the U.S. Supreme Court establish in Graham v. Connor regarding officer use of force? → Use-of-force decisions are evaluated under an objective reasonableness standard
17. Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in a conscious person include: → Shakiness, confusion, sweating, and pale skin
18. When approaching a stopped vehicle, which side should an officer approach from? → Whichever side is safest given traffic and environmental conditions
19. What is the primary tactical reason for double-locking handcuffs after they have been applied to a subject? → To prevent the handcuffs from tightening and to make them more difficult to defeat.
20. After any use of force, POST guidelines require officers to do which of the following? → File a use-of-force report and ensure medical attention is provided if needed
21. When structuring the narrative of an incident report, the most common and generally preferred method is to organize the information: → Chronologically, detailing the events in the sequence they occurred.
22. Which firearms safety rule states that officers must never point a firearm at anything they are not willing to destroy? → Muzzle discipline rule
23. A DUI suspect is unconscious and unable to consent to a blood draw; under what legal doctrine may an officer proceed without a warrant? → Exigent circumstances
24. During an HGN (Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus) test, what is the officer observing? → Involuntary jerking of the eyes as they track a moving stimulus
25. Which of the following sentences is written the clearest? → As Mark received his diploma, his instructor called him his best student ever.
26. When providing care to a subject with a severely fractured limb, what is the primary reason for immobilizing the fracture before moving the patient? → To prevent further injury to nerves, vessels, and tissue from bone movement
27. In a collision investigation, 'point of impact' (POI) refers to: → The exact spot where two vehicles or a vehicle and object first made contact
28. Under California's implied consent law, what must a driver do when lawfully arrested for DUI? → Must submit to a chemical test of blood or breath
29. When treating a suspected spinal injury patient who is unconscious and not breathing, an officer should: → Use the jaw-thrust maneuver rather than head-tilt chin-lift to open the airway
30. Which of the following is an essential component of every complete incident report, often referred to as one of the '5 W's and H'? → The specific location (WHERE) the incident occurred.