POST Reading and Reasoning Ability 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The following passage appears in a training manual: 'Officers should use de-escalation techniques whenever feasible. De-escalation is not feasible when a subject presents an imminent deadly threat.' An armed subject is charging an officer. De-escalation is:
- Required because it is department policy
- Not feasible because of the imminent deadly threat (Correct answer)
- Optional at the officer's discretion regardless of threat
- Required unless backup is unavailable
Correct answer: Not feasible because of the imminent deadly threat
The manual explicitly states de-escalation is not feasible when an imminent deadly threat exists, which applies to a charging armed subject.
Question 2: An incident report contains: 'At 2347 hours, Officer Reyes observed a blue sedan run a red light at Main and 5th. The sedan's license plate was partially obscured. Officer Reyes activated emergency lights and the sedan accelerated.' What is the FIRST event described?
- Officer Reyes activated emergency lights
- The sedan accelerated
- Officer Reyes observed the sedan run a red light (Correct answer)
- The license plate was obscured
Correct answer: Officer Reyes observed the sedan run a red light
The first event in the sequence is the officer observing the sedan run the red light at 2347 hours.
Question 3: Consider this argument: 'If an officer is off duty, they are not required to take enforcement action. Officer Martinez is off duty. Therefore, Officer Martinez is not required to take enforcement action.' This reasoning is:
- Invalid, because off-duty officers always must act
- Valid, because the conclusion follows logically from the premises (Correct answer)
- Invalid, because the premises are unrelated
- Valid only if Officer Martinez has a weapon
Correct answer: Valid, because the conclusion follows logically from the premises
The argument follows a valid deductive form (modus ponens): if P then Q; P is true; therefore Q is true.
Question 4: A procedure states: 'Evidence must be tagged, bagged, and logged before transport. Biological evidence must additionally be refrigerated.' An officer collects a blood sample. Which steps are required?
- Tag, bag, and log only
- Refrigerate only
- Tag, bag, log, and refrigerate (Correct answer)
- Log and refrigerate only
Correct answer: Tag, bag, log, and refrigerate
Blood is biological evidence, so all standard steps (tag, bag, log) plus the additional refrigeration requirement apply.
Question 5: A passage reads: 'Recidivism rates are higher among offenders released without supervision than among those who complete supervised probation programs.' Which statement is best supported by this passage?
- All offenders should be imprisoned indefinitely
- Supervised probation may help reduce repeat offending (Correct answer)
- Unsupervised offenders always reoffend
- Probation programs are more cost-effective than incarceration
Correct answer: Supervised probation may help reduce repeat offending
The passage links lower recidivism to supervised probation, supporting the inference that supervision may reduce repeat offending.
Question 6: An officer's notes read: 'Suspect: male, approximately 6'1", 190 lbs, short brown hair, wearing a red hoodie and dark jeans. Last seen heading northbound on Oak Avenue.' A man matching this description is seen heading southbound on Oak Avenue. Which detail does NOT match?
- Physical build
- Hair color
- Direction of travel (Correct answer)
- Clothing description
Correct answer: Direction of travel
The suspect was last seen heading northbound, but the man spotted is heading southbound, making direction of travel the non-matching detail.
Question 7: The policy states: 'Sergeants may approve overtime up to four hours. Overtime exceeding four hours requires lieutenant approval.' An officer needs six hours of overtime. Who must approve it?
- The sergeant alone
- The lieutenant alone (Correct answer)
- Both the sergeant and the lieutenant
- Either the sergeant or the lieutenant
Correct answer: The lieutenant alone
Six hours exceeds the four-hour threshold, so lieutenant approval is required under the stated policy.
POST Reading and Reasoning Ability 3
The following passage appears in a training manual: 'Officers should use de-escalation techniques whenever feasible.
De-escalation is not feasible when a subject presents an imminent deadly threat.' An armed subject is charging an officer.
De-escalation is: