NCJOSI2 Practice Test 2026: 80 cognitive items, 10 abilities, on the clock
The NCJOSI2 (National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory, second version) is an entry-level police test from I/O Solutions: 80 cognitive items across ten abilities plus 120 behavioral statements, in 2½ hours plus 15 minutes of instructions.1 Take a free practice test of 12 questions, then work through all ten abilities in the NCJOSI2 path of Police Prep 2026.
- Read first: NCJOSI2 guide, 3:40 video7 min
- Full run, cold: 80 cognitive + 120 statements2 h 30
- Passages (verbal comprehension)3 drills
- Agreement, tense, clear sentences (verbal expression)3 drills
- Four reasoning types3 drills
- Maps, faces, strings, hidden figures3 drills
- The 120-statement part3 questionnaires
- Second full run, then compare2 h 30
- 12 questions from six of the ten abilities
- 17:00, about 85 seconds each
- A policy, rules, patterns, order
- Score by ability, every answer explained
Free · no account, no email · questions written for the course, not IOS items
See the NCJOSI2 path in two minutes
The trailer walks through the course behind this page, including the visual drills the free test cannot show.
Trailer · NCJOSI2 Prep 2026
What is the NCJOSI2?
The NCJOSI2 is the National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory, second version, an entry-level test that agencies buy from I/O Solutions (IOS) and use under their own rules: it is not a state test.1 It has a cognitive part and a behavioral part. The cognitive items give you everything you need, a passage, a rule, a map or a picture, so no police knowledge is tested.
| Ability | What the item looks like | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal comprehension | Read a passage, answer questions about its details and meaning | R |
| Verbal expression | Pick the correct word, spot a misspelling, find a grammar or punctuation error | W (grammar); spelling: add unit V |
| Problem sensitivity | Name the main problem in a scenario, its likely outcome or the right next step | LG |
| Deductive reasoning | Apply a stated law or policy to one situation | LG |
| Inductive reasoning | Draw a general conclusion from a table or bar graph | LG |
| Information gathering | Put five or six statements in order, or link details across witness accounts | LG |
| Spatial orientation | Use a map and a compass to find the best route | VS |
| Visualization | Recognize a headshot after a change in pose, hair or facial hair | VS |
| Selective attention | Find the string of letters, numbers and symbols that matches a target exactly | VS |
| Flexibility of closure | Find a given shape hidden in a complex line drawing | VS |
IOS lists the abilities but publishes no sample items on its overview page.1 The item descriptions above follow the City of Chicago’s older prep guide for an IOS exam with the same ten abilities, 80 items and 2½ hours;3 the current NCJOSI2 may differ in detail. Four of the ten abilities are visual, and few candidates have practiced them.
NCJOSI2 test facts at a glance (2026)
Checked October 23, 2026 against IOS and the Missouri State Highway Patrol- What it is
- The National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory, second version, published by I/O Solutions.1
- Format
- 80 cognitive items (multiple choice, ten abilities) and 120 behavioral statements on a five-point agreement scale.1
- Time
- 2½ hours, plus 15 minutes for instructions. How the time splits between the parts can differ by agency and delivery.1
- Planning pace
- Our guide plans about 1½ minutes per cognitive item: 80 items in about two hours, the statements go quickly. IOS publishes no per-part times.
- Pass mark
- Set by each agency, not by IOS. Some agencies also rank by score.1
- Who uses it
- IOS says several US departments use it but does not list them.1 Confirmed: the Missouri State Highway Patrol, cognitive section first, then attitudes and personality.2
- Older NCJOSI
- 45 cognitive items with math, reading, grammar and written expression, 42 behavioral, 1½ hours plus 15 minutes. No visual items.1
- Official material
- IOS sells its own NCJOSI and NCJOSI2 study packages with practice exams.1
Which test does your agency use?
I/O Solutions also writes the CJBAT, the New York State Trooper exam and the Chicago police exam, so the item types look alike. Your agency’s notice tells you which one you take.
| Test | Who gives it | How it differs from the NCJOSI2 |
|---|---|---|
| NCJOSI2 (this page) | Agencies that buy it, e.g. the Missouri State Highway Patrol2 | 80 cognitive items on ten abilities plus 120 statements; the agency sets the pass mark1 |
| CJBAT practice test | Florida academies (FDLE) | A memorization section, no maps or faces; pass or fail |
| New York State Trooper exam | New York State Police | 150 items in two separately timed parts, with memorization and pattern grids |
| Chicago Police Officer exam | City of Chicago | Behavioral section first; 61 cognitive items on nine abilities, no maps |
Not sure which test your agency uses? Compare all 13 police tests in Police Prep 2026.
Which NCJOSI2 abilities are easiest to improve?
The visual ones. Maps, faces, character strings and hidden figures are four of the ten abilities, and most candidates meet them for the first time on test day. Each method below is short; speed comes from drills on a clock.
How does NCJOSI2 Prep 2026 work?
The NCJOSI2 path follows the guide’s order: a full simulation cold, then reading and writing, the four reasoning abilities, the visual skills, the behavioral format once, and a second simulation a few days before the test.
- 1Guide with video
Both versions, ten abilities
A 7-minute guide and a 3:40 lesson video: the two parts, the ten abilities with what each item looks like, the older NCJOSI, the confirmed user and test day.
- 2Simulation 1
200 items, two clocks
All ten abilities in 80 multiple-choice items in 1 h 55, then 120 statements in 35 minutes. IOS gives only the total, so the split is ours. The report gives a raw score per ability and names the unit to open next.
- 3Units R, W, LG, VS
Twelve drills that speed up
Each unit has a lesson video, a written method and three drills whose clock gets shorter: reading 75 to 55 s, writing 40 to 30 s, reasoning 70 to 55 s, visual 45 to 30 s per item.
- 4Simulation 2
Compare, then test
New items in the same format. Short on time? The guide’s advice: visual skills first, then reasoning.
Your agency named the old NCJOSI?
Add the Math unit: the older version has math and no visual items. Police Prep 2026 has 13 paths, 12 written tests and the psych evaluation, and the units you train here are shared with the CJBAT, NY Trooper and Chicago paths.
How long should you study for the NCJOSI2?
It depends on your date and on which abilities are new to you. Because agencies may rank by score, plan for margin, not for a minimum.
Diagnose, then go visual.
Run the full simulation once. Most of the remaining hours go to maps, faces, strings and hidden figures, the items with the steepest early gains, then to whichever reasoning type scored lowest.
- ReadNCJOSI2 guide and your agency notice side by side7 min
- Run 1Full simulation, both parts, no pausing2 h 30
- Each dayA visual skills drill (VS)~15 min
- RestLG drills for the lowest reasoning scoreas time allows
One ability block per week.
Week by week through the path: language first, then reasoning, then the visual block, with the 120-statement format tried once before the second run.
- StartGuide plus the first full run~3 h
- Week APassages and verbal expression drills~30 min a day
- Week BProblem sensitivity, rules, patterns, ordering~30 min a day
- Week CVisual block and one practice questionnaire~30 min a day
- Last daysSecond full run; redo the weakest drillbefore the date
Find out which version.
Your notice may say NCJOSI2 or the older NCJOSI. The older one has math and no visual items, so add the Math unit for it. Either way, reading and visual practice keep well.
- FirstConfirm NCJOSI or NCJOSI2 with the agency
- ThenGuide and the first full run~3 h
- OngoingPassages and visual drills in short sessions15 min a day
What is on the NCJOSI2 path?
Nine stops from the guide to the second full run, then the steps agencies add after the written test.
Is a free NCJOSI2 study guide or PDF enough?
Free question lists cover a few verbal and reasoning items. The NCJOSI2 has ten abilities, four of them visual.
| Free practice | NCJOSI2 Prep 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Abilities | Mostly reading and reasoning | All ten, including maps, faces, strings and hidden figures |
| Visual items | Rare, or as static pictures | Generated maps, faces and figures in every visual drill and both simulations |
| Timing | Untimed | Drill clocks that shorten; simulations at 2 h 30 |
| Volume | A few dozen items | Two 200-item simulations, 12 timed drills, three questionnaires |
| Old vs new | Often mixed up | Both versions explained; Math unit for the older NCJOSI |
| Cost | $0 | $68 once, 90 days of access |
NCJOSI2 FAQ: format, versions, passing
Is this a free NCJOSI2 practice test?
It is: 12 questions, 17 minutes, nothing to sign up for. They cover six of the ten abilities (verbal expression and comprehension, problem sensitivity, deductive and inductive reasoning, information gathering) at roughly 85 seconds each, and the result breaks down by ability with the reasoning behind each key. Maps, faces, strings and hidden figures need drawings, so they live in the course. We wrote the questions; IOS did not.
What is on the NCJOSI2?
A cognitive part with 80 multiple-choice items across ten abilities, and a behavioral part with 120 statements rated on a five-point agreement scale.1 The abilities are verbal comprehension, verbal expression, problem sensitivity, deductive and inductive reasoning, information gathering, spatial orientation, visualization, selective attention and flexibility of closure.
How long is the NCJOSI2?
2½ hours, plus 15 minutes for instructions.1 How the time splits between the parts can differ by agency, so read your instructions. The Missouri State Highway Patrol gives the cognitive section first, then attitudes and personality, in 2½ hours in total.2
What is the difference between the NCJOSI and the NCJOSI2?
The older NCJOSI has 45 cognitive items, with math, reading, grammar and written expression, and 42 behavioral items, in 1½ hours plus 15 minutes. The NCJOSI2 has 80 cognitive items with visual abilities and no math section, plus 120 statements.1 If your agency names the NCJOSI without the 2, add math to your preparation.
Which departments use the NCJOSI2?
IOS says several departments in the United States use it but does not list them.1 One confirmed user is the Missouri State Highway Patrol.2 Other agencies are named on prep websites without an official source, and agencies change vendors, so your notice wins over any list.
What is the passing score for the NCJOSI2?
Each agency sets its own pass mark; IOS does not publish one. Some agencies also rank candidates by score, so aim well above any line.1
How should I answer the behavioral statements?
Honestly and consistently, and answer every statement. There are no right answers to learn: the same trait is asked several times in different words. The course has three practice questionnaires that show how consistent you were, without giving you answers to pick.
Is there an official NCJOSI2 study guide?
Yes. IOS sells its own NCJOSI and NCJOSI2 study packages with practice exams.1 If you want a look at the publisher’s own items, that is the source. Our course adds timed drills for every ability and two full simulations.
What is included in NCJOSI2 Prep 2026?
For $68, paid once, Police Prep 2026 opens set to the NCJOSI2: its guide and video, 12 drills across passages, words, reasoning and the visual block, three questionnaires for the statement part, two full 200-item runs, and guides for the later hiring steps. You can start minutes after checkout; access runs 90 days, and a refund is yours if you ask within 7 days.
Is this course from I/O Solutions?
No. IOS publishes the NCJOSI and NCJOSI2 and sells its own study packages; Prepterminal is a separate company with no tie to IOS or to the agencies that use its tests. Every practice item here was written by our team.
The NCJOSI2, all ten abilities
- Maps with a compass, changed faces, look-alike strings and hidden shapes: the four visual abilities
- Passages, grammar, problem spotting, rules, patterns and ordering: the other six
- 12 drills whose clock tightens from drill 1 to drill 3
- Two 200-item runs in the NCJOSI2 format, each with a report per part
- Three questionnaires for the 120-statement part, with a consistency report
- Guides for the later hiring steps, and 12 other test paths if you apply elsewhere
Ten abilities. Four you have never practiced.
Start with full run one and let the report pick your first drill.
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