NY State Trooper Exam 2026: twelve abilities, two clocks
The NY State Trooper exam (NYSP Trooper Entrance Examination) is the written step to becoming a New York State Trooper: 150 items in 2 hours, 65 cognitive items in 1 h 40 and 85 personality statements in 20 minutes, made by I/O Solutions and taken at Pearson VUE centers.1 Try 12 free cognitive items at the real pace, then work through the Trooper path of Police Prep 2026.
- How the Trooper exam works: guide and lesson video8 min read
- Simulation 1: 65 cognitive + 85 personality2 h
- Physical fitness test: start now, train in parallel6 min read · then weekly
- Reading comprehension3 timed drills
- Vocabulary3 timed drills
- Writing and grammar3 timed drills
- Reasoning: deductive, inductive, ordering3 timed drills
- Visual skills: patterns, faces, maps, plates3 timed drills
- Memorization4 drills
- Personality questionnaire3 questionnaires
- Simulation 2, then the official practice test2 h
- 12 cognitive items, 7 of the 12 abilities
- 18:30, the real 1½ minutes an item
- Score by ability group
- Every answer explained
Free · no account · written by us, not IOS items
A look inside the Trooper path
See the drills, the two-clock simulation and its report on screen, then decide whether the path fits your timeline.
Trailer · drills, simulations and the report for trooper candidates
What is the NY State Trooper exam?
The NY State Trooper exam is the New York State Police Trooper Entrance Examination, the written test every trooper candidate takes. I/O Solutions (IOS) made it; Pearson VUE runs the computer test centers. It has two parts, each with its own clock, and needs no police knowledge: every answer is in the item, whether a passage, a rule, a map or a picture.1,4
| Part | Items | Time | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive ability | 65 | 1 h 40 | Twelve abilities: reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, deductive and inductive reasoning, ordering, pattern recognition, visualization (faces), spatial orientation (maps), flexibility of closure (a plate in a busy picture), memorization (three photos, 6 minutes).1 |
| Personality attributes | 85 | 20 min | Statements on a five-point scale, then pairs where you pick the statement that fits you better. No right answers.1 |
| Total | 150 | 2 h | The parts are timed separately; time saved in one does not move to the other.1 |
What is the passing score on the trooper exam?
The State Police publishes none. Candidates are ranked on an eligible list by exam score plus any veteran’s credit, and a higher rank means an earlier call.2 Your score is the number right with no penalty for wrong answers, so answer every cognitive item.1
NY State Trooper exam: key facts for 2026
As of October 23, 2026, from State Police and Pearson VUE sources- What it is
- The New York State Police Trooper Entrance Examination, written by I/O Solutions; you sit it on a computer in a Pearson VUE center.1,4
- Parts
- Cognitive ability 65 items, 1 h 40; personality 85 items, 20 min; 150 items, 2 h in all, separate clocks.1
- Pace
- About 1½ minutes per cognitive item; about 14 seconds per personality statement.1
- Scoring
- Number right, no penalty for a wrong answer. No calculator.1
- Personality
- Answer honestly and steadily: using only the extreme ends of the scale (only 1s and 5s) is flagged and lowers your score.1
- Pass mark
- Not published. Ranked list by score plus veteran’s credit.2
- Official study guide
- Free from the State Police, with a 65-item practice test.1
- Next cycle
- A new application cycle is anticipated for November 2026; the State Police site has a “Get notified” sign-up.2
- Fees and age
- $20 application fee plus $44 exam fee (to Pearson VUE). Age 20 to 43; check the announcement for how the limits apply.2
- Fitness
- Physical ability test after the written exam: one-minute sit-ups, push-ups, 1.5-mile run at the 50th percentile of Cooper norms to enter (men 20–29: 40, 33, 11:58; women 20–29: 35, 18, 14:07), the 70th to graduate from the academy.3
Trooper exam or a different police test?
The written test depends on the agency, not on the state alone, and some tests share a publisher. An announcement from the New York State Police means the Trooper exam described here.
| Test | Who gives it | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| NY State Trooper exam (this page) | New York State Police, IOS test at Pearson VUE1 | 65 cognitive and 85 personality items, ranked list, no published pass mark |
| NYPD Police Officer exam | New York City, written by the city’s DCAS | Nine abilities, item count and time not published, 70 % to pass, a new exam every month |
| Massachusetts State Police exam | Massachusetts Civil Service for municipal and MBTA police5 | Our sources confirm the LEAB only for municipal and MBTA police, not which test troopers take |
| NCJOSI2 | Agencies that choose this IOS test6 | Same publisher: 80 cognitive items and 120 behavioral statements, pass mark set by the agency |
Applying to several agencies? See all 13 police tests in Police Prep 2026.
Which trooper exam abilities cost the most points?
The four visual abilities and memorization: few candidates have seen a pattern grid, a disguised face, a map turn sequence or a hidden plate before test day, and the three photos are gone after six minutes.1 Language items are quicker, so the time you save there pays for the map and memory items.
How does Trooper Exam Prep 2026 work?
The Trooper path copies the exam’s two clocks: a full 150-item simulation first, units for the language, reasoning, visual and memory items, the personality formats, then a second simulation and the State Police’s own 65-item practice test.
- 1Guide with video
Two parts, twelve abilities
An 8-minute guide and a 3:38 video: each ability’s item format, the personality section and its flag on extreme answers, fees, the eligible list and the fitness standards.
- 2Simulation 1
65 items in 1 h 40, then 85 in 20 min
Reading 5, writing 5, grammar 7, vocabulary 6, deductive 6, ordering 6, inductive 5, four visual formats with 5 each and 5 memory questions after six minutes of study; then the personality part on its own clock. The report shows raw scores, since no pass mark is published, and mirrors your personality answers on eight scales, with checks for consistency and extreme answers.
- 3Seven units
R, V, W, LG, VS, MEM, PB
19 timed drills and three questionnaires. Visual drills mix pattern, face, map, hidden-figure, string and folding items; the questionnaires show both personality formats without telling you what to answer.
- 4Simulation 2 + official test
Last check, real format
A second 150-item simulation a few days before your date, then the free 65-item practice test from the State Police study guide as the final look at the real item formats.
Testing with another agency too?
Police Prep 2026 has 13 paths, 12 written tests and the psych evaluation. The NCJOSI2, Chicago and Pennsylvania State Police paths use the same IOS-style visual and reasoning formats, so those drills count twice.
How should you prepare for the NY State Trooper exam?
Your plan depends on whether you have a Pearson VUE date yet. The fitness standards apply either way, so start running in week one.3
Formats first, then speed.
Seeing each visual and memory format once is worth more now than another reading drill. Read the guide, run Simulation 1, then one VS and one MEM drill a day.
- Day 1Trooper guide and Simulation 1~2 h 10
- Days 2–5VS and MEM drills, one each a day~30 min/day
- Day 6The official 65-item practice test1 h 40
- Day 7Questionnaire formats; rest20 min
The full path, one or two units a week.
Follow the path in order and keep memory going on the side. Finish with Simulation 2 and, a few days before your date, the official practice test.
- Week 1Guide, Simulation 1, fitness baseline~2 h 30
- Weeks 2–3R, V and W~30 min/day
- Weeks 4–5LG and VS~30 min/day
- Weeks 6–7MEM and PB, Simulation 2~30 min/day
- Last daysOfficial practice test, light reviewbefore test day
Get notified, then build the base.
Sign up for the State Police notification, start the run and push-up training, and take Simulation 1 to see which abilities need the most time.2,3
- NowGuide and Simulation 1~2 h 10
- WeeklyTwo units, fitness three times a weekongoing
- Cycle opensApply, book Pearson VUE, then Simulation 2on the dates
What is on the Trooper path?
Twelve steps, from the format guide to the steps after the written exam; fitness starts right after the first simulation.
Is the official practice test enough for the trooper exam?
Take it: the State Police’s free 65-item practice test is the closest look at the real item formats.1 It is one test, though. This is what the course adds around it.
| Free practice | Trooper Exam Prep 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Practice volume | One 65-item cognitive test | Two 150-item simulations and 19 drills |
| Visual formats | A few items of each | A unit with 54 visual items across three drills |
| Memory | One set of photos | Four memory drills plus a set in each simulation |
| Personality part | Described in the guide | Three questionnaires in both formats, on the clock |
| Explanations | An answer key | Every answer explained, with the method behind it |
| Cost | Free | $68 once, 90 days of access |
NY State Trooper exam FAQ: format, score, next cycle
Is this NY State Trooper practice test free?
Yes, and there is no account or email: 12 cognitive items in 18½ minutes, the real pace of about 1½ minutes an item, from grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing and reasoning. You get a result by ability group and an explanation for every answer. The items are ours, not IOS items.
What is on the NY State Trooper exam?
Two parts. The cognitive part covers twelve abilities: reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, deductive and inductive reasoning, ordering of information, pattern recognition, visualization, spatial orientation, flexibility of closure and memorization. The personality part has statements on a five-point scale and pairs of statements to choose between.1
How many questions are on the NYSP exam, and how long is it?
150 items in 2 hours: 65 cognitive items in 1 hour 40 minutes and 85 personality items in 20 minutes. The two parts are timed separately, so time you save in one does not carry over.1
What is the passing score for the NY State Trooper exam?
No pass mark is published. Candidates are ranked on an eligible list by exam score plus any veteran’s credit, and the higher your rank, the sooner you move on.2 Score as high as you can.
Is the NY State Trooper exam hard?
It needs no police knowledge, but the pace is tight: about 1½ minutes per cognitive item and about 14 seconds per personality statement.1 Most points are lost on the formats people have never seen, such as pattern grids, disguised faces, map turns, hidden plates and the photo memory task.
Is there an official NYSP study guide?
Yes. The State Police publish a free study guide with a 65-item practice test.1 Take it after you have worked through the units, as a check on the real format shortly before exam day.
How does the personality section work?
You rate statements from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree, then choose which of two statements describes you better. There are no right answers; the guide warns that using only the extreme ends of the scale is flagged and lowers the score.1 Answer honestly and use the whole scale.
When is the next NY State Trooper exam?
A new application cycle is anticipated for November 2026; the State Police site offers a “Get notified” sign-up. Fees are $20 to apply plus $44 for the exam at Pearson VUE, and the age range is 20 to 43.2
What is on the NYSP physical ability test?
One-minute sit-ups, push-ups and a 1.5-mile run. To enter you must meet the 50th percentile of Cooper Institute norms in each event, for example 40 sit-ups, 33 push-ups and 11:58 for men 20–29, or 35, 18 and 14:07 for women 20–29. Graduating from the academy takes the 70th percentile.3
Can you use a calculator on the trooper exam?
No. And because the score is the number right with no penalty, never leave a cognitive item blank.1
What do I get, and how fast?
One payment of $68 opens Police Prep 2026 on the Trooper path: the guide and lesson video, units R, V, W, LG, VS and MEM with 19 timed drills, three personality questionnaires, two 150-item simulations, the fitness guide early on the path and guides for the oral board, background, polygraph and psych evaluation. Access starts right after checkout and lasts 90 days. Email support within 7 days for a full refund if it is not right for you.
Is Prepterminal affiliated with the New York State Police?
No. Prepterminal is independent test prep and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the New York State Police, I/O Solutions or Pearson VUE. All practice items are written by us in the formats the official study guide describes.
What the Trooper path includes
- All 12 cognitive abilities, the four visual ones included
- Two 150-item simulations with the 1 h 40 and 20-minute clocks
- Photo memory with the full six-minute study time
- Three questionnaires in both personality formats
- The Trooper guide and video: scoring, fees, list, fitness standards
- Fitness guide in week one; oral board, background, polygraph and psych evaluation guides; the other twelve paths
Twelve abilities. Two clocks. One ranked list.
Take Simulation 1 before the new cycle opens and find out which abilities need your time.
Get Trooper Exam Prep 2026: $68P.S. Not ready to buy? Take the free Trooper practice test first, then decide.