NYPD Exam 2026: practice the nine abilities DCAS tests
The NYPD exam is the written Police Officer exam that New York City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) gives every month: multiple choice at a computer in a DCAS testing center, nine abilities, 70 % to pass.1 Try a free 12-question NYPD practice exam on the six text abilities, then train all nine on the NYC path of Police Prep 2026.
- How the NYC exams work: guide and lesson video8 min read
- Simulation 1: your diagnostic, 85 items in our format2 h 30
- Written comprehension3 timed drills
- Written expression3 timed drills
- Reasoning: sensitivity, deductive, inductive, ordering3 timed drills
- Memorization: pictures and briefings4 drills
- Maps and visualization3 timed drills
- Simulation 2: check your progress2 h 30
- 12 questions, six abilities
- 18:00, about 90 seconds each
- Rules, reports and plans on screen
- Score by ability, every answer explained
Free · no account, no email · our own items: DCAS publishes no samples
See the NYC path before you buy
A short tour of the course. Then go back to the free exam above and check the ability your score names.
Course trailer · the NYC path for the NYPD exam inside Police Prep 2026
What is the NYPD exam?
The NYPD exam is New York City’s own written test for the Police Officer title. DCAS writes and gives it, not an outside test publisher. It is multiple choice on a computer, it measures the nine abilities defined in the Notice of Examination, and you pass with 70 %. It does not test police knowledge: some questions are answered from documents you are given on screen.1
| Ability | How DCAS defines it (short) | What our practice items look like |
|---|---|---|
| Written comprehension | “understanding sentences and paragraphs written in English”1 | Policy, bulletin and report passages with detail and inference questions |
| Written expression | “using English words or sentences in writing so that others will understand”1 | The clearer of two sentences, agreement, tense and verb form |
| Problem sensitivity | “being able to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong”1 | A form or a plan with one conflicting detail or procedural error |
| Deductive reasoning | “applying general rules to specific problems and coming up with logical answers”1 | A written rule or table applied to a case |
| Inductive reasoning | “combining separate pieces of information … to form general rules or conclusions”1 | The pattern across incidents, logs or accounts |
| Information ordering | “following correctly a rule or set of rules or actions in a certain order”1 | The next step in a procedure; events in time order |
| Memorization | “remembering information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures”1 | Study a picture or a shift briefing, then answer without it (our reading of the definition) |
| Spatial orientation | “determining where you are in relation to the location of some object …”1 | Street maps with a compass: routes, turns, what lies where (our reading) |
| Visualization | “imagining how something would look when it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged”1 | A sheet folded, punched and unfolded (our reading) |
How many questions are on the NYPD exam?
Nobody outside DCAS can tell you: the Notice of Examination states neither the number of questions nor the time limit, and DCAS publishes no sample questions.1 A page that quotes an exact count is guessing or describing an older exam. Prepare all nine abilities, because you cannot know which one will be large.
NYPD exam facts at a glance (2026)
Checked October 23, 2026 against the DCAS notice for exams 7311–7322- Who gives it
- NYC DCAS (Department of Citywide Administrative Services) for the Police Officer title. It is the city’s own exam, not an IOS, LEAB or NPOST test.1
- Format
- Multiple choice at a computer terminal in a DCAS testing center. No calculator, no devices with keyboards or data storage.1
- Abilities
- Nine: written comprehension, written expression, problem sensitivity, deductive and inductive reasoning, information ordering, memorization, spatial orientation, visualization.1
- Questions and time
- Not published. No official sample questions either.1
- Pass mark
- 70 %. Passing candidates go on an eligible list in final-score order; the list is usually active for four years.1
- Credits
- +10 points NYC residency credit if you qualify and keep continuous NYC residency from the test date until the list is established; veterans’ and Legacy credits as the notice describes. You must pass to get any credit.1
- Dates
- A new exam number every month, two-week application window, testing about two to three weeks later: 7311 (testing August 2026) to 7322 (testing July 2027).1
- Fee
- $0.1
- Age
- At least 17 on the test date; at least 20 years 6 months to be appointed; under 43 on the day you file (qualifying military service can be deducted, up to six years).1
- Education
- By appointment: high school diploma or equivalent plus 24 college semester credits with at least a 2.0 index, or two years of honorable full-time U.S. military service.1
Is the NYPD exam the one you need?
Several New York tests sound alike. If you want to be a New York City police officer, the Police Officer exam on this page is yours; for the other jobs below, the notice names a different exam.
| Exam | For which job | How it differs from the NYPD exam |
|---|---|---|
| NYPD Police Officer exam (this page) | Police Officer with the NYPD, exams 7311–73221 | Monthly, $0 fee, appointment from 20½, 24 college credits or military service |
| School Safety Agent exam | School Safety Agent, exam 73242 | Same nine abilities and 70 %, but one exam with a $61 fee, waivers and its own dates |
| New York State Trooper exam | Trooper with the New York State Police3 | An I/O Solutions test at Pearson VUE: 65 cognitive and 85 personality items, no published pass mark |
| NYPD psychological evaluation | Later in NYPD hiring, after the written exam | Questionnaires and an interview with a psychologist, no right or wrong answers |
Testing for more than one agency? Police Prep 2026 has a path for each of 13 police tests.
Which NYPD exam abilities are hardest to prepare for?
Memorization, spatial orientation and visualization: most candidates have never practiced them, and because DCAS does not publish item formats you cannot skip them hoping they will be small.1 The four reasoning abilities come next, since one careless reading of a rule costs the point. Each ability is trained in one of five units with lesson videos and timed drills.
How does NYPD Exam Prep 2026 work?
Because DCAS keeps the exam’s layout to itself, the NYC path trains abilities, not a copied format: one diagnostic across all nine, five units, then a second diagnostic to see what moved.
- 1Guide with video
Published, not published
An 8-minute guide and a 3:44 lesson video: the nine definitions, what the notice leaves out, the monthly exam numbers, age and education, the residency credit, test day at DCAS.
- 2Simulation 1
Nine abilities, 2 h 30
Our format: 85 items, ten for each text and reasoning ability, two pictures to study for three minutes each, eight map and seven visualization items. The report puts your percent next to the 70 % line (a practice percent, not a DCAS score), lists every question you missed and names a unit to start with.
- 3Units R, W, LG, MEM, VS
16 timed drills
Reading and writing drills, three reasoning drills that tighten from 70 to 55 seconds an item, four memory drills, three map and visualization drills. Explanations appear right after each answer.
- 4Simulation 2
A new picture set, the same mix
Take it a few days before your DCAS date, compare the percent with Simulation 1 and look at which abilities your missed questions come from. Short on time? Reasoning first, then memory and maps.
Also applying outside the city?
Police Prep 2026 has 13 paths, 12 written tests and the psych evaluation. The reasoning, memory and map units of the NYC path are the same units other paths use, so switching paths keeps your progress useful.
How long should you study for the NYPD exam?
The exam runs every month, so the clock usually starts when you schedule. Pick where you are.
One diagnostic, then the abilities you have never seen.
Simulation 1 shows where the points go. Use the days on memory and maps first: they are the formats nobody practices, and a little practice goes a long way.
- Day 1NYC guide, then Simulation 1 cold~2 h 40
- Days 2–4MEM and VS drills, one of each a day~30 min/day
- Days 5–6The reasoning ability your report names first~30 min/day
- Day 7Light review; check your admission notice15 min
Unit by unit, the way the path runs.
Apply in the two-week window, then use the weeks before testing: one or two units a week, memory a little every day, Simulation 2 a few days before your date.
- Week 1Guide, Simulation 1, then R and W~40 min/day
- Week 2LG: sensitivity, deductive, inductive, ordering~40 min/day
- Week 3MEM and VS~30 min/day
- Week 4Simulation 2, then the weakest ability againbefore test day
Prepare first, then pick a month.
With a new exam number every month, you can choose when to test. Run Simulation 1 now; schedule the exam once your simulation percent sits clearly above 70 %.
- NowGuide and Simulation 1~2 h 40
- WeeksUnits in path order, memory every day20–30 min/day
- ReadySimulation 2; then apply in the next windowmonthly
What is on the NYC path?
Nine steps as the course lists them. Every DCAS ability lands in one unit; four of them share the reasoning unit.
Is a free NYPD practice exam enough?
DCAS publishes no sample questions,1 so every free NYPD practice test is somebody’s reading of the nine definitions, ours included. These are the differences that matter.
| Free practice | NYPD Exam Prep 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Abilities | Mostly reading plus a few logic puzzles | All nine, memorization, maps and visualization included |
| Question count | A fixed number presented as fact | Our format, labeled as ours: 85 items, 2 h 30 |
| Memory items | The picture stays on screen | Study first, then the picture is gone |
| Benchmark | None | Your percent next to the published 70 %, as practice |
| Amount | One short set | Two simulations of 85 items and 16 timed drills |
| Cost | $0 | $68 once, 90 days of access |
NYPD exam FAQ: dates, questions, passing score
Is this NYPD practice exam free?
Yes, with no account and no email: 12 questions in 18 minutes on the six abilities that fit on a page, from written comprehension to information ordering. You get a score per ability and an explanation for every answer. The items are ours; DCAS publishes no sample questions.
What is on the NYPD exam?
Nine abilities defined in the DCAS Notice of Examination: written comprehension, written expression, problem sensitivity, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, information ordering, memorization, spatial orientation and visualization. It is multiple choice at a computer, and it does not test police knowledge.1
How many questions are on the NYPD exam?
DCAS does not publish the number of questions or the time limit.1 Counts you see quoted online are guesses or come from older exams. Our simulations use our own format, 85 items in 2 hours 30 minutes, and say so.
When is the next NYPD exam?
Every month. Exam 7315: apply November 2–16, 2026, testing December 1–5, 2026. Exam 7316: apply December 1–14, 2026, testing January 4–9, 2027. Exam 7317: apply January 4–19, testing February 1–6, 2027. The series runs to exam 7322 (testing July 2027), and the fee is $0.1
What score do you need to pass the NYPD exam?
70 %. Passing puts you on an eligible list in final-score order, usually active for four years, and you are called in rank order. A qualifying NYC resident gets 10 extra points; veterans’ and Legacy credits are added as the notice describes, but only if you pass.1 Aim well above the line.
Is the NYPD exam hard?
It needs no police knowledge, and everything you need is on the screen.1 What makes it hard is the mix: memorization, maps and visualization are formats most people have never practiced, and rank, not the 70 % line, decides when you are called.
How old do you have to be to take the NYPD exam?
At least 17 on the test date. To be appointed you must be at least 20 years and 6 months old, and you must be under 43 on the day you file your application; qualifying military service can be deducted from your age, up to six years.1
Do you need college credits to join the NYPD?
By the time you are appointed: a high school diploma or equivalent plus 24 college semester credits with at least a 2.0 index, or two years of honorable full-time U.S. military service.1 You can take the exam before you have the credits.
Is there an official NYPD study guide or practice exam PDF?
No. The official source is the Notice of Examination, which lists the abilities, dates, fee and rules, but DCAS publishes no sample questions.1 Read your notice, then practice each ability with timed items.
Can you use a calculator on the NYPD exam?
No. Calculators and devices with keyboards or data storage are not allowed at the DCAS testing center.1
What do I get, and how fast?
One payment of $68 opens Police Prep 2026 on the NYC path: the guide and lesson video, units R, W, LG, MEM and VS with 16 timed drills, two 85-item simulations and five guides for the hiring steps that follow, from the oral board to the fitness test. Access starts right after checkout and lasts 90 days. If it is not right for you, email support within 7 days for a full refund.
Is Prepterminal affiliated with the NYPD or DCAS?
No. Prepterminal is independent test prep and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the NYPD, NYC DCAS or the City of New York. All practice items are written by us from the published ability definitions.
Everything for the NYPD exam
- All nine DCAS abilities, trained in five units
- Memorization drills where the picture or briefing is taken away before the questions
- Compass maps and paper folding for spatial orientation and visualization
- Two 85-item simulations in our format, scored against the 70 % mark, every miss reviewable
- The NYC guide and lesson video: dates, age, education, residency credit, test day
- Five after-the-exam guides, oral board to fitness test, and 12 more test paths
Nine abilities. Five units.
Run Simulation 1 before your next exam window opens and see which ability to train first.
Get NYPD Exam Prep 2026: $68P.S. Not ready to buy? Take the free NYPD practice exam first, then decide.
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