AZ POST study plan
AZ POST · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Legal Foundations and the Criminal Justice System
Outline the structure of Arizona criminal law, including sources of law, felony/misdemeanor classifications, and the levels of the state court system
Define the core mental states used in criminal liability and match each to example offenses
Explain in plain language the constitutional limits on police authority under the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments
Build a one-page glossary of legal terms and definitions you will reuse all eight weeks
Log two 45-minute physical training sessions emphasizing aerobic base building
Your checkpoint
A one-page legal terminology reference sheet plus a 25-question self-written quiz scored at 80% or higher
Legal Foundations and the Criminal Justice System & Physical Skills and Officer Safety
Distinguish reasonable suspicion from probable cause across ten written fact patterns
Sequence the required steps of a lawful arrest, a search incident to arrest, and a consent search
Summarize the legal standard governing use of force and apply it to three short scenarios
Draft a personal decision checklist for when to act versus when to request supervision or additional resources
Complete two defensive-tactics fundamentals sessions and record what felt weakest
Your checkpoint
Written analysis of ten fact patterns, each correctly labeled as reasonable suspicion, probable cause, or neither, with a two-sentence justification
Patrol Operations and Law Enforcement Procedures & Physical Skills and Officer Safety
Outline the phases of a vehicle stop from observation through disposition and identify the officer-safety decision point in each phase
Practice a standard radio broadcast format aloud until it is fluent without notes
Write three full incident reports from self-created scenarios using a consistent structure of who, what, when, where, and evidence
Identify ten common report-writing defects and check your own drafts against them
Complete two physical sessions combining strength work with defensive-tactics drills
Your checkpoint
Three complete mock incident reports graded against a self-made 15-point checklist, all scoring 12 or better
Patrol Operations and Law Enforcement Procedures & Physical Skills and Officer Safety
Describe the indicators of impaired driving and the sequence of a standardized field sobriety evaluation at a conceptual level
Explain de-escalation tactics and when containment or withdrawal is the safer choice
Diagram crowd management principles including positioning, communication, and arrest-team roles
Run one timed drill converting a verbal scenario into a radio broadcast and a short report in under ten minutes
Complete two physical sessions plus one recovery session and note any injury concerns
Your checkpoint
A 50-question timed mixed quiz covering domains 1 and 2, scored at 80% or higher, with every missed item rewritten as a study card
Investigations, Evidence, and Problem Solving
Classify evidence types and describe the chain-of-custody requirements for each
Outline the steps of a preliminary investigation from scene arrival through case handoff
Explain the difference between interviews and interrogations and the legal constraints on each
Construct a timeline and a link-analysis diagram from a written case summary
Identify three community problem-solving models and match each to a neighborhood scenario
Your checkpoint
A complete case packet for one self-created scenario: timeline, evidence log, interview plan, and a one-page investigative summary
Investigations, Evidence, and Problem Solving & Physical Skills and Officer Safety
Apply a structured problem-solving model to three recurring neighborhood problems and propose measurable responses
Draft ten follow-up questions that convert a vague witness statement into usable information
Identify the documentation errors that most often weaken a case at review
Audit your week 5 case packet against a legal-sufficiency checklist and revise it
Complete two physical sessions including a timed obstacle or agility circuit
Your checkpoint
A revised case packet plus a one-page written critique listing every weakness you found and how you fixed it
Human Relations and Communication & Physical Skills and Officer Safety
Practice three de-escalation scripts aloud and adapt each to an angry, frightened, and intoxicated person
Describe how bias, procedural justice, and perception affect public cooperation and officer decision-making
Role-play two crisis scenarios and write a short reflection on what you would change
Deliver a two-minute verbal briefing on a complex incident to a hypothetical supervisor
Complete two physical sessions at test-day intensity
Your checkpoint
A recorded two-minute briefing plus a written reflection identifying three concrete communication habits to keep and two to change
Legal Foundations and the Criminal Justice System & Patrol Operations and Law Enforcement Procedures & Investigations, Evidence, and Problem Solving & Human Relations and Communication & Physical Skills and Officer Safety
Re-take every weekly quiz and study-card set, targeting any topic still below 80%
Complete one full-length timed practice exam under test-day conditions
Reduce your notes to a single condensed review sheet per domain
Finalize a personal test-day routine covering sleep, nutrition, and warm-up
Taper physical training to light mobility work in the final three days
Your checkpoint
One full-length timed practice exam scored at 85% or higher, plus five one-page domain review sheets
Milestones
Week 2: Score 80% or higher on the legal-foundations question set and correctly classify at least 8 of 10 fact patterns as reasonable suspicion, probable cause, or neither
Week 4: Score 80% or higher on the 50-question timed mixed quiz for domains 1 and 2, and have three mock reports pass the 15-point checklist
Week 6: Complete the case packet, pass your own legal-sufficiency audit with no critical gaps, and hold a 90% score on the evidence and investigations question set
Week 8: Score 85% or higher on a full-length timed practice exam and demonstrate consistent physical training attendance across all eight weeks