Reading Comprehension and Written Communication
This domain tests whether you can extract the controlling fact from a policy, report, or memo and then write a factual account that another officer, supervisor, or attorney can rely on. Reading items ask for main idea, supporting detail, inference, vocabulary in context, and author's purpose. Writing items ask you to choose the clearest, most complete, and most objective sentence.
Reading for control
Start with the question stem, then locate the sentence that answers it. For main-idea items, the correct choice covers the whole passage, not one vivid detail. For detail items, the answer is usually a paraphrase of a single line; do not import outside knowledge. Inference choices must be forced by the text, and extreme words such as "always" or "never" usually signal a wrong choice. For "EXCEPT" and "NOT" items, mark each choice true or false against the passage before selecting. Distinguish fact from opinion: "Inmate Doe was angry" is an opinion; "Inmate Doe shouted and clenched his fists" is an observation. Vocabulary-in-context items require the meaning that fits the sentence, not the most common dictionary meaning.
Writing that survives review
Incident reports are evidence. Write in chronological order, first person, past tense, active voice. State what you saw, heard, said, and did, not what you concluded. Replace "the inmate was combative" with the specific behavior: "Inmate Doe pulled his arm away, turned toward me, and raised his right fist." Include full names, ID numbers, times using the 24-hour clock, locations, witnesses, injuries, medical care, notifications, and evidence disposition. Keep quotes exact. Avoid slang, jargon, and vague quantities such as "several" or "a while." Use short sentences and check subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, and apostrophes.
Worked example
Which sentence belongs in an incident report? A. "Me and Officer Lane seen inmate Ruiz go off." B. "Inmate Ruiz was clearly looking for trouble." C. "At 2214 hours, I observed Inmate Ruiz (ID 44821) strike Inmate Cole (ID 51207) once with a closed right fist in the dayroom." D. "A fight happened." Choice C is best: it gives time, observer, full identification, observable action, and location. A has pronoun case and tense errors; B is a conclusion; D is vague.
Traps that cost marks
Choosing a true statement that does not answer the question; treating a confident inference as a stated fact; writing conclusions instead of behavior; using passive voice that hides who acted; and missing small grammar errors that change meaning, such as a missing apostrophe or an unclear pronoun.