NYPD Lieutenant

It is a multiple-choice, knowledge-and-judgment examination. Expect questions that test recall of Department procedures and law alongside scenario items where you choose the best supervisory action. The current official examination announcement, published by the city's civil service authority, is the only authoritative source for the exact format and any changes to it.

Those figures change between administrations and are set in the official examination announcement. No study site should quote them from memory. Download the current announcement from the city civil service website and treat the notice printed there as controlling for question count, time allowed and any section breakdown.

Most candidates find it less about raw recall and more about judgment at a higher level. Questions assume you already know basic procedure and ask what a lieutenant does when a sergeant's handling is wrong, when resources conflict, or when a rule and a practical need collide. Candidates who only memorize numbers tend to plateau.

Passing scores, scoring methods and list life are set by the civil service authority and stated in the official announcement, so check there rather than relying on secondhand numbers. Promotion lists are typically ranked, which means every point matters and a small edge in a heavily weighted section can move you substantially.

Retake eligibility depends on the rules in force for that examination cycle and on your status on any existing list. Read the announcement's section on eligibility and retaking carefully, and confirm anything unclear with your personnel or civil service liaison before you plan around a repeat attempt.

Start with Department procedures, rules and regulations, because that block is the largest and underpins the supervisory scenarios. Add patrol supervision next, then Penal Law and CPL, then the smaller blocks. Build a written outline of each Patrol Guide procedure you review so you can retrieve it under time pressure rather than merely recognize it.

Three recurring ones: studying procedures as isolated facts instead of as decision sequences, neglecting the reading-comprehension block because it feels easy, and answering scenario questions with what they would personally do rather than with what the Department requires. Practice justifying each answer against a specific rule or statute.

Working sergeants usually need several months of steady, scheduled study rather than a few intense weeks, because the material is broad and retention matters more than cramming. Block out weekly sessions, cover one domain at a time, and reserve the final weeks for mixed timed practice that mirrors the exam's question style.

No. This is an independent study resource with no affiliation with the NYPD, the City of New York or any civil service body. Always verify procedures, statutes and administrative rules against current official sources, since directives and law are amended and study material can fall out of date.