NYPD Lieutenant study plan

Map the structure of the Patrol Guide into a personal outline covering the sections most tested for lieutenant candidates, noting where each section sits and how sections cross-reference one another

Read the department's disciplinary and rules-and-regulations material once end-to-end, flagging every provision that imposes a duty on a supervisor rather than on an officer

Build a one-page crosswalk that matches each major Patrol Guide topic to the corresponding administrative or rules provision so that later review moves between both sources quickly

Write ten original recall prompts from memory after each study block and check them against the source text, recording every miss in a running error log

Convert the week-one outline into scenario form by writing out how a lieutenant would apply the highest-frequency procedures during a tour, from roll call through end-of-tour paperwork

Identify the supervisory decision points where procedure and field tactics intersect, such as scene control, notification chains, and when to request additional resources

Draft a notification matrix listing which incidents require immediate notification up the chain and which require written follow-up, and verify each entry against source material

Practice applying the matrix to eight short incident vignettes you write yourself, timing each decision to build speed

Analyze how a patrol supervisor allocates personnel across posts, adjusts for sick or late arrivals, and documents the changes

Outline the supervisor's role at the major incident types most likely to appear in scenario questions, including the first-arriving supervisor's sequence of actions

Compare supervision of a routine tour with supervision of a high-stress event, listing the specific behaviors that differ

Write five field-decision scenarios with a correct action and two plausible distractors each, then explain in writing why each distractor is wrong

Build a elements-of-the-offense chart for the Penal Law crimes most often tested at lieutenant level, listing each element and the facts that would satisfy or defeat it

Trace the arrest-to-arraignment sequence under the Criminal Procedure Law, marking the points where a supervisor reviews, approves, or corrects subordinate action

Distinguish search-and-seizure standards by writing a short fact pattern for each standard and identifying which standard governs

Identify the procedural errors that most often invalidate an arrest or suppress evidence, and note the supervisory check that prevents each

Apply the week-four chart to twelve mixed fact patterns, deciding charge, legality of the seizure, and the supervisory review step required

Outline how a lieutenant supervises a case from initial report through case closure, including evidence handling, witness follow-up, and case-file completeness

Draft a case-file review checklist a supervisor would actually use to catch gaps before a case leaves the unit

Review three sample case narratives you write yourself and mark every missing element against the checklist

Map the disciplinary process from complaint intake through final disposition, identifying at each stage what the lieutenant recommends, documents, or forwards

Distinguish the categories of misconduct by severity and match each to the appropriate response, documenting the reasoning

Outline the labor-relations boundaries a supervisor must respect, including representation rights and the limits on questioning a subordinate

Write four discipline scenarios involving progressive discipline decisions and defend each recommended penalty in writing

Outline the community-relations situations a lieutenant is most likely to face, including complaint handling, public meetings, and media-adjacent encounters, and the interpersonal approach for each

Draft a report-review routine that a supervisor applies to every report before approval, listing the specific defects to check for

Practice correcting three flawed reports you write yourself, marking each error and rewriting the defective passages

Identify the records-handling and retention rules that apply to supervisory paperwork and note where errors create liability

Re-test every item in the running error log from weeks one through seven and confirm each is now answered correctly from memory

Complete two full-length timed practice sets you assemble from your own materials, then analyze every miss by domain to find remaining weak areas

Review the written-communication material by drafting two supervisory memos under time pressure and editing them for clarity and completeness

Consolidate the eight weeks of outlines, charts, and checklists into a single final review packet organized by domain weight