NY POST study plan
NY POST · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
New York State Penal Law and Criminal Procedure Law
Map the Penal Law article structure and write a one-page index of the offense articles most tested (property, persons, public order, controlled substances)
Define and self-quiz the culpable mental states (intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, criminal negligence) and apply each to two sample offense elements
Distinguish larceny, robbery, burglary, and criminal possession of stolen property by element, and write the element list for each from memory
Build a flashcard set of 40 Penal Law definitions and element lists, tagging each card by article
Your checkpoint
A 40-card Penal Law flashcard set plus a one-page offense-article index, both self-quizzed to 80% recall
New York State Penal Law and Criminal Procedure Law
Sequence a felony arrest from initial stop through arraignment under CPL Article 140 and 180, listing each statutory authority at the correct step
Explain the arraignment, bail, and recognizance provisions of CPL Article 530 and 510 in writing without notes
Compare the search-warrant application and execution requirements in CPL Article 690 with warrantless search authority
Draft a timeline of a hypothetical arrest showing where CPL 710 suppression issues arise
Your checkpoint
A one-page arrest-to-arraignment flowchart with CPL citations at each step, plus a 10-question self-test scored at 80% or better
Use of Force and Defensive Tactics & Constitutional Law, Civil Rights, and Liability
State the statutory and case-law standards for use of force, including deadly physical force, and write the justification analysis for three scenarios
List the duty-to-intervene and duty-to-report obligations and describe the reporting chain for each
Identify the constitutional amendments and doctrines most often litigated against officers (Fourth Amendment seizure, Fifth Amendment custody, Fourteenth Amendment equal protection) and give one fact pattern for each
Outline the elements of a Section 1983 claim and name the immunities that may apply
Your checkpoint
Three written use-of-force justification analyses plus a one-page civil-liability doctrine summary, reviewed against your own rubric
Vehicle and Traffic Law and Traffic Enforcement & Investigative Procedures and Evidence Handling
Memorize the VTL provisions governing stops, equipment requirements, and the most common moving violations, and recite them from flashcards
Differentiate a traffic stop, a Terry stop, and a custodial arrest, and write the legal threshold for each
Describe lawful search-incident-to-arrest and vehicle search boundaries and apply them to two scenarios
Draft a chain-of-custody procedure for physical evidence from seizure through submission to the lab
Write a one-page evidence-handling checklist covering packaging, labeling, and documentation
Your checkpoint
A 25-question VTL and evidence-handling self-test scored at 80% or better, plus a completed chain-of-custody checklist
Investigative Procedures and Evidence Handling & Police Operations, Patrol, and Officer Safety
Sequence the steps of a preliminary investigation from call receipt through scene containment and witness identification
List interview and interrogation safeguards and write the elements of a valid Miranda waiver analysis
Describe patrol deployment principles including directed patrol, visibility, and radio discipline, and produce a sample shift plan
Identify officer-safety tactics for vehicle stops, building clears, and domestic disturbance calls, and write a tactical checklist for each
Your checkpoint
A written preliminary-investigation protocol and a one-page officer-safety tactical checklist for three call types
Police Operations, Patrol, and Officer Safety & Community Relations, Crisis Intervention, and De-escalation
Apply a crisis-intervention communication model to three scenarios involving mental-health crisis, substance impairment, and armed subject
List de-escalation techniques and the conditions under which they are appropriate, and write a decision log for each scenario
Describe community-policing strategies and how to document community contacts and problem-solving efforts
Explain procedural justice principles and give one example of each in a patrol interaction
Your checkpoint
Three written crisis scenarios with a de-escalation decision log and a one-page procedural-justice application guide
Report Writing, Documentation, and Testimony & Ethics, Professional Conduct, and Bias-Free Policing
Draft a complete incident report from a provided fact pattern using the who, what, when, where, why, and how structure, with no opinion or conclusion language
Revise the report to eliminate conclusory statements, passive ambiguity, and missing elements
Prepare direct-examination answers and cross-examination responses for the same fact pattern and record them
Define bias-free policing, identify implicit-bias risks in stop decisions, and write a self-audit checklist
List the ethical duties around truthfulness, evidence handling, and conflicts of interest, and apply them to two scenarios
Your checkpoint
A finalized incident report, a recorded mock testimony session, and a one-page bias-free policing self-audit checklist
New York State Penal Law and Criminal Procedure Law & Constitutional Law, Civil Rights, and Liability & Report Writing, Documentation, and Testimony
Complete a timed 100-question mixed practice exam covering all nine domains and record the score by domain
Review every missed question, write the correct rule and citation, and re-quiz missed items to 90% recall
Re-drill the heaviest domains (Penal Law and CPL) with a second timed set and compare scores to week one
Assemble a one-page quick-reference sheet of the most-missed rules for final review
Your checkpoint
A scored 100-question practice exam with a domain-by-domain error log and a one-page final quick-reference sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Score 80% or better on a 20-question Penal Law and CPL self-test and recite the arrest-to-arraignment sequence with citations without notes
Week 4: Score 80% or better on a 25-question VTL and evidence-handling self-test and submit a completed chain-of-custody checklist
Week 6: Complete three crisis scenarios with written de-escalation decision logs and correctly identify the applicable force and liability standards in each
Week 8: Score 80% or better overall on the 100-question mixed practice exam with no domain below 70%, and submit the error log and quick-reference sheet