Victoria Police Exam flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Unless

In logic, 'unless' means 'if not'; 'unless A, B' means 'if not A, then B', and the condition attached to 'unless' is a necessary condition.

Only if

'P only if Q' states that Q is a necessary condition for P; it means 'if P then Q' and does not guarantee that Q alone produces P.

Converse error

Treating 'All A are B' as 'All B are A' is invalid; the converse of a universal statement is not automatically true.

Valid syllogism

'All A are B' plus 'x is A' entails 'x is B'; but 'All A are B' plus 'x is B' permits no conclusion about whether x is A.

Notwithstanding

A preposition meaning 'despite' or 'in spite of'; it introduces a contrasting fact that does not cancel the main clause of the sentence.

Pursuant to

Means 'in accordance with' or 'under'; it is used to cite the authority, such as a statute or policy, under which an action is taken.

Pronoun antecedent

Every pronoun such as it, they, he or she must refer to exactly one clearly identifiable noun earlier in the text; ambiguity requires rewording.

Percentage change formula

Percentage change equals (new value minus old value) divided by old value, multiplied by 100; a negative result indicates a decrease.

Reverse percentage

When a figure already includes a rise of rate r, the original equals the final amount divided by (1 + r); do not subtract r per cent from the final figure.

Speed-distance-time

Speed equals distance divided by time; to convert metres per second to kilometres per hour, multiply by 3.6.

Average formula

The mean equals the sum of all values divided by the number of values; rearranged, sum equals average multiplied by count, which finds a missing total.

Work rate addition

If A finishes a job in a hours and B in b hours, working together they take ab divided by (a + b) hours; add rates, never times.

Simple interest

Simple interest equals principal multiplied by the annual rate multiplied by time in years (I = P × r × t); interest does not compound.

Ratio sharing

To split an amount in the ratio a to b, total parts equal a plus b, one part equals amount divided by total parts, and a's share is a parts.

Difference series

Check successive differences first; a constant first difference means linear growth, while a constant second difference indicates a quadratic pattern.

Alternating series

When one rule fits only every second term, split the sequence into two interleaved series and find a separate pattern for each.

Letter position values

Letters map A = 1 through Z = 26; add or subtract the shift, then adjust by 26 to keep the result within the alphabet range.

Rotation 90 clockwise

A 90 degree clockwise rotation turns an upward-pointing arrow to point right; anticlockwise turns it left, and 180 degrees reverses it.

Odd one out

Compare candidates one attribute at a time: number of sides, lines of symmetry, number of elements, curved versus straight edges, open versus closed figures.

Analogy rule

For A is to B as C is to ?, state the change from A to B in words, then apply exactly that change to C.

Life over property

Where priorities conflict, protection of human life and prevention of injury outranks protection of property, organisational convenience, and reputation.

Minimum necessary force

Any use of force must be lawful, necessary and proportionate to the threat, and must stop as soon as the risk is controlled.

Conflict of interest

Declare a personal or financial interest immediately and withdraw from decisions where a reasonable observer could doubt your impartiality.

Need-to-know principle

Personal information is shared only with people who need it to perform their role; unnecessary disclosure breaches privacy obligations.

Escalation trigger

Escalate to a supervisor when there is risk of serious harm, a weapon is involved, a vulnerable person is affected, or authority is exceeded.

Record the decision

Document what you observed, what you decided, the reasons, and who you notified; actions not recorded cannot later be verified.

Chronological report order

Present events in the order they happened, giving date and 24-hour time for each key action, so the sequence can be reconstructed.

Fact versus opinion

Reports record observable actions and exact words spoken; inferences appear only where they are explicitly labelled as opinion.

Active voice

'Constable Smith cautioned the driver' is preferable to 'the driver was cautioned', because the active form names who did what.

Verbatim quotation

Words spoken are placed inside quotation marks and reproduced exactly, including profanity, which is neither deleted nor paraphrased.

Report opening summary

The first paragraph states who, what, when, where and the outcome, so a reader who stops there still understands the incident.

Neutral descriptors

Describe people by observed facts such as clothing, height and actions rather than labels, since conclusory or derogatory terms undermine the record.