With so much at stake, it would seem foolish to go in for a corrections officer test without having some type of background information on what the test will cover or what is even expected.

The overall purpose of the correctional officer exam is to measure if applicants possess the abilities needed in order to perform the job and the duties of a correctional officer.  Although most exams will differ in content from state to state and location to location, the overall goal is generally the same.

Written & Computer-Based Exams

When you take you correctional officer exam it will be either written or computer-based. Written exams are similar to the tests you may have taken in the past where you are provided a test booklet that contains all the required test questions and you are provided an answer key that you enter your identifying information along with your test answers.

The only difference between the written and computer-based exams is the delivery of the information.

As the name implies, computer-based exams are administered on specialized computer stations.

Both forms of these correctional officer exams will be multiple-choice tests that you must be able to pass with at least a score of 70%. You’ll need to ask you departments HR if the test you’ll be taking will be a GO/NO-GO situation where if you pass you move forward to the next application requirements or if, like the NYC correctional officer exam, your passing test score is directly related to your position on the eligibility list.

Basically, the higher your exam score, the higher you will place on the eligibility list and in turn when new correctional officer positions become available, the names at the top of the list of the ones that are contacted first until the department’s hiring needs are met. This is why it is so important to do the very best you can so you can avoid that dreaded wait for information after you take your exam.

Video Exams

Correctional officer video tests or (COVT) are increasingly becoming a staple in many departments of correction facilities for the screening and entry-level testing of prospective correctional officer applicants. Video tests by companies such as Ergometrics and their REACT Video Testing System are likely the standard in video testing for correctional officers so visit their page to review the various aspects of the video testing systems so you know what to expect if you happen to encounter it during your hiring process.

Tips for Success

Preparation is the ultimate key to success. Know that whatever type of correctional officer test you encounter will be evaluating situational judgment and reasoning skills, along with your reading and writing comprehension, mathematics, and memorization and observation skills.

Additionally, if you don’t already have it, with I believe you do if you made it this far in the article, is that you’ll need to have a certain level of common sense. You can have all the knowledge in the world but if you don’t know how to use that knowledge and apply it when necessary then it’s useless.

Finally, practice makes perfect right, we’ve all heard that at some point before so this is no different. You can attempt this free correctional officer practice exam here to get an idea of what to expect but if you want to take you prepared for the correctional officer exam to the next level, I would suggest picking up a correctional officer exam study guide to achieve the best results.