Police Entrance Test (POST / NPOST) Pass Rate, Format & Study Guide

The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST, also called NPOST) is a pre-employment test used by police agencies to identify applicants who have the basic skills needed to perform as police officers. It is published and scored by Stanard & Associates. The Stanard & Associates study guide sample test has 75 items in four separately timed sections: Arithmetic (20), Reading Comprehension (25), Grammar (20) and Incident Report Writing (10, typed answers in complete sentences). Your score is the number of correct answers and there is no penalty for guessing; actual versions can vary by agency.

Many police agencies use the POST as an early screening step, so reaching the agency's score decides whether an applicant is invited to the later stages of hiring.

Applicants to police departments that use the POST/NPOST, and applicants retesting for another agency.

The certifying body does not publicly publish an official pass rate for this exam. Be wary of third-party sites citing a specific number here — treat any pass-rate claim you see elsewhere for this exam as unverified.

Retake rules are set by the hiring agency; check the agency's announcement before you register.

Passing standard: each police agency sets its own passing score; there is no single national pass mark. The Stanard & Associates study guide sample test has 75 items in four separately timed sections: Arithmetic (20), Reading Comprehension (25), Grammar (20) and Incident Report Writing (10, typed answers in complete sentences). Your score is the number of correct answers and there is no penalty for guessing; actual versions can vary by agency. No official pass rate is available for this exam, so none is quoted here.

The Stanard & Associates study guide sample test has 75 items in four separately timed sections: Arithmetic (20), Reading Comprehension (25), Grammar (20) and Incident Report Writing (10, typed answers in complete sentences). Your score is the number of correct answers and there is no penalty for guessing; actual versions can vary by agency. Format: Four separately timed sections · study guide sample test: 75 items in 75 minutes · Sections I-III multiple choice or true/false, Section IV typed incident-report answers. Passing standard: each police agency sets its own passing score; there is no single national pass mark.

• Arithmetic26.67%
• Reading Comprehension33.33%
• Grammar26.67%
• Incident Report Writing13.33%

The content areas and weights are: Arithmetic (26.67%); Reading Comprehension (33.33%); Grammar (26.67%); Incident Report Writing (13.33%).

Police agencies decide who may apply and which version of the test they use; you apply to an agency that has announced an opening.

The testing fee is set by the hiring agency and was not confirmed, so none is quoted. Check the agency's announcement for the fee.

This test is a hiring step, not a credential, so no renewal applies; the agency sets how long a score is valid.

Start with the heaviest areas of the content outline: Reading Comprehension (33.33%); Arithmetic (26.67%); Grammar (26.67%). Then work through the remaining areas and finish with timed full-length practice runs (75 questions in 75 minutes).

Content outlines, fees and passing standards change; this guide follows the materials listed under Verification as of October 2026. Check the certifying body or hiring authority before you register.