a student cramming for the Suffolk County Police exam

How to Prepare for The Suffolk County Police Exam in a Short Period

Many individuals want a career in law enforcement because it can be extremely rewarding. Not only does it come with job stability and incentives, but it also allows one to give back to their community. However, anyone looking for a career in it has to ace a challenging exam first.

In order to become a part of the SCPD, you have to pass the Suffolk County Police exam with flying colors.

These occur once every 4-6 years and test the candidate’s problem-solving, critical thinking, comprehension, and mathematical skills. That’s why it’s vital to properly prepare for them. However, a lot of candidates take them lightly and don’t study enough. This might mean they will have to wait years to take it again!

Today, we’re listing tips to help you prepare for the Suffolk police exam in a short time.

Set a Timetable

The first step to preparing for your Suffolk County Police test is to make a game plan. You have only a few months till the exam takes place so you have to organize everything. Assess the hours you have available and make a timetable.

We recommend setting at least two hours at a time for study. That’s because it will be a sizable chunk of time to help you get significant amount of studying done. However, allotting longer periods for study can also easily tire you out. So, don’t forget to include breaks in your study schedule to help you optimize your study to the best of your ability.

Organize Your Study Space

It’s not just important to organize your timetable; you also need to ensure you have a clean study space. According to research, a de-cluttered and organized working area can help you process information better. If you understand your material better, you’ll be able to remember it for your exam. After all, the last thing you want is a cluttered space to discourage you and take too much of your time.

a person studying in an organized space

You’re aiming for having a clean surface to neatly place your reading material. However, that’s not all because you should also have proper light and a chair to sit comfortably. That’s because they can be hindrances that limit your productivity.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to remove any distractions from your working area to help improve your focus. This includes video games and even your gadgets. Generally, individuals have their smartphones or laptops, and tablets with them during their study sessions. It can prove to be a continuous distraction for them. So, keep them silent and away from your desk. If you require some activity, you can put on some white noise or instrumental background music to elevate your productivity levels.

Understand All of Your Reading Material

No matter how little time you have left for the exam, it’s important to know all of your material beforehand. It’s vital to go through them at least once, but we recommend understanding them thoroughly. This is especially true for civil service exams, like the Suffolk County police test, as they require relevant information. So, don’t try to predict what will come in the assessment or cram all at once.

This leads us to our next point.

Avoid Cramming Information

You might have heard of the phrase ‘attention span of a goldfish,’ but what if we tell you humans have less than that? Research reveals that people have a attention span less than a goldfish’s. This means that cramming might not get you far.

Think about it; human beings can only remember some short-term information. The magic number can go up to 9 points at best. As a result, once you cram too much, you’re likely to forget what you learned.

Utilize Visual Cues to Learn Better

If you need to learn more information in a short time, visual cues can prove to be helpful. That’s because they’re prominent features that you can pick and connect to the information you’re aiming to learn. According to Posner, our attention is directly linked to what we pick visually.

a person studying for the Suffolk County Police exam with visual cues

However, that’s not the only reason. When you make visual cues, such as making charts, color coding information, making flashcards, and writing down mnemonics, you spend more time on the information.

Though you might think that it’s counterintuitive, it will help you remember the details better than just skimming through the material.

Enroll in a Preparatory School

Though a preparatory school can be beneficial at any time, they’re especially advantageous if you’re short on time. That’s because such schools have top-of-the-line courses with professional teachers to help optimize learning and shorten the studying process.

The instructors also have a background in the law enforcement industry, which means they understand the relevant information. In this way, they can provide you with the tools you need to ace your exams.

Their materials are also full of critical and up-to-date information to optimize learning. As a result, you won’t have to waste time learning things irrelevant to the police exam.

When it comes to preparing for the Suffolk County Police exam, there is only one preparatory school out there that can help you out: Civil Service Success.

a person preparing for the Suffolk County Police exam with Civil Service Success

With the Suffolk County Police test drawing nearer, you might be worried about having less time to prepare for it. After all, the exam will take place on June 17 next year. However, you don’t need to stress because we’ve got you covered!

At Civil Service Success, we ensure candidates appearing for the Suffolk police exam can land their dream job. We have been in the industry for over 45 years and understand exactly what the tests entail. Moreover, we employ top instructors with law enforcement backgrounds to create materials with relevant and up-to-date information.

Our Suffolk police exam prep course will begin in May 2023 to help you get high scores. We also provide classes for the NYC Firefighters and sanitation exams.

Get in touch with us to register today.

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