Attention All Police Foundation Students.

To any students who have as of yet to purchase their subscription, get to it! This subscription can be written off just like the expense of your books if you're a Mohawk College Student as the membership is a requirement of your program. Also, you will be tested using the Test Ready Pro website, not on a in class scantron or pencil/paper test. You will do the PATI electronically, it will be automatically graded by TestReadyPro and the marks will be forwarded to your teachers.

Why is this important or do you really need it? It's important because this is not just a portion of your grades but is a test you will need to be prepared for in the near future regardless of whether your career path takes you into corrections, special constable work, border services or police constable work you need this skill set.

When I first started preparing for my police exams I went to every source I could, asked anyone who could give me some insight and sought out as many resources as possible from forums, magazine articles and even reading through the ministry of community safety and correctional services web site. I was in a difficult spot because I had the Officer Exam book and didn't if know it was enough, luckily I found TestReadyPro and discovered it wasn't enough. You're being saved all that time and aggrivation. You know that this is the right material to help you study and ace your exams.

Trust me, this isn't a sales pitch. For some colleges like Mohawk College a membership to TestReadyPro is mandatory, with that being said you can write it off with your other education expenses: tuition, books etc. but I'm telling you, if you want the most comprehensive training for all portions of your upcoming exams sign-up!

General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB)

The GATB or General Aptitude Test Battery is used for Special Constables. It's different from the PATI but tests similar skills and capabilities for instance mathematical and mapping skills you will find very similar. Understand though that the GATB is not a test where you sit down and write one long test. Instead, it is a series of many short tests. There are eight pencil and paper, written tests. These tests are done individually and at a quick pace, six minutes is alotted to write each test. These tests There are four tests which require equipment. Just like the PATI it's important to pace yourself and work quickly. I recommend flash card training for those who have a hard time doing math equations in their head, blank scrap paper will be provided but again answering as many questions as you possibly can before your six minute time limit is up is imperative. Spatial reasoning seems to be a surprisingly difficult area along with mapping. TestReadyPro offers GATB preparation material presented just like the PATI material. Although I feel anyone scoring high passes on the PATI (80%+) shouldn't have a difficult time with the GATB, if you can afford it I still recommend using the GATB specific study questions as there are some interesting questions that require logic. You can find the GATB information on TestReadyPro's website here: TestReadyPro GATB

Lets take a look at some of the example questions I found on Applicant Testing Service:

1) Add (+) 397
265 a) 652 b) 662 c) 762 d) 562
The correct answer is 662, therefore on the answer sheet the letter b) would be selected.

2) Which two words have the same meaning? a) fast b) bright c) speedy d) long
The correct answer is fast and speedy, therefore on the answer sheet the letter combination a)-c) would be selected.

3) Which two words have the opposite meaning? a) portly b) tall c) short d) erect
The correct answer is tall and short, therefore on the answer sheet the letter combination b)-c) would be selected.

4) Identify which pairs of names are the same “S” and which pairs are different “D”.
Bradley T. Williams …… Bradly T. Williams
N.N. Somerhouse …… N.N. Somerhouse
Sara P. Smith Co. …… Sara B. Smith Co.

The first pair is different, the second pair is the same, and the third pair is different, therefore the correct answer sequence on the answer sheet
would be D, S and D.

You can find those and more here: Applicant Testing Service Sample GATB

..this isn't what I planned for...

I've received some emails, personal messages and had conversations with police applicants and police hopefuls this past week. Many people have the bug for policing but are having issues whether they've failed interviews or aren't sure if policing is right for them. I know what you're going through, getting involved with a career like this is a process, there are numerous tests and interviews throughout this process and I assure you, if you haven't experienced it already, you will go through a range of emotions and have to deal with the dynamic of your personal life, going to school full-time, working, family, some families are very supportive, others may not be. Life has its many twists and turns. No big surprise. What happens when you push for this career in policing and one of those turns creates a big bump that you can't seem to get over?

Lets do a little case study; you get the bug for policing, the calling. You start with either an ad on the back of a bus, on the television or in a newspaper, maybe you even saw one of those RCMP ads on Hotmail. Alternatively, you could be one of those who always knew this is what you wanted to do. You start to investigate the career a little further, visit websites start asking around or maybe you enroll in a full-time college program like Police Foundations to see if policing is right for you. You may even find yourself here, studying with TestReadyPro, reading my blog and networking with people but for some unforseen reason either you fail an interview, perhaps you do pass all your interviews but you're not a competitive enough applicant or maybe you flat out just can not get to stage 6.5 on the shuttle run. What do you do? Everything seems and quite dismal. The truth is, this is not the end of the line. Policing and law enforcement has so many different facets that is should be nearly impossible for anyone who has a genuine interest in policing/law enforcement who is either having a tough time getting hired with a service or is not sure if being a Police Constable is right for them can find a career of some sort. From my minimal amount of research and conversations I've compiled a short list that I will discuss this week and for next weeks blog. The jobs are as follows:

Correctional Officers are in demand both provincially and federally. Correctional Officers are not just responsible for maintaining order within correctional facilities but also have a variety of units including medical and tactical training.

Special Constables. The role of a Special Constable can be as unique as they city you're deployed in. Whether it be prisoner escort/transportation, court security, court liason, provincial firearms officer and jobs working as Peace Officers or as transportation enforcement specialists for instance riding the TTC or other major transportation venues and ensuring the safety of passengers. Special Constables are also being enlisted for positions working security on university campuses as sworn members have more powers of arrest, still a limited role in law enforcement but substantially than a security guard.

Border Services Officer. Much like being a Special Constable, the Canadian Border Services offer many different positions involved with Canadas national security, controlling our borders.

Nuclear Security. Law enforcement is one of Canadas fastest growing industries. Nuclear safety is a national priority, just as Corrections Officers have opportunities to serve in exciting tactical response teams, so do nuclear security officers.

Any of this sound interesting to you? Get on the forum and discuss it. Next week I'll outline some of these career directions and how to get the ball rolling on them. Do some research, you might be surprised how well you could server your community and country by taking on one of these careers in law enforcement.

Test Ready Pro @ Mohawk College!!

Hello and welcome Mohawk College Police Foundations students! I was impressed to see TestReadyPros material on the shelves at the bookstore. I know Police Foundations college students are a unique breed, highly motivated, and truly dedicated. I think it takes a great amount of courage whether you're right out of high school or a mature student to dive into such a competitive and tasking program. I also want to extend a hand to the second year students, I know previously you were not given sufficent material to prepare for your OACP COR testing. I assure you that if any of you require help TestReadyPro will be there to help you from providing frequent updates to tests, group workshops to prepare and, of course one on one mentoring. Also, your subscription/membership to TestReadyPro is not just a two year membership but it lasts until you don't need it anymore. We're committed to helping you get hired.

Although John Belisle may not be available, Tim Gordon is available to help any and all students looking to prepare for interviews with Police Services, Corrections and Border Services. Also, Tim can help you with your OACP certificate testing, he offers private tutoring sessions on PATI, WCT and BPAD. You can reach Tim here: testreadyhelp@gmail.com

Now, throughout the last six months I was writing a blog every week on the hiring process whether it be testing, interviews, application packages, even to getting good volunteer experiences and personal development preparing for your upcoming application. Instead of going through those concepts again now I want to hear from you. Post your questions on the TestReadyPro forum. Go there now, get posting, I will answer you right away on the forum but I'll post in-depth answers here on the blog with a little more generic insight!

By the way, if anyone out there has even one afternoon free a week to volunteer, seriously consider helping out a political party, it's great experience and they really need our support with this coming election. Not involved politically yet? Well, get into it, take a look at all the parties represented in your area, look at who is promoting development in the corrections and law enforcement industry. Also, consider changes being offered by all parties to the criminal code, justice system, rights for police and other essential services workers. If you think you're not represented or something happening with this election won't directly affect you, you're mistaken. Lastly, if you're asking: "What's in it for me?" Well, typically volunteer experiences with political parties are 1) well organized 2) give you a variety of jobs/duties/responsibilities (looks great on a resume) 3) they give great references even if they don't win!

I'm Back!!

I hope everyone had a great summer! I've been working hard all summer and of course helping as many of you as I can with developing yourselves, preparing for tests and interviews. This summer I had a chance to visit Everest College and give some of their Police Foundations students insight into the hiring process and test preparation. I've been really surprised to see how many applicants are putting studying off. I know the weather is beautiful outside so, the guys at TestReadyPro wanted to introduce a book that you could take with you anywhere to study. This is fine a new product and encompasses a lot of information but books in this electronic age are not only in my opinon obsolete in a culture where information is available at our fingertips within seconds via the internet but utilitiarian books are not socially responsible. It is in saying that, TestReadyPro has adopted a new philosophy, a commitment to be an enviromental leader, minimizing our environmental impact by offering innovative solutions that benefit TestReadyPro's customers and the environment. If you absolutely must have the book printed, you can take the CD to Staples Business Depot and they'll print and bind it for you for very cheap. The material you're getting in this book is nothing like TestReadyPro's competition and I stand behind it 100%.

I really think this is an incredible gesture of forward thinking and I encourage everyone out there who is about to purchasing a book for police testing preparation or test guides, not to. Instead, take a look at TestReadyPro's electronic booklet. For $69, including shipping you get over 300 pages of up to date material. Also, you will find the WCT in this booklet is unlike WCT's found anywhere else, period. You'll also find this is more than a guide, it actually includes learning material tp help you brush up on your math, literacy, including english as a second language exercises, understanding syllogisms, analyzing travel time questions etc. You'll also find information on PREP fitness preparation and something I've been very impressed with as it helped me pass my BPAD, the BPAD video preparation. If that doesn't wet your appetite for the book there is also a substantial amount of interview preparation covering all interviews (LFI, DCI, ECI).

Of course, ultimately I recommend a full membership to TestReadyPro, I recommend attending the TestReadyPro workshop day at Mohawk College and I highly stress the importance of mentoring, networking and simply having other people work with you towards your goal but at the minimum invest $69 in the book, do not make the mistake many people do, waste your money testing before you properly prepare. The same goes with the interviews, if you fail any one of them, you're out for a year.

Hope to see you on the forums!

I wish you all the best of luck!

This is not the end of the blog but a break! I'm taking the rest of the summer off and will return in the fall. I will however still be checking the forums and my email periodically so don't hesitate to get in touch. These past six months have been exciting for me, I've enjoyed writing the blog very much and I hope you all have enjoyed my insight and that my examples and advice has helped you.

Also, I want you to know you've come to the right place for help, whether you're trying to understand the hiring process, get test preparation material or looking for a mentor to help you through the process, the Test Ready Pro team are really wonderful people who want to help. I really encourage you to get active on the forum www.testreadypro.com/forums. I get a lot of questions from people who have it all together they just need the motivation to continue on through the process, you can meet and share with some really great people who are going through or have experienced the same thing as you.

I want to finish the blog with a passage from my first post as I know many people reading this post are reading my blog for the first time;

Once in your life you may feel a great sense of responsibility. Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel called this duty. “the duty of our generation as we enter the twenty-first century -- solidarity with the weak, the persecuted, the lonely, the sick, and those in despair. It is expressed by the desire to give a noble and humanizing meaning to a community.” Marcus Aurelius, last of the “Five Good Emperors” of Rome and, a brilliant philosopher, did not regard this as duty but love. The meek will quote Frederick Buechner “a calling is the place where your deepest gladness meets the world's deepest need.” The truth about a calling is that you don’t do it because you have to, someone asks it of you, you do it because you truly want to. The motivation to become a police constable is of you.

Goodluck to all of you.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Number one has been what happened to the forum I was talking about, where did it go, how do I get on it? Well due to a security issue the forum was down for a while however, it's back up and running! Get on there and introduce yourself, having problems with math formulas, coming to the correct conclusion on syllogisms, demo WCT scenarios, whatever? Post your questions! Don't forget that not only am I on there but so is John Belisle (professor, Police Foundations Program) and so is another Police Foundations professor, Dennis Campbell. You can get advice to any of your questions including fitness routines, Dennis Campbell is the gentleman that set me up with mine! You can check the forum out at www.testreadypro.com/forums

Another big one is about volunteering. It's not so much a question as it is a complaint, if you've been reading the blogs for the past five months, I've been talking about volunteering a lot. Why? First off, we know it's something police services are looking for in applicants, you can find this worded as volunteer experience or community involvement. Furthermore, volunteer experiences are great for rounding out some of your competency examples, always keep in mind that during your interviews you can answer behavioural questions with experiences from work, school and volunteering. Lastly, volunteering really is giving back to your community, even before I had an interest in policing I was taking part in volunteer events/fundraisers. It's a great way to meet new people, gain some experience and of course feel great. So, in an effort to get some of you who voted "No" on the poll before it closed for "Are you currently volunteering?" here's a volunteer experience I've been doing recently and enjoying that I've never posted about before: The easiest and MOST rewarding for me so far has been a volunteer experience as a volunteer driver for the Children's Aid Society. Here's how it works: you've got a car, if not you use mom & dad's/the spouses all the time right? You probably have your full G licence, relatively clean driving record, and some free hours here and there during the week or weekends at random times? Well, all you have to do is contact your local Children's Aid/Family & Youth services and sign-up to become a volunteer driver. Typically what is included with this duty is picking up children who are in care, either foster homes, group homes, hospitals, etc. You drive them to the Children's Aid or to their parents house, drop them off and then pick them up a few hours later and take them back to where they came from. Easy right? Well, you wouldn't believe how desperately drivers are needed. It gets easier, chances are there are kids in your community who need this service, you may not even know there was a foster home or group home right around the corner from you. Also, know that these kids, their parents, their siblings and the workers really appreciate what you're doing because you're making it possible for them to visit with their families. These aren't troubled kids that are going to light fires in the back of your car or try to strangle you while you drive, these are kids that can't get there without you and they want to see their families. If that isn't a big enough reward, you get paid for your gas and a little bit more to make up for the wear and tear on your vehicle. All in all, it's a pretty good deal for someone who says "I just don't have the time to dedicate." Thats fine, this is your ideal volunteer experience!

Staying Motivated.

I hope all of you are doing well with your testing and interviews. This week I want to post about something a little less talked about, something everyone, myself included needs from time to time. Motivation. This process, regardless of whether you're applying to be a Police Constable or a Firefighter, is long. It takes time to prepare for the testing, get your results, apply, to services, hear back, interview, hear back about that, go in for the next round of interviews or hear from your background investigator. Sometimes things happen quickly and your head spins from antisipation of what is right around the corner, that final offer of employment. However, you may find you once more have to wait. It can truly be a rollercoaster ride. You might even feel like this process is draining you, perhaps you really had your hopes up with one service and that doesn't work out for you.

Here is my suggestion, don't sweat it, keep your head up and push on. This is a long process and it isn't going to get any easier worrying about the outcome.

I most often liken these final stages of the application process to the final stages of the shuttle run, you might be a little tired, your feet might even be a little sore but you didn't come this far for nothing and aslong as you keep moving, you'll make it. I think the same rings true for the hiring pool, stick with your post secondary online class or night school class, keep your exercise routine, prepare for that next test thats about to expire, find a new and interesting volunteer experience. Emerse yourself in family and friends who will support you. Support groups are highly underrated.

Ultimately, keep your head above water, when it's your time to be called in or move forward it will happen and I'm sure you will regret stressing the whole time.

Tying volunteer work.

All competency questions can be answered with situations, scenarios and tasks drawn from work, school and volunteer experiences. For the next two developmental competency questions we will deal specifically with volunteering. Quite simply because one of these developmental competencies is specifically labeled: community-service orientation, proven commitment to helping or serving others. I've said it before but I really need to say it again, consistent volunteer experience is a necessity. You can't just have a few volunteer hours here and there helping out at the kids school these last few months because you knew you would be asked during your Police Constable application interviews, no. You must show this dedication over the last few years! I don't suspect you will ever be asked about this competency specifically but I really can't touch on this subject enough, you need to be the whole package when it comes to applying, this is an extremely competitive hiring pool. If you thought volunteering was just a glossy "good to have" on your resume, you're wrong, it's a competency and you should treat it seriously.

Now, to get some fresh ideas I want to jump back to last weeks post, it was short because unfortunately last week was very busy but I wasn't finished talking about initiative. I think some of the BEST competency answers are ones that touch on multiple competency processes in one answer. My best examples seem to bridge initiative with other competencies, like concern for safety, also notice how I use specific leadership skills here with a follow-up/sharing information. Your answer could be something like this "At a volunteer event, I came across something that didn't look right, I took the time to quickly check to make sure that this was in fact safe and secure when I found that it wasn't. Although maintenance is outside of my duties I felt that I needed to do more than fill out a work order, this could turn out to be a bigger problem, I immediately contacted my supervisor and began cautioning people away from the area in a calm manner, not to attract attention but to keep the situation in my control. When my supervisor arrived I related exactly what the problem was quickly and concisely and described what I had been doing so far to keep the situation in control. My supervisor congratulated me on the good work and shut down the area, waiting for a maintenance technician to arrive."

CAUTION! I did not use specific names, dates, descriptions of equipment or the situation because that above answer is a fluff one. You need to name specific people, who was the supervisor, when did they arrive, what day did this occur. Treat these answers with a skillful and sharp break down of the facts but also how you felt and what you were thinking.

Practical Competencies

I wrote last week about how developmental competencies are typically born from on job experience or training however, because of the specific needs of services they now ask some developmental competency questions. These next three should be very easy and I have practical, real-world examples for each.

Assertiveness is the ability to use authority confidently and to set and enforce rules appropriately. Examples people typically think of is someone that is violent or very over the top. This is not necessary, lets break this competency down. First off, don't allow yourself to get carried away with the idea of being assertive, chances are if you've ever worked a returns desk or some sort of customer relations, customer representation or in sales you've delt with a pushy person where you've had to put your foot down. I wouldn't want you to go the opposite way with this competency and not use someone that was at least being difficult but I often see people trying to think of examples where they saved the day here or had to deal with a crazed person, think of that passive agressive employee you had to discipline or the nasty customer who talked to you or a co-worker in a rude way. These are very good situations to draw from with this competency.

Initiative is demonstrating the ability to be self-motivated and self-directed in identifying and addressing important issues. A great initiative example is one that involves something you took upon yourself to do, something that is beyond your normal duties, job description and definetly something you weren't directed to do. For instance, you noticed the fire extinguisher had very low pressure, you contacted the company responsible for maintaining the fire extinguisher and asked them to recharge or replace it. Perhaps instead you simply made your boss aware of it but also checked the other fire extinguishers and fire alarms while it was on your mind. What did you make the extra effort to do?

Had enough competency questions yet??

Well, we only covered half of them!! Keep in mind you could have two seperate interviews based on competencies pending on which service you apply to. If not, expect to be asked questions from both the Essential Competencies (which we talked about earlier) in addition to the Developmental Competencies, whcih we will talk about this week.

I like to think of Developmental Competencies as the practical competencies, ones you can use with your B-PAD and ones you can use to prepare for the ECI panel interview. Developmental Competency Interviews (DCI) are often regarded as competencies that can be acquired through training, after a person has been hired as a police officer however, some police services have immediate need for specific skills and abilities that are "developmental" and therefore could be included as questions in the hiring process. The first developmental competency is information seeking; the ability to seek out information from various sources before making a decision. This competency is so obvious in how it applies to policing: would you make an arrest if you only had half of the story, what about witnesses? Information seeking as it applies to yourself could be as simple as:

I was having problems getting my digital camera to work. Unfortunately between me and my friend we couldn't get any of the photos to download onto my computer. I looked for the manual but couldn't find it, I tried googling my camera and found a .pdf version of the manual on the manufacturers website but it didn't have the right troubleshooting tips for getting my photos off the camera and onto my computer. I then went back to the store I bought my camera, they were helpful and explained that it would be easier to remove the memory card from the camera in order to upload the photos however, I would need an adapter that would hook up to my computer. They didn't sell them. I then drove to another local electronics store where I found the adapter and asked about using it. I was proud of myself when I came home and was easily able to get all my great photos off the camera and onto my computer to share with my friends and family. I always try to find a fix to my problems myself via technical phone support, the internet, reading manuals or asking friends but I'm also comfortable in starting back at square one, where I bought the product to ask the store what I should do.

I know the above example is kind of goofy but it really displays the concept of seeking out a solution in a variety of places, I had to because the first source, my friend didn't work, I then tried the manual but had to go on the internet, a new resource, however, again such luck, it wasn't until my third attempt at resolving the issue that I found an information source that would help. Also, pay close attention to my follow-up at the end of that competency.

Concern for safety is the last competency we will look at this week. Concern for safety is the ability to exercise caution in hazardous situations to ensure safety to your self and others. Although policing is seen as a dangerous job, you must be aware and in control. In doing this you will prevent unnecessary injury or harm to come of yourself. A great way to articulate your concern for safety is to demonstrate a time when you saw something unsafe or perhaps were put into an unsafe situation, maybe asked by your boss to use a rickety ladder, operate machinery that wasn't properly maintained. What did you do and say? Did you stand up and tell your boss or co-workers that it wasn't safe? What did you do about it? How did they react?

Again, another simple competency that is easily seen as relating to policing, the trick is making these competencies compatible with your experiences.

Background Investigations

Background investigations typically happen after you've applied, been screened during the application process, are interviewed and are then assessed. This often where applicants with a lack of volunteer involvement, post secondary education or work consistency get turned down. If you're competitive enough you will be put through to the background investigation portion. Some services will just put you through their background when you're successful with interviews however, some will first assess your application/resume and make a decision from there compared against other applicants who are also waiting for their background investigation. If selected to move on to the background investigation, a specific investigator will be assigned to your check, they will check with your school, volunteer, work and personal character references. Now, keep in mind you've offered these references but at anytime you could receive a call saying that you need to supply extra references as the ones you've provided could not be contacted or any variety of issues that could occur. Also this is the time when your pre-background questionnaire is drawn upon for reference against traffic accidents, tickets, criminal charges etc. Typically they take four weeks but can take as little as two weeks. Problems with the length of your background investigation occur if you were not born in Canada, have studied outside of Canada or lived abroad.

Letters of reference are great for this process because you know exactly what the person who wrote the letter feels about you. Letters of reference can even be from your friends/personal character reference. Letters of reference are great to bring along with your during your early interview stages, put them in your portfolio along with your OACP COR, other certificates/awards. I highly recommend having letters of reference written specifically to the job you're applying for, either "I have no hesitations in recommending ______ for a career with the _________ Police Service."

A quick note about references: Don't just assume that because someone agrees to writing you a letter of reference or agrees to be a reference that they will give you a good reference. Letters of reference in sealed envelopes intended only for the recipient can be bad news if you're not sure that the reference writing the letter is absolutely happy with you. Also, make sure you references are available, because they write a letter doesn't mean they're off the hook.

If you don't have any letters of reference, dig up your old bosses, current bosses, teachers etc. and have them write something simple. Make sure they include the date, their name, mailing address and a phone where they can be reached. If they're having a hard time writing one or don't know what to do, use google to search reference letter form generators or simply "how to write a letter of reference."

Background checks include credit checks and it's important that you take the responsibility to use the resources out there to check your credit score and determine if it needs to be improved upon.

More Essential Competencies

For the past two weeks we've been talking about interview competencies, the interviews are somewhat standardized by the Constable Selection System in the competencies you must display through behvaioral questions. This week we will look at Self Control which is a multi-dimensional competency and the final essential competencies.

Self control is the ability to keep your own emotions under control and to restrain negative actions when provoked or when working under stressful situations. I like to really keep those two areas seperate, emotional control and restraint. Emotional control could be as simple as:

"On August 4th 2007 my father died, it was a difficult for me but I was responsible for notifying family and friends. It became even more difficult when I had to begin making funeral arrangements and had the unpleasant duty of being the executor of my fathers will. Through this difficult time I was able to control my emotions and keep a clear head by seeking help and counselling from my friends and family, although it was difficult I kept myself in check and was able to complete all my taks during this time of grieving."

Restraint is more of a confrontational person who is difficult or gives you a hard time, a classic example:

"On December 26th 2006 I was working at the customer service desk at Best Buy. It was boxing and there was a long line of returns, one customer had a microwave in an opened box, I could see on his face as he approached the desk that he was unhappy, he stomped up towards and slammed the box down on the counter "do you know how long I've been waiting?". Even the tone of his voice was very angry so I tried to de-escalate the situation by telling him "Sir, I know the lines are very long today for returns, I'm going to work quickly to get you on your way so you can enjoy the rest of your holiday." I asked what was wrong with the product and was relieved to hear the tone in his voice had changed, he explained that he wanted to return the microwave as he did not like it. I asked for his receipt and began processing the paperwork, I told the customer that unfortunately because the product wasn't defective and the box was opened he would be subjected to a 15% restocking fee. The look on his face changed to a scowl and asked "Are you kidding me?" Again, the tone of his voice sounded agitated I explained that it was the store policy and unfortunately there wasn't anything I could about it. "You know, you're a smug little prick.." I let him finish and allowed the comments to roll off my back, "Sir, I know you're frustrated with the situation but you need to understand that I can't do anything about the restocking fee." He started to curse at me but this time I interrupted him "Sir, that is enough, if you can not treat me with respect than you need to leave the store or I will call the police." I was hurt by his comments but wouldn't let myself blow-up at him, I know that getting angry could only make the situation worse. My stern tone of voice worked, he picked up the microwave and stomped away to the front door. I wish I could have helped him in the situation and atleast did the return for him since he obviously didn't want the microwave but was happy that I was able to atleast defuse the situation and have the angry customer walk away."

Relationship building describes the ability to develop and maintain a network of contacts, both inside and outside work, school, volunteering. The basis of this competency is that you make friends, that you have friends and that in your work place, at school and at volunteer events you are a social person. Policing is based on team work and having a friendly relationship with your co-workers is not only good for the work environment but also good for your professional development. Specifically, the relationship building competency questions are looking for who you met, how you became friends and how you continue to maintain this relationship outside of just seeing eachother at work, at school or at volunteer events.

The final two competencies are achievement orientation which is the desire for continuous improvement in service or accomplishments, this can be reflected via your awards, letter of recommendation, high marks, honor roll, etc.

Medical, physical skills and abilities is a competency that seeks out job related medical and physical skills and abilities including hearing, motor skills, cardiovascular endurance and upper body strength. In my experience these are all tested via your medical exam prior to your offer of employment and the OACP Certificates PREP and hearing/vision testing.

As a final note on competencies, working with them and understanding them, I again recommend the services of John Belisle to help tutor you through example questions and techniques beyond what I have covered here to help you answer the questions. Recruiters at your local service should be of help, mine was fantastic and gave me a lot of material to write about here and a lot of guidance prior to my interviews. Ultimately, understand that if you have your certificate of results, your resume passed the screening process, you really don't want to drop the ball here on interviews, too many people do and are deferred, having to wait a year before they can reapply.

Goodluck with those applications!

Essential Competencies Continued

Communication is the ability to demonstrate effective listening, verbal and written communication. Here is another easy one as you’ve already done a written communication test and your B-PAD also touches on this competency so I think it’s safe to say that you will not be asked to articulate a time where you demonstrated the communication competency during your essential competency interview.

Flexibility is the ability to adapt your approach in a variety of situations. Flexibility makes sense as far as being a Police Constable is concerned however, some people just don't seem capable of compromising or trying things a different way. Flexibility competency questions are usually answered with a simple answer that seems obvious so trust me, you don't need to rack your brain here. When it comes down to it you're just trying to show that just like in self-confidence you can realize your own limitations or maybe the short comings of the method you're using. Here is an example my recruiter used to love for flexibility and was usually his introduction example to understanding behvaioral questions, the hot dog story.

I was at a game with a friend of mine, Paul. Paul asked if I wanted a hot dog while he was going up to the concession and I said "yea, I'd love one." When Paul came back with the hot dog it had mustard, relish, ketchup, onions and all sorts of other dressings on it. I didn't say anything to Paul because I didn't want to offend him so I ate the hot dog. Usually, I'm a mustard and relish guy only. I don't like all the other condiments on my hot dog. To my surprise I really liked onions, I don't think I would get the ketchup again but I'm definetly going to get my hot dog with onions next time.

A very simple answer, I know. Notice though how there is a follow-up and my feelings of aprehension about eating the hot dog are evident.

Valuing diversity is the ability to work effectively with a wide cross section of the community representing diverse backgrounds, cultures and socio-economic circumstances.

This is a really hard competency for some, no one likes to think of themselves as a racist so opening up about such deep feelings let alone during a job interview can be tough. An alternative route to answering this question could be using peoples with handicaps as an example, I know for me personally I was very surprised to learn how independently blind people live. It wasn't until I was in high school when there was a school for the blind across the road that I really saw that blindness barely inhibits anyones life! Another alternative, perhaps you grew up in an upper class neighborhood or away from poverty, what were your predetermined thoughts about the needy, did your ideas ever change? Now, that is the most important part about this competency, perhaps how your perception changed to understand that your preconceived notion of who or how a certain group of people were was wrong.

Goodluck with your interviews, I'll have more for you next week!

Essential Competency Comprehension

I'm fast tracking this article because a lot of you are applying now and will soon be having this interview, I'm literally going to go through every single competency and address each of them to make sure you understand them! Please, email: testreadyhelp@gmail.com if you're having difficult and as always I'm going to recommend contacting myself at (905) 516 4981. The material I'm covering here is very similar to what I talk about during the Test Ready Pro workshop however, in one-on-one mentoring sessions I offer a far more comprehensive look at the competencies and work on the actual questions with you in addition to developing your interview answers with you to prepare you for the interview.

There are eight unique essential competencies which you must know and fully understand. Although the names of each competency seem self explanatory I’m going to break each down and relate how they’re each perceived specific to policing and your potential to fit the skill set necessary for a future career in policing. I also feel that it’s necessary to include a disclaimer here, I will not release the specifics of my own interview questions that I was asked and answered during my Essential Competency and Developmental Competency interviews or any services specific interview questions. I will however guide you through understanding each competency and give you examples of how to go about articulating an answer. Keep in mind my answers may seem goofy at times but they follow our prescribed technique for answering behavioural questions. Also, note that my questions here are often answered with non job, school or volunteer related experiences. During your own interviews with any Police Service you must use examples from work, school or volunteering.

Analytical Thinking is the ability to analyze situations and events in a logical way, and to organize the parts of a problem in a systematic way. Analytical thinking is a competency demonstrated during your OACP Stage One testing, the Police Analytical Thinking Inventory (PATI). I do not suspect you will ever be asked a question on this competency.

Self Confidence is described as a belief in your own abilities and judgement, and recognition of personal limitations and development needs. Lets break this down, a belief in my own abilities: I believe I can do something, recognition of personal limitations: perhaps I bit off more than I could chew. Lastly, development needs: I know I need help here, I’ve recognized what’s wrong and will ask for assistance.

Example: I’ve always to build my own computer from scratch. This past spring it was cold out and I found myself not taking part in as many activities as usual so on May fourth I made the decision to go out and start buying the parts to make my own computer. I had some help researching which components were compatible through a few of my friends and felt confident that the only tools I needed was a single screw-driver. After getting home from collecting everything I needed I was excited and couldn’t wait to start working on my new project. I spent four hours carefully unpacking each part, reading the documentation that came along with it and hooking it all up together. Finally it came time to proudly press the On button. To my dismay when I plugged the computer in and press the power button nothing happened, I waited a few seconds and began to smell something burning, I knew at once it was the computer as it was the obvious scent of burning plastic. I was curious and couldn’t imagine what was going on. I quickly unplugged everything and opened the computer case up to see where I went wrong, I couldn’t figure it out. For fifteen minutes I checked each wire to make sure it was connected properly and in the right place, I checked each screw making sure they weren’t in too tight, cracking the casing… I just couldn’t figure it out. By this time it was well after eleven at night but I had to call my computer savvy friends and get their input on what I could do, I spent a half hour on the phone and no one could give me any idea of what was wrong, I was frustrated but I began to have a sick feeling in my stomach when my friend Matt told me the burning smell could have been the motherboard or power supply frying, I felt like all this money was spent on nothing, just totally wasted. I set my alarm for early the next morning so I could get to a computer repair shop first thing when they opened. I had a hard time sleeping that night. When I finally brought the computer in I found that problem wasn’t with how I connected the wires but that I didn’t use a spacer between the motherboard and the case, this was causing friction amongst the metallic parts which did not allow for the computer to power on. Only a few hours later I was out the door, back at home and set-up with my new that I had practically built all myself. I learnt something new that day and I kept the repair shops number and knew in the future I had one more resource at my fingertips if I needed technical support for my computer.

Behavioral Interview Techniques

Last week I wrote about behavioral interviews and tried to clear up misconceptions. This weeks blog is again on behavioral interviews but specifically techniques for answering questions.

Last week I gave a very vague example of a behavioral interview question, this question was open-ended. That question: "Tell me how you would handle a situation where ______________." Is a perfect example of what you're up against in most behavioral job interviews regardless of whether it is with a Police Service or a corporation.

Be a S.T.A.R. STAR is an example that is most often used for behavioral interview responses. It follows the following formula, S: Situation, describe briefly when and where the incident occurred and who was involved. You are setting the scene. T: Task, what were you trying to achieve, what was the problem or issue to be dealt with. A: Action, what action did you take independently or to assist others to get to a positive outcome. R: Result, what was the outcome of your actions, state your success and any positive feedback received or what you learned if the outcome was different to what was anticipated. Explain what you would do differently in the future. Alternatively you could include information sharing as a competency here for result. For instance, how I shared this experience to better my co-workers.

STAR is a good formula and is an excellent way to get used to answering behavioral questions, if you cover all your STAR basses in the order they appear: Situation, task, action, result. Result is the one most people overlook. Result could be hyphenated as follow-up. The reason for this is because it's very important to articulate what you learnt from the situation you described and how you curbed your approach to similar problems or thought processes after that event.

A good example of Star in action taken from www.ssu.uts.edu.au You are asked: 'Can you tell me about a time when you had to organise a major event?' Using the STAR model, your answer might be something like this:

Situation
'Yes - earlier this year I had to organise the UTS Careers Fair.

Task
'To do this, I was required to market and advertise the Fair to both students and employers. I also had to organise venue hire, catering and booth construction, and exhibition equipment.

Action
'To market the Fair to students, we had a postcard designed and mailed out to our target audience. We also used banners, flyers and posters to advertise. In the week leading up to the Fair, we used a video wall for the first time.... [Describe succinctly each of the other tasks for which you were responsible.

Results
'We had 65 employers at the fair, which was the largest number of employers to attend to date. And there were over 2500 students, which was also a record number.'

The above example is a perfect, smooth example, all it leaves out is sufficent information about the exact time, which is a detail you would input yourself, specifically who was involved and also a really concrete follow-up, "In the future, I did __________ to make sure other volunteers and organizes knew of this successful method to bring more people to the job fair."

Again, simple but very effective, this formla for answering questions will become very natural for you eventually, with practice.

Next week we'll have more on behavioral interview techniques so send in your questions, the forum is down right now but I will answer emails, private messages and feel free to leave questions in the "comments" section of this blog.

Understanding Behvaioral Interviewing.

Behvaioral interviewing became popular fifteen years ago. The basic concept of behvaioral interviews is that requires candidates to draw upon past experiences, think of behvaioral interview questions as practical experience based questions. It is here that the answers are absolutely objective. The interview is about probing and works very differently from traditional job interviews. The basic rule of behavioral interviews is that past actions or behavior are indicative of future actions and behvaiors. Behvaioral Interviewing predicts 55% of on the job behavor which far exceeds traditional interviewing which only predicts 10% of future job behavior.

In knowing this we can see why Police Services are so big on doing these interviews. Policing is a service and very much about how you perform individually, how you will represent that Service infront of the public and professionally amongst your co-workers.

Uniquely though, Police Services right across the board seem not to offer a traditional job interview at all, as in: "Tell me about yourself?" Here, you could get away with telling the interviewer what they want to hear or embarrass yourself by telling them what you think they want to hear: you're a quick learner, motivated, especially if you're lying this is an easy spot to get away with it. Also, understand that these questions are very open ended, they don't contain any specific structure, ideally you could manipulate your answer to go any route you want. Alternatively, imagine you're instead asked "Tell me how you would handle a situation where ______________." This type of question is usually preceeded with a very specific set of ground rules about how you are to answer the question, they aren't complicated ground rules but guidelines on how specific to be, what kind of pace to speak in as the interviewer may be writing everything you say in short hand, which is the case with Police Services for posterity. Your answer is simple until the Interviewer begins to pick apart your answer, perhaps they want specific dates and times, who was there specifically? Furthermore, to get to know your true character you may be asked how you felt when something particular in your story happened, you may be asked to articulate many fine details and your reactions to them, the other parties involved reactions and of course, the outcome. Also, don't think it's as easy as regurgitating an answer, you could be stopped mid-sentence and asked to articulate your previous point more or talk more about the last point you made. This is all pooled against your chances for success in Policing. Luckily for Police Recruits, we know specifically the exact characteristics a Police Candidate should possess (competencies) and we have their definitions! Competencies are listed on every Police Service's website that follow the standardized Constable Selection System (the majority of Police Services). How many other careers give you a study path for your interview??

Let's go back to the original question, ""Tell me how you would handle a situation where ______________." One of the ground rules may be before you're able to fully give your answer, you need to give a quick overview or synopsis of what you're going to say in your answer. This gives interviewers a chance to see if your answer has the potential to give them what they need to draw from your answer. If not, you need try something else. It's wise not to question this and understand it's not a technique for interviewers to psyche you out, really, they know exactly which competency they're looking for and in what context it will work, wouldn't you rather know on the spot that the answer you're giving isn't working, try something else. The alternative like the B-PAD is not knowing right then and there, not knowing you're doing something wrong and being able to change your approach and receiving a letter of your failure to meet standard. This, is the single most endearing part about the behvaioral interview, that, you get to work with the interviewer.

Next week we're going to talk about specific techniques for answering questions, in the mean time if you have any questions I'm always available on the forum! www.testreadypro.com/forums

Local Focus Interviews.

Local focus interview answers will be unique to each service you apply to. Every service you apply to will require that you complete their own Local Focus Interview. If you check, the majority of Ontario Police Service's all say the same thing in their description of the interview. Pre-background questionnaire, suitability, require a knowledge of the region.

The pre-background questionnaire is very standard and covers a surprisingly long length of time into your past, going into this interview prepared with specific dates is essential, think long and hard before you give a date, you need to be accurate and represent yourself effectively, the last thing you want is to pass everything and fail the background investigation because you didn't articulate your past correctly. I think it goes without saying but I'll just say in plain english, don't lie. You'll get yourself kicked out of selection.

Suitability is a little bit of a difficult subject for me to write about. Here it is all up to you and how well you can articulate your skills, experiences, ties to the community, etc. I wouldn't expect to be grilled about why you want the job here so much, save that for your psych!! This portion of the LFI is really to see if professionally you have the skills it will take to become a Police Constable. One section that is well represented here is actually a competency, "Commitment To Learning" although it is more of an attribute this is a good time to articulate how you feel about your commitment to learning.

Finally, requiring a knowledge of the region. If you're applying to the Toronto Police, you should know all there is to know about Toronto. When was Toronto founded, by whom, its geography, population, the diversity of the population, economics, large firms, big employers, attractions, communities, and the official information on the Toronto Police like their history, current Chief, Super Intendents, Inspectors, how the divisions are divided, their borders, crime statistics, specialized units that are in Toronto.

The Local Focus Interview isn't at all complicated if you're prepared for it. Most of the information you need about the service you're applying to can either be found on their own official website, by visiting a local museum, reading the local newspaper/watching local news and using www.wikipedia.com Just type in your city and you may find a plethora of information.

Your Resume and Application Package

I remember when it came time for me to apply, I was so excited, I couldn't wait for my Certificate Of Results, I drove to London and waited for it to be printed so I didn't have to wait for it to come to me in the mail. I already had my whole application package printed and filled out, my resume was ready to go just waiting for the final piece to add to the package, my COR. The picture of me holding up my COR on my first post here on the TestReadyPro blog was a proud day. I had such a great sense of achievement and knew I was taking a big step towards a very serious goal.

Once you fianlly receive your Certificate Of Results it's now time to apply. There are two different strategies here, the first being, apply to as many services as possible and hopefully one of them bites and calls you back. The other strategy is to apply to only one or two services, concentrating on the Police Service you most want to be a member. I'm a fan of the later. Why? Very simple answer, because it's easier for you and for them. I say this because if you have applied to Toronto, Barrie, Halton, O.P.P. etc. they're all going to be curious to know which stage you're at with the other services. I understand that this is mostly to reduce redundancy and to not waste resources. I truly believe that loyalty goes a long way with services, furthermore, it shows that you have a dedication. Lastly, it's a lot easier to study for one services LFI then it is for two or more at once.

So, lets talk about specifically what should be on your resume. EVERYTHING. First though lets talk about cover letters, yes they're necessary and it must be included with your resume. Your cover letter should include your name, the name of the service you're applying to, the position you're applying for and a brief write-up of why you're applying to that service. Instead of putting "Attention Human Relations" or "Attention Recruiting" I put the name of the chief of police for the service I was applying to. Do not forget to sign your name on your cover letter. The body of your resume should again include your objective or the position you're applying to. Also, include every position you've held, listed seperately on your application and resume for work experience. This means that if you've worked for the same company over the past five years, started out as a general labourer, were promoted after a year to machine operator, promoted a few years later to line supervisor, all these positions should be listed seperately. How you word your duties on your resume is also important, describe exactly what you did. Too often do I see people with Customer Service jobs who write just that, "Customer Service" without an adequate description, of course we all know what cashier or customer service representative does but it's a great idea to list that your responsibilities included handeling cash, resolving customer complaints, etc. No matter how mundane your job may seem, your employer trusts you and you have responsibilities, be proud of your experiences and showcase them well. You should also be exact with your dates for your application and also have these same dates on your resume.

You should also include your educational information, certifications and, licenses should be in a seperate section. Don't forget to include your hobbies and interests, what do you do in your spare time to wind down? Sports? Do you play on a team? Music? Do you play an instrument or jam with friends?

Do not forget to put all your volunteer experiences down. It's not necessary to include your references on your resume as you'll provide them later or on your application. It is however handy to keep a list of more references than the bare minimum needed for the background investigation portion as you may find some references are unusable. As a rule you should keep handy three references for friends, three refrences for work (including co-workers), three refrences for school or volunteer experiences. Ask your references before you put them down, make sure they know you're applying to become a Police Constable and feel confident in giving you a good reference. Often times I hear horrific stories of people asking for letters of reference or references only to find those people really weren't the best references they could draw on.

When you submit your application and resume it's a wise idea to photo copy both the front and back of your COR, birth certificate, drivers license, health card, Social Insurance Card and, CPR, Standard First Aid certificates. Being organized and having your application, resume and photocopies neatly together in one package will impress.

Laser Eye Surgery

Once you complete your BPAD it's time to have your eyes tested. The good people at Applicant Testing Services are not optometrists but do try their best to give you the best test they can. If you wear eye glasses or contact lenses chances are you will not meet the standard to pass this portion of your testing and you may be required to get laser eye surgery if you wish to move forward. I needed laser eye surgery and I researched every type of surgery available. First what I would recomd before you even go in for your stage one testing is take a trip to the optometrists and have an eye test. See if you ultimately will need eye surgery and if you can afford. Your uncorrected vision (without glassess or contacts) must be 20/40. I was 20/80! I had my eyes evaluated before I even went in to write my stage one tests.

Choosing an opthamologist/surgeon to do your procedure can be difficult. For me, I chose Lasik Eye Surgery and opted to drive all the way out to Fort Eerie, Ontario. The reason why I drove to Fort Eerie was because of the Lasik Centre surgeon, Dr. Teal. She had an excellent reputation, could see me soon and charged a moderate price. The exact price, for me it was $2,400 for both eyes. For you it could be different because the price is based on the work that needs to be done to your eyes specifically. I know there are places where you can have this procedure done for cheaper but Dr. Teal is one of the best and is well worth the drive.

It was May of 2007 (almost a year ago) when I had my Lasik Eye Surgery. Let me first tell you that the surgery is very simple, there are a few jarring things about it like seeing the flap of you eye ball being peeled back or the scent emitted by the laser as it shapes your eyes. Also, many people don't realize that you absolutely must wear 100% u.v. sunglasses when outdoors during daylight hours for not merely a week after your surgery but for months. Yes, this is true. The u.v. rays will cause your surgery to regress, this is not what you want as those who do not wear sunglasses often find themselves going back for a second procedure. You must even wear sunglasses on dark or overcast days. What I recommend is buying two pairs of sunglasses, a dark tint for bright days and a light tint for overcast days. Also, insure that the lenses cover your entire eye, if u.v. rays are leaking in from the sides you're still doing damage. Also, you really must follow the specific directions of not rubbing your eyes, lubricate every half hour with preservative free eye drops, use your medicated eye drops at the right intervals. It will seem like a bit much at the time because there are so many tiny details however, remember the more attention you pay to these details the faster your eyes will heal and the better your quality of eyesight will be!

Here is the tricky part about the procedure, getting your eyes evaluated and passed for a successful mark on your certificate of results. Applicant Testing Services will provide you with all the paperwork, information and contact numbers you will need to complete this paperwork. Despite all the misinformation out there on policing forums, you do not have to wait a year. I was afraid of this myself when I first had my surgery and thought I would have to wait, this isn't so. Your eyes heal slowly but they heal quick enough. The day after your surgery you have a follow-up with the surgeon to make sure everything is okay and that you're eyes are healing well. Usually one week after your surgery you have another follow-up but this time with your optometrist at this time your optometrist will test your eye sight as long as it is 20/40 or better you're okay. This is the first portion of the paperwork done, then twenty one days later you come back and have your eyes tested again, if you once more meet 20/40 or better you have completed the last part of the 21 day waiting period. Thus far it has been simple the tricky part comes in to play now as you will have to wait to visit a specific opmtometrist to finish your testing. These final tests include air being blown and measured by pressure onto your eyes as you focus on a moving image, then your night vision will be tested. If you pass this final hurdle you receive a clean bill of health. So, to reiterate, it only takes 21 days to get a clean bill of health and have your eyes approved for a pass on your COR.

I used to wear my glasses everyday for weeks after the surgery I used to reach for my face where my glasses were to remove them before bed, it was a funny feeling. I must admit for months after the surgery my eyes were very sensitive to light and felt "grainy" or as if something was in them, I had the desire to itch or rub them often but I didn't and I am very happy with the result of my eye surgery.

Behavioural Personnel Assessment Device

When you receive a successful grade on all your stage one testing you will be invited back to complete your stage two testing which includes the Behavioural Personnel Assessment Device for Police (B-PAD). The BPAD is an oral exam, you do it alone in a room, completely by yourself. There are no actors or judicators in the room with you. There is however a video camera which records your responses to the pre-recorded video’s shown on a television monitor. Behavioural Assessment tests like the B-PAD you will experience during your stage two testing are vastly under supplied for preparation material, even the Applicant Testing website has no preparation material for the test so lets first go over the basics. The camera is filmed from a first person perspective so, imagine you are there, the actors on screen look directly into the camera and address you. It is important that you don’t crack up, laugh or choke on this exam, treat it like real life. Although, you will be playing the part of a Police Constable you’re not expected to know laws or Police protocol. You are supposed to react “naturally”. I don’t believe that everyone acts naturally the way judicators are looking for when they look back at your test tapes so I’m going to touch on a program that is often recommended. It is “Crisis Prevention” or “Crisis Prevention Intervention” (CPI). My employment before my interest in joining the Police and even during my testing to become a Police Constable provided “Crisis Prevention Intervention” as a mandatory certification for all employees. I do believe that CPI training is of value as preparation material for the B-PAD however, you can not walk into the B-PAD and expect to pass on your first try without appropriate practice. Here’s why, the situations that you are faced with are many, I believe eight in total and they are very much “in your face” you need to be relaxed, maintain composure and be on your toes with quick answers. I felt anxious going in even after preparing with my mentor, John Belisle. My method was after the situation played out I would take a deep breath that allowed myself a moment to collect my thoughts and then began speaking. I didn’t say anything without thinking about it first, this meant I said some short sentences, took a breath and then followed up. This is fine and allows you to not just think about what you’re saying but also the tone you want to say it in. If someone is in despair you should act appropriately, the look on your face and the tone of your voice should reflect it. Are you being consoling, comforting? Also, if the situation calls for you to be stern, can you hear it in your voice? Do you have a look of confidence and control?

I stand behind the material offered on TestReadyPro.com because it’s what I used to pass the B-PAD, the self-assessment marking sheet is a great tool and I recommend you try it with your friends in stead of practicing alone in the mirror, the more you practice to the video scenarios and mark yourself based on your response, the better you will be at coming up with appropriate answers to the scenarios on your actual B-PAD. Also, I find many people ask me about how long their answers should be. Obviously you should identify yourself and ask some probing questions, with those points down all you need to do is respond to what you’re seeing and any questions you’ve been asked. By now you’ve said all you need to say. On average you should for a minimum of 10 seconds. Remember, the preparation material is there so that you don’t find yourself stuck, with nothing to say, instead you have experience which is practical to your B-PAD and to your future career in policing.

Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police (PREP)

The final test on your stage one test day is the PREP. I talked a lot last week about preparing for the PREP and getting yourself into an exercise routine that will prepare you for the PREP but also your future at the Ontario Police College. Running is a big part. The best preparation you can have for the PREP is running it before you actually go, if you haven't gone yet or are not currently signed up, sign up for TestReadyPro's TrainingDay. I did it a year ago and it really helped me. Not only will you review the entire PREP and work on exercise routines but you will spend at least an hour with John Belisle, he makes a presentation on the interview process, competencies and will answer your questions. Although I feel the training day is the best preparation you can get for the PREP and interviewing lets talk about exactly what you will do in the last hour of your stage one test day. The first portion of the PREP is the pursuit/restraint circuit. The total distance is 100 metres and although running is involved you can jog it, I would recommend jogging as to save yourself for the shuttle run which follows the pursuit/restraint circuit. During the pursuit/restraint circuit you must wear a 9 pound belt that simulates equipment a Police Constable would wear in the field. The first part of the circuit is pursuit where you will run/job 25 metres, go up a set four stairs, touch the top stair and go down a set of four stairs. You must touch the top step, when going up the stairs I recommend you only touch two stairs on the way up, coming down do the same but turn your body and feet slightly to take advantage of the length of your foot across the width of the step, these stairs are narrow and easy to trip on, especially when you're rushing! You will do this pursuit four times but on the second and fourth time you will jump over a four foot wall. When jumping the wall you must make sufficent contact to make jumping it safe. There are a variety of ways to make contact with the wall and it will be demonstrated for you on the test day before you run the circuit. You now move into the body control simulator where you will push. Here you're allowed two different techniques with your feet, I recommend turning your hips and crossing over as it allows for you to complete this portion the fastest. Once you complete six arcs you move left to the arm restraint simulator. Grab the grips low and squeeze. Again, grabbing them low is easier. You move back to the previous machine you were on, the body control simulator where you will now pull, in this portion you are only allowed to use the shuffle technique, going foot to foot. This is fine but try and sit back, really whip yourself around and take advantage of the full width you can get your legs spread, if so, you will complete this portion faster. You now go back to the arm restraint simulator executing the same technique of grabbing the grip low. You're almost finished, the home run stretch is lifting a 150 pound dummy "rescue randy" and dragging him 15 metres. Grab him by his wrists, lift his arms so that his upper body is not making contact with the floor and drag!! I can't tell you out of all the times how many people I've seen have the friction of his back dragging along the ground, lift him up so that only his butt and legs are dragging, it will make it easier on your quads and you will be faster.

Thats it, you finished the pursuit/restraint circuit and hopefully within two minutes and forty two seconds. Now, you get a minimum of ten minutes to cool down and relax (if you can) before you run the 20 metre shuttle run beep test. If you're not a strong runner please read over last weeks post then email me if you need additional instruction, running is something I've spent a considerable amount of time and money getting better at and I don't mind sharing my knowledge on the subject and recommending resources where you can find the information and help you need to get yourself ready.

Between the circuit and shuttle run, you should not consume a lot of water, it could cause you to cramp while running.The shuttle run is exactly six and a half minutes of running. It starts at stage 0 and goes up to stage six and one half. Each stage is not one minute long, in fact the time between stage six and six and one half is only two laps!! I've said this before on the forum but I really want to reiterate this, if you can't go on, stop thinking about running, keep a fast paced song in your head, remember a motivational running quote, think of something else but keep your mind off the track. This is only six and a half minutes of your life... you can do this! Don't let the sound of the beeps speeding up and getting higher in frequency psych you out.

Preparing for the PREP

Let me start by saying this was the most challenging portion of the entire process for me. In May of 2007 I was out of shape and approximately forty to fifty pounds overweight. I rarely did aerobic exercise as I simply didn’t have time. The first time I took the PREP, I failed. I was able to pass the circuit but dropped out of the shuttle run at only four and a half. I had two months to prepare for the PREP and let myself down, I felt horrible however, I did pass both my PATI and WCT that day so I had some feeling of accomplishment. You can retest on the PREP immediately but I waited two months, spent the entire summer preparing and when I went back in, I aced the PREP, in fact, I kept running after 6.5 because I want to be sure I had passed! Let me firstly tell you that the way I prepared for the PREP originally was not right, I began by running outdoors, trying to run 1.4 miles in under eleven minutes. This was all wrong because I was running on the sidewalk and really didn’t understand how to better my body and heart through running or other aerobic exercise. After three or four of my runs I downloaded the beep test and tried running it on my own in a parking lot, effectively giving myself shin splints. It was horrible and I could barely walk that day or for the rest of the next day. I spent that next day with my feet up researching and reading about running, what I found is that running wasn’t right for me now, I would do more damage than good pounding my legs against a hard surface so I instead began using a stationary bicycle while my legs healed and then moved to power walking, I power walked with a heart rate monitor, every time and kept a close eye on my heart rate never letting it drop below 140 beat per minute. This was of course after my five minute stretch and warm-up then about five minutes worth of slower walking just to get my heart rate going. I would then walk for just short of two hours, six days a week. I also found that being an effective runner has a lot to do with shoe selection and I highly recommend visiting a place that specializes in helping you purchase shoes like the Running Room. Also, a heart rate monitor is a necessity, you need to train above a specific threshold, there are standardized formulas for these training zones how I suggest you simply aim for 80% of your maximum heart rate. Here is the most important part though, once you’ve achieved 65% of your maximum heart rate, the clock begins you should now stay at this level for twenty minutes, more if you can. By maintaining a heart rate of 65% and above for twenty minutes consistently you better your heart and your lung capacity. TestReadyPro offers a very unique service which everyone should take advantage of, the TRP Training Day. At this training day event you will go through the circuit, learn how the machinery works and get comfortable with techniques to best perform the circuit and then run the shuttle run and talk about how you did. I once attended this training day and learnt a great interval training exercise that I still use when I’m feeling. Alternatively, if maintaining a consistent heart rate is too difficult you should also try this method of interval training. Run as fast and hard as you can for fifteen seconds, now walk, do not stop for forty five seconds, run again as hard and fast as you can for fifteen seconds, now walk for another forty five seconds. Repeat this whole process 10 times, meaning you will run 20 times and walk to recover 20 times. This is a twenty minute exercise and will help you to get your heart and lungs in shape for the shuttle run. The unfortunate thing about the shuttle run is it expires every six months so, every six months you must go back in and retest the entire PREP. It is key to stay in shape as your PREP will most likely expire once before you get hired. Also, keep in mind your PREP must remain active through the entire hiring process, this is right up until you go to Aylmer (Ontario Police College).

This winter has been long and I have really missed being able to hit the trails outside and enjoy an hour or two run a day. If you insist on doing aerobic exercise indoors whether it be running, power walking, or bicycling then, when you use the treadmill put it on an incline, this gives you a resistance, when you run the shuttle run the floor doesn’t move for you and you will find running off of a treadmill is much harder than running on one. Also, if you’re overweight like I was when I started running or are worried about your shin splints, knees etc. start by bicycling or using an elliptical, elliptical’s are a fantastic device and great for targeting quads, burning fat and really getting your lungs and heart in shape. The best part about the elliptical is it targets all the areas you need to work on to better yourself as a runner but is not detrimental to your body.

My final thoughts on preparing for the PREP and exercise in general. If you find it hard to motivate yourself, get a gym membership and work with a personal trainer who will set goals and push you to do your best. Also, you can make time to exercise, get up earlier, record your favourite TV show and watch it on your day off of work, whatever it takes, make the time to exercise as you need to keep yourself in top physical shape. I found that once I made exercising part of my daily routine, it's something when I miss it, my body tells me, I feel antsy like I need to have my run or get at least a half hour on the elliptical. Also, keep in mind that the exercise is something good that your doing for your body and ultimately yourself.

Attention to detail and filing for appeal when you disagree with ATS.

This weeks blog is one that I haven’t planned ahead for, maybe this is even a lesson to myself. A good friend of mine has been anxiously awaiting his Stage 1 (PATI, WCT, PREP) results in the mail and was shocked to find he passed the PATI and dismayed to find he did not pass the WCT. He went in ready for the test day but dreading the PATI, not knowing if he would pass and he did it!! Unfortunately, he was not successful with the WCT. During our debriefing he articulated to me what happened during the WCT and that he didn’t understand how he couldn’t have passed. The test results profile that was attached outlined exactly which area he had difficulty with, the conclusion but it was so vague and non-specific in regards to what he specifically wrote or the scenario that was presented on the test. I conferred with him that he indeed came to the right conclusion of who was at fault and we both then assumed the failing grade must be a mistake on ATS‘ part. Now it was a matter of approaching ATS and appealing the mark. Your reason for appeal could be because you feel that your test is not as cut and dry like PATI, where the WCT is more open to interpretation so having someone else review, they might rule in your favour, that you passed. After all if you fail the PATI or WCT you have to wait three months to test again which would put a serious snag in his timeline. Upon calling ATS I discovered something interesting, when you receive a failing mark your test is automatically marked by a second person to confirm that the mark is a fail, with tests like the WCT a third person is brought in to confirm the mark if the data is objectionable. So, before you even begin the appeal process three separate people have possibly had their eyes and thoughts on your test! What is the outcome of the appeal? We’re not sure yet but from speaking with someone at ATS we found that the form letters sent out with failing marks, profiling what happened are indeed that, forms. The ministry guiding the testing process is very specific about not releasing too much feedback on test results to applicants as to prevent them from getting an advantage over the other applicants. I think this philosophy is false as, you’ve already been to the test day and written the test, you know what you’re up against. So, calling and simply having a friendly tone of voice will help you and here’s what we discovered. Most people that fail the conclusion get it wrong because they simply don’t have it right, however, if you're using TestReadyPro your conclusion isn't the problem so looks look at the rest of the people that fail including my friend. Other seem to fail because they accidentally mixed up a fact. Thats right, human error. This really proves the importance of proof-reading your WCT when you finish writing it and truly paying attention to these tiny details. Without this final process of double-checking you could find yourself looking at a “Does no meet standard.” grade. Keep in mind, this is your attention to detail, don't mix up colours, makes, license plates of cars, names of people etc. Take the time to analyze everything you wrote, double check your facts, just as you've been taught here and you will not fail.

Do I have any other thoughts on the WCT? Well, I’ll tell you that the person I spoke with at ATS also felt that some people who fail just don’t simply restate the facts at the end of the scenario in their conclusion to prove who is wrong. If you’ve put all the facts together on your fact sheet, itemized neatly then described them in the body of your report but fail to restate them at the end of your scenario with your conclusion, you will definitely be looking at a grade that does not pass. Again, the best way to prevent yourself from being caught in this scenario is to follow TestReadyPro's formula and practice with material here on the website. Put it into your muscular memory that whenever you finish a paragraph you're not going to let your ideas get carried away, you're going to proof-read. Your own margin of human error can be reduced but only by taking the tools offered and applying them and practicing.

For those of you interested in starting the appeal process, it will cost you $25 per test you appeal in addition to a seven to ten business day waiting period. You can find the ATS appeal process here http://www.applicanttesting.com/appeal.htm

Written Communication Test

You finish your PATI, get up for a stretch break, maybe have a little bite to eat or something to drink and get ready for the Written Communication Test (WCT). The WCT is a traffic collision/accident scenario where you must write a detailed report and it is no coincidence that it’s the test I get the most questions about and see from forums, it’s the area most people are having trouble with. The test is described by ATS as evaluating your ability to organize information in a clear, coherent and comprehensive manner, and to make conclusions from the given facts. So, you get a barrage of information, some of it is factual and useful, some of it has nothing to do with the scenario and must be discarded and therefore not included in your report. What you need to do is separate all the information and list it clearly. Then, you need to analyze the situation and come to a conclusion. This is the tricky part. Without good common sense and some knowledge of case law it can be difficult to come to the appropriate conclusion. For example, car "a" stops and is hit from behind when it hard stops at a traffic light that has just turned red. Car "b" which struck car "a" did brake but could not stop in time to avid hitting car "a". Who is at fault? There is only one correct answer. Car "b" is at fault. Car "b" was following too closely to stop in time. If you came to any other conclusion, you need to do some studying. Also, don't forget it's critical to indicate why car "b" is at fault. Is there any evidence that supports your conclusion? If so, list it in addition to any damage done to both vehicles.

In regards to preparation, I do not recommend the usual advice of reading detective novels or short mysteries. The preparation materials here, at TestReadyPro offer the BEST scenarios available to practice for the WCT and offer an incredible amount of insight into the marking of your test and the analytical thinking that must occur when reading the scenario. It is this formula of thinking that I used on my test day and passed the WCT on the first try. Which, brings us to those who didn’t pass on the first try, that’s okay. Do yourself a favour and call ATS (or OPP in some cases) and ask them for the details of why you didn’t pass. They always make this information available for those who did not pass, all you need to do is ask. Now, the WCT is a complicated test where many specific details must be in order for you to receive a passing grade. These details include the following; You must first demonstrate/insure your grammar, sentence structure and command of the English language are at their best. Poor grammar and punctuation will result in a fail. If English is a second language for yourself, I highly recommend a night school class at your community college that could be free or is offered for a minimal fee. These classes could include communications, English, or even ask your local service as the Hamilton Police Service offers a college course at the Fennell campus of Mohawk College where students learn police communications. Alternatively, if you want to seek out self-study or self-learner try any books or recommended alternative books of names listed here. Finally, you must evaluate your ability to write legibly, everyone can do it if they slow down, and print, do not write.

Police Analytical Thinking Inventory

For some this is too easy, for others they dread it and some that dread it, fail it. That kind of sounded like a syllogism! The Police Analytical Thinking Inventory (PATI) is the first test you’ll take for the first stage of the Constable Selection System. The PATI is an English language only test that is 90 minutes long consisting of 90 multiple choice questions and is the most skill varied of all the tests as the PATI is made up of three very different logical reasoning components. I find the first most appropriate, deductive reasoning, the ability to draw appropriate conclusions from information provided, this will be instrumental in you passing the second test, the written communication test (WCT). The second logical reasoning component is inductive reasoning, the ability to identify trends or common characteristics in a series of objects or information. Last, there is quantitative reasoning, the ability to apply basic arithmetic and formulas like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions to solve problems. You will need to remember BEDMAS from your high school or high school equivalent math days. The specific areas that the PATI tests you on are mathematics, problem solving (questions involving mathematics to come to a conclusion), matching, series (identifying which item comes next in a pattern), syllogisms (word problems), mapping. You get 90 minutes to complete the PATI, if you study and run the practice tests, 90 minutes will be enough time as most problems will take less than one minute to complete.

Getting ready for the PATI is not just writing practice exams but actually understanding the material. Test Ready Pro offers a substantial amount of preparation material and I highly recommend that you read through at least the math section, syllogisms, spatial orientation & pattern material before even writing a practice PATI. I know that seems like a lot of preliminary reading however, it's not an effective use of time to just log-on, write PATI's and not fully understand how to answer some of the questions. If you spend fifteen minutes per study material section I had previously mentioned you will be much better prepared to write the practice PATI's. Common problems? I think the most common problem is syllogisms, when I wrote the PATI I did not have a formula, just my comprehension skills to decipher the proper conclusion. In my experience from talking to people who have a hard time with syllogisms I find they either try to be politically correct or simply try and make common sense out of the syllogism. Whatever the syllogism is saying, it doesn’t matter, use the premise that is given as true and nothing else. For instance If all suspects are arrested and all people arrested are guilty then.. all suspects are guilty. This conclusion goes against our betterm judgement and we know legally that all suspects are not arrested without sufficient evidence and they especially aren't guilty until proven so in a court of law.

How about me? I remember writing the PATI just less than a year ago, I studied a lot. At least an hour every day the month before my exam, I remembered being very excited for it and the WCT but dreading the PREP. Although I didn't battle with learning syllogisms, I remember constantly hitting brick walls with the math questions. With a calculator, I was fine but to do the questions short-hand seemed impossible to someone who is already mathematically at a disposition.

Reading the preparation material before you write the practice PATI’s and referring back to the preparation material when you get stuck with a problem is the resource you need to effectively build your skills, Test Ready Pro is dedicated to giving you the tools to succeed, dedicate yourself to using those resources, to studying and you will succeed!

Personal Development (or a follow-up to my most frequently asked question.)

Most people get home from a long day at work or school and need to give their precious time to the people most important to them, their family. With a policing application you need to have a balance amongst all aspects of your life, this means you must demonstrate a commitment to your community, volunteering is expected of you and you need to fit it in somewhere. Volunteering can manifest itself in such a large variety of ways. Don’t get anxious or worked up about it, if you have just begun the testing process or are preparing for testing, now is the time to get on those volunteer experiences. For instance, to volunteer as a big brother or sister you need to commit to a minimum of one year. If you don’t have the time to consistently volunteer yourself then look for volunteer opportunities where you volunteer for one day at an event where you don’t have to make an extended commitment. This could include the kids school, a local church, community centre, maybe you volunteer your time to a fundraising cancer research car wash. Local fundraisers and community projects typically offer these kinds of one or two day volunteer experiences. Get yourself out there and research opportunities within your community. Also, never overlook the possibility of getting your family and friends involved, volunteering can be fun events. Services look toward those who have a balance in their lives, education, family, work, giving back to the community. You must fulfill this criteria to some satisfaction in order to make it. This doesn’t mean that someone with little to no volunteer experience will not make it or get a call. They do, however, in many instances when they’re waiting to move on to the next interview stage, have a background investigation or are waiting for their offer of employment they get rejection letters because someone else was a more competitive candidate. Don’t let this happen to you, there is absolutely no reason why a lack of volunteering should hinder you in getting hired.

Let’s talk about a different aspect of personal development. Have you ever taken a defensive driving class? You need your full G license for all Ontario Police Services and I highly recommend a defensive driving class, it’s a great way to increase your driving confidence and develop some skills you may be rusty with. Have you ever handled a firearm or handgun before? In Canada in order to go to a shooting range and fire a handgun in a calibre larger than that meant for squirrel and rabbit hunting you must posses a valid Possession Acquisition License (PAL). PAL’s come in non-restricted only or both non-restricted and restricted. Restricted firearms are all handguns with an exception to some that have barrels so short they are prohibited, less than 106mm. Non-restricted firearms are most rifles and shotguns. In order to have a restricted PAL you must take the course for non-restricted. Regardless of whether you are a law enforcement officer or not you must follow the same rules as citizens and have a valid license in order to privately own a firearm. Many Police Constables purchase the same pistol they are issued on the job to practice or compete with. Typically this will either be a Glock or SiG. Typically chambered in .40 S&W. I am a great advocate of the shooting sports and highly recommend getting your non-restricted, restricted PAL if for nothing more than to learn to identify ammunition, identify the types of firearms and understand how those firearms operate in addition to safe handling. This includes loading, unloading, how to prove that they’re safe, and many other very interesting facts about ballistics, safety and general information on firearms including the specifics about Canadian firearms law. During my testing process I took the non-restricted and restricted PAL courses merely for personal development. I had never had any interest in firearms, seen a real firearm outside of a rifle rack at Canadian Tire or a museum let alone touched one or fired one! The PAL course was a huge learning experience. I also must admit, I’ve really come to love shooting as a sport.

A few messages have come in since last weeks post asking if all this development is really necessary. It is! I hate to hark back on a subject I wrote so much about only the week before as I’m sure you’re all probably sick of it but think of who a Police Constable is; I believe it’s a proactive person. So, yes, take any and all training available at your workplace, demonstrate that you are committed to developing yourself, maybe take the new guy under your wing at work, demonstrate your willingness to help, support and share with others to see them grow. You may find yourself asking that question all over again “Is all this going to get me hired?” Well, yes. You’re making experiences that develop your competencies, fill your resume and most importantly these things combined make you a more competitive applicant!

Professional Development (or my most frequently asked question).

I am making this post in only week three of the blog because I really want everyone out there who is pursuing a career in law enforcement to be mindful of and begin their professional development now. I often get asked the same question by friends, or friends of friends at all different stages, whether they have not yet begun testing, are in testing or have already applied to a service only to receive a deferral letter, no call back at all! The question I get asked all the time: "What does it take to get called in for an interview?" Thats right, just getting called in for an interview can be a challenge when your application and resume are amongst thousands of other applicants. I can only speak from my experience and those related to me by friends where I know the facts remain intact. So, what does it take? I tell everyone the same thing about applying, it’s not just meeting standard on your test scores but being the whole package. Throughout the process of getting you're certificate of results, you're used to or at least will get used to only meeting standard, if you score better than standard, you don't get a mark to reflect so really all you need to do is just pull your own weight but this isn't right for any other aspect of the Constable Selection System. Although police services are trying to fill their numbers of recruits, the process is highly competitive. My police recruiter told me that most applicants feel they are entitled to a position with the service, this just isn’t so and, an attitude like that surely won't get you far in the process.

Professional development is easily attainable and should include night school or continuing education classes if you have been out of school for more than two years. Ask your employer, they may cover the cost of some classes if it’s related to your industry. I recommend attendance based classes for full-time employed people, it means no tests and few assignments, just show up, be a part of the class! This also could mean getting your Grade 12 diploma if you don’t have it, if you don’t have it, ask your current employer, they may be willing to subsidise the cost. Most community colleges have programs aimed at adult learning and obtaining your grade 12 equivalency. At the time of applying I had been working for two years at the same job and had not been in school for three years. I applied myself to two attendance based night school classes. They were thirty hours in total each, once a week each, for ten weeks. My classes both ran from six thirty until nine thirty. The fortunate thing with night school classes is they realize your brain is ready to shut down by nine and they typically let you out early!

Just those two classes did it for me, I fulfilled my portion of the commitment to continuous education, it is a developmental competency after all! If you’re not available on weekdays there are daytime continuing education courses and weekend classes available as well. Don't feel intimated by going back to school, the continuing education teachers are trained to work with adult learners and in my experience have a lot of respect for people taking the intitiative to better themselves. Also, don’t underestimate the value of a second language class. For those people who are efficient and like to kill two birds with one stone, I would recommend any second language classes as you’re demonstrating your commitment to continuous education and also developing a second language which is very valuable on your application and could result in you getting an interview sooner.

If all of the above fails in motivating you to get signed up with a continuing education class, I have one last piece of information that should speak volumes. In the future when it comes time to have your behavioural interview, you can only draw on experiences from work, education and volunteering; These experiences must be within the last two years. If you're mindful of the competencies, you know you need as much ammunition as possible, taking a continuing education class will surely give you more experiences, especially recent ones to draw from.

Professional development also includes your Standard First Aid certificate and CPR level “C”. Yes, this is a requirement of police services so, take advantage of the discount offered by Rescue Seven to testreadypro.com members. Again, your employer may pay for part of the First Aid or CPR certification.

Lastly, go to the website, call the recruiting branch of the police service that you plan on applying to. Research if they have any specific requirement for the position of Police Constable. You can learn a lot from their recruiting web pages and get guidance from recruiters about how to make your resume/application as strong as possible for their specific recruitment. It could even be skills that you will be tested on that you had no idea would be necessary to be hired. I mean it, it happened to me! Be proactive, find out what you need to do to be as competitive in this process as possible. In doing so you may develop a relationship with your recruiter, they may offer mentoring services, privately, one on one in their office at the recruiting branch and, most importantly you could also be developing some of those competencies when it comes to interview time.