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.

It’s not a decision or career move, it’s a calling.

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.

Great; I now know what I want to do, where do I sign? Unlike military recruitment efforts, joining a police service is precursor with standardized testing. In Ontario you must first provide an Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) certificate of results (COR) before you can even apply. Once you have your OACP COR and apply, you will have to complete one or two competency interviews (ECI and/or DCI) in addition to a local focus interview. If you’re successful with all of the above you will have a written psychological interview and then an interview. This entire process is known as the Constable Selection System, it is standardized and implemented in all of Ontario since February of 1998 (with a few exceptions, including Peel Regional Police). The interesting thing about the Constable Selection System is that you can obtain your Certificate of Results from either the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) or Applicant Testing Services (ATS) www.applicanttesting.com. Keep in mind the testing is no different with either and they will both charge you the same fee.

So, who do I recommend you test with? Whoever has the most convenient test date and closest date location to you! I know guys who tested with ATS and applied to the OPP and were hired, it really doesn’t matter who you test with. What does matter though is the attention you pay to when you take your tests. Of course you want to be prepared to write your tests and feel confident in knowing the material but the most important thing about submitting your police application is timing. What I mean by timing is it’s wise for you to submit your application within a specific window of time to coincide with the hiring waves. As once you are hired you will be sent to Aylmer, Ontario home of the Ontario Police College (OPC) where you will undergo basic constable training. If you want to try and be hired for a September semester at OPC you absolutely must have your application package submitted for early June. For a January start at OPC have your application in by September. Finally, for a semester start of May you need to have your application in early January. Three months does seem like a lot of lead time but keep in mind you must wait for your resume/application to be processed, you must have a competency interview, a local focus interview, be subject to a psychological written test and one on one meeting in addition to having a medical and background clearance. As if all this wasn’t enough there is one time line you have to keep in the back of your head, your OACP COR. Each test you took expires and you must retest completely in order to update your certificate. This will not cause a problem for most people as the average expiration time is three years except for the Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police (PREP) which expires every six months. Every portion including your PREP must be fully maintained and up to do date from the day you apply to the day you go to OPC. So, be mindful of when you take your tests, you need to start the testing process at least two months before you plan on applying, if you have recently had laser eye surgery or plan on having laser eye surgery you need to start the testing process three months before you plan on applying as a small amount of paperwork spaced by a mandatory 28 day and 30 day waiting period must be filled out. No, there is no chance of this paperwork being filled out faster. Don’t worry, I tried myself and to my dismay it withheld my own COR delaying my application submission timeline.

I know some, if not all of these seem like great hurdles to overcome but there are many resources out there to help you and ultimately what it comes down to is applying yourself, putting the man hours into studying, exercising and simply having the passion to pull yourself through this process. In saying that, I highly recommend the services of John Belisle. He is a former Peel Regional Police member who now teaches at the Brantford Campus of Mohawk College. You will meet him on the training day that Test Ready Pro offers. At this event he has an in depth analysis of the competencies and interviewing. John offers his service as a private tutor/mentor to students. Try using John as a tutor for one of your areas that you’re having difficulty, in my case it was the WCT. (the WCT material on testreadypro.com is John’s formula that I followed for a pass on my WCT!) You will be receiving guidance from a person who really knows how to motivate his students to success. I started this blog off with motivational quotes from great people, I want to finish this weeks blog by saying I know this isn’t an easy process, the only thing easy about it is getting discouraged. If you’re pursuing this career because of a calling, don’t give up, whether you fail a test or tests, you can re-test, you have the resources before you, challenge yourself every day whether it be some math questions/problems you figure out on your lunch break, a jog every night before dinner, read a chapter from a novel before bed to improve your communication skills. Whatever it is that will help your weak areas or fine tune your good areas, do it. Don’t stop that momentum, moving towards your dream.