Ok, ill give you my $.02......
Not only have I been to quite a few oral boards for promotional exams but I have sat in on quite a few over the years. I have also tutored many over the last decade.
1.) People sink and swim in oral boards. Make no mistake about that. Whether your taking an entrance exam or promotional exam. You bomb the oral board and your done! Not to put pressure on you but dont take it lightly. Ur future rests on ur performance in the orals.
2.) Dress like you want the job. If you want them to take you seriously then take them seriously. You would be surprised how many will show up in slacks and a polo shirt....
As a patrolmen you will never wear a suit and tie but for ANY part of the process other then the agility you MUST dress the part. A blue suit is fine. Not some $5k Armani suit but something respectable. No earrings please.
3.) If your not married or even if you are make sure you wear your wedding ring. It shows stability. I've never been married but have worn a wedding ring at every promotional exam I have ever taken as well as my entrance exam oral board.
4.) Do not wear too much cologne. A little is fine but just a little.
5.) Shake their hands when you enter into the room as well as when you leave. Do NOT forget to do that. Even if there is a female there! I dont care how many people have come before you or who will come after you. Make EYE contact when you do so. Those who are sitting in on ur oral board have worked very hard to get to wear they are. Do not under estimate that. They want a professional who will represent their department in a professional demeanor. DO NOT SIT DOWN IN THE CHAIR TILL THEY TELL YOU TO!
6.) Think before you speak. You will often get a question that will pertain to you stopping a friend or family member for speeding. Dont be so quick to answer that question with...... "Yes I would write my friend or pastor or community leader or whoever with a ticket".
In your mind remove the fact that it is a friend or family member or whoever. Answer that question like this..... Depends on their attitude, time of day, location, driving history, nature of the offense (How fast they were going), etc.... If I feel that a verbal or written warning will deter them from committing the same offense again that is the course of action I will take.
They know ur not gonna write ur family member but its a question that many bomb by saying "Yes im a police officer I will write everyone....
BS! and they know its BS so dont disrespect them by saying that.
Make sure you say that goes for anyone I stop. I can issue a verbal warning, written warning or issue an infraction. I have descretion. Every stop will be unique and I will approach each one with an open mind and take the course of action I feel will be most appropriate to detering them from doing that again.
7.) If you get a question pertaining to DWI then you will make the arrest period. family member, friend or whatever. Your friend or family member should know better then to put u in a prediciment lik that. You will not be giving them a ride home. At least not in an oral board answer. If they hav crashed they will be arrested then or via warrant at a later date.
8.) Any time you r put in a situation involving another police officer committing a crime you will always notify your Sergeant. You MUST say that. They might say ur Sergeant is not available so what would you do. If you have probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed then you will make the arrest period. You can expound and say that Police officers are there to set the example not BE the example.
Police officers are held to a higher standard then civilans. There is case law to support that. I would not say that but know that in ur head.
9.) Different parts of the country design their oral boards differently but I would familiarize urself with the demographics of the city ur applying to before walking in there. You should also know some basic things about the PD. And make sure you have an answer for "Tell us something about urself" You would be surprised how many canditates have the deer in the headlight look when asked that question and want to crawl under a desk and hide.
10.) If they ask you about drug use such as marijuana and you have tried it in high school or college then be truthful cause ull likely have to take a polygraph so dont get caught in a lie about something that will not disqualify you. Say yes I experimented with marijuana but did not like it and never did it again. If u havent then say u havent.
11.) I could go on for hours but make sure you thank them for their time when you leave and again DO NOT forget to shake their hands when you leave.
12.) Do urself a favor and go to Barnes and Noble and order a study guide from Larry Jetmore. He is a retired Captain for the Hartford Police Dept. and is a professional tutor. He administers entrance and promotional exams all over Connecticut. He has an entrance exam book, a Sergeant exam book and a Lieutenant exam book. Trust me when I tell you if you purchase his book and read it carefully it will absolutely help you. I have read his books and have been tutored by him as well and come out on top every time.
Taking an oral board is about strategy! You must know the game when you go in there. What you would do in real life vs. what you will be graded on is very different. In an oral board you have every possible resource availble to you. make sure you have that in ur head when you go in there.
And come up with a better answer then "I like helping people" when and if they ask why u want to be police.
Remember LIFE before PROPERTY. You may get one of those questions that asks you which you would go to first and why? 1.) Report of man having a heart attack 2.) A baby is reported to be walking near the side of a busy highway 3.) A robbery just took place and the suspect was seen leaving in such and such car such and such direction.... Which would you go to first? The baby wud be first, the heart attack second and the robbery third.
Like I said I could go on but u get the basic idea. And order one of Jetmores entrance exam books. They are nothing like you will find anywhere else. GL.
Facts before Acts! Its OK to say that.
Here is a link. I think u can order it here.
POLICE BOOKS - Larry Jetmore
j/k Good luck with the interview. The more cops with sportbikes the better.
