Every one of us at some point wants to contribute to our society. Whether it’s through helping the poor, tending to the sick, or protecting the community. If what you aspire is to protect your community, you can do so by becoming a police officer, In Westchester County, there are some things you need to do so you can become one, not the least of which is passing the Westchester police exam.
First of all, you need to know how and where to get the exam requirements for a Westchester police exam, which is administered by their Department of Human Resources. Take note that police officer recruitment for this county are not held annually; in fact you could wait up to four years for the next recruitment period if you happen to miss the nearest date.
While waiting, you would probably be better off spending your idle time preparing for the test by reading the guide published by the Department of Civil Service available for download on their website at http://www.cs.ny.gov/.
General Requirements
There are fundamental prerequisites that have to be fulfilled in order to be recruited in this county, and the most basic requirements are:
- United States citizenship at the time of the appointment
- A high school diploma
- A driver’s license valid in New York State at the time of appointment
- Must be at least 20 years old
Residency in the county is a must both before the exam and upon successful recruitment. Aside from the police exam itself, applicants are also expected to pass relevant physical agility as well as medical tests. More information regarding the recruitment process and dates could be found on the official website of Westchester County.
The general flow of the recruitment process involves the submission of requirements followed by the Westchester county police exam. A medical examination and other related tests concerning physical agility would follow if you pass the written test. An interview marks the final step, followed by 18 weeks of training.
White Plains Police Exam
The county of White Plains holds a separate recruitment process to fill out vacancies within their police force. Announcement of test dates, usually meant for the civil service exam which is also a prerequisite for the police exam itself, are usually published at http://www.cityofwhiteplains.com.
Such examinations tend to fall during the month of November, while police exam announcements usually come out in newspapers during the Spring. The website also offers information specific to the unique criteria set by the county.
Mount Vernon Police Exam
With regards to the police examination for Mount Vernon, a complete set of information regarding qualifications and test dates are published on the website of the police department which could be accessed through http://cmvny.com/departments/police-department/. Most requirements are similar to that of Westchester but highlighting certain factors such as intense background investigation checks and strictly no prior felony convictions. Mount Vernon also holds a separate recruitment process for aspiring police officers in their county.
Online Reviewers and Agencies
The Westchester police exam shares some similarities with PD tests in other states, which is why websites like http://passthepoliceexam.com/ have been created. They want to help aspiring police officers regardless of their home state and which particular police department they are applying for.
These websites arm their clients with useful tips and tricks on how to ace the exam. Failure in this test does not necessarily mean goodbye to your police officer aspirations, but they do mean that you might have to wait until the next recruitment period comes for you to try again.
Many online review programs would require you to be a member in order to access the features of the website which would usually include practice exams, timed quizzes, as well as simulated tests patterned after past papers. The staff members are also likely to give out tips regarding issues of importance such as a brief overview of the field, its disadvantages, as well as its perks.
Some would provide psychiatric assessment while others would be limited to just the review tests. These programs could be accessed as long as you are connected to the Internet, which lends more flexibility.
Getting a Degree
Do you really need a degree in Criminology to pass the Westchester county police exam? What is assured is that you would eventually have the upper hand compared to other applicants given how you are already well versed when it comes to the theories and jargon related to this particular field.
There are many programs focusing on Criminology in Westchester, the most practical one being the Associate of Applied Science program offered by the SUNY Westchester Community College in Valhalla. Three tracks in Criminal Justice include Police Science, Corrections, as well as Computer Security and Forensics, any of which could be used as a good preparatory program for the police force.
However, you should be well aware of how prohibitive tuition fees could be vis-à-vis the prestige of the institution and the quality of education it offers. For more information regarding tuition fees and admission to these programs, visit their website at http://www.sunywcc.edu.
You could also opt for online schools which is a good thing because you can enroll in any program you like no matter which state or city you’re located. Such programs offer greater flexibility because you can set your own time and go at your own pace, thereby allowing you to balance learning and work, which is especially helpful for working individuals or for those with kids to take care of.