the material to someone else. I separat-
ed each item and extracted the most ba-
sic elements, definitions and concepts
of every topic to organize the material.
It was a time-consuming process, but I
knew if it worked, I could show anyone
how to do exactly what I did.
ESPOS has grown to become one of the
test prep leaders in New Jersey. How
has that evolved?
The initial focus was to redefine, ex-
pand and administer the most compre-
hensive sheriff’s promotional course
available. This was the most logical first
step because the sheriff’s exam was
the next to be administered. The Civil
Service Commission also changed the
lieutenant and captain exams that year
to an essay response format. I knew it
would be a challenge to have such a ma-
jor change just as I was starting off, but
I also knew that I was going to be relent-
less as I created the new course.
Before our first course had ended, we
started receiving calls from friends of
those who were in the sheriff’s course
asking if we were running a promotion-
al course for their upcoming exam. With
Mr. Holtz working alongside us as our
subject-matter expert, we started the
exam preparation course for all titles.
Initially, the course was only offered in
the evenings. When that class sold out,
we added day classes and expanded our
offerings to include in-service training
and continuing education courses.
As Mr. Holtz has emphasized, “We
prepare today’s professionals for tomor-
row’s challenges.” This vision has led to
us acquiring or partnering with all the
leading experts in the field to provide
materials, written exam preparation,
oral exam preparation and one-on-one
training. Last year, we proudly incorpo-
rated the products, materials and audio
files of Compass Educational Tools and
CMR Law Enforcement. We also devel-
oped an online learning center that we
are continuously expanding to enhance
each participant’s learning.
What is ESPOS’ philosophy for prepar-
ing officers for promotional testing?
Our philosophy for test preparation
is based on three words: understand,
retain and recall. First and foremost,
our team works through the technical
knowledge needed for the exam to en-
sure that there is an understanding of
the material. Additionally, we focus on
exam strategy, mental preparation and
study tactics. This is perhaps the most
important aspect of the process be-
cause we are constantly providing tech-
niques for retaining and recalling the
information on test day.
Utilizing the highest quality materi-
als available and having instructors that
have achieved their goals by utilizing
our methods to earn the top spots on
their promotional list are also part of
our philosophy. Our team shows them
what to expect, what we have done to
conquer the material, and what systems
and techniques will give them the great-
est chance of beating their competition.
We also recognize the importance of
balancing everyday life with test prep.
We try to deliver the course in manage-
able blocks of instruction. One of our
instructors often asks the class, “How
do you eat an elephant? One bite at a
time.”
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■ FEBRUARY 2019 63