NEW JERSEY COPS n MAY 2014
67
TEST PREP
What can I do to prepare for this year’s promotional test?
n BY GEORGE PRUNES AND BILL PEER
Start studying now. It’s never too early to start reading and
making your own breakdowns of the material that is presented for testing each year and for each rank. If you are truly hungry for that promotion, you are able to control your own destiny
by striving to be the most prepared candidate.
We don’t believe anyone is a poor test-taker, just ill-prepared
and stressed out during the actual test. A top-performing testtaker knows the meaning of “repetitio mater studiorum est”
which translates from Latin into, “repetition is the mother of all
learning.” By test date you should have read, re-read, dissected and practiced test questions at least a half-dozen times.
What about your choice of a study group? What should you
consider before joining one? Belonging to a study group is no
guarantee you will do well, regardless of the group’s posting in
advertising students who have scored “No. 1, 2 or 3” in their
department or municipality on a recent test. A group’s main
functions are to guide and support you, keep you accountable
by staying on track with your studies, exposing you to previously
tested material and enlightening you to test-taking strategies to
score better. But, ultimately, it’s reliant upon you to bring dedication, commitment, a positive attitude, and hard work to the
process.
Look for a study group whose class sizes are small so that you
aren’t lost in the masses and you are able to receive individual
attention to specific questions when needed. Due to unexpected circumstances, you might miss a class or two. Find out
what the make-up procedure is for missed classes. If your vacation or comp time is limited, look for a group that offers a webbased program, a convenient way to take classes online without
worrying about traffic, your shift or even distance.
If money is tight, look for a group that will work with you on
a payment plan. There are a number of groups out there to consider, but don’t write-off a smaller and inexpensive group. The
overhead may be lower and the savings might be passed on to
you.
Not every great product comes from a large, well-known
company. There are many goods and services obtained from
small, relatively unknown, customer-friendly businesses that
go above and beyond. The same can be said about test preparation groups. d
George Prunes and Bill Peer are owners of Top Brass, a study
group for NJ Civil Service Commission Police Entry and Promotional Test preparation offering New Jersey’ s only full
online cycle in addition to regular classes.