Score too well on the written exam?

[Flemming]

Ive read stories in the past of people being denied jobs with police departments because they scored too well on the written test, but I figured these were either false or isolated incidents with small town departments. It just doesnt seem to make sense to deny people jobs because theyre too intelligent (according to the test). But I think a similar thing happened to me.

I applied to a police department in a medium sized city. They ask me to come take the written test. I do this (after driving 200 miles to the test site), and end up getting a near perfect score on the test. I figure Im a shoo in to be advanced to the next part of the process. But a couple weeks later, I get a rejection letter.

So I called them to find out why I wasnt advanced. Their reasons ranged from completely ridiculous to merely somewhat ridiculous.

The best one was that they didnt like one of my essays. Applicants had to write three essays in the application. They werent overly fond of one of my essays, apparently (content-wise, not grammar or spelling).

I didnt meet their "general rule" of having no traffic violations in the past year. If this really is the rule, thats fair enough but why did they ask me to come take the test then, since they knew about the violations from the very beginning?

The grade point average I listed for graduate school on the application was four tenths of a point higher than it actually was. The undergraduate GPA was probably wrong too because they were both estimates (but I probably listed that one as lower than it actually was). Seeing as how I also included the university transcipts with the application, this was obviously just a mistake, not an attempt to get one over on them.

I didnt have enough work experience. This seemed to me to be only somewhat-plausible reason. I only had six months of full time employment when I applied. I had been a full time student until recently. But from what I saw at the test, most of those people were either still in college or recently graduated. I doubt that many of them had any full time employment. Its hardly unusual to go right from college to a job with a police department anyway.

So I believe that had I done worse on this test, I would have had a better chance of being advanced. The whole thing put me off to applying to any more departments.

[GrayPatriot]

Please don't flatter yourself...

You weren't administered an intelligence test, you simply took a written exam for a police department. Please don't assume you are more intelligent than those people you scored higher than, as this is not the case.

At the end of the application you submitted you signed a form stating all the information enclosed was true. This was not the case as exaggerated your GPA ever so slightly. You lied on your application, albeit a little white lie. Mistake #1

What are you doing getting a V&T violation within a year of applying to a department? :confused: Mistake #2

You are assuming that most of the other candidates who took the exam are students and have little or no full-time work experience. Lets not make assumptions, as we know what they do... ;)

From your post one can ascertain that you are probably too immature for a position in law enforcement, and perhaps they saw this in your essays.

[Flemming]

I didnt suggest I was more intelligent than anybody else there. It was a reading comprehension and vocabulary test. Clearly theres a reason that they use these tests, though. Draw your own conclussions.

From the conversations I heard from the applicants before the test, they were mostly students or recent graduates. They also appeared to be overwhelmingly well under 25.

Any attempt to give amateur psychological evaluations from one page long essays, is nearly as ridiculous as giving amateur psychological evaluations from a single internet message board post.

This is a legitamate issue. I read a story not long ago where somebody was told outright that they didnt hire him because he scored too well and from their experience people who do really well on the test get bored with the job quickly and quit. He sued and won. I dont plan on going that route, but its still pretty absurd.

[metallicat]

Hold on here, I am no expert (nor am I a cop) of the background process, but it seems to me that you are blaming the police department for you not getting accepted or hired. Why not take what you can out of the experience, and LEARN for next time you apply? That is what getting DQ'd is all about IMO, learning. I think once you stop blaming others, you will see that.

If I get deferred, I will look at my life and what I have done, and work to become a better candidate. Getting mad and blaming it on your excellent test score, is once again IMO, insane.

[Flemming]

The only thing I learned from this experience is that if I decide to take a police written exam again, I better run into a wall head first several dozen times before taking the test so that I have a sufficient amount of brain damage to score in their ideal range.

[metallicat]

I am glad you didn't make it.

[sbrad]

The only thing I learned from this experience is that if I decide to take a police written exam again, I better run into a wall head first several dozen times before taking the test so that I have a sufficient amount of brain damage to score in their ideal range.

I think they must have gleaned from your essay what a basket case you are. But you may be right. It's probably not because you didn't meet their standards. They probably just thought you were too smart to be a street cop and were afraid you would have their job soon. Well I say phooey on them. You should definitely go somewhere where the people will really appreciate your intelligence and respect your superior intellect.

[ferriscj24]

No comment here...DUUHH WE DONT WANT SMART COPS IN OUR DEPARTMENT,,,DUHHHH MAKES US LOOK BAD....DUHHH PASS THE BAVARIAN CREAM WILL YA DUHHH

[Maxximus]

The entry level written exam is not some sort of IQ test. Its simply meant to weed out those people who do not have the literacy and comprehension necessary to perform law enforcement duties effectively. The truth of the matter is that departments can choose whoever they want to advance in the process. Its just like any other job out there. How you are considered for the position depends on a variety of factors including experience, intelligence, communication skills, etc. The only difference is that to become a police officer you must not only impress the department in those areas, but must also pass standards of physical fitness, mental/physical health, and background. Bottomline is that for whatever reason, they did not see you as suitable for a position in their department. Its happened to me before as well. You just gotta accept it and move on. Learn what you can from it, but don't fall under any misconceptions. To assume that they prejudged you as some kind of genius based on how you did on that joke of a written exam is completely ridiculous. A lot of people are competing for the same positions that we are right now. The simple fact is that they had applicants who they saw as better qualified. I'm sure that you are intelligent, but that in and of itself may not be enough. I recently graduated from college as well and although i have some work experience, its nothing too extensive. I consider myself reasonably intelligent, but I see other applicants competing against me who have more life experience and maturity. In many cases they are just as educated if not moreso than I am. I know one guy for example who has OIF special operations combat experience, an honorable discharge from the Marines as well as a university degree. Obviously guys like him will be ahead of you and I. If we really want to get into law enforcement, all we can do is keep fishing patiently until a good department decides to give us a shot. Also, the more applications you put out and the more tests/interviews you take, the more you learn what they are looking for.

If you're not too sure that you want to be a police officer, then I guess you might as well leave the opportunities open for those who really want them. But if you really want it, then don't give up so easily and don't get so caught up placing blame for your failures and being bitter. Good luck!

[md123]

Flemming, listen to metallicat. Judging from what you write on this forum, I am not surprised they rejected you based on something you wrote in an essay. I do not intend to say anything hurtful, but your failure to accept responsibility for something you not have done (or not done) attests to some sort of personality flaw. If you can not look at what you've written, be critical of yourself, and learn from your mistakes then you will have trouble in any career you choose.

Do you really think they rejected you because you were too smart? I scored a 100%, or close to it, on the NYPD entrance exam. They called me 2 weeks after I took the test to come down. Departments are not looking for drones, they are looking for intelligent people who want to do police work for the right reasons. Other people who scored as well as me were not asked to come back after the initial processing date. This is because they expect MORE from candidates than just good writing and basic math skills.

Good luck.

[razdaz]

I scored a 92, out of 100, on one department's test and a 96, out of 100, on another department's test. Suffice to say, I am hired with the latter. In reality, the score itself isn't as important as what happens aftwards in the hiring process.

[Altai]

The whole thing put me off to applying to any more departments.

To me, that says it all. I see law enforcement as a life-long commitment. It's not a phase of my life that I will grow out of. I know that I may be deffered from a job in the future, but I will not drop everything I had worked for and move on to another career. All departments are looking for men and women who are committed to this line of work. The fact that you're giving up at this point shows that you are not one of those people.

I suggest you figgure yourself out before going any further because god forbid someone puts you on the street at this point of the game.