What Is on the CDCR Correctional Officer Written Test

The twelve item types

CDCR publishes a sample written selection exam that groups its questions into twelve typed instruction blocks. They are: ordering numbered sentences into a paragraph; answering from a schedule; identifying which underlined word carries a grammar or spelling error; arithmetic using addition and subtraction; choosing the clearest description of a completed form; describing a picture; answering from a completed form; identifying differences between pictures; applying rules to a situation; applying rules to a form; comparing two descriptions of one event; and situational judgment.

That list is what CDCR publishes. It does not publish how the types are weighted against each other, how many questions the test contains, or how long the sitting lasts — and any figure you see for those comes from somewhere other than CDCR.

What the bulletin adds

The examination bulletin states that the examination "will consist of a Written Test weighted 100%" and that candidates "must achieve a score of 70 or greater to pass". Its scope names two knowledge areas — correct grammar and spelling, and basic arithmetic — and nine abilities, including remembering names and faces, reading and interpreting written material, preparing accurate written reports, reasoning logically, and following oral and written directions.

It also confirms that the written test is the only competitively scored component. The physical fitness test, background investigation, medical examination and psychological examination that follow are pass or fail.

This is not the New York City correction officer exam

They share a job title and nothing else. The New York City Correction Officer examination is run by DCAS for the New York City Department of Correction and measures eleven named cognitive abilities; this is a California state examination with its own twelve item types, its own bulletin and its own eligible list. Preparation for one does not prepare the other, and a bank written for one should never be sold as preparation for the other.

Related guides

• How the CDCR Correctional Officer Score Is Used
• CDCR Correctional Officer Sample Questions: What They Look Like
• Applying for the CDCR Exam, and What Happens If You Fail