Formats + Process
20%of exam
Reading + Writing
25%of exam
Math + Observation
15%of exam
Judgment + Behavior
25%of exam
SJTIntegrityStressTeamworkDe-escalation
Security + Safety
15%of exam
Quick Facts
- Format
- Agency-specific
- NCOSI
- 30 + 42 items
- NCOSI time
- 1h15 + instructions
- NCST
- Reading/problem/writing
- Pass
- No national cutoff
- Score use
- Agency ranking varies
- Next steps
- Background/medical/fitness
- Skill
- Follow provided rule
SOURCE
Specific current agency notice beats generic prep.
SpecificOfficialUpdatedReadConfirmEmail
NCOSI vs NCST
NCOSI
- IOS vendor
- Cognitive + behavioral
- 30 + 42 items
NCST
- Stanard vendor
- Reading/problem/writing
- Jail environments
Use named exam
Source Picker
- Need exact date→Testing notice
- Need minimums→Job announcement
- Notice names NCOSI→IOS page
- Notice names NCST→Stanard page
- List ranking shown→Civil service
- Sources conflict→Hiring contact
Format Map
- Agency notice
- Controlling source
- Testing notice
- Exam-day rules
- NCOSI
- IOS selection inventory
- NCST
- Stanard selection test
- Civil service
- Local list process
- Agency-written
- Local job test
- Vendor page
- Current skill facts
- Old booklet
- Style only
NCOSI Facts
- Provider
- I/O Solutions
- Cognitive
- 30 items
- Behavioral
- 42 items
- Admin time
- 75 minutes
- Instructions
- 15 minutes
- Measures
- Ability + orientation
- Ethics
- Integrity domain
- Stress
- Tolerance domain
NCST Facts
- Provider
- Stanard
- Reading
- Understand job text
- Problem solving
- Apply workplace facts
- Report writing
- Grammar + punctuation
- Audience
- Jail environments
- Purpose
- Pre-employment screen
Hiring Steps
- Application
- Eligibility screen
- Written test
- Selection checkpoint
- Interview
- Judgment evidence
- Background
- Suitability review
- Drug screen
- Compliance check
- Medical
- Fitness review
- Psychological
- Suitability review
- Academy
- Post-hire training
FACTS
Find actual content; then select.
FindActualContentThenSelect
Fact vs Assumption
Fact
- Directly stated
- Observed or quoted
Assumption
- Added by you
- Not supported
Answer from passage
Reading Picker
- Policy excerpt given→Apply excerpt
- Exception appears→Check condition
- Timeline asked→Sequence events
- Report passage given→Find stated facts
- Best revision asked→Preserve meaning
- Opinion appears→Reject unsupported
Policy Reading
- Must
- Required action
- May
- Allowed discretion
- Only if
- Condition required
- Except
- Rule limit
- Immediately
- Do now
- Notify
- Tell authority
- Document
- Create record
- Verify
- Confirm facts
Objective vs Opinion
Objective
- Seen/heard facts
- Neutral wording
Opinion
- Labels motive
- Emotional wording
Reports need facts
Report Writing
- Who
- Named people
- What
- Observed action
- When
- Time anchor
- Where
- Specific location
- Source
- Observed or stated
- Action
- Staff response
- Result
- Outcome recorded
- Tone
- Neutral wording
Grammar
- Subject
- Actor named
- Verb
- Action clear
- Tense
- Time consistent
- Pronoun
- Reference clear
- Punctuation
- Meaning separated
- Spelling
- Professional record
- Active voice
- Responsibility clearer
- Plain words
- Less ambiguity
COUNT
Present plus verified equals accounted.
CountOthersUpdateNameTotal
Present vs Accounted
Present
- Physically counted
- Seen now
Accounted
- Verified elsewhere
- Total reconciled
Label each group
Math Core
- Present
- Physically counted
- Verified away
- Known location
- Unaccounted
- Total minus verified
- Capacity
- Maximum beds
- Percent
- Part per hundred
- Ratio
- Compared quantities
- Interval
- Time between
- Roster
- Name list
Observation
- Person
- Identity details
- Clothing
- Visible description
- Direction
- Movement path
- Object
- Item details
- Location
- Exact area
- Time
- Sequence marker
- Change
- Before/after difference
- Unsupported
- Not a fact
CALM
Control actions; lower momentum.
CommunicateAssessLimit riskMaintain control
Assertive vs Aggressive
Assertive
- Clear direction
- Policy based
Aggressive
- Personal anger
- Humiliation tactics
Firm, not hostile
SJT Picker
- Immediate danger→Protect life
- Security risk→Control/notify
- Rule conflict→Clarify chain
- Coworker misconduct→Report properly
- Angry person→Calm direction
- Unclear facts→Verify first
Judgment Values
- Integrity
- Tell truth
- Respect
- Professional treatment
- Accountability
- Own actions
- Reliability
- Follow through
- Teamwork
- Share information
- Assertiveness
- Act directly
- Composure
- Stay controlled
- Boundaries
- No favoritism
De-escalation vs Avoidance
De-escalation
- Reduces risk
- Keeps control
Avoidance
- Ignores problem
- Delays required action
Act on risk
SJT Priorities
- Life safety
- First priority
- Facility security
- Control risk
- Policy
- Rule boundary
- Supervisor
- Escalation path
- Medical
- Health response
- Mental health
- Self-harm concern
- Documentation
- After control
- Fairness
- Consistent treatment
SAFE
Safety, accountability, facts, escalation.
SafetyAccountabilityFactsEscalation
Discretion vs Favoritism
Discretion
- Allowed by policy
- Documented reason
Favoritism
- Personal preference
- Unequal rule
Policy sets limits
Incident Picker
- Medical symptoms→Call medical
- Self-harm signs→Immediate referral
- Contraband found→Secure/document
- Count mismatch→Report/verify
- PREA suspicion→Mandatory report
- Force used→Stop/document
Security Terms
- Contraband
- Unauthorized item
- Count
- Accountability check
- Search
- Find contraband
- Restraints
- Movement control
- Key control
- Access security
- Chain custody
- Evidence tracking
- PREA
- Sexual abuse prevention
- Force
- Proportional control
Force vs Control
Force
- Threat response
- Stops when neutralized
Control
- Direction/restraints
- Prevents movement
Use proportionately
Emergencies
- Fire
- Evacuate/account
- Medical
- Call help
- Fight
- Request assistance
- Self-harm
- Immediate report
- Escape risk
- Secure perimeter
- Hostage
- Contain/notify
- Missing tool
- Report/verify
- Threat
- Assess/report
Common Traps
Universal Exam
One national format ≠ Agency-specific notice
Old Logistics
Old booklet timing ≠ Current testing notice
Pass Score
National cutoff ≠ Local score use
Outside Policy
Your experience ≠ Provided rule
Report Tone
Inmate was crazy ≠ Observed yelling/pacing
Count Math
Present only ≠ Present plus verified
SJT Extremes
Heroics/retaliation ≠ Policy-based action
PREA Suspicion
Wait for complaint ≠ Report suspicion
Last Minute
- 1.Agency notice controls logistics
- 2.NCOSI = IOS inventory
- 3.NCST = reading/problem/writing
- 4.Read must/may/except carefully
- 5.Answer from stated facts
- 6.Reports need neutral chronology
- 7.Counts reconcile every person
- 8.SJT: safety before paperwork
- 9.De-escalate without ignoring risk
- 10.Integrity beats coworker pressure
- 11.Contraband requires secure documentation
- 12.PREA suspicion requires reporting
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