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Cheat sheet

MA Police Civil Service Cheat Sheet

Practice QuestionsStudy Guide

Verbal Expression

Not publishedof exam

Sentence RepairsClarity ChecksEdit PickerGrammar Scan

Verbal Comprehension

Not publishedof exam

Passage AnchorsScope WordsStated vs InferredEvidence Scan

Problem Sensitivity

Not publishedof exam

Record DiscrepanciesEvidence BoundariesDetect vs SolveMissing vs Negative

Deductive Reasoning

Not publishedof exam

Conditional LogicRule ApplicationsRule PickerNecessary vs Sufficient

Inductive Reasoning

Not publishedof exam

Pattern ChecksTentative ConclusionsDeduction vs InductionPattern Scan

Information Ordering

Not publishedof exam

Order ConstraintsOrder ExamplesBefore vs ImmediatelyOrder Scan

Quick Facts

Exam scope
Municipal + MBTA police
Announced written period
October 2–10, 2026
October processing fee
$75
Written subtests
WAT + WSQ + LES
Scoring gate
Pass WAT before WSQ/LES scoring
WAT pacing recommendation
75 minutes; follow candidate instructions
Overall time
Not published in October notice
Official item count
Not published in October notice
Numerical passing score
Not published in October notice
Section weights
Not published in October notice
WSQ/LES responses
Honest self-report; follow item instructions
Testing identification
Current valid photo ID with signature

Grammar Scan

S-V-P: subject, verb, pronoun

Subject: head controls agreementVerb: consistent timePronoun: clear referent

Edit Picker

  1. Singular head; intervening plural noun→Agree with singular head(The stack is ready)
  2. Two independent clauses; comma alone→Replace comma with semicolon(Or separate complete sentences)
  3. Opening participial phrase misnames doer→Name doer as subject
  4. List mixes verbs and nouns→Use parallel grammatical forms
  5. Pronoun has two plausible referents→Replace pronoun with intended name
  6. Edit removes stated qualifier→Restore qualifier
  7. Report substitutes opinion for observation→Describe supported behavior
  8. Past actions shift tense unintentionally→Restore consistent past tense

Sentence Repairs

Subject head
Controls verb agreement
The stack of forms
is ready; stack is singular
Independent clauses
Can join using a semicolon
Comma splice
Independent clauses; comma alone
Opening active participial phrase
Subject performs its described action
Parallel list
Match grammatical forms
Completed same-time actions
Keep past-tense verbs consistent

Clarity Checks

Ambiguous pronoun
Replace with specific noun
Actor named
States who performed the action
Reported statement
Attribute to speaker
Direct observation
Describe observable details
Meaning-preserving edit
Retain actors, timing and qualifiers
Plural possessive ending s
Apostrophe follows plural sguards’ lockers
Wordiness
Remove repetition without losing facts

Evidence Scan

Text first; inference second; assumptions last

Find stated factsCheck scope wordsExclude unsupported additions

Stated vs Inferred

Stated fact

  • Explicit passage wording
  • Directly provided

Supported inference

  • Evidence-based conclusion
  • Needs no added assumption

Support every added conclusion

Passage Anchors

Main idea
Whole passage’s central point
Supporting detail
Supports or illustrates central point
Explicit statement
Directly stated information
Supported inference
Conclusion justified by textual evidence
Local definition
Use passage’s stated meaning
Pronoun reference
Match intended antecedent
Chronology
Preserve stated temporal relationships

Scope Words

By 17:00
At or before 17:00
After 17:00
Later than 17:00
Before 17:00
Earlier than 17:00
Not until 17:00
No earlier than 17:00
All
Every member within stated scope
Some
One or more; possibly all
Only
Restricts permitted group or condition

Detect vs Solve

Problem sensitivity

  • Recognize existing or potential problem
  • Identify discrepant detail

Problem solving

  • Select corrective action
  • Separate skill from recognizing warning

Identify problem before proposing repair

Record Discrepancies

Transposed digits
Compare identifiers character by character
Impossible same-day chronology
Recheck both times
Unlabeled distance
Missing measurement unit
Required field absent
Identify documentation gap
Conflicting applicable instructions
Clarify authority and scope
Hearing changed to sight
Preserve actual knowledge source
Timestamp missing timezone
Cross-zone ordering may remain uncertain

Missing vs Negative

No entry

  • Documentation absent
  • Underlying event unresolved

Explicit negative evidence

  • States event did not occur
  • Evaluate source reliability and scope

Blank record does not prove nonoccurrence

Evidence Boundaries

Missing return entry
Return status remains unresolved
Mismatched identifiers
Same-item identity needs verification
Missing signature
Sign-off status needs verification
Times differ
Check date, timezone, transcription
Reported hazard
Recognize potential problem
Resolution choice
Separate task from detection

Necessary vs Sufficient

Necessary

  • Must be present
  • Alone may be insufficient

Sufficient

  • Guarantees outcome under stated rule
  • Need not be only route

Only if marks necessity

Rule Picker

  1. P→Q given; P is true→Conclude Q(Rule accepted as given)
  2. P→Q given; Q is false→Conclude ¬P(Contrapositive)
  3. P→Q given; Q is true→P remains undetermined(Reverse inference unsupported)
  4. P→Q given; P is false→Q remains undetermined
  5. Entry requires approval; approval absent→Entry condition unmet(Necessary condition)
  6. Two conditions required; one absent→Combined requirement unmet
  7. Default applies; stated exception absent→Apply default
  8. Generalization faces genuine counterexample→Reject universal claim(Narrow scope or revise hypothesis)

Conditional Logic

P and Q
Statements true or false
P→Q
If P, then Q
¬P
P is false
P→Q; P
Q followsGiven rule
P→Q; ¬Q
¬P followsGiven rule
P→Q; Q
P need not followGiven rule
P→Q; ¬P
Q remains undeterminedGiven rule
Contrapositive of P→Q
¬Q→¬P; same truth conditions
P ∧ Q
Both statements true
P ∨ Q
One or both true

Rule Applications

Entry only if approved
Approval necessary; may be insufficient
Release requires signature and date
Neither alone meets requirement
No damaged tags accepted
Damaged tag excluded
Pending unless withdrawn
Not withdrawn → still pending
All visitors carry badges
Visitor ⇒ badge; reverse unproved
Some logs are incomplete
Not every log necessarily incomplete

Pattern Scan

Observe, propose, challenge, qualify

Observe repeated featuresPropose tentative ruleChallenge with counterexamplesQualify by evidence coverage

Deduction vs Induction

Deduction

  • Given rule → case
  • Valid inference; true premises guarantee conclusion

Induction

  • Cases → tentative generalization
  • New evidence may change conclusion

Distinguish logical necessity from evidence strength

Pattern Checks

Observed repetition
Suggests pattern; does not prove it
Proposed universal rule
Test against every known case
Genuine counterexample
Refutes universal claim as stated
Events occur together
Association alone cannot establish causation
Alternative explanation
Compare against available evidence
Sample coverage
Restrict conclusions to supported scope
Numeric sequence
State continuation rule before predicting

Tentative Conclusions

Pattern adds 4: 6, 10, 14
Next 18 if +4 continues
Pattern doubles: 3, 6, 12
Next 24 if doubling continues
Sequence 2, 4, 8; rule unstated
Next term not uniquely determined
Only evening records available
Other times remain unassessed
Two checked seals intact
Unchecked seals remain unassessed
Letter-digit examples match
Acceptance rule remains a hypothesis

Order Scan

Arrows, adjacency, cycles, ties

Arrows mark precedenceAdjacency needs explicit requirementCycles block valid ordersTies need stated tie-breakers

Before vs Immediately

Before

  • Earlier in required sequence
  • Intervening actions permitted

Immediately before

  • Earlier in required sequence
  • No intervening action

Adjacency requires explicit wording

Order Constraints

Before
Precedence; intervening steps permitted
Immediately before
Precedence plus adjacency
After
Reverse stated precedence direction
Two prerequisites
Both must precede dependent action
Unrestricted relative order
Multiple valid arrangements possible
Tied timestamps; no tie-breaker
Relative order cannot be determined
Directed cycle
No ordering satisfies all constraints

Order Examples

Pack before Label before Dispatch
Pack → Label → DispatchThree actions only
Wash, Dry precede Store
Either first; Store follows bothThree actions only
09:09, 09:32, 09:04
09:04, 09:09, 09:32Same-day chronological order
Equal timestamps
Need another stated ordering rule
Log before Check; Sign unrestricted
Sign may occupy any positionThree actions only
Review→Approve→Review
Cycle prevents valid orderEach action occurs once

Common Traps

WAT pacing vs exam time limit

75-minute WAT pacing recommendation ≠ Total time unpublished in October notice

Inventory vs official exam length

Practice inventory counts study items ≠ Official item count not published

Hearing vs seeing

Witness reports hearing a sound ≠ Draft claims seeing an event

Observation vs collection rule

Database contains only evening records ≠ Collection method remains unproved

All vs some

All covers every scoped member ≠ Some permits one or more

Precedence vs adjacency

Before permits intervening actions ≠ Immediately before forbids intervening actions

Self-report vs written ability

WSQ and LES describe you ≠ WAT tests six written abilities

Last Minute

  1. 1.Pass WAT before WSQ/LES scoring
  2. 2.WSQ: describe actual work-related attitudes
  3. 3.LES: report actual history and experience
  4. 4.75 minutes recommends WAT pacing
  5. 5.Overall exam time: follow candidate instructions
  6. 6.Bring valid photo ID with signature
  7. 7.Check assigned Notice to Appear
  8. 8.Apply supplied rules without reversing implications
  9. 9.Some means at least one
  10. 10.Counterexamples refute universal claims
  11. 11.Before does not imply immediately before
  12. 12.Missing records leave events uncertain
  13. 13.Keep inference within available evidence
  14. 14.Check units, dates, identifiers, and qualifiers
  15. 15.Grammar: match head subject and verb
  16. 16.Sequence predictions require an assumed rule

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