Video-Based Situational Judgment
45%of exam
Reading Comprehension
25%of exam
Fact ExtractionInferenceVocabulary in ContextPassage ParseStatute Read
Writing - Grammar and Clarity
20%of exam
Active VoiceClarityConcisenessPunctuationWord Choice
Report Writing Exercise
10%of exam
ChronologicalNeutral Tone5W1HFact vs OpinionSequence
Quick Facts
- Exam
- FrontLine National
- Body
- National Testing Network
- Time
- ≈2.5 hours
- Items
- 46 video + ~45 MC
- Pass
- 65 video / 70 R-W
- Validity
- 12 months
- Retake
- 90 days
- Report
- 1 scored exercise
Force Continuum
Presence -> Verbal -> Soft -> Hard -> Deadly
Presence: officer thereVerbal: commandsSoft: holdsHard: weaponsDeadly: last
Reasonable Suspicion vs Probable Cause
Reasonable Suspicion
- Terry stop
- Articulable facts
- Less than cause
Probable Cause
- Arrest or search
- Reasonable belief
- More than suspicion
Detain vs arrest
Scene Response Picker
- Imminent deadly threat→Force per policy(Last resort)
- Mental health crisis→Slow + CIT(Distance + calm)
- Domestic dispute→Separate parties(Interview apart)
- Compliant driver→B-pillar approach(Professional)
- Unprompted reach→Verbal command(Hands visible)
- Bystander records→Continue stop(Protected speech)
- Custody complaint→Reposition + EMS(Medical first)
- Juvenile minor→Educate + document(Diversion)
SJT Scoring Dimensions
- Observation
- Notice scene detailsDimension
- Team Orientation
- Coordinate with partners
- Confrontation Init
- Act when needed
- Restraint
- Least force first
- Ethical Orientation
- Integrity choices
- Community Relations
- Respectful interaction
De-escalation Tools
Distance Time Cover Verbal Listen Calm
Distance: spaceTime: slowCover: barrierVerbal: commandsListen: acknowledgeCalm: tone
De-escalation vs Use of Force
De-escalation
- Distance + time
- Verbal commands
- First choice
Use of Force
- Continuum option
- Objectively reasonable
- Last resort
Slow vs control
Best-Response Logic
- De-escalate first
- Slow the sceneCore
- Verbal before force
- Commands first
- Distance + cover
- Buy reaction time
- Duty to intervene
- Stop peer excess
- Watch hands
- Hands harm you
- MOST option
- Pick best action
Reasonableness Factors
Severity Threat Resistance
Severity of crimeImmediate threatActive resistanceOn-scene perspective
Cover vs Concealment
Cover
- Stops bullets
- Engine block
- Concrete pillar
Concealment
- Hides only
- Bushes
- Drywall
Stop vs hide
Officer Safety
- Cover
- Stops bulletsSurvival
- Concealment
- Hides only
- Reactionary gap
- ≈6 feet buffer
- Watch hands
- Track continuously
- Time tactic
- Wait for backup
- B-pillar approach
- Rear of driver
- Offset cruiser
- Buffer lane
Verbal vs Physical Action
Verbal
- Clear commands
- Loud simple
- First response
Physical
- Hands-on control
- When compliant fails
- Higher force
Command vs contact
De-escalation Tools
- Distance
- Create spacePrimary
- Time
- Don't force action
- Cover
- Use barriers
- Verbal commands
- Clear loud simple
- Active listening
- Acknowledge feelings
- Calm tone
- Lower emotion
Use of Force
- Continuum
- Low to highFramework
- Objective reasonableness
- Graham standard
- Graham v Connor
- On-scene perspective
- Deadly force
- Imminent death only
- Warning first
- If feasible
- Duty to intervene
- Stop excess force
- Tennessee v Garner
- No deadly on flee
Search and Seizure
- Reasonable suspicion
- Terry stop basisStandard
- Probable cause
- Arrest or search
- Consent search
- Voluntary permission
- Search incident
- Reach area only
- Terry stop
- Brief detain
- Plain view
- Seen lawfully
- Exigent entry
- Emergency aid
Ethics and Community
- Gratuity
- Decline favorsIntegrity
- Misconduct report
- Report peers
- Bias
- Impartial enforcement
- Procedural justice
- Voice + neutrality
- Legitimacy
- Earned authority
- First Amendment
- Record + assemble
Fact vs Inference
Fact
- Stated in text
- Direct quote
- Verbatim
Inference
- Drawn from facts
- Must be true
- Not could be
Stated vs derived
Reading Skills
- Fact extraction
- Text onlySkill
- Inference
- Must be true
- Vocab context
- Sentence meaning
- Fill-in-blank
- Grammar + meaning
- Statute parse
- Elements matter
- Observation vs info
- Saw vs reported
Writing Mechanics
- Active voice
- Subject actsRule
- Clarity
- Easy to read
- Conciseness
- No extra words
- Punctuation
- Marks correct
- Word choice
- Precise terms
- Sentence structure
- Short and direct
- Passive avoid
- Who did what
Report Completeness
Who What When Where Why How
Who: partiesWhat: offenseWhen: timelineWhere: locationWhy: motiveHow: method
Report vs Narrative
Report
- Facts only
- Neutral tone
- Chronological
Narrative
- Opinions allowed
- Story feel
- Interpretation
Facts vs interpretation
Report Builder
- Dispatch info→Note time + call(Start point)
- Arrival→Scene size-up(Threats + victims)
- Parties→Separate + identify(Who involved)
- Observations→What you saw(Facts only)
- Actions taken→Commands + force(Chronological)
- Evidence→Chain of custody(Log transfers)
- Injuries→Document + EMS(Photograph)
- Statements→Verbatim quotes(Attribute source)
Report Writing
- Chronological
- Time orderCore
- Neutral tone
- No opinions
- 5W1H
- Who What When Where Why How
- Fact vs opinion
- Seen not felt
- Sequence
- Dispatch forward
- Verbatim
- Quote statements
Common Traps
Suspicion vs cause
Suspicion allows stop ≠ Cause allows arrest
De-escalate vs fight
De-escalate first ≠ Force is last
Cover vs conceal
Cover stops bullets ≠ Concealment hides only
Fact vs inference
Fact is stated ≠ Inference is derived
Report vs opinion
Report states facts ≠ Opinions belong in court
Verbal vs physical
Commands first ≠ Contact when noncompliant
Deadly on flee
Never for non-dangerous ≠ Tennessee v Garner
Last Minute
- 1.Weights: 45 / 25 / 20 / 10
- 2.65 video; 70 reading-writing
- 3.90-day retake; 12-month validity
- 4.Distance + cover + time first
- 5.Watch the hands always
- 6.5W1H = report complete
- 7.Verbal before physical force
- 8.Cover stops; concealment hides
- 9.Reading = text only, no outside
- 10.Report = facts, not opinions
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