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200+ Free Chicago Police Sergeant Practice Questions

Pass your Chicago Police Department Sergeant Written Job Knowledge (Qualifying) Examination exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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When a sergeant reviews an officer's arrest of a juvenile, CPD policy requires additional safeguards. Which is required when a juvenile is taken into custody?

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Chicago Police Sergeant Exam

~100

Multiple-Choice Items (range 80-125)

I/O Solutions CPD Sergeant Study Guide

~2.5 hrs

Time Limit for a 100-Item Exam

I/O Solutions CPD Sergeant Study Guide

~33%

Share Drawn from General Orders

CPD Preliminary Examination Plan

$25

Application Fee

City of Chicago DHR / DCI Consulting report

2 years

Active Service Required to Sit

CPD Employee Resource E05-05

Pass/fail

Qualifying-Exam Cut Score

I/O Solutions CPD Sergeant Study Guide

The CPD Sergeant qualifying exam is the City of Chicago / I/O Solutions Part 1 promotional test of about 100 multiple-choice items (range 80-125) over roughly 2 hours 30 minutes. Items come directly from a reading list led by General Orders (about one-third) and Special Orders (20-25%), plus ILCS criminal law and the Chicago Municipal Code. The $25-fee exam is a pass/fail hurdle to reach the Part 2 written assessment.

Sample Chicago Police Sergeant Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Chicago Police Sergeant exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 200+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A newly promoted sergeant wants to confirm the authority that governs how the Chicago Police Department creates and distributes its written directives. Which source establishes the Department Directives System?
A.A General Order on the Department Directives System
B.The Illinois Vehicle Code
C.The Fraternal Order of Police collective bargaining agreement
D.The Chicago Municipal Code
Explanation: The CPD Directives System (General Order G01-03) is the internal authority that defines the categories of directives — General Orders, Special Orders, Employee Resources, Uniform & Property — and how they are issued and rescinded. General Orders are the highest internal directive category and the largest single source on the Sergeant exam (about one-third of items).
2On the CPD Sergeant Written Job Knowledge (Qualifying) Examination, the correct answer to a job-knowledge item is determined by which standard?
A.How the task is commonly performed in the field by experienced officers
B.The wording contained directly in the designated source material
C.The personal judgment of the proctor administering the exam
D.The most recent verbal guidance from a watch commander
Explanation: I/O Solutions writes the qualifying exam items directly from the designated source materials, and the correct answer is the one supported by that source. When 'how things are done in the field' conflicts with the written source, the source is the deciding factor. Candidates should answer based on the policy as written, not on local practice.
3A sergeant arrives to supervise a homicide crime scene that is still being protected during the preliminary investigation. A news reporter with valid media credentials asks to cross the secured perimeter. Under CPD crime scene protection policy, the sergeant should:
A.Allow entry because credentialed media have a right of access to crime scenes
B.Allow entry only if the reporter is not accompanied by a camera crew
C.Deny entry because news media are not among the persons authorized to enter a protected crime scene
D.Allow entry after the reporter signs a liability waiver
Explanation: CPD crime scene protection policy limits access to a protected scene to specific authorized personnel performing official duties; news media are not on that list, even with valid credentials. Allowing media inside the secured perimeter risks contaminating or compromising evidence. A first-line supervisor must enforce scene integrity.
4Per the Department's preliminary written examination plan for Sergeant, approximately what share of the qualifying exam is drawn from General Orders?
A.About 5 percent
B.About 50 percent
C.About 75 percent
D.About one-third of the exam
Explanation: The CPD preliminary examination plan allocates approximately one-third of the qualifying exam to General Orders, making them the single largest source category. Special Orders contribute roughly 20-25 percent, while Employee Resources, Uniform & Property, and Rules & Regulations contribute smaller shares. Candidates should weight their study time accordingly.
5A sergeant must brief the watch on the Department's foundational guidance. Which General Order series contains the Department mission statement and core values?
A.The Department Organization series (G01)
B.The Human Rights series (G02)
C.The Field Operations series
D.The Gang and Narcotics Abatement series (G10)
Explanation: General Order G01 (Department Organization) includes the Mission Statement and Core Values (G01-01), the Directives System (G01-03), and beat/sector/district boundaries. Knowing the organizational General Orders is foundational supervisory knowledge tested heavily on the Sergeant qualifying exam.
6Under CPD policy on personal property stored in a Department desk, when may a member's personal items inside that desk be subject to an administrative search?
A.At any time without prior notice or justification
B.Only if there is probable cause to believe a Department regulation or any local, state, or federal law is being violated
C.Only upon procurement of a search warrant
D.Only after the member is given at least one hour's notice
Explanation: CPD policy permits an administrative search of personal property inside a Department-issued desk only when there is probable cause to believe a Department regulation or a local, state, or federal law is being violated. This standard balances the Department's operational interest against the member's limited privacy expectation in a Department workspace. A sergeant must ensure searches meet this threshold.
7A sergeant reviews a use-of-force report and must apply CPD policy on the sanctity of human life. Which principle is the cornerstone of CPD's use-of-force directives?
A.Force should be applied to achieve the fastest possible compliance regardless of injury
B.Officers should respond to resistance with force one level above the subject's resistance
C.Force must be objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional, with de-escalation used when feasible
D.Officers may use deadly force whenever a subject refuses a lawful order
Explanation: CPD's use-of-force policy is built on the sanctity of human life and requires that force be objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional to the threat, with de-escalation techniques used when safe and feasible. Supervisors are responsible for reviewing force for compliance with these standards. This framework reflects the Consent Decree and Graham v. Connor's objective-reasonableness standard.
8Following a reportable use of force by an officer on the sergeant's watch, the first-line supervisor's primary responsibility under CPD policy is to:
A.Wait for the officer to submit a report before taking any action
B.Refer all questions to the news affairs office before documenting anything
C.Destroy any duplicate notes to avoid inconsistent records
D.Respond to the scene, ensure medical aid, and conduct a supervisory review of the force used
Explanation: CPD policy requires a supervisor to respond to the scene of a reportable use of force, ensure that any injured person receives medical attention, secure the scene, and conduct a supervisory review and documentation of the incident. Active supervision of force is central to the first-line supervisor role and is heavily tested. Failing to respond and review is itself a policy violation.
9A sergeant supervises officers conducting a foot pursuit. Under CPD's foot pursuit policy, what is a key supervisory and tactical consideration?
A.The decision to initiate or continue a pursuit must weigh the risk to officers, the public, and the subject against the need to apprehend
B.Officers must continue any pursuit until the subject is apprehended regardless of risk
C.Foot pursuits never require supervisory notification
D.Splitting up to surround a fleeing subject is prohibited in all circumstances
Explanation: CPD's foot pursuit policy requires officers to continually balance the need to immediately apprehend a subject against the risks to officers, the public, and the subject. Supervisors monitor pursuits, may order them terminated when risks outweigh the need, and must be notified. This reflects post-Consent Decree reforms to reduce pursuit-related harm.
10Under CPD's General Order on prohibited conduct and human rights, an officer is prohibited from taking enforcement action based on a person's race, ethnicity, gender, or similar protected characteristic. This prohibition is best described as a ban on:
A.Reasonable articulable suspicion
B.Biased-based policing
C.Community caretaking
D.Discretionary enforcement
Explanation: CPD's Human Rights General Order (G02 series) prohibits biased-based policing — taking or refraining from enforcement action because of a person's actual or perceived membership in a protected class. Sergeants are responsible for monitoring subordinates for compliance and addressing violations. This is a core integrity and constitutional-policing expectation.

About the Chicago Police Sergeant Exam

The Chicago Police Department Sergeant Written Job Knowledge (Qualifying) Examination is the Part 1 promotional test for CPD officers seeking promotion to sergeant. Developed by I/O Solutions for the City of Chicago Department of Human Resources, it is a closed-reference, multiple-choice exam of approximately 100 items (the vendor's stated range is 80-125), with each item drawn directly from a designated reading list of CPD directives and Illinois law. A typical 100-item exam carries a 2 hour and 30 minute time limit, roughly 1.5 minutes per question. The qualifying exam is generally a pass/fail hurdle: candidates must clear the cut score to advance to the Part 2 written assessment, which is used to build the rank-ordered eligibility list.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes for a 100-item exam

Passing Score

Pass/fail cut score set at the threshold of minimum competence

Exam Fee

$25 application fee (City of Chicago Department of Human Resources and the Chicago Police Department, with the exam developed and scored by I/O Solutions)

Chicago Police Sergeant Exam Content Outline

~33%

General Orders

Department organization, human rights, use of force, crime scene protection, foot pursuits, body-worn cameras, social media, and media relations General Orders

~22%

Special Orders

Roll call training, property inventory, vehicle impoundment, complaint investigations, summary punishment, bomb incidents, and death investigations

~13%

Employee Resources, Uniform & Property, Rules & Regulations

EEO and grievances, leave and conduct standards, equipment and vehicle directives, and prohibited-conduct rules

~5%

Incident Reporting, Field Reporting, Bulletins & Labor Agreements

Incident Reporting Guide classifications, report-writing standards, Training Bulletins, and the FOP Lodge 7 contract

~10%

ILCS 720 Criminal Offenses

Murder, justifiable use of force, official misconduct, resisting/obstructing, disarming an officer, armed violence, and inchoate offenses

~5%

ILCS 625 Illinois Vehicle Code

Obedience to officers, fleeing or eluding, aggravated fleeing, and motor-vehicle felonies

~5%

ILCS 725 Criminal Procedure & 750 Family

Rights on arrest, treatment in custody, temporary questioning, recorded interrogations, and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act

~7%

CPD Legal Bulletins & Chicago Municipal Code

Legal updates and Municipal Code offenses including disorderly conduct, gang loitering, landlord access, and dangerous animals

How to Pass the Chicago Police Sergeant Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Pass/fail cut score set at the threshold of minimum competence
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes for a 100-item exam
  • Exam fee: $25 application fee

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Chicago Police Sergeant Study Tips from Top Performers

1Read every source on the reading list at least once — vendor research shows reading the material raises the pass rate from about 30% to about 80%.
2Prioritize General Orders, which supply roughly one-third of the exam, then Special Orders at 20-25%.
3Answer based on what the written source says, not on how the task is done in the field — when they conflict, the source is the deciding factor.
4Memorize the elements and mental states of key ILCS 720 offenses such as murder, official misconduct, resisting, and armed violence.
5Drill specific numbers and definitions (for example, contiguous states for bereavement leave and aggravated-fleeing speed thresholds) since items are often written word-for-word from the source.
6Practice at about 1.5 minutes per question and answer every item, because there is no penalty for guessing.
7Use the full 60-90 day designated study period with short, frequent 2-hour study blocks rather than cramming.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Chicago Police Sergeant exam?

It is the Part 1 Written Job Knowledge (Qualifying) Examination for promotion to sergeant in the Chicago Police Department. Developed by I/O Solutions for the City of Chicago, it is a multiple-choice test of roughly 100 items drawn directly from a designated reading list of CPD directives and Illinois law.

How many questions are on the exam and how long is it?

The vendor states the job-knowledge exam contains 80 to 125 multiple-choice items, with most I/O Solutions exams using 100 items. A typical 100-item exam has a time limit of about 2 hours and 30 minutes, roughly 1.5 minutes per question.

What score do I need to pass?

The qualifying exam is typically a pass/fail hurdle. I/O Solutions establishes a cut score set at the threshold of minimum competence; candidates who meet or exceed it advance to the Part 2 written assessment. The City does not publish a single fixed percentage cut score in advance.

What sources are the questions drawn from?

Questions come directly from the reading list: CPD General Orders (about one-third), Special Orders (20-25%), Employee Resources, Uniform & Property, Rules and Regulations, the Incident Reporting Guide, labor agreements, and external law including ILCS 720, 625, 725, 750, CPD Legal Bulletins, and the Chicago Municipal Code.

How much does it cost and who is eligible?

There is a $25 application fee paid to the City. To sit for the exam, an officer must have completed the probationary period plus two full years of active career-service as a CPD officer on or before the application date; promotion later requires five full years of service and 60 semester hours of college credit.

Is the exam open-book?

The Part 1 qualifying job-knowledge exam is generally closed-reference. The separate Part 2 written assessment is a different component that may provide reference materials. Always follow the specific instructions in your official examination announcement.

Is there a penalty for guessing?

No. I/O Solutions orientation guidance states there is no penalty for guessing, so candidates should answer every question. An unanswered item earns no credit, while a reasoned guess has a chance of being correct.

What happens after I pass the qualifying exam?

Passing Part 1 lets you advance to the Part 2 written assessment, which uses situational, in-basket, and written-response items. The assessment score, combined with the merit selection process, is used to build the rank-ordered eligibility list from which sergeants are promoted.