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Exam Review

Key Facts: CO POST Exam

97.69%

First-Attempt Pass Rate

CO POST Statewide Academy Statistics 2023-2025

$150

Exam Fee

CO POST

554

Minimum Academy Hours

Basic Academic Training Program eff. 7/1/2026

3

Attempts in 2 Years

POST Rule 15(d)

The Colorado POST certification examination costs $150 and may be attempted three times within two years of academy graduation. POST does not publish the item count, time limit, or numeric cut score; Rule 15(f) says only that the cut score is set with national testing standards on a 0-100 scale. Statewide, 97.69% of candidates passed on the first attempt from 2023 to 2025.

Sample CO POST Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the CO POST exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under Colorado Revised Statutes Title 18, what must the prosecution prove to establish a criminal offense in Colorado?
A.Only that the defendant committed the physical act (actus reus)
B.Both a voluntary act (actus reus) and a culpable mental state (mens rea), unless the statute specifies strict liability
C.Only that the defendant had a guilty mind (mens rea)
D.That the defendant confessed to the crime
Explanation: Under Colorado law, most criminal offenses require proof of both a voluntary act (actus reus) and a culpable mental state (mens rea). Some offenses are strict liability, meaning no mens rea is required, but these are the exception rather than the rule.
2In Colorado, criminal offenses are classified into which categories?
A.Felonies (Class 1 through Class 6 felonies) and misdemeanors (Class 1, 2, and 3 misdemeanors)
B.Only felonies and infractions
C.Capital offenses, felonies, and summary offenses
D.Indictable and non-indictable offenses
Explanation: Colorado classifies criminal offenses into Class 1 through Class 6 felonies and Class 1, 2, and 3 misdemeanors. Understanding these classifications is essential because they determine the severity of punishment, the court that has jurisdiction, and the arrest authority of officers.
3Under Colorado law, which of the following is a valid affirmative defense to a criminal charge?
A.The defendant did not know the law existed
B.Self-defense when the defendant reasonably believed deadly force was necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm
C.The defendant was too intoxicated to form any intent
D.The victim did not press charges
Explanation: Self-defense is a recognized affirmative defense in Colorado. When a defendant reasonably believes deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm, this defense may justify the use of force. The defendant bears the burden of raising the defense, though the prosecution must ultimately disprove it beyond a reasonable doubt.
4Under Colorado Revised Statutes, which of the following best describes the crime of attempt in Colorado?
A.Thinking about committing a crime but taking no action
B.Agreeing with another person to commit a crime
C.Taking a substantial step toward committing a crime with the intent to complete it
D.Completing the crime but not being caught
Explanation: Under Colorado law, criminal attempt requires both the specific intent to commit the target offense and a substantial step toward its completion that goes beyond mere preparation. Mere thoughts or plans are not sufficient; the defendant must take concrete action demonstrating commitment to the criminal objective.
5In Colorado, what distinguishes burglary from trespassing?
A.Burglary occurs only at night; trespassing can occur any time
B.Burglary requires unlawful entry into a structure with intent to commit a crime inside; trespassing is unlawful entry or remaining without such intent
C.There is no difference; the terms are interchangeable
D.Trespassing is always a felony while burglary is a misdemeanor
Explanation: Under Colorado Revised Statutes, burglary requires unlawful entry into a building or occupied structure with the intent to commit a crime therein. Trespassing involves unlawful entry or remaining on property without the additional element of intent to commit a further crime. This intent element is what elevates the offense from trespassing to burglary.
6Under Colorado Revised Statutes Title 18, what is the primary distinction between assault and battery in Colorado?
A.Assault requires physical contact; battery does not
B.Assault involves the threat or attempt to cause harm; battery involves actual unlawful physical contact
C.Battery is always a felony; assault is always a misdemeanor
D.There is no legal distinction between assault and battery
Explanation: In Colorado, assault generally involves a threat or attempt to cause bodily harm that places another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent harm. Battery involves actual unlawful physical contact. Some states merge these into a single assault statute, but the conceptual distinction remains important for officers when identifying and charging offenses.
7A Colorado officer responds to a shoplifting call. The store's loss prevention observed a person conceal merchandise and walk past the point of sale. Under Colorado Revised Statutes, what mental state must be proven?
A.The person must have been aware of the store's anti-theft policy
B.The person must have intended to permanently deprive the store of the merchandise
C.The person must have planned the theft at least 24 hours in advance
D.No mental state is required because shoplifting is a strict liability offense
Explanation: Theft offenses in Colorado require proof that the defendant intended to permanently deprive the owner of the property. Concealing merchandise and passing the point of sale constitutes strong evidence of this intent, but the prosecution must still prove the mental state beyond a reasonable doubt.
8Under Colorado law, when does an assault become an aggravated assault?
A.When the victim is under 18 years old regardless of circumstances
B.When the assault involves a deadly weapon, causes serious bodily injury, or is committed against a protected class such as a peace officer
C.Only when the assault results in death
D.When the assault occurs in a public place
Explanation: In Colorado, an assault is typically elevated to aggravated assault when it involves the use of a deadly weapon, results in serious bodily injury, or targets protected persons such as peace officers, firefighters, or other specified individuals. These aggravating factors increase both the severity of the charge and the potential penalties.
9Under Colorado law, what elements must be proven to establish a conspiracy charge?
A.Only that two or more people discussed committing a crime
B.An agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime and, in most cases, an overt act in furtherance of the agreement
C.That the target crime was actually completed
D.That a written contract to commit the crime exists
Explanation: Conspiracy in Colorado requires an agreement between two or more persons to commit a criminal offense and, typically, at least one overt act taken in furtherance of that agreement. The overt act need not be criminal itself but must demonstrate that the conspiracy moved beyond mere discussion.
10A suspect in Colorado enters an unlocked vehicle and steals a laptop from the back seat. Under Colorado Revised Statutes, this is most accurately classified as:
A.Burglary, because the suspect entered a structure to commit a crime
B.Theft from a motor vehicle, which may be charged differently than standard theft depending on value and circumstances
C.Armed robbery, because the vehicle was occupied
D.Trespassing only, because the vehicle was unlocked
Explanation: Under Colorado law, theft from a motor vehicle is typically charged based on the value of the stolen property and may carry specific enhanced penalties. While entering a vehicle to steal could potentially be charged as burglary in some jurisdictions, the classification depends on Colorado's specific statutory definitions of vehicles versus structures.

About the CO POST Exam

The Colorado POST written certification examination is the final academic hurdle for every Colorado peace officer candidate. It is administered after graduation from a POST-approved basic academy and tests the Basic Academic Training Program effective July 1, 2026: 376 academic hours spread across ten curriculum units covering Colorado criminal law, constitutional law and procedure, human and victim rights, community interaction, patrol procedures, traffic control, investigations, communications, wellness, and tactical medicine.

Exam sponsor: Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Question count not published by the exam provider

Time Limit

Not published. The written certification examination is administered by POST staff or an approved proctor at the end of each basic academy, and at POST one-day test-out dates that begin at 08:00.

Passing Score

Not published as a percentage. Under POST Rule 15(f) POST sets a cut score using national testing standards on a 0-100 scale; the commonly repeated 70% is the academy-coursework completion standard in POST Rule 1, not the certification-exam cut score.

Exam / Certification Fees

$150

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: 97.69% first attempt (2023-2025 statewide average). This describes exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep users or results from using our resources. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

4%

Introduction to Criminal Justice

Unit I of the POST Basic Academic Training Program (16 of 376 academic hours): the criminal process, the Colorado judicial process, and 8 hours of law enforcement ethics and anti-bias policing.

18%

Basic Law

Unit II (68 hours): constitutional law, the Colorado Criminal Code, crimes involving children, controlled substances and marijuana, rules of evidence, legal liability, and court testimony.

6%

Human Rights and Victim's Rights

Unit III (22 hours): the Colorado Victim Rights Act, domestic violence dynamics, bias-motivated hate crimes, interaction with special populations, mental health crisis contacts, and human trafficking.

1%

Community Interaction

Unit IV (4 hours): community policing philosophy and problem-solving or crime-prevention methods such as SARA and CPTED.

25%

Patrol Procedures

Unit V (94 hours), the largest block: observation and perception, officer survival, pedestrian and vehicle contacts, building searches, in-progress calls, civil disputes, crowd control, hazardous materials, area searches, hostage and barricade response, and rapid emergency deployment.

13%

Traffic Control

Unit VI (50 hours): the Colorado traffic code, manual traffic direction, traffic crash documentation, and 24 hours of standardized field sobriety testing and D.U.I. enforcement.

12%

Investigative Procedures

Unit VII (46 hours): preliminary investigations, crime scene investigation and evidence collection, sexual assault response, major case considerations, and an investigative capstone exercise.

9%

Communications

Unit VIII (34 hours): 24 hours of police report writing plus verbal communication techniques and law enforcement leadership.

8%

Wellness Training Program

Unit IX (30 hours): introduction to officer wellness, a 24-hour wellness lab, and stress management.

3%

Tactical/Operational Medicine

Unit X (12 hours): tactical casualty care lecture covering the duty to render aid under C.R.S. 18-1-707(2)(c), phases of care and M.A.R.C.H., plus skills stations and scenario-based training.

Preparing for the CO POST Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Not published as a percentage. Under POST Rule 15(f) POST sets a cut score using national testing standards on a 0-100 scale; the commonly repeated 70% is the academy-coursework completion standard in POST Rule 1, not the certification-exam cut score.
  • Assessment: Question count not published by the exam provider
  • Time limit: Not published. The written certification examination is administered by POST staff or an approved proctor at the end of each basic academy, and at POST one-day test-out dates that begin at 08:00.
  • Exam / certification fees: $150 Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CO POST: Suggested Study Strategy

1Work from the current Basic Academic Training Program effective July 1, 2026 - it lists all 376 academic hours and every performance outcome POST can test
2Weight your study time to Patrol Procedures (94 hours) and Basic Law (68 hours); together they are almost half the academic program
3Know the difference between C.R.S. 18-1-707 (when force is justified) and C.R.S. 18-8-802 (the duty to report and intervene) - they are separate statutes with separate penalties
4Memorize the Colorado culpable mental states in C.R.S. 18-1-501 and the bodily injury versus serious bodily injury thresholds in C.R.S. 18-1-901(3)
5Do not neglect Communications and Wellness: report writing alone is 24 required hours, more than any other single academic sub-topic

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Colorado POST certification exam cost?

The written POST certification examination costs $150, payable by cashier's check, money order, agency check, or through the POST Payment Portal before the exam date. Personal checks and cash are not accepted. A full one-day test out for provisional or renewal applicants costs $525 in total: $125 for each of the three skills tests plus $150 for the written exam.

What is the CO POST passing score?

Colorado POST does not publish a percentage cut score for the certification examination. POST Rule 15(f) states that POST sets a passing score reflecting minimally competent entry-level performance, using national testing standards, on a score scale that runs from 0 to 100. The 70% figure repeated on many prep sites is POST Rule 1's definition of successful completion of academy coursework, not the certification-exam cut score.

How many times can I take the Colorado POST exam?

POST Rule 15(d) allows a maximum of three attempts within two years of graduating the academy, or within one year of beginning the provisional or renewal process. Each retake requires paying the $150 fee again, and no retake reuses questions from a prior attempt. After three failures the applicant must retake and pass the academic portion of a basic academy.

How hard is the Colorado peace officer certification exam?

Statewide data published by POST shows that 97.69% of candidates who sat for the written exam between 2023 and 2025 passed on the first attempt, with a three-year average score of 83.11%. The difficulty is in the breadth: the exam draws on the entire 376-hour Basic Academic Training Program, from Colorado Criminal Code elements to report writing and tactical casualty care.

What is SB 20-217 and how does it affect the exam?

SB 20-217, the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, rewrote Colorado use-of-force law. It added the C.R.S. 18-1-707(2.5) chokehold ban, created the duty to report and intervene in C.R.S. 18-8-802, mandated body-worn cameras under C.R.S. 24-31-902, restricted protest-response munitions under C.R.S. 24-31-905, and created the state civil rights action in C.R.S. 13-21-131 in which qualified immunity is not a defense. All of these are taught in Basic Law and Patrol Procedures.