What is the Garda Trainee Stage 1 assessment?

Stage 1 is a set of online, remotely supervised assessments all applicants complete first. The scored aptitude tests are verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and a situational judgement test, plus an unscored self-assessment personality questionnaire.

Is there a pass mark for the Garda aptitude tests?

There is no single published pass mark. Candidates must reach the required standard in each Stage 1 assessment to be invited forward, and selection is competitive, so a strong performance matters.

Does the situational judgement test have right and wrong answers?

Yes. The situational judgement test asks for the most appropriate or most effective response and is scored. The separate self-assessment personality questionnaire has no right or wrong answers and is not practised here.

Can I use a calculator in the numerical reasoning test?

A calculator is typically permitted for numerical reasoning, but the skill tested is accurate, efficient reasoning with data such as percentages, ratios and averages, so practise working quickly and checking your figures.

Is there a fee to apply or sit the tests?

No. Applying for the Garda Trainee competition and completing the Stage 1 assessments through publicjobs.ie is free, as the recruitment runs as a public-service competition.

Are these official publicjobs.ie or An Garda Síochána questions?

No. These are original OpenExamPrep practice questions modelled on the Stage 1 aptitude skills. publicjobs.ie and An Garda Síochána provide their own candidate information and any official practice materials separately.

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100+ Free Garda Aptitude Test Practice Questions

An Garda Síochána Trainee Stage 1 Aptitude Tests practice questions are available now; exam metadata is being verified.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Garda Aptitude Test Exam

3 scored tests

Verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and situational judgement make up the scored Stage 1 aptitude tests

publicjobs.ie - Garda Trainee Recruitment

Online

Stage 1 assessments are completed online and remotely supervised on a laptop or PC

publicjobs.ie - Garda Trainee Recruitment

No fee

There is no application or test fee for the Garda Trainee competition

publicjobs.ie - Garda Trainee Recruitment

No fixed pass mark

Candidates must reach the required standard in each test; selection is competitive

publicjobs.ie - Garda Trainee Recruitment

Age 18-49

Applicants must be at least 18 and not yet 50 at midnight on the closing date

publicjobs.ie - Garda Trainee Recruitment 2026 information booklet

About 1 in 6

Roughly one in six applicants progress through the overall Garda recruitment process

Career Services - Garda recruitment process

Run by publicjobs

The Public Appointments Service runs the competition on behalf of An Garda Síochána

publicjobs.ie - Garda Trainee Recruitment

100

Free original practice questions here across the three scored aptitude areas

OpenExamPrep

An Garda Síochána Trainee Stage 1 is the online aptitude phase of the Garda recruitment competition run by publicjobs.ie for An Garda Síochána. It includes scored verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and situational judgement tests, plus an unscored self-assessment personality questionnaire. There is no single published pass mark and no application fee; candidates must reach the required standard in each test to progress, and only about one in six applicants advance overall. Applicants must be at least 18 and under 50 at the closing date and meet the Leaving Certificate eligibility requirement. This 100-question bank gives original practice across the three scored aptitude areas with answers and explanations.

Sample Garda Aptitude Test Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Garda Aptitude Test exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Passage: 'Community policing relies on building trust between Gardaí and local residents. Officers who walk a regular beat become familiar faces, and people are more likely to report concerns to someone they recognise.' Statement: Walking a regular beat can make residents more willing to report concerns. Is this statement True, False or Cannot Tell from the passage?

A.True

B.False

C.Cannot Tell

D.Partly false

Explanation: The passage states that beat officers become familiar faces and that people are more likely to report concerns to someone they recognise. The statement follows directly, so it is True.

2Passage: 'The new station opened in March and operates a public counter from 8am to 8pm on weekdays. Outside these hours, callers are directed to the regional control room.' Statement: The public counter is open at 7am on a Tuesday. Is this True, False or Cannot Tell?

A.True

B.False

C.Cannot Tell

D.Sometimes true

Explanation: The counter opens at 8am on weekdays, so at 7am on a Tuesday it is not yet open. The statement contradicts the passage and is False.

3Passage: 'Road safety campaigns in Ireland have focused on speed, seatbelts and mobile phone use. Officials say these three factors are linked to a large share of serious collisions.' Statement: Alcohol is the main cause of serious collisions in Ireland. Is this True, False or Cannot Tell?

A.True

B.False

C.Cannot Tell

D.True for rural roads only

Explanation: The passage discusses speed, seatbelts and mobile phone use, but says nothing about alcohol. There is not enough information to confirm or deny the statement, so it is Cannot Tell.

4Passage: 'Every trainee must complete first-aid certification before attestation. Trainees who already hold a current first-aid qualification may have it recognised instead of repeating the course.' Statement: A trainee with a current first-aid qualification might not need to repeat the course. Is this True, False or Cannot Tell?

A.True

B.False

C.Cannot Tell

D.False for all trainees

Explanation: The passage says an existing current qualification 'may have it recognised instead of repeating the course'. So such a trainee might not need to repeat it. The statement is True.

5In the sentence 'The witness gave a candid account of what she had seen, holding nothing back,' the word 'candid' most nearly means:

A.Honest and open

B.Brief and vague

C.Confused

D.Reluctant

Explanation: The clue 'holding nothing back' shows the witness was open and truthful, so 'candid' means honest and open. Context clues point to frankness.

6Passage: 'A public-order unit was deployed to manage crowds at a large outdoor concert in Dublin. Their role was to keep exits clear and assist anyone who felt unwell, while a separate team handled traffic on nearby streets.' Statement: The public-order unit was responsible for managing traffic on nearby streets. Is this True, False or Cannot Tell?

A.True

B.False

C.Cannot Tell

D.True after the concert

Explanation: The passage says a separate team handled traffic, not the public-order unit. The statement contradicts the passage and is False.

7Passage: 'All members of the team attended the briefing. Anyone who attended the briefing received the updated patrol map.' Which conclusion must be true?

A.Every team member received the updated patrol map

B.Only some team members received the map

C.No one outside the team received the map

D.The map was outdated

Explanation: All team members attended the briefing, and all who attended received the map. By logical deduction, every team member received the updated map.

8Passage: 'The report praised the rapid response of the responding Gardaí but noted that record-keeping at the scene could be improved.' What is the main idea of this sentence?

A.The response was fast but record-keeping needs improvement

B.The Gardaí responded slowly

C.Record-keeping was excellent

D.No Gardaí responded at all

Explanation: The sentence balances praise for the rapid response with a noted weakness in record-keeping. The main idea is that response was good but record-keeping could improve.

9In the sentence 'Despite the chaos at the scene, the sergeant remained composed and gave clear instructions,' the word 'composed' most nearly means:

A.Calm and in control

B.Angry

C.Tired

D.Uncertain

Explanation: The contrast word 'despite' and the phrase 'gave clear instructions' show the sergeant stayed calm and controlled. 'Composed' means calm and in control.

10Passage: 'Neighbourhood Watch schemes encourage residents to look out for one another and to report suspicious activity. Studies suggest such schemes can reduce the fear of crime, though their effect on actual crime rates is debated.' Statement: Neighbourhood Watch schemes definitely reduce actual crime rates. Is this True, False or Cannot Tell?

A.True

B.False

C.Cannot Tell

D.True only in cities

Explanation: The passage says the effect on actual crime rates is debated, so it is wrong to say the schemes 'definitely' reduce crime. The statement is False.

About the Garda Aptitude Test Practice Questions

Verified exam format metadata for An Garda Síochána Trainee Stage 1 Aptitude Tests is pending. The practice questions above remain available while official exam length, timing, passing score, fee, and administrator details are reviewed.