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Exam Review

Key Facts: MA Police Captain Exam

$150

MA HRD Captain Exam Fee

Mass.gov 2026 promotional notice

70

Passing Score

MA HRD

Half day

Administration Length

MA HRD

Written + E&E

Scoring Components

MA HRD

2026

Current Administration Cycle

Mass.gov 2026 statewide police promotional exams

MA HRD

Exam Administrator

Massachusetts Human Resources Division

The MA Police Captain Promotional Exam is a MA HRD half-day administration combining a written multiple-choice exam with an Education & Experience (E&E) rating. The fee is $150 and a score of 70 is required to pass. Content emphasizes command-level supervision, MA criminal law and procedure, police management and administration, constitutional law and use of force, critical incident operations, community policing and ethics, and investigations. Eligible candidates are sworn lieutenants in participating MA municipalities meeting HRD time-in-grade requirements.

Sample MA Police Captain Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the MA Police Captain exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 200+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under Massachusetts G.L. c. 276, §1, a search warrant must be executed within how many days of issuance?
A.3 days
B.5 days
C.7 days
D.10 days
Explanation: Massachusetts G.L. c. 276, §1 requires execution of a search warrant within 7 days of issuance; after that the warrant is void.
2A captain reviews a multi-jurisdictional drug investigation spanning three MA cities. Under MGL c. 41, §99, what is the legal basis allowing an officer to act outside their primary jurisdiction?
A.Hot pursuit only
B.Written mutual aid agreement between municipalities under MGL c. 41, §99
C.Verbal request from another chief
D.Federal task force assignment alone
Explanation: MGL c. 41, §99 authorizes officers to act outside their jurisdiction pursuant to written mutual aid agreements between municipalities, expanding statutory authority beyond hot pursuit.
3Under MA law, a Terry stop must be supported by what legal standard?
A.Probable cause
B.Reasonable suspicion based on specific, articulable facts
C.Mere hunch
D.Officer's training and experience alone
Explanation: Terry v. Ohio and Massachusetts case law require reasonable suspicion supported by specific, articulable facts — not a hunch and not the higher probable cause standard.
4Massachusetts requires Miranda warnings when which two conditions are both present?
A.Arrest and station house
B.Custody and interrogation
C.Felony charge and counsel request
D.Booking and fingerprinting
Explanation: Miranda attaches when a suspect is in custody AND being interrogated. Either alone does not trigger the warnings under MA and federal law.
5Under MGL c. 209A, an emergency protective order may be issued by a judge when which standard is met?
A.Preponderance of evidence
B.Probable cause to believe abuse has occurred and substantial likelihood of immediate danger
C.Beyond a reasonable doubt
D.Officer's discretion alone
Explanation: Emergency 209A orders require a showing of substantial likelihood of immediate danger of abuse; this is a civil protective order standard, not the criminal probable cause for arrest.
6In complex financial-crime investigations, MA grand juries are convened under which authority?
A.MGL c. 277
B.MGL c. 265
C.MGL c. 90
D.MGL c. 138
Explanation: MGL c. 277 governs grand jury proceedings in Massachusetts, including indictment procedures for complex investigations.
7A captain oversees wiretap evidence collection. Under MGL c. 272, §99, MA wiretap orders require:
A.Chief's approval only
B.Application by the Attorney General or specially designated assistant district attorney with judicial authorization
C.Sergeant-level approval
D.No prior authorization in emergencies
Explanation: MGL c. 272, §99 requires application by the Attorney General or a specially designated assistant district attorney, plus judicial authorization. MA wiretap law is stricter than federal.
8Under Commonwealth v. Long (2020), MA officers conducting traffic stops must:
A.Document race and ethnicity for every stop to address discriminatory enforcement
B.Avoid all traffic stops at night
C.Use only marked vehicles
D.Obtain supervisor approval before every stop
Explanation: Commonwealth v. Long (2020) substantially altered the standard for proving racially motivated traffic stops, increasing emphasis on data collection regarding race and ethnicity during stops.
9MA's automobile exception to the warrant requirement requires:
A.Probable cause that the vehicle contains evidence of a crime AND exigent circumstances under MA law
B.Mere reasonable suspicion
C.Driver's consent only
D.Probable cause alone, as in federal courts
Explanation: Unlike federal law, MA requires BOTH probable cause AND exigent circumstances for warrantless vehicle searches; the SJC has rejected the broader federal automobile exception.
10A captain reviews a use-of-force report involving a chokehold. Under MGL c. 6E, §14 (Police Reform Act 2020):
A.Chokeholds are permitted with supervisor approval
B.Chokeholds are prohibited except as necessary to prevent imminent harm of death or serious bodily injury
C.Chokeholds are permitted only during arrests
D.Chokeholds require a written report only
Explanation: The MA Police Reform Act prohibits chokeholds and limits use of deadly force; chokeholds are only permitted where necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury, consistent with deadly force standards.

About the MA Police Captain Exam

The MA Statewide Police Captain Promotional Exam is the Massachusetts Human Resources Division (HRD) promotional exam used by participating MA municipalities to establish captain eligibility lists. The administration combines a written multiple-choice exam with an Education & Experience (E&E) rating and is delivered in a half-day session.

Exam sponsor: Massachusetts Human Resources Division (HRD), proctored at assigned MA testing sites. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

100 questions

Time Limit

Half-day administration

Passing Score

70

Exam / Certification Fees

$150

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Not published. MA HRD does not publish a single first-time pass-rate percentage for the captain promotional exam. 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.

≈25%

Police Supervision & Command

Command-level supervision, accountability, discipline, performance management, and span-of-control

≈20%

Police Management & Administration

Budgeting, staffing, planning, policy development, internal affairs oversight, and inter-agency coordination

≈18%

MA Criminal Law & Procedure

Massachusetts General Laws, criminal procedure, search and seizure, arrest authority, and rules of evidence

≈12%

Constitutional & Civil Rights Law

Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendment issues, use-of-force law, and civil-liability standards

≈10%

Critical Incident & Patrol Operations

Incident command, tactical operations, patrol deployment, and emergency response at the command level

≈8%

Community Policing & Ethics

Community engagement, procedural justice, bias-free policing, and ethical decision-making

≈7%

Investigations & Intelligence

Major case management, criminal investigations oversight, and intelligence-led policing

Preparing for the MA Police Captain Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: Half-day administration
  • Exam / certification fees: $150 Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 200 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

MA Police Captain: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master MA General Laws (especially Chapters 90, 265, 266, and 276) and HRD command-level reading lists before drilling questions.
2Drill command-level supervision and discipline scenarios — captains are graded on accountability, span-of-control, and policy enforcement.
3Practice budgeting, staffing, and planning questions; captains routinely manage division-level resources and personnel.
4Anchor every use-of-force, search, and seizure answer in the controlling Supreme Court doctrine (Graham, Tennessee v. Garner, Terry, Miranda).
5Use the incident command system (ICS) framework when answering critical-incident and emergency-response scenarios.
6On community policing and ethics items, anchor every answer in procedural justice, bias-free policing, and statutory duty rather than personal preference.
7Submit your Education & Experience (E&E) documentation early and accurately — it directly adds to your final ranked score.
8Run at least two full half-day timed mocks before exam day to build pacing endurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the MA Police Captain Promotional Exam?

The MA Statewide Police Captain Promotional Exam is the MA HRD promotional exam used by participating Massachusetts municipalities to establish captain eligibility lists. It combines a written multiple-choice exam with an Education & Experience (E&E) rating in a half-day administration.

Who administers the MA Police Captain exam?

The exam is administered by the Massachusetts Human Resources Division (HRD) at assigned proctored testing sites. Participating MA municipalities use the resulting eligibility lists for captain appointments.

How much does the MA Police Captain exam cost?

The MA HRD fee is $150. Candidates are responsible for their own travel to and from the assigned MA testing site.

What score do I need to pass?

A passing score of 70 is required. The final score combines the written multiple-choice exam and the Education & Experience (E&E) rating, with statutory preferences applied.

What is on the captain exam?

Content emphasizes police supervision and command, management and administration, MA criminal law and procedure, constitutional and civil rights law, critical incident and patrol operations, community policing and ethics, and investigations and intelligence.

Who is eligible to take the captain exam?

Eligible candidates are sworn lieutenants (or equivalent rank below captain) in participating MA municipalities who meet HRD time-in-grade and in-service requirements for the captain administration.

Can I retake the captain exam?

Yes. Retakes occur on the next MA HRD captain promotional administration. Candidates who do not pass — or who are not reached on the current eligibility list — register again when HRD opens the next captain exam cycle.

Is the exam available remotely?

No. The MA Police Captain Promotional Exam is administered in person at MA HRD-assigned testing sites.