6.4 Pre-Assignment Exam Review & Study Checklist

What the Regulation Requires

9 NYCRR § 6027.3 ends the eight-hour Pre-Assignment course with one hour of review and examination. 9 NYCRR § 6027.12 then requires each student to take and pass a written examination supervised and graded by a certified instructor before the school may issue a certificate of successful completion.

DCJS does not publish a single statewide numeric cut score in that regulation. Many approved schools use approximately 70% as their internal passing line. Your instructor will announce the school’s standard before the test.

Blueprint Weight Reminder (9 NYCRR § 6027.3)

Rapid Statute Checklist

1. CPL 140.30 — Felony: person has in fact committed the felony (arrest anywhere in NY). Other offenses: must occur in your presence; arrest only in that county.
2. CPL 140.35 / 140.40 — Inform of reason when practical; deliver to police without unnecessary delay.
3. GBL 218 — Shopkeeper’s privilege: reasonable grounds, reasonable manner, reasonable time for retail / theater detention investigations.
4. Penal Law Article 35 — Justification is an affirmative defense; force must be necessary and proportionate; deadly force is tightly limited.
5. GBL Article 7-A / § 89-n — 8-hour Pre-Assignment, 16-hour OJT within ninety working days, annual in-service, armed courses when applicable.

Logistics After You Pass

1. Receive the DCJS-format completion certificate from the school.
2. Complete IdentoGO electronic fingerprinting (fees payable to IDEMIA; DCJS + FBI + vendor components).
3. File the DOS Employee Statement and Security Guard Application with the $36 fee and supporting documents.
4. After employment begins, calendar the ninety working day OJT deadline from GBL § 89-n(1)(b).
5. Track annual in-service so renewal ($25) is not blocked.

Study Method That Matches the Exam

• Re-teach each domain out loud in one minute without notes.
• Drill “what would you do next?” scenarios rather than memorizing letter labels.
• Recheck any item involving arrest, force, or detention against the statute text — these are the highest-liability traps.

Domain-by-Domain Self-Test Prompts

Use these prompts before the school exam. Answer in complete sentences without looking at notes.

Role & ethics

• What does detect, deter, and report require you to do when you are unsure of your arrest authority?
• Name three ethics violations that can cost a registration card.

Legal powers

• State the CPL 140.30 rule for felonies versus other offenses.
• List the three GBL 218 reasonableness requirements for shopkeeper detention.
• Give one example of force that is not justified under Article 35 on a commercial post.

Emergencies

• Explain PASS for extinguishers and when you must abandon firefighting for evacuation.
• Recite RUN / HIDE / FIGHT in order and the rule for presenting yourself to arriving officers.
• Name two severe-weather actions that protect occupants without abandoning critical posts improperly.

Access, patrol, communications

• What do you do when a visitor lacks ID but claims to be expected?
• Why are field notes written in ink and timed accurately?
• Give one radio transmission practice that prevents channel congestion during an alarm.

Common Wrong Answers to Avoid

1. Treating “reasonable suspicion” as enough for a citizen’s arrest of a misdemeanor you did not see.
2. Claiming peace-officer search powers because you wear a uniform and badge.
3. Saying OJT can wait until the first registration renewal.
4. Believing unarmed Pre-Assignment graduates may carry a firearm without the 47-hour course and pistol permit.
5. Assuming DOS and DCJS are the same agency.

Timing and Attendance Reality Check

9 NYCRR § 6027.3 prefers completion in one eight-hour session, or two four-hour sessions within seven days if necessary. Attendance and identity verification rules are enforced by the school. Arriving late or leaving early can void credit even if you “know the material.”

Final 15-Minute Review Order

1. CPL 140.30 table (felony / offense / location limits).
2. Article 35 necessity and deadly-force limits.
3. GBL 218 three-part privilege.
4. Emergency first actions (life safety → notify → control scene → document).
5. Registration logistics ($36, fingerprints, 2-year card, OJT working-day clock).