1.1 PACT Architecture, Exam Administration & Scoring Standards
Key Takeaways
The PACT is a 100-item entry-level police test from Fire & Police Selection, Inc. (FPSI) with five sections: Reading 10, Math 10, Reasoning/Analyzing 9, Writing 15, and Situational Judgment/Human Relations 56 items.
FPSI's PACT candidate guide allows 3 hours; FPSI's proctored online instructions say 2.5 or 3 hours, depending on the department.
Every PACT item is worth one point, the highest raw score is 100, and blank answers earn nothing, so candidates should answer every item.
The Situational Judgment/Human Relations section presents 28 situations, and each one asks for both the most appropriate and the least appropriate response.
Each hiring agency sets its own PACT passing standard; FPSI does not publish one universal cut score.
1.1 PACT Architecture, Exam Administration & Scoring Standards
Note
The facts in this section come from FPSI's PACT Candidate Orientation Guide (2021 edition, as posted publicly by a hiring agency), FPSI's PACT product page, and FPSI's Proctored Online Test Instructions (posted in November 2025). FPSI states that every version of its PACT guide has the same instructions and explanatory content; only the practice items differ. Your hiring agency's test notice controls the date, place, format, and any agency-specific rule.
What the PACT Is
The Police Aptitude and Character Test (PACT) is an entry-level written test for police officer and deputy sheriff candidates. It is written and maintained by Fire & Police Selection, Inc. (FPSI), a public-safety testing company based in Roseville, California. Agencies purchase the test from FPSI and give it as one step in their own hiring process, so you register through the police department, sheriff's office, or civil service board that is hiring, not through FPSI.
FPSI describes the PACT as having a "balanced focus" in which human relations skills "receive proper weight alongside cognitive abilities." That phrase explains the whole exam: more than half of the items measure how you would handle people and workplace situations, not how much math or grammar you know. FPSI's candidate guide states that you do not need previous police experience to pass, that the items were developed and validated by police officers and sergeants, and that each measured construct was linked to an entry-level police officer job description. Subject-matter experts also confirmed that the reading level of the passages matches material found on the job and in the academy.
The Five Sections and Their Item Counts
The PACT is a 100-item test. FPSI's candidate guide lists five sections:
| Section | Items | Share of raw score | What FPSI says the section includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Ability | 10 | 10% | The ability to read and retain written information |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 10 | 10% | Basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division |
| Reasoning/Analyzing | 9 | 9% | Sequential ordering and logical thinking |
| Writing Ability | 15 | 15% | Correct wording, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and ease of understanding |
| Situational Judgment/Human Relations | 56 | 56% | Working under stress, integrity, ethics, decision-making, self-control, confidentiality, interpersonal skills, teamwork, following rules, and respect for others |
| Total | 100 | 100% |
Two numbers should shape your study plan. First, the four cognitive sections together contain only 44 items. Second, the Situational Judgment/Human Relations section alone contains 56 items: the real test presents 28 short police-related situations, and each situation is followed by two questions. You choose the most appropriate response and then the least appropriate response from the same four actions. A candidate who studies only math and grammar is preparing for less than half of the score.
Question Formats
- Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Reasoning/Analyzing, and Writing: every item has four alternatives, and you choose the one "best" or "most correct" answer. FPSI advises reading the entire question and all four alternatives before you choose, because a later alternative may be better than the first one that looks right.
- Situational Judgment/Human Relations: every situation lists four possible actions. One question asks for the most appropriate action and the next asks for the least appropriate action, so the two answers must be different options.
FPSI's sample items show what each section looks like:
| Section | Sample item types in FPSI's guide | Where this guide teaches them |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Ability | Questions on a departmental evaluation policy that includes a chart, including a "which is NOT true" item | Chapter 2 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | Speed and distance, a number series, a yearly percentage raise, an age problem, and a weight-capacity problem | Chapters 4 and 5 |
| Reasoning/Analyzing | Counting exact duplicates in lists of codes, choosing the most likely description from four witnesses, and choosing the most accurate statement about a short incident | Chapters 2 and 6 |
| Writing Ability | Word pairs that complete a sentence, the misspelled word, the type of error in a sentence, and synonyms | Chapter 3 |
| Situational Judgment/Human Relations | Short workplace and community situations with most- and least-appropriate questions | Chapter 7 |
Time, Scoring, and Guessing
| Rule | What FPSI publishes |
|---|---|
| Time allowed | 3 hours in the PACT candidate guide; FPSI's proctored online instructions say 2.5 or 3 hours, depending on the department |
| Item weighting | Every item is unit-weighted, so each one is worth one point |
| Highest possible score | A raw score of 100 |
| Blank answers | Not counted as correct; FPSI tells candidates not to leave any answer blank and to guess when unsure |
| Navigation | You may return to a section you have finished if time remains |
| Passing score | Set by the hiring agency; FPSI does not publish one universal cut score |
Your score is simply the number of items you answer correctly. A blank earns nothing, while a guess on a four-option item has a 1-in-4 chance of earning a point. If you can eliminate one wrong option, the odds improve to 1 in 3; eliminating two leaves a 1-in-2 chance.
The passing standard belongs to the hiring agency. Some departments set a minimum score, while others rank or band the candidates who pass and invite the highest scorers to the next step. Read your agency's announcement, and do not assume that a number such as 70% applies to you unless the agency says so.
Test Formats and Test-Day Rules
FPSI's product page states that the PACT is available in online and paper-and-pencil formats, so the department decides how you will test.
In-person testing (FPSI candidate guide):
- Arrive at least 15 minutes early. Late applicants may be refused admission.
- Bring photo identification, such as a driver's license. Without a picture ID you will not be permitted to test.
- Do not bring test-preparation materials or notes into the testing area.
- FPSI recommends casual attire, dressed in layers, because the test may last up to three hours.
- Follow every oral and written instruction from the agency and the proctor. Failing to follow instructions can affect your score or remove you from the process.
- Anyone caught cheating or attempting to cheat is disqualified, and the test results are invalidated.
Proctored online testing (FPSI Proctored Online Test Instructions):
- Use a Windows 10 or later or current macOS laptop or desktop with the latest Google Chrome, a webcam, a microphone, at least 4 GB of RAM, and an internet connection of at least 5 Mbps. Chromebooks, tablets, and phones are not allowed, and only one monitor may be connected.
- Your unique test link arrives about two days before the test from
onlinetesting@invitations.testgenius.com. Run FPSI's proctoring system check before test day. - Present a valid ID that matches your registration name and complete a face scan.
- Test alone in a quiet, well-lit room, and keep your webcam, microphone, and full-screen sharing on for the entire session.
- Calculators, phones, notes, and study materials are not allowed. Scratch paper is allowed for specific sections only and must be discarded afterward.
- Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect, and the timed session cannot be paused or restarted.
Important
FPSI's online rules prohibit calculators, and FPSI describes the PACT math items as basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Practice every calculation in this guide by hand.
What the PACT Does Not Measure
The PACT does not test criminal law, police procedure, local ordinances, or physical fitness. Hiring agencies cover those areas in other steps, such as a physical ability test, an interview, a background investigation, and academy training. When this guide uses police-themed passages, policies, or scenarios, the theme only supplies the setting. Every answer can be supported by the information in the question and by the basic skills FPSI says a minimally qualified applicant should have.
According to FPSI's PACT candidate guide, how many of the 100 items come from the Situational Judgment/Human Relations section?
20
28
40
56
Under the standard scoring methodology applied to the PACT, how are incorrect answers scored?
Incorrect answers are multiplied by a negative weighting factor based on the question's difficulty level
Incorrect answers receive no points, but carry no deduction or negative penalty against the candidate's raw score
Incorrect answers cancel out one correctly answered question in the same content category
Each incorrect answer results in a one-quarter point deduction from total correct answers
A department gives the PACT with the 3-hour limit stated in FPSI's candidate guide. What is the average time available for each of the 100 items?
72 seconds
90 seconds
108 seconds
120 seconds
Which statement about PACT passing scores matches what FPSI publishes?
Each hiring agency sets its own passing standard
Candidates must answer at least 50 of the 56 human relations items correctly
FPSI requires every agency to use a 70% cut score
The passing score is always the top 10% of the candidates tested
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.