National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST / Stanard & Associates POST) Reading Comprehension Syllabus

Reading Comprehension syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Reading Comprehension in National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST / Stanard & Associates POST), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Locating Explicit Information

   3 topics

   • Finding Stated Facts
     • Scanning passages for details
     • Matching answer choices to text
   • Following Procedures and Instructions
     • Interpreting policy and protocol passages
     • Sequencing steps in an order
   • Identifying Names, Dates, and Numbers
     • Tracking who, what, when, where
2. 2

   Inference and Interpretation

   4 topics

   • Drawing Logical Conclusions
     • Reasoning from given evidence
     • Distinguishing supported from unsupported claims
   • Determining Main Idea and Purpose
     • Topic sentence identification
     • Author's intent
   • Understanding Vocabulary in Context
     • Using surrounding sentences for meaning
     • Multiple-meaning words
   • Fact versus Opinion
     • Identifying verifiable statements
3. 3

   Applied Reading for Law Enforcement Materials

   3 topics

   • Interpreting Reports and Statements
     • Reading witness and incident narratives
     • Resolving conflicting details
   • Understanding Legal and Policy Text
     • Reading statutes and definitions
     • Applying rules to a scenario
   • Reading Charts within Passages
     • Combining text and embedded data

Reading Comprehension flashcards for National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST / Stanard & Associates POST)

20 of 52 cards from the Reading Comprehension deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In reading comprehension, what is a "stated fact"?

   A piece of information explicitly written in the passage that can be quoted or pointed to directly, without inference or outside knowledge.

2. When a question asks what the passage "states" or "says," what should the answer be based on?

   Only the explicit wording of the text itself, not assumptions, prior knowledge, or logical extensions.

3. What is the most reliable strategy for finding a stated fact in a long passage?

   Scan for the key words from the question (names, numbers, terms) and locate the exact sentence that contains them, then read that sentence carefully.

4. Why are answer choices that are "true in real life" but not in the passage incorrect on stated-fact questions?

   Stated-fact questions test only what the passage says; an answer must be supported by the text even if it is factually true elsewhere.

5. On a stated-fact question, how do you handle an answer choice that changes one word (e.g., "always" instead of "usually")?

   Reject it. A single altered qualifier makes the statement not match the passage, so it is not a stated fact.

6. When following a written procedure, why does the order of steps matter?

   Procedures are sequential; performing steps out of order can produce a wrong or unsafe result, so each step must be done in the exact sequence given.

7. In a conditional instruction such as "If X occurs, then do Y," what must be true before action Y is taken?

   Condition X must actually be present or have occurred; otherwise Y does not apply.

8. What is the difference between the words "shall/must" and "may" in a set of instructions?

   "Shall" and "must" indicate a required, mandatory action; "may" indicates a permitted but optional action.

9. When an instruction says "unless," how does it affect the main directive?

   "Unless" introduces an exception: the main directive applies except in the specific situation named after "unless."

10. In following procedures, what should you do with words like "first," "next," "then," and "finally"?

    Treat them as sequence markers that fix the exact order in which the steps must be carried out.

11. When a procedure lists steps A through D and asks what to do "after completing step B," how do you answer?

    Identify the step that immediately follows B in the listed sequence (step C) and report that action.

12. When identifying names, dates, and numbers in a passage, why is precise matching important?

    These details are exact data points; a close-but-wrong figure or misspelled name is counted as incorrect, so the answer must match the text exactly.

13. What is an effective way to keep track of multiple names and their roles in a passage?

    Note each name with its associated role, time, or action (e.g., who did what, when) so details are not confused between people.

14. When a passage gives times like "14:30" or "2:30 p.m.," how should they be interpreted?

    14:30 in 24-hour (military) time equals 2:30 p.m. in 12-hour time; convert carefully when matching a time-based question.

15. If a report says an incident occurred "three days before June 10," what is the date?

    June 7.

16. When matching numbers from a passage, what common distractor should you watch for?

    Transposed or altered digits (e.g., 1,250 vs. 1,520) and figures that belong to a different item or category in the passage.

17. What does it mean to "draw a logical conclusion" from a passage?

    To infer something that must be true based on the information given, even if it is not stated word-for-word.

18. What is the difference between an inference and an assumption when answering reading questions?

    An inference is a conclusion supported by evidence in the text; an assumption is taken for granted without textual support and should be avoided.

19. On an inference question, how do you tell a valid conclusion from an overreach?

    A valid conclusion is fully supported by the passage; an overreach adds information, exaggerates, or goes beyond what the evidence allows.

20. If a passage says "all officers on duty wore body cameras" and "Officer Lee was on duty," what can you logically conclude?

    Officer Lee wore a body camera.

See more Reading Comprehension flashcards →

Planning Reading Comprehension for National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST / Stanard & Associates POST)

Reading Comprehension (National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST / Stanard & Associates POST)) FAQ