Prep Rpab Btatpg Eng

Royal Canadian Gendarmerie royale
Mounted Police du Canada
PREPARATORY
GUIDE FOR THE
RCMP POLICE
APTITUDE BATTERY
HR Assessment and Research Directorate
Rev. 30 July 2010
"THIS PUBLICATION IS UNCLASSIFIED AND MAY BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE PUBLIC.”

RPAB Preparatory Guide
Table of contents
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Some general test taking strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
THE RCMP POLICE APTITUDE TEST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The RCM
P Police Aptitude Test’s components.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Composition.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
practice questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Comprehension. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Judgement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Observation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
practice questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Logic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Computation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Six Factor Personality Questionnaire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
RPAB Feedback.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Frequently Asked Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Where is my RPAT raw score? Why is my score reported on a scale from 0 to 5? . . . . . 19
What do my RPAT component scores mean?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
How is the RPAB aggregate score calculated?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
When can I rewrite the RPAB?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Closing Comments.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Answers to practice questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

English composition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
English comprehension.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Judgement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Observation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Logic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Computation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1
Introduction
This Preparatory Guide for the RCMP Police Aptitude Battery (RPAB) was developed by the RCMP’s
HR Assessment and Research Directorate. The RPAB is a test battery made up of two tests: the RCMP
Police Aptitude Test (RPAT) and the Six Factor Personality Questionnaire (SFPQ). HR Assessment and
Research, part of the Human Resources Sector, was responsible for the development of the current
version of the RCMP Police Aptitude Test (RPAT). The Six Factor Personality Questionnaire (SFPQ) is
a published test purchased by the RCMP to meet our recruiting needs. This preparatory guide is designed
to familiarize you with what to expect when writing the RPAB. This guide will provide
recommendations and suggestions concerning how you can best prepare yourself for the RPAT. It also
includes several practice questions similar in format to those that appear on the RPAT. The answers to
the practice questions, and a detailed set of rationales for the answers are also provided. In addition, the
guide includes a description of the SFPQ and provides recommendations on how best to approach it.
Some general test taking strategies

1. Listen to the instructions carefully. It is important that you clearly understand what you are
expected to do. If you are unclear, ask questions before you start the exam. Not following the
instructions provided will probably result in a lower obtained score. As well, not following the
instructions provided could disqualify you from the RCMP selection process.
2. Read the questions carefully. Make sure you understand what the question is asking before
answering.
3. Try to arrive at an answer before looking over the choices. However, read all of the offered
choices before selecting your final answer.
4. If you are unsure of an answer, eliminate the options you know are wrong. Even if you can only
eliminate one option, you will at least limit your guess to fewer options and, therefore, increase
your chance of guessing correctly.
5. Do not get hung up on any one question. If you are having difficulties with one particular
question, make your best guess at the answer and move on. You can always come back later and
spend more time with the question. If you waste time on a question to which you do not know the
answer, you might not reach some questions to which you do know the answer and, therefore,
will not get these points.
6. Never leave a question unanswered. Guess at any questions to which you do not know the
answer. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.
7. Bring a watch to the test. While the test administrator will occasionally announce the time
remaining, it is better to have a time piece available so that you can better judge your time. Time
management is a valuable test taking skill.
8. Do not panic. Exams can be very stressful events. If you feel yourself getting too anxious during
the test, take a couple of minutes to collect yourself. When you are ready, proceed with the test.
It may be a good idea to move on from a question that is making you especially anxious and
come back to it later.
2
THE RCMP POLICE APTITUDE TEST (RPAT)

The RPAT is a multiple-choice test that forms one component of the process used by the RCMP to select
cadets for training. The test is designed to evaluate your potential aptitude for police work. The test
measures seven skills that are essential in completing the duties of a police officer. These skills are
Composition (Spelling, Grammar, and Vocabulary), Comprehension, Memory, Judgement, Observation,
Logic, and Computation.
The RPAT is divided into three books, with 114 multiple-choice questions in total.
Book 1 includes information that you will need to memorize. There are no questions to answer in
this book. You will be given 5 minutes to memorize the information contained in Book 1.
Book 2 will evaluate your English composition skills and your English comprehension skills. It
will include 44 questions and you will have 30 minutes to answer them.
Book 3 will evaluate your memory of the information in Book 1, as well as your judgement,
observation, logic, and computation skills. There will also be some additional Comprehension
questions. In total, there are 70 questions in Book 3 and you will have 2 hours to answer them.
Each multiple-choice question will have four possible options. One and only one of these options is the
correct or best answer.
Some general steps that can be taken to improve your RPAT score:
1. There are several practice police officer examination guides available, both in print and on the
WEB. While many are American, the personal qualities being evaluated may be very similar. The
format for some of the scales presented in these guides may be very similar to those on the
RPAT; and
2. There are several guides (both in print and on the WEB) available for other standardized tests
such as the American Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), the
Law School Admission Test (LSAT), etc. While what is being measured on these exams might
differ to some extent, there remains much overlap between their contents and the RPAT. Note
that the levels required to pass some of these tests are not the same as the RPAT, especially for
exams such as the GRE and LSAT. Treat them as only practice to get you familiar with the type
of question you can expect to see on the RPAT, and not as an indicator of how well you will do
on the RPAT.
3
The RCMP Police Aptitude Test’s components
1) Composition
This section will examine your ability to articulate, in a written format, complex thoughts in a clear and
concise manner understandable to others. Specifically, this section will examine your knowledge of
grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. Some of the sources used to create this section include ITP Nelson
Canadian Dictionary of the English Language: An Encyclopedic Reference (1997); Webster’s Ninth New
Collegiate Dictionary (1984); Shaw’s (1993) Errors in English and Ways to Correct them; and Strunk Jr.
& White’s (1979) The Elements of Style. Using these references may be helpful in improving your
performance.
In all, there will be 39 English Composition questions on the RPAT: 10 spelling, 10 grammar, and 19
vocabulary questions.
Here are some activities that can help improve your English composition performance:
1. Read, read, and then read some more;

2. Familiarize yourself with the use of dictionaries and thesauruses. When reading, identify any
words that you do not know and look up the definition of these words in a dictionary;
3. Use memory aids to help you remember the correct spelling. For example, mnemonics such as “i
before e except after c” can be very useful;
4. Make it a point to learn at least one new word every day;
5. Practice with a friend by having him/her verbally dictate short written passages to you while you
attempt to write out the passage. Afterwards, check your spelling;
6. Try to spot spelling mistakes in newspapers or other documents. Confirm your findings by
looking up the correct spelling in a dictionary; and
7. Do crossword puzzles found in newspapers, magazines, and puzzle books. Continue to challenge
yourself by progressively completing more difficult puzzles.
Composition practice questions
1. Both women have made previous complaints, none of which were followed through because of
insufficient evidence or strong fear of retaliation by the suspect. The suspect is attempting to
intimidate the women and is known for irrationale behaviour.
Which word in the sentences above is misspelled?
a) insufficient
b) retaliation
c) intimidate
d) irrationale
4
2. On the night of the accident, coeficient of friction testing was conducted using police transport
on a cycloidal skid mark.
Which word in the sentence above is misspelled?
a) accident
b) coeficient
c) friction
d) cycloidal
3. Which word completes the next sentence?
Once she became a public figure, she had to give __________ her anonymity.
a) about
b) back
c) in
d) up
4. Which words complete the next sentence?
My partner and _____ went to the home and _____ knocking on the door.
a) I, began
b) me, began
c) me, begun
d) I, begun
5. Which of the following is the best definition of the word amendment?
a) cancellation by making invalid or outdated

b) identification by comparison and elimination
c) improvement by revision or correction
d) protection by establishing rules and laws
6. Which of the following words can be defined as: “The process of deriving general principles
from particular instances”?
a) concoction
b) deduction
c) induction
d) reduction
5
2) Comprehension
This section is designed to evaluate your ability to read and accurately interpret written material. You
will be presented with a series of short passages. For each of these passages, two or three questions will
be asked to determine if you have correctly interpreted the content of the particular passage.
In all, there will be four short passages presented to you (two in Book 2 and two in Book 3).
Accompanying these passages will be a total of eleven questions (five in Book 2 and six in Book 3).
Here are some activities that can help improve your English comprehension performance:
1. As with the composition exercises, read, read, and then read some more;
2. It is important to challenge yourself to the reading level expected to adequately perform the job
of police officer. A selection of magazines that have similar levels of reading as that on the
RPAT include Canadian Geographic, Saturday Night, and some of the longer articles in
Maclean’s. Your local library should have a selection of these and similar magazines; and
3. Have a friend read an article or passage that you have also read. Discuss the contents of the text
to confirm your interpretation of the message.
Comprehension practice questions
Questions 7 to 9 refer to the following passage1:
Throughout its long history, China has seen the rise and fall of a large number of secret organizations.
Originally, most of them had no criminal intent. They were simply brotherhoods based on shared
political purposes and mutual assistance. However, some of them fell under the control of dishonest
people. They then drifted into crime and ended up posing a threat to the social order. This was the case
for two of the largest secret organizations of Chinese modern history, the Tsing and Hong organizations.
Many criminal organizations such as the Tsing and Hong and many others controlled brothels, opium
dens, casinos and drug trafficking operations. They forced business owners to give them a percentage of
their profit. They also committed more serious crimes such as abduction, the trade of women and
children, and even assassinations. To achieve impunity from the law, they corrupted government and
colonial officials. It was not uncommon for leaders of these organizations to occupy legitimate positions
in companies or even in government agencies. They used these jobs as a front for their illegal activities.
Each organization had its own system of laws and punishments. The internal law of the Hong
organization had five possible punishments: capital punishment, corporal punishment, caning,
degradation and banishment. A strict hierarchy existed and obedience to superiors was mandatory. New
members, called apprentices, were placed under a master and were at his service. In the golden age of the
Tsing and Hong organizations, a powerful leader could recruit thousands of apprentices.
1
This passage was taken from : © Zhang, X., (1996). Analyse de la criminalité en Chine. Revue
Internationale de Criminologie et de Police Technique, Vol. 3, pp. 321-329
6
7. According to the previous passage, which one of the following statements is true?
a) Chinese secret organizations have always threatened the social order.

b) Financial assistance is encouraged in Chinese criminal organizations.
c) Few criminal organizations are known in China; only two are known today.
d) Some secret Chinese organizations have not turned to crime.
8. According to the previous passage, which one of the following statements is true?
a) Criminal organizations bribed government employees and senior officials to avoid facing
consequences of their misdeeds.
b) All leaders of these organizations had legitimate positions in businesses or in the
government.
c) The trade of women and children was the main activity of Chinese criminal
organizations.
d) Prostitution is one of the rare illegal businesses in which Chinese criminal organizations
did not participate.
9. Which one of the following statements is supported by the previous passage?
a) In the Hong organization, only apprentices had to obey their superiors.

b) In the Hong organization, a person’s rank could not be lowered as a form of punishment.
c) In the Hong organization, the penalty for disobedience was corporal punishment.
d) In the Hong organization, the leader recruited many new members.
7
3) Memory
This section will test your ability to memorize pictorial and textual materials over a period of time. You
will be presented with four mug shots of individuals, along with their names, descriptions, and the crimes
for which they are wanted. In addition, you will be provided with descriptions of six vehicles. These
descriptions will include the make and colour of the vehicle, the licence plate of the vehicle, and,
occasionally, a crime in which the vehicle was involved. Your task is to memorize all of this information.
All of this information will be presented in Book 1 of the RPAT.
About thirty minutes into the test (at the beginning of Book 3), you will be asked nine questions that will
assess how well you memorized the information.
The following is a sample of the type of information you will be asked to memorize:
Name: David McClury

Gender: Male
Age: 27
Eye Colour: Green
Hair Colour: Brown
Identifying Features: Tattoo of skull on upper left biceps
Crime wanted for: Murder
Here are some activities that can help improve your memory
1. Spend time memorizing textual material such as newspapers. Test yourself on what you
remember 30 minutes later.
2. Spend time memorizing the pictures of individuals in the newspaper, and the names of the people
in the pictures. Test yourself after 30 minutes to see how well you did.
3. Have a friend note the makes, colour, and licence plates of a few cars in a parking lot. Memorize
this information (giving yourself about 2 minutes to do so), then test yourself 30 minutes later.
4. Try to draw direct links between what you are trying to memorize and things that are familiar to
you. Whenever possible, use imagery to help remember the information (i.e., form a picture of
the information in your mind).
8
4) Judgement
This section will test your ability to use appropriate resources and strategies to achieve objectives. You
demonstrate good judgement by reaching sound decisions and taking the appropriate courses of action.
The term judgement is used synonymously with the concept of common sense.
There will be 15 Judgement questions on the test. Unlike the other questions on the test, which are each
worth 1 point, the Judgement questions are each worth 2 points. Keep this in mind when you are deciding
how much time to assign to the Judgement questions.
In responding to the questions, think about the possible consequences of taking/not taking each of the
actions listed. Choose the option that you believe has the most positive set of consequences, or perhaps
the least negative set of consequences.
Here are some activities that can help improve your judgement performance:
1. Take note of any policing situations that you may read about in the newspaper. Notice the actions
taken, the rationale for these actions, and the public responses to the actions.
2. The skill of good judgement or common sense is a difficult one to improve. The key is to expand
your horizons so that you may understand the consequences of a set of plausible actions. Once
you have improved your ability to predict possible consequences, improvement in common sense
will follow.
Judgement practice questions
10. You are a police officer in a small town. You are on patrol at 2:00 a.m. when you see a car
leaving town and moving very fast. You turn on the lights and sirens of your police car and
attempt to pull the car over. The car does not pull over and a brief high speed chase results. After
a short distance, the driver loses control of the car and it skids into the ditch. Four men jump out
of the car and run into the forest. Of the following which is the best initial course of action to
take?
a) Call for backup and immediately chase the suspects into the forest.
b) Call for backup and request police dog(s). Upon their arrival, begin the chase of the
suspects into the forest.
c) Determine the registered owner of the car. The following day, go to the registered car
owner's home and question him about the incident.
d) Draw your gun and order the men to stop. If they do not comply, fire a warning shot into
the air.
9
11. You are a police officer in a large municipality. Your coworker and friend, Constable Grey, is in
constant financial trouble as the result of loans that she obtained before joining the RCMP.
Constable Grey is married and has recently taken on a second job to pay her bills. You have
noticed that since she has had this second job, the quality of her work has gone down
considerably. Of the following, which is the best initial step to take?
a) Suggest to Constable Grey that she speak to a financial consultant.
b) Lend Constable Grey some money.
c) Speak to Constable Grey's spouse to identify possible solutions to her financial

difficulties.
d) Speak to Constable Grey and tell her about your concerns.
12. At a meeting, your supervisor tells all the members on shift about a new RCMP policy. The
policy states that police officers are to wear their hats at all times while on duty in the downtown
area. The rationale for the policy is that the wearing of hats projects a professional policing
image and allows the public to easily identify the person as a police officer. Later that evening,
you and your partner receive a call that a young female was just sexually assaulted by two males
who are both well-known to you. The two males are to be arrested. You believe that the two male
suspects are at a fountain in the downtown area that is only approachable on foot. There is a
music festival being held in the area that is attracting large crowds of people. You and your
partner feel that, under these circumstances, it would be inappropriate to wear your hats; the
suspects would likely see you approaching and may flee. Of the following, which is the best
course of action to take?
a) Call your supervisor, explain the situation, and request permission not to wear your hats.
Follow the decision given.
b) Proceed to the area without wearing your hats. Explain to your supervisor afterwards the
reason for your action.
c) Wear your hat while in the area, consistent with the RCMP policy.
d) Do not attempt to arrest the suspects at this time as their identity is known. Wait for
another time to arrest them.
10
5) Observation
This section will test your ability to attend to details in visual material. For each question, you will
examine a set of five sketches of faces. For each set, the first drawing will be identified as a sketch of an
alleged criminal. The other drawings will be labelled “a”, “b”, “c”, and “d”.
For each set of drawings, one of the drawings labelled “a”, “b”, ”c”, or “d” will have near identical facial
features as that identified as the alleged criminal. Your task is to identify this drawing. In making your
decision, you are to assume that no plastic surgery has occurred.
To complete the task accurately, focus on features that are unlikely to be altered without plastic surgery.
For example, examine the shape of the eyes, the size and appearance of the nose, the shape of the face,
etc. Do not be distracted by features that can easily be altered, such as hair style and colour, facial hair,
and clothing.
Use a process of elimination when completing the task. Eliminate any pictures where you notice a
difference in a feature that should not change. Once three pictures have been eliminated, the remaining
picture should be the correct answer.
Here are some activities that can help improve your observation performance:
1. “Spot the difference” puzzles often found in newspapers.

2. “Find Waldo” puzzles.
3. Word finds.
Though these activities are not exactly the same as on the test, they do allow you to practice using your
observation skills.
11
Observation practice questions
13.
Suspected criminal
Potential matches
a) b)
c) d)
12
14.
Suspected criminal
Potential matches
a) b)
c) d)
13
6) Logic
This section will examine your ability to identify and to analyze problems and situations using deductive
processes (ability to apply general rules to a problem and arrive at a logical answer) and inductive
processes (ability to combine information in order to form general rules). This will be investigated using
a wide variety of questions. You will be asked to complete tasks such as ordering pieces of information
in a logical sequence, following directions on a map, determining the pattern that exists in a set of data,
and solving problems.
There will be 20 logic questions in total on the RPAT.
To solve many of the presented puzzles, it is important that you organize your thoughts. Solve one piece
of the puzzle at a time: it is unlikely that a solution can be obtained by trying to examine all of the data at
once. It is also important to organize the order in which each piece of the puzzle should be solved. The
solutions to some aspects of the puzzles cannot be obtained without the solution to some other piece of
the puzzle. In some instances, creating a diagram of the information on a piece of scrap paper may help in
organizing your thoughts.
Here are some activities that can help improve your logic performance:
1. There are logic puzzle magazines that provide puzzles similar to those found on the RPAT.
2. There are many computer games (e.g., adventure games, puzzle games) that make use of logic
skills to solve them.
3. Read mystery novels such as Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series. Try to solve the
crime before the hero does.
Logic practice questions
15. You are preparing a report concerning a car accident. The following five pieces of information
are to be included in the report:
1. Constable MacInnis explained that the car was heading east bound on 84th
Avenue in the first lane and had struck a young girl who was running across 84th
Avenue.
2. The statement was not obtained at this time, as the driver of the car was too
emotionally upset.
3. Constable Smith attended the scene of a car accident and was briefed by
Constable MacInnis of what had occurred.
4. The driver was then turned over to Constable Smith for a statement.
5. Constable MacInnis then stated that he had detained the driver of the car and that
he had read him his rights.
In which of the following orders should the information in the report be presented?
a) 1, 5, 2, 4, 3
b) 3, 5, 1, 4, 2
c) 1, 2, 4, 3, 5
d) 3, 1, 5, 4, 2
14
Questions 16 and 17 refer to the following information:
You are investigating a serious accident involving five cars. The car at the front of the accident is
labelled 1 and the car at the back of the accident is labelled 5. The remaining cars are labelled according
to their location in the chain of cars. The information related to the accident is sketchy and somewhat
disorganized. You know the following:
I. The drivers involved in the accident are Paul, Kim, Jennifer, Kevin, and Sarah.
II. Kevin was in one of the cars ahead of Kim
III. Sarah and Jennifer were in car 1 and 5, although not necessarily in that order.
16. Which one of the following statements must be false?
a) Kim is in a car ahead of Sarah

b) Kim is in car 2
c) Paul is in car 2
d) Kim is in a car behind Paul
17. If Kevin is in car 3, which one of the following statements must be true?
a) Paul is in a car behind Kim

b) Kim is in a car ahead of Sarah
c) Sarah is in car 1
d) Paul is in a car ahead of Kevin
7) Computation
This section will evaluate your ability with basic computations. The section will examine if you know
when to and how to add, subtract, multiply and divide. It will also evaluate some very basic algebra
skills. The knowledge of mathematics required to do well in this section is no higher than a grade nine
level. You will not be allowed to use a calculator.
There will be 10 Computation questions on the RPAT.
Here are some activities that can help improve your computation performance:
1. Reread a high school math textbook, which often can be obtained through a local library (no
higher than the grade 9 level is required). Similarly, there are educational computer programs
that focus on these math skills.
2. Practice solving a variety of math problems on a daily basis (e.g., when paying for a product,
calculate in your head how much change you should expect before the cashier gives it, or try to
calculate the amount of tax that needs to be paid for a product prior to arriving to the cashier).
15
Computation practice questions
Questions 18 to 19 refer to the following information:
The RCMP has developed strategic partnerships with various financial institutions, both nationally and
internationally, in an effort to reduce the counterfeiting of currency and credit cards. The following table
reflects the amount of success they have had over a five year period. For questions 18 and 19, assume
that the two currencies are at par (i.e., CDN $1 = US $1).
Counterfeiting Seizure Statistics
Year Canadian Currency American Currency
1996 $5,121 $72,500
1997 $3,211 $850,000
1998 $2,127 $63,427
1999 $7,500 $22,500
2000 $6,835 $54,073
18. What percentage of the total funds seized in 1999 was Canadian?
a) 3%
b) 4%
c) 25%
d) 33%
19. What percentage of all the seized American funds were seized in 1997?
a) 29%
b) 78%
c) 80%
d) 99%
16
Questions 20 and 21 refer to the following scenario:
After a drug investigation, police officers seized the following items from three arrested persons:
Arrested person Amount of cocaine Number of Number of Number of

$100 bills $50 bills $20 bills
Smith 2.6 kg 111 45 34
Hasek 0.5 kg 35 21 26
Ramji 1.8 kg 20 135 5
Assume 1 gm of cocaine is worth $90.
20. How much cash did the officers take from suspect Hasek?
a) $4,070
b) $5,070
c) $13,940
d) $49,070
21. What was the value of all the items taken from all the arrested persons?
a) $378,750
b) $459,905
c) $468,950
d) $514,440
17
The Six Factor Personality Questionnaire

The RCMP has started using the Six Factor Personality Questionnaire (SPFQ) to measure an applicants’s
conscientiousness, a concept not measured by the RPAT. This measure of conscientiousness is being
introduced due to its close relationship with concepts such as honesty, integrity and commitment.
Conscientiousness is defined as behaviour governed by or conforming to the dictates of conscience;
principled.
The SFPQ has 108 questions and takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete, although you will be
given 45 minutes to complete it. Each question is written as a statement about which you are asked to
what extent you agree or disagree. For example:
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5
“I love order and regularity ” Î Ï Ð Ñ Ò
For each statement, you are to indicate, on an answer sheet, your level of agreement by darkening the
corresponding circle. There is no preparation required for this test. Keep in mind that the RCMP is
concerned with honesty and integrity. Consequently, the most effective strategy is to answer each
question honestly.
It is very important that you answer every question on the SFPQ. Failure to do so may lead to an inability
to determine your conscientiousness score. Because the conscientiousness score is required to proceed in
the recruiting process, failure to answer all the SFPQ questions could result in a request for you to
rewrite the SFPQ, which would seriously delay your application.
RPAB Feedback
The feedback you receive following the RPAB administration will include your RPAT score, the RPAT
component scores, your conscientiousness score, and if you meet the RPAT minimum score, a combined
score (i.e., RPAB score). Sixty percent of this combined score will be based on your RPAT results and
forty percent will be based on the conscientiousness score.
18
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: Where is my RPAT raw score? Why is my score reported on a scale from 0 to 5?
Answer:
Consider the following scenario. A person writes a selection exam called the Celsius. The person
obtains a raw score of 20. A second person writes a second exam measuring the same concepts,
but this one is called the Fahrenheit. The second individual obtains a raw score of 68. When
comparing these two individuals’ raw scores, it would appear that the second individual did
much better than the first. This conclusion would in fact be wrong. The scales used for the two
scores are different, and so the scores are not comparable. You must convert the scores to a
common scale before any two scores can be compared. If this transformation was done in our
example, it would be concluded that the two individuals actually performed equally well: to
convert the Fahrenheit to the scale used in the Celsius, subtract 32 and multiply by 5/9. In that
there are several different forms of the RPAT, this scenario exemplifies why the RCMP has
chosen to report RPAT scores in a standardized format.
Every exam has a unique scale. This unique scale is defined by the questions on the exam.
Change a question on the exam, and you have changed the scale. Characteristics of the exams
such as the difficulty of the questions, the number of options available in each question, and the
number of questions all play a role in defining an exam’s scale.
If you want to compare scores from various versions of the exam, you must place every one of
the exams to be compared on a common scale. In the case of the RPAT, there are several
versions (forms) of the test such that a common scale was required. We must be able to make
identical conclusions regardless of what form you have written, and this can only be
accomplished with a common scale. The scale chosen is one modeled after the grade point
average used by many universities, except that our scale ranges from 0.00 to 5.00 rather than 0.00
to 4.00. The pass mark for the RPAT is set at 3.20. This scale can be applied to every version of
the RPAT. In that the raw scores on their own are not interpretable, they will no longer be
included in any subsequent feedback regarding RPAT performances. By the way, if you divide
your obtained RPAT score by 5, you will get a rough estimate of the percentage obtained of the
total possible points available (e.g., you need roughly 64% -- 3.2 divided by 5 -- to pass the
RPAT) .
Similarly, there was a need to make scores of the RCMP Recruit Selection Test (RRST)
comparable to those obtained on the RPAT. Again, this was accomplished by transforming the
RRST score to the same scale used to report the RPAT score (0.00 to 5.00, with a pass mark of
3.20). We must ensure that decisions made on the RPAT are consistent with decisions made with
the RRST. With standardized scoring, the reported scores on the two selection tests are
interchangeable, and similar interpretations can be made.
19
Question: What do my RPAT component scores mean?
Answer:
When you think about it, all components are miniature tests within the overall test. This means
that each of these mini-tests has its own scale. Just as the raw score for the overall test are not
interpretable on their own, the raw scores for each mini-test are not interpretable on their own.
To make them interchangeable with various forms of the RPAT, each mini-test has to be put on a
common scale. In addition, to be able make a conclusion such as, “I’m strong in memory but
weak in logic”, the mini-tests within each form must be on the same scale. For the RPAT
components, the scale chosen is one that has an average score of 2.50. This means if you
obtained a component score of less than 2.50, you have demonstrated below average performance
for that particular component. If your score is above 2.50, you have demonstrated an above
average performance for that particular component. The higher your score, the better you did.
With this scaling in place, you can compare component scores obtained by different people even
if they wrote different versions of the RPAT. In addition, you can compare your scores over
administrations, even if you wrote different versions of the RPAT.
It must be pointed out that the scale chosen for the components (i.e., the mini-tests) is not the
same as the scale chosen for the total RPAT score (i.e., the overall test). This was done
intentionally to emphasize the different purposes of the two sets of scores (i.e., for decision
making for the total RPAT score, and for feedback to candidates for the component scores). You
cannot average out the component scores and arrive at the total scores. You would need to take
into account several factors such as how difficult each component is, how many questions each
component had, and how many points were the component question’s worth. The important item
to keep in mind is that increases in any component score will directly lead to an increase in the
total score; similarly, decreases in a component score will lead to a decrease in the total score.
Therefore, if you intend on improving your performance, all you need to do is improve upon the
identified weaknesses (i.e., any component score that is less than 2.50) and maintain your
identified strengths. This improvement will reflect itself in the total score.
Question: How is the RPAB aggregate score calculated?
Answer:
The RCMP Police Aptitude Battery (RPAB) aggregate score is based on both the successful RPAT score
(minimum 3.2/5.0) and the SFPQ’s Conscientiousness score. There are a number of steps involved in
calculating the aggregate score. These steps ensure that both components are combined in a fair way,
and that the RCMP uses the best possible combination of these measures.
STEP 1. This first step is similar to the response under the question Where is my RPAT raw score? Why
is my score reported on a scale from 0 to 5? The RPAT and the Conscientiousness scores are on different
scales and must be placed on a common scale. The standardization process used (i.e., z-score
transformation) is an extremely common mathematical procedure and interested readers are directed to
any introductory statistics book.
STEP 2. Based on the available research, the RCMP has decided to apply a 60% weight on RPAT score
and and a 40% weight on the SFPQ’s conscientiousness score. The converted RPAT score from step 1 is
multiplied by 60, the converted Conscientiousness score is multiplied by 40, and the two are added
20
STEP 3. In the final step, the combined score is place a new scale. This scale has an average score of
250, with the scores ranging from 0 to 500.
Question: When can I rewrite the RPAT?
Answer:
You must wait at least a year between writings of the RPAT. The reason for this is that writing
the RPAT test two times too close to each other leads to potentially invalid results. An adequate
amount of time (i.e., 1 year) must go by to ensure valid results. You will be signing a security
form indicating that you have not written the RPAT (nor the Telecom Operator Aptitude Test
(TOAT)) in the last year. Writing the RPAT early and signing this security form is viewed as
indicative of an integrity problem, and will be pursued as such.
Closing Comments
The research literature on personnel selection identifies tests such as the RPAT are good predictors of all
types of job performance, including police work. This is why both are considered important components
in the RCMP recruiting process.
We hope this guide has helped you prepare for the RPAT administration. The guide’s intended purpose
is to have all of the applicants aware of what is awaiting them in this part of the recruitment process to
become an RCMP police officer. Knowing what to expect should decrease your anxiety. Remember to
arrive at the test session well rested.
Good luck.
References
ITP Nelson Canadian Dictionary of the English language: An encyclopedic reference (1997).
Scarborough, Canada: ITP Nelson.
Shaw, H. (1993). Errors in English and ways to correct them (4th ed). New York: Harper Paperbacks.
Strunk Jr., W., & White, E.B. (1979). The elements of style (3rd ed). New York: Macmillan Publishing.
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (1984). Markham, ON: Thomas Allen & Son.
-----------------
Note. The Dictionaries, Shaw (1993) and Strunk & White (1979) references are the exact material used at
the time of developing the RPAT.
21
Answers to practice questions

1) English composition
1. The correct answer is “d”.

The correct spelling for option d is “irrational” (i.e., without the “e” at the end).
2. The correct answer is “b”.

The correct spelling for option b is “coefficient” (i.e., two “f”s).

Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (1984) defines give up as “to cease to do some
action: ABANDON”. This definition works well at completing a meaningful sentence. The other
options do not.
4. The correct answer is “a”.

The first blank is for one of the subjects of the verbs “to go” and “to begin”. “I” and not “me”,
which is used as an object of a verb, is the appropriate pronoun to use as the subject of the verbs.
Next, the sentence is written in the past (went is the past tense of “to go”). Began is the past tense
of “to begin”.
5. The correct option is “c”.

ITP Nelson Canadian Dictionary of the English Language: An Encyclopedic Reference (1997)
defines amendment as “the act of changing for the better; improvement.” Webster’s Ninth New
Collegiate Dictionary (1984) defines amendment as, “the act of changing or modifying for the
better.”
Option “c” is the best match of these definitions.
6. The correct option is “c”.

The bolded text in the question is one of the definitions of induction provided by ITP Nelson
Canadian Dictionary of the English Language: An Encyclopedic Reference (1997). Webster’s
Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (1984) defines induction as, “inference of a generalized
conclusion from particular instances,” paralleling the definition provided in ITP Nelson
Canadian Dictionary of the English Language: An Encyclopedic Reference (1997).
2) English comprehension

Option “a” is wrong because the passage includes the statement stating, “Originally, most of
them (secret organizations) had no criminal intent.” The concept of financial assistance as stated
in option “b” is never mentioned in the passage. Therefore, it is not supported by the passage.
Option “c” mentions that ONLY two criminal organizations are known. The passage actually
implies that there are more than the two (“This was the case for two of the largest secret
organizations of Chinese modern history”). Option “d” is the only option supported by the
passage (“some of them [not all] fell under the control of dishonest people”).
22
8. The correct answer is “a”.

Option “b” is wrong because is states that all leaders had legitimate positions in businesses or in
the government. The passage states that it was not uncommon for this to be, but not that it always
happened. Option “c” is wrong because the passage makes no claim that the trade of women and
children is the main activity of the secret organizations, only that it is one of the illegal activities
performed. Option “d” is wrong because it is specifically mentioned in the passage that the
organizations controlled brothels. Option “a” is the only option supported by the passage (“To
achieve impunity from the law, they corrupted government and colonial officials”).

Option “a” is wrong because the passage includes the statement, “A strict hierarchy existed and
obedience to superiors was mandatory.” This statement is not limited to being an apprentice.
Option “b” is wrong because the passage identifies degradation (i.e., a reduction in rank) as a
form of punishment. Option “c” is wrong because the passage never specifies any penalty that is
associated with a particular crime. Option “d” is the only option supported by the text (“a
powerful leader could recruit thousands of apprentices”. Apprentices was earlier in the passage
defined as new members).
3) Judgement

Option “b” is the most effective action because you have called for back up in a high risk
situation. In addition, you have taken steps, once sufficient resources are obtained, to apprehend
the individuals. Option “a” is wrong because you have placed yourself at considerable risk by
pursuing four males at night in a forest. Option “c” is wrong because the vehicle may be stolen
and you have made no attempt to apprehend the suspects at the time when options existed for you
to do so. Option “d” is wrong because it is very dangerous to fire a shot into a dark forest.

Option “d” is the most effective initial option because Constable Grey is your friend and you
have knowledge of the situation. Options “a” is wrong because, although you have provided good
advice, there is no indication that Constable Grey has not already contacted a financial advisor.
Option “b” is wrong because by lending money to Constable Grey you are not solving her
financial problem. Option “c” is wrong because you have meddled too far into a private
situation.

Option “b” is correct because you have analyzed the risk of not wearing the hat and exercised
common sense that, in this case, following RCMP policy will compromise your ability to arrest
the suspects in a safe manner. Option “a” is wrong because immediate action is required to
apprehend the suspects and should not be delayed due to a minor policy issue. Option “c” is
wrong because you have not exercised any decision-making or judgement and have simply
followed policy that is not appropriate in this situation; the suspects may flee and, consequently,
re-offend. Option “d” is wrong because you are taking a risk of losing the suspects and evidence
because of a minor policy issue.
23
4) Observation

In option “a”, notice that the nose is different. In option “c”, notice that the eyes are different. In
option “d”, notice that the ears and the shape of the face are different. Each of these differences
are unlikely to occur without plastic surgery. On the other hand, the only difference between
option “b” and the suspected criminal is that the picture includes a mustache. This would be a
very simple disguise. Option “b” is therefore the most likely match to the suspected criminal.

In option “a”, notice that the shape of the face is different. In option “c”, notice that the shape of
the mouth is different. In option “d”, notice that the nose is different. Each of these differences
are unlikely to occur without plastic surgery. On the other hand, the only difference between
option “b” and the suspected criminal is that the picture includes eyeglasses. This would be a
very simple disguise. Option “b” is therefore the most likely match to the suspected criminal.
5) Logic

There are several ways in which to correctly arrive at this answer. Here is one way:
The four options indicate that there are two possible first statements: statement 1 (options “a”
and “c”) and statement 3 (options “b” and “d”). In statement 1, Constable MacInnis is explaining
the situation to someone, yet it is unclear as to who. In statement 3, Constable Smith is just
arriving at the scene and begins the briefing with Constable MacInnis. Therefore, Constable
Smith is likely the person being spoken to in statement 1, such that statement 3 should occur
before statement 1. This narrows the possible correct option to options “b” and “d”. In option
“b”, statement 5 is the next piece of information to use. However, the statement seems to imply
some other statement had been made (“Constable MacInnis then stated...”). Statement 1, the
second piece of information to use in option “d”, is very likely this statement and logically
should precede statement 5. Therefore, option “d” is the correct option.

There are several ways in which to correctly arrive at this answer. Here is one way:
This is a problem for which it is extremely helpful to draw a diagram to organize yourself. From
the information in the problem text and in clue I, the following diagram can be used
Paul Kim Jennifer Kevin Sarah

Car 1
Car 2
Car 3
Car 4
Car 5
24
Place the information found in the clues into the table. Clue III is the most useful, so we will start with
that one. From this clue, we can state that Sarah and Jennifer are not in cars 2, 3, or 4. Similarly, we can
state that Paul, Kim and Kevin are not in cars 1 or 5. This information can be placed in the table.

Car 1 NO NO NO
Car 2 NO NO
Car 3 NO NO
Car 4 NO NO
Car 5 NO NO NO
Next, Clue II states that Kevin was ahead of Kim. From the information currently in our table,
the farthest back Kim can be is in car 4. Therefore, to ensure that he remains ahead of Kim, the
farthest back Kevin can be is in car 3. Similarly, from the information currently in our table, the
farthest in front Kevin can be is in car 2. Therefore, to ensure that she remains behind Kevin, the
farthest front Kim can be is in car 3. This information can be placed in the table.

Car 1 NO NO NO
Car 2 NO NO NO
Car 3 NO NO
Car 4 NO NO NO
Car 5 NO NO NO
Now we are ready to answer question 1. Option “a” is wrong, because there is a possibility that
Sarah could be in car 5 such that the option could be true. Option “c” is wrong because there is
the possibility that Paul is in car 2. Option “d” is wrong because there is the possibility that Paul
is in car 2 and Kim is in car 3. Option “b” is the correct option, because we have concluded from
the information provided that Kim cannot be in car 2.
25

Let us continue with using the tables generated in the last question. We have a new piece of
information: Kevin is in car 3. With Kevin in car 3, this means that Kim must be in car 4 (Clue
II). In that Jennifer and Sarah are either in cars 1 or 5 (clue III), this means that Paul must be in
car 2. This information can be placed in the table.

Car 1 NO NO NO
Car 2 YES NO NO NO NO
Car 3 NO NO NO YES NO
Car 4 NO YES NO NO NO
Car 5 NO NO NO
Option “a” is wrong because we have concluded that Paul is in car 2, ahead of Kim in car 4.
Option “b” is wrong because there remains the possibility that Sarah is in car 1, ahead of Kim in
car 4. Option “c” is wrong because there remains the possibility that Sarah is in car 5. Option “d”
is correct because we have concluded that Paul is in car 2, ahead of Kevin in car 3.
6) Computation
18. The correct answer is “c”.

The question is focussing on the 1999 data, such that you can ignore all the other years’ data. To
compute a percentage, you need to know the total value that was seized in 1999. Therefore, you
must add the Canadian and American values: $7,500 + $22,500 is equal to $30,000. To
determine what the Canadian percentage is, you must divide the Canadian amount by the total:
$7,500 divided by $30,000 is equal to .25. To put it into a percentage format, you must multiply
this value by 100: .25 x 100 is equal to 25%.

The question is focusing on the American funds, such that you can ignore all the Canadian funds.
To compute a percentage, you need to know what the total value of American funds that was
seized. Therefore, you must add up all the American funds seized over the years: $72,500 +
$850,000 + $63,427 + $22,500 + $54,073 is equal to $1,062,500. To determine what the 1997
percentage is, you must divide the 1997 amount by the total: $850,000 divided by $1,062,500 is
equal to .80. To put it into a percentage format, you must multiply this value by 100: .80 x 100
is equal to 80%.
26
The question focuses on the cash, so you should ignore the data under “amount of cocaine.” In
addition, the question focuses on suspect Hasek, such that you should ignore the data of the other
two suspects. To determine the amount of cash, you need to multiply each denomination by the
amount of bills. For the $100 bills, this would be $100 x 35 or $3,500. For the $50 bills, this
would be $50 x 21 or $1,050. For the $20 bills, this would be 26 x $20 or $520. Next, you need
to add up all of these computed values: $3,500 + $1,050 + $520 is equal to $5,070.

This question asks information related to all of the items and all of the suspects. Therefore, every
piece of data presented in the table is important. The first step is to compute how much cocaine
was seized by adding up all of the presented weights: 2.6 kg + .5 kg + 1.8 kg is equal to 4.9 kg.
The value of the cocaine is given in dollars per grams, such that you must convert the weight
given in kilograms into grams. This is done by multiplying the weight by 1000: 4.9kg x 1000 is
equal to 4,900 gm. Next, we have to multiply this weight by the value of 1 gm of cocaine: 4,900
x $90 is equal to $441,000. Next you need to compute how many bills of each dominations were
seized. For $100, this is 111 + 35 + 20 or 166. For $50, this is 45 + 21 + 135 or 201. For $20, this
is 34 + 26 + 5 or 65. Next, you must multiply each of these sums by the denomination it is
associated with. For $100, this is $100 x 166 or $16,600. For $50, this is 201 x $50 or $10,050.
For $20, this is 65 x $20 or $1,300. Finally, add up all these dollar values and sum it with the
value of the cocaine seized: $16,600 + $10,050 + $1,300 + $441,000 is equal to $468,950.
27

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Some general test taking strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

THE RCMP POLICE APTITUDE TEST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Six Factor Personality Questionnaire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Frequently Asked Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Answers to practice questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Some general test taking strategies

THE RCMP POLICE APTITUDE TEST (RPAT)

The RCMP Police Aptitude Test’s components

1. Read, read, and then read some more;

Composition practice questions

Which word in the sentences above is misspelled?

Which word in the sentence above is misspelled?

3. Which word completes the next sentence?

4. Which words complete the next sentence?

5. Which of the following is the best definition of the word amendment?

a) cancellation by making invalid or outdated

Comprehension practice questions

Questions 7 to 9 refer to the following passage1:

a) Chinese secret organizations have always threatened the social order.

9. Which one of the following statements is supported by the previous passage?

a) In the Hong organization, only apprentices had to obey their superiors.

Name: David McClury

Judgement practice questions

a) Suggest to Constable Grey that she speak to a financial consultant.

b) Lend Constable Grey some money.

c) Speak to Constable Grey's spouse to identify possible solutions to her financial

d) Speak to Constable Grey and tell her about your concerns.

1. “Spot the difference” puzzles often found in newspapers.

Observation practice questions

There will be 20 logic questions in total on the RPAT.

Logic practice questions

Questions 16 and 17 refer to the following information:

16. Which one of the following statements must be false?

a) Kim is in a car ahead of Sarah

a) Paul is in a car behind Kim

There will be 10 Computation questions on the RPAT.

Computation practice questions

Questions 18 to 19 refer to the following information:

Counterfeiting Seizure Statistics

Year Canadian Currency American Currency

1996 $5,121 $72,500

1997 $3,211 $850,000

1998 $2,127 $63,427

1999 $7,500 $22,500

2000 $6,835 $54,073

Questions 20 and 21 refer to the following scenario:

Arrested person Amount of cocaine Number of Number of Number of

Smith 2.6 kg 111 45 34

Ramji 1.8 kg 20 135 5

Assume 1 gm of cocaine is worth $90.

The Six Factor Personality Questionnaire

Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

“I love order and regularity ” Î Ï Ð Ñ Ò

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: What do my RPAT component scores mean?

Question: How is the RPAB aggregate score calculated?

Question: When can I rewrite the RPAT?

Answers to practice questions

1. The correct answer is “d”.