Investigator and detective reasoning

About this practice suite

This suite prepares candidates for investigator and detective reasoning selection in the police, justice, corrections, border, and security sector with 3 skill areas: situational judgment, critical thinking and reading comprehension. Every question was written by Novus editors for this suite — none are taken from live or leaked exams — and the full bank holds 52 scored questions across three modes, plus 8 reserve questions used to vary repeat attempts. Answer keys never ship to the browser: your answers are scored server-side, and results stay on your device.

Skills this suite practises

• Situational judgment — Evaluating workplace responses against role-relevant principles.
• Critical thinking — Evaluating evidence, assumptions, arguments, credibility, and alternative explanations.
• Reading comprehension — Understanding passages, instructions, policies, technical material, and workplace documents.

Sample questions from the guided bank

Two of the 10 guided-practice questions, shown exactly as they appear in a session. Answers and explanations are not printed here — keys stay on the server — so open guided practice to answer them and see how you did.

1. A witness gives a detailed account but contradicts CCTV on timing by twenty minutes. What is best?

   • A. Note the discrepancy, preserve both sources, and test explanations without confrontation first
   • B. Discard the witness statement entirely
   • C. Arrest the witness immediately for perjury
   • D. Edit the statement to match the camera

2. You arrive first at a burglary scene; uniform colleagues are about to touch handles for fingerprints. What is best?

   • A. Let them continue because speed matters
   • B. Secure the scene, limit access, and coordinate forensic attendance
   • C. Clean surfaces to help the victim feel comfortable
   • D. Allow the victim to tidy before documentation

Practice modes and timing

Guided practice is untimed-feeling and instructional; the mini-test is a short timed check; the full simulation mirrors a complete sitting. All three draw on separate question sets, so moving up a mode never repeats what you practised.

Study outline

Read the study outline for this suite’s skills, timings, and recommended lessons on one printable page, or download its standalone HTML file. The printable page can also be saved as a PDF from your browser.