Testing Services

The Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police and Stanard & Associates, Inc. have teamed together to offer AACP members written examinations for the positions of police officer, dispatcher and first- and second-line supervisor (promotional ranks).

About Our Choice

Stanard & Associates, a Chicago-based group of psychologists and test development professionals, began working in the area of police testing in 1976. Over the years, Stanard & Associates has developed a full line of validated exams designed to help public safety agencies hire and promote the most qualified candidates efficiently and cost-effectively. Agencies across the country have benefited from S&A’s testing products and services, improving the caliber of their personnel and thus the quality of the law enforcement services they provide to their communities. Given these difficult economic times and the rising costs of salaries and benefits, Stanard & Associates’ off-the-shelf tests provide a low cost solution for identifying candidates who will be an asset to your police force for years to come.

Established as a service to Arkansas law enforcement agencies and as a revenue source for the Association, the entry-level officer, dispatcher, and promotional tests, created and provided by Stanard & Associates, help police and sheriff’s departments across the state hire and promote the best officers and dispatchers possible. 

If you have any questions about our tests, please contact us at (501) 372-4600, or via email.

Dispatcher (NDST)

The National Dispatcher Selection Test (NDST)

Stanard & Associates’ entry-level tests help agencies select the most qualified candidates and eliminate the time and expense involved in unnecessary interviewing, training and other expensive components of an agency’s hiring process. With limited budgets for managing the selection process, agencies cannot afford to waste resources on poor hiring decisions. When you join hundreds of other public safety agencies in choosing Stanard & Associates for your entry-level testing needs, you can count on exceptional product quality and customer service. Our research-based selection tests have been demonstrated again and again to be job-related and predictive of important performance outcomes.

The National Dispatcher Selection Test (NDST)

As the first point of contact in an emergency, dispatchers play a critical role in keeping the public safe, as well as responding law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel. Selecting the best person for such a demanding position requires more than an interview and background check. It requires a reliable, validated measurement tool that will ensure the person you select possesses the important skills required to perform effectively as a dispatcher. Stanard & Associates’ National Dispatcher Selection Test (NDST) gives call centers the ability to objectively assess a candidate’s skill level in five important areas: Reading Comprehension, Listening, Problem Solving, Prioritizing, and Multi-Tasking. And in keeping with Stanard & Associates’ commitment to rigorous standards in test development, the NDST is backed by an extensive research and development effort involving input from hundreds of incumbent dispatchers across the country. So you can enjoy the ease of using an off-the-shelf test that targets the areas you need most – those that have been shown to be important to the position of dispatcher. Increase your communication center’s efficiency by using the NDST as your initial screening tool to identify candidates meeting your requirements.

Why use the NDST?

  • Inexpensive and efficient selection tool
  • Easy to administer
  • Can be scored by the department or by Stanard & Associates, Inc.
  • Consists of questions and content directly related to dispatcher tasks, such as listening to simulated 9-1-1 calls
  • Backed up by extensive research and development
  • Valid, job-related and legally defensible. The NDST was developed in accordance with professional, ADA and EEOC Testing Guidelines.
Line Supervisor

The National First and Second Line Supervisor Tests (NFLST & NSLST)

Our off-the-shelf law enforcement promotional exams prove that smaller agencies can get a quality promotional process without breaking the budget. If your agency is one of the many where a limited number of candidates participate in any single promotional process, a custom-written promotional exam may not be an option. Stanard & Associates’ NFLST and NSLST help law enforcement agencies identify promotional candidates who possess the relevant job knowledge to be successful supervisors and managers. The exams assess candidates’ knowledge in areas such as management and supervision, major court cases affecting law enforcement, community policing, criminal investigation and patrol tactics. Both exams are the result of an extensive research and development effort undertaken to identify the knowledge required to competently perform supervisory duties in law enforcement. Test questions were reviewed and refined based on invaluable input from over 50 police chiefs and commanders from five separate geographically diverse panels of experts.

The end result? Two cost-effective examinations that can be used as stand-alone promotional exams, or integrated easily into your agency’s promotional process. The NFLST measures critical knowledge areas associated with first-line supervisor positions (e.g., Corporal, Sergeant), while the NSLST measures knowledge areas associated with many second-line supervisor positions (e.g., Lieutenant, Captain).

Police Officer (POST)

The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST)

Stanard & Associates’ entry-level tests help agencies select the most qualified candidates and eliminate the time and expense involved in unnecessary interviewing, training and other expensive components of an agency’s hiring process. With limited budgets for managing the selection process, agencies cannot afford to waste resources on poor hiring decisions. When you join hundreds of other public safety agencies in choosing Stanard & Associates for your entry-level testing needs, you can count on exceptional product quality and customer service. Our research-based selection tests have been demonstrated again and again to be job-related and predictive of important performance outcomes.

The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST)

The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) is an entry-level basic skills test that helps law enforcement agencies select the most qualified applicants by ensuring that candidates possess the basic cognitive skills necessary to successfully perform the job. The POST is a valid, job-related test designed specifically for law enforcement use, which measures these basic skills: Arithmetic, Reading Comprehension, Grammar and Incident Report Writing. Increase your department’s hiring efficiency by using the POST to ensure candidates possess the fundamental skills to succeed in training and on the job.

Why use the POST?

  • Inexpensive and efficient selection tool
  • Four different forms are available
  • Easy to administer
  • Can be scored by the department or by Stanard & Associates, Inc.
  • Consists of questions directly related to police tasks
  • Backed up by extensive research and development
  • Employs content and criterion-related validity
  • Is associated with higher training academy performance
  • Developed in accordance with EEOC and professional guidelines
  • Complies with ADA requirements

The POST exam is used for law enforcement officer selection by a variety of municipal, county, state and federal agencies.