CDCR Officer Practice Test.
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1. According to CDCR, roughly how long does the complete hiring process generally take once an applicant has finished the written exam?
- A. About 12 months
- B. About two weeks
- C. About 30 days
- D. About five years
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The department states that it generally takes 12 months to complete the hiring process after the written exam. Background investigation, medical, vision, and psychological screening account for much of that timeline, so patience is built in.2. What monthly salary range does CDCR publish for a correctional officer after completing the Academy?
- A. $4,020 to $4,980 per month
- B. $5,510 to $9,203 per month
- C. $11,400 to $15,750 per month
- D. $2,850 to $3,900 per month
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
CDCR lists the after-Academy correctional officer salary at $5,510 to $9,203 per month. The spread reflects progression over time in the role, and it is the figure candidates should use when weighing the year-long hiring pipeline.3. Which statement matches CDCR's published description of the Basic Correctional Officer Academy (BCOA)?
- A. It is a four-week online course taken from home
- B. It is a two-year associate degree completed at any community college
- C. It is 13 weeks long and located in Galt, California
- D. It is a six-month residential program in San Diego
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
The Basic Correctional Officer Academy is 13 weeks long and is located in Galt, California. Every successful applicant attends it after clearing the written exam, physical fitness test, and the background and screening stages.4. CDCR temporarily closed correctional officer applications. When does the department expect the application period to open again?
- A. October 1, 2026
- B. It has been closed permanently
- C. June 30, 2028
- D. January 15, 2027
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
CDCR announced that applications are expected to re-open on October 1, 2026. Candidates preparing during the closure can use the time to study for the written exam and train for the physical fitness course standard.5. The dining hall must serve 128 inmates at the evening meal. Meal trays arrive in sealed cases of 24 trays each. What is the minimum number of full cases the kitchen must open?
- A. 6 cases
- B. 7 cases
- C. 5 cases
- D. 12 cases
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
Five cases supply only 5 × 24 = 120 trays, which leaves 8 inmates unserved. Opening a sixth case brings the total to 144 trays, so 6 is the smallest whole number of cases that covers all 128 meals.6. Each of the 350 inmates in a facility is issued 2 bars of soap per week. Soap arrives in boxes of 100 bars. How many boxes are needed to cover one full week of issue?
- A. 4 boxes
- B. 7 boxes
- C. 8 boxes
- D. 35 boxes
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
Weekly demand is 350 × 2 = 700 bars. Dividing 700 by the 100 bars in each box gives exactly 7 boxes with nothing left over, so no rounding is needed in this case and 7 covers the full week of issue.7. A housing unit has 240 beds and is currently at 85 percent occupancy. How many of the unit's beds are occupied?
- A. 196 beds
- B. 225 beds
- C. 214 beds
- D. 204 beds
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
Ten percent of 240 is 24, so 5 percent is 12. Eighty-five percent is therefore 240 − 24 − 12 = 204, the same result as multiplying 240 by 0.85 directly. Estimating with benchmark percentages is a fast check under time pressure.8. Memo: "Effective immediately, when fog reduces visibility below one hundred yards, the institution operates on a modified program. Outdoor work crews are canceled, escorted movement requires two officers, and tower staff will sound one long blast every fifteen minutes until visibility is restored." According to the memo, which change takes effect during fog conditions?
- A. Outdoor work crews are doubled to finish tasks faster
- B. Escorted movement requires two officers
- C. Visiting is canceled for the remainder of the day
- D. Tower staff remain silent to avoid confusing the yard
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The memo lists three fog-condition changes, and requiring two officers for escorted movement is stated word for word. The remaining answers reverse the memo, crews are canceled rather than doubled and towers sound blasts rather than staying silent, or invent a visiting change it never mentions.9. Post order, Dining Hall Officer: "Before each meal, inspect the serving line for unaccounted utensils, verify the tray count with the kitchen steward, and position yourself where the entrance and serving line both remain in view. Inmates enter in groups of twenty; no group enters until the previous group is seated." Under this post order, what must happen before a new group of inmates enters?
- A. The previous group must finish eating and exit the hall
- B. The previous group must be seated
- C. The kitchen steward must approve each group by name
- D. The serving line must be restocked with fresh trays
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The final sentence sets the entry condition exactly: no group enters until the previous group is seated. Seating, not finishing or exiting, is the trigger, and the steward's role in the order is verifying the tray count, not clearing groups. Careful reading separates near-miss answers from the text.10. Memo: "Linen exchange moves from Saturday to Wednesday. Weekend staffing reductions have repeatedly delayed the exchange past the posted hour, generating grievances. Unit officers should update dayroom postings and inform inmates at Tuesday's town hall." Based on the memo, the schedule changed primarily because:
- A. Wednesday deliveries of clean linen arrive earlier in the day
- B. The laundry plant is closed on Saturdays for maintenance
- C. Inmates petitioned to have laundry done midweek instead
- D. Weekend staffing levels were too thin to run the exchange on time
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
The memo gives its own causal chain: weekend staffing reductions delayed the exchange and generated grievances, so the event moved to a weekday. The other answers supply plausible-sounding reasons the memo never offers, which is the standard trap on cause-and-effect reading items.11. Report excerpt: "At approximately 1315 hours I observed inmate Doe strike inmate Roe on the recreation yard. I activated my personal alarm, ordered all inmates to a prone position, and both involved inmates complied when responding staff arrived at 1317 hours. Doe and Roe were placed in restraints and escorted to the program office without further incident." What did the reporting officer do immediately after observing the strike?
- A. Waited for responding staff before taking any action
- B. Placed both inmates in restraints himself
- C. Activated his personal alarm
- D. Escorted inmate Doe to the program office
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
The excerpt presents actions in sequence, and alarm activation directly follows the observation. Restraints and the escort happen later, after responding staff arrive, and the officer plainly acted rather than waited. Sequence questions reward tracking the order of verbs, not just their presence.12. Memo: "Quarterly audits found tool inventory sheets signed before end-of-shift counts were actually performed. A signature on an inventory sheet certifies personal verification. Officers who sign without counting are subject to corrective action, and supervisors will conduct random re-counts next quarter." Which statement best captures the memo's main point?
- A. Supervisors will now perform all tool counts instead of officers
- B. Tool inventory sheets are being eliminated in favor of digital logs
- C. Signing an inventory sheet certifies a personal count, and signing without counting will bring consequences
- D. Quarterly audits will no longer examine tool inventory paperwork
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
Every sentence of the memo supports one message: the signature stands for a personally performed count, and shortcuts now carry corrective action plus random re-checks. Nothing in the text eliminates the sheets, reassigns counting to supervisors, or ends audits, so those readings add facts the memo lacks.13. Post order, Control Booth Officer: "The booth door remains locked at all times. Food, beverages, and reading material are prohibited inside the booth. The officer shall not open a cell door without visual confirmation of the requesting officer's identity, regardless of radio authorization." Which action is consistent with this post order?
- A. Keeping a covered coffee cup below the control panel out of sight
- B. Propping the booth door open briefly to improve air circulation
- C. Refusing to open a cell door on a radio-only request until the requesting officer is visually identified
- D. Opening a cell door for a voice the officer recognizes over the radio
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
The order makes visual confirmation mandatory regardless of radio authorization, so declining a radio-only request honors the text exactly. Propping the locked door and keeping a beverage inside violate the first two sentences, and a familiar voice is still not visual confirmation.14. Memo: "The visiting room operates at reduced capacity while flooring is replaced. Sessions are limited to forty visitors at a time, and each visit is capped at one hour whenever the waiting list exceeds ten families. Processing staff should announce the cap at check-in to prevent disputes at the terminal." Under the memo, when is a visit limited to one hour?
- A. Whenever the waiting list exceeds ten families
- B. Only when a supervisor declares the room over capacity
- C. Whenever more than forty visitors are inside the visiting room
- D. During every session until the flooring project is finished
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The one-hour cap has a single stated trigger: a waiting list of more than ten families. The forty-visitor figure limits room capacity, not visit length, and the memo never makes the cap permanent or supervisor-dependent. Matching each number to its own rule is the whole task here.15. Memo: "Officers are reminded that count procedures are not discretionary. Deviation from the posted sequence, even when a unit appears quiet, compromises the integrity of the institutional count and will be documented." As used in the memo, the word "discretionary" most nearly means:
- A. Required by written policy
- B. Left to individual judgment
- C. Kept confidential from inmates
- D. Scheduled at fixed times
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
Calling the procedures not discretionary, then condemning deviation from the posted sequence, shows the word marks what officers may decide for themselves. Something discretionary is left to individual judgment, which is exactly what the memo says count procedures are not.16. Post order, Yard Officer: "Recall is announced fifteen minutes before count. Inmates who linger after the second announcement are to be identified and reported. During recall, officers position themselves at the gate funnel, where the entire yard remains visible, rather than walking the field." The instruction to stand at the gate funnel implies that:
- A. The yard cannot be observed at all from any field position
- B. Most rule violations during recall happen at the gate itself
- C. Officers walking the field recall inmates faster than announcements do
- D. Keeping the whole yard in view outweighs being close to individual stragglers
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
The order justifies the funnel position with one phrase, where the entire yard remains visible, and explicitly rejects walking the field. The implied priority is full observation over proximity. The other readings convert that stated rationale into claims the order never makes.17. Memo, Heat Plan Activation: "When the interior temperature reaches the activation threshold, staff suspend strenuous inmate work assignments, ensure ice water is available in each dayroom, and check inmates on heat-risk medication at least every thirty minutes. The plan remains active until Watch Command announces deactivation." While the plan is active, how often must inmates on heat-risk medication be checked?
- A. At least every thirty minutes
- B. Every fifteen minutes without exception
- C. Once per shift at minimum
- D. Hourly, unless a nurse directs otherwise
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The memo attaches the thirty-minute minimum specifically to inmates on heat-risk medication. It is a floor, at least that often, not a rigid interval, and no shift-based or hourly schedule appears anywhere in the text. Precision about stated frequencies is what this item rewards.18. Memo: "Routine searches have concentrated on cells while dayrooms, showers, and stairwells went weeks without attention. Recovered-contraband logs show most recent finds occurred in exactly those neglected spaces. Sergeants will now assign two common-area searches per watch and record them on the unit log." Which statement best expresses the memo's central message?
- A. Contraband recoveries have fallen so low that search logs are no longer kept
- B. Cell searches have proven unnecessary and are being discontinued
- C. Inmates have moved all contraband from common areas into their cells
- D. Common areas were searched too rarely even though contraband kept surfacing there, so such searches are now scheduled each watch
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
The memo moves from a problem, neglected common areas that keep producing contraband, to a remedy, two scheduled common-area searches per watch. It never discontinues cell searches, ends logging, or claims contraband migrated to cells; each wrong answer contradicts a sentence of the text.19. Report excerpt: "During the 0200 count I found the count board showing one more inmate in cell 214 than my tier sheet listed. Records confirmed a late-evening transfer had been entered on the board but not on the sheet. The count cleared once the sheet was corrected and initialed by the watch sergeant." What caused the discrepancy described in the excerpt?
- A. A transfer was recorded on the count board but never added to the tier sheet
- B. The watch sergeant misread the count board at 0200
- C. An inmate was hiding in cell 214 during the evening count
- D. The tier sheet listed an inmate who had escaped that evening
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The excerpt names its own cause: the late-evening transfer reached one document and not the other, so the two records disagreed by exactly one. Nothing in the text involves a hidden inmate, a sergeant's misreading, or an escape; those answers dramatize a paperwork gap the report already explains.20. Memo: "Routine questions are crowding the main radio channel and delaying emergency traffic. Effective Monday, administrative questions move to channel three; the main channel is reserved for counts, movement, and emergencies. Repeated misuse will be addressed through supervisors." The primary purpose of the change described in the memo is to:
- A. Give supervisors a new channel for private conversations
- B. Keep the main channel clear for emergency and operational traffic
- C. Reduce the total number of radios issued to unit staff
- D. Eliminate administrative questions from the workday entirely
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The first sentence states the problem, routine questions delaying emergency traffic, and the new channel assignment is the cure. Administrative questions are relocated, not eliminated, radios are not reduced, and supervisors appear only as the enforcement route for repeated misuse.21. Post order, Perimeter Patrol: "The patrol vehicle remains in motion except during shift briefing, meal relief, or an observed breach. Stops for any other reason must be logged with time and cause. Patrol officers test the vehicle spotlight and radio at the start of each watch and report deficiencies before assuming the post." Under this order, when may the vehicle stop without a log entry?
- A. At any time, provided the stop lasts under five minutes
- B. Whenever the officer needs to review paperwork in the cab
- C. Only when a supervisor authorizes each individual stop by radio
- D. During shift briefing, meal relief, or an observed breach
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
The order names exactly three stop conditions that need no log entry, and every other stop must be logged with time and cause. Paperwork breaks, supervisor authorizations, and short-duration allowances are all inventions; the three listed exceptions are the complete set.22. Movement policy in the stem requires at least one escorting officer for every 10 inmates being moved. A work crew of 73 inmates must be moved to the vocational shop. What is the minimum number of escorting officers required?
- A. 10 officers
- B. 8 officers
- C. 9 officers
- D. 7 officers
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
Seven officers cover only 70 inmates under the one-per-ten standard, leaving 3 inmates over the line. An eighth officer is needed for the remainder, so the minimum that satisfies the stated policy is 8. Ratios with leftovers always round upward.23. Memo: "In-service training for the third quarter opens Monday. Officers must finish the block within ninety days; those on approved leave receive an extension equal to the length of the leave. Sign-ups after the first week are wait-listed unless a supervisor documents an operational conflict." Under the memo, an officer on three weeks of approved leave receives:
- A. A full exemption from the training block for the quarter
- B. A three-week extension of the ninety-day deadline
- C. A fixed thirty-day extension regardless of leave length
- D. Priority placement at the top of the sign-up wait list
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The extension clause ties relief precisely to the leave: an extension equal to the length of the leave. Three weeks of leave therefore buys three added weeks, no more. The memo offers no exemptions, no flat thirty-day grace period, and no wait-list priority tied to leave status.24. Memo: "Kitchen inmate workers will now rotate among stations every thirty days. Long, uninterrupted assignments to a single station have historically allowed workers to identify supervision gaps. Rotation dates will be staggered so that no station turns over its full crew in the same week." Staggering the rotation dates most likely serves to:
- A. Guarantee every worker a permanent assignment at a favorite station
- B. Ensure all stations shut down together during rotation week
- C. Reduce the total number of inmate workers the kitchen requires
- D. Keep some workers familiar with each station's routine during every transition
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
If a station never turns over its whole crew at once, part of the crew always knows the station's routine while newcomers learn it. That continuity is the evident purpose of staggering. Permanent assignments contradict the rotation itself, and the memo mentions no staffing cuts or shutdowns.25. Report excerpt: "The inmate's account of the missing property was inconsistent with the cell inventory, and subsequent interviews did little to reconcile the two versions." As used in the excerpt, the word "reconcile" most nearly means:
- A. Apologize for
- B. Bring into agreement
- C. Set aside as unimportant
- D. Write down in a log
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The sentence presents two conflicting versions, an inmate's account and a cell inventory, and says interviews failed to reconcile them. What the interviews failed to do is bring the versions into agreement, which is the established sense of reconcile when applied to conflicting records.26. Memo: "Some staff treat the daily check of window bars and vents as a formality when nothing has been found for months. Escape attempts detected elsewhere in the state began at exactly such fittings, weeks before any physical gap was visible. Checks must include striking the bars with the issued baton to detect cuts concealed by wax or paint." The memo argues the daily bar check matters because:
- A. Striking the bars keeps the baton in serviceable condition
- B. Tampering can be present and concealed long before any gap becomes visible
- C. Months without a find prove the checks can safely be skipped
- D. Window fittings are the only place contraband is ever hidden
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The memo's evidence is that documented escape attempts began at bars and vents weeks before anything visible appeared, with cuts hidden by wax or paint. That is why a physical strike test is required and why quiet months prove nothing. The other answers invert or exaggerate the memo's reasoning.27. Visiting procedure: "All visitors must present valid, unexpired government-issued photo identification before entering the visiting room." A visitor presents a driver's license that expired last month. Which action complies with the procedure?
- A. Admit the visitor because the photograph still matches their face
- B. Deny entry until the visitor presents valid, unexpired photo identification
- C. Accept the expired license if another visitor vouches for the person
- D. Admit the visitor with a staff escort as a one-time courtesy
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The written procedure makes two demands of the identification: it must be valid and unexpired. An expired license fails the second requirement outright, so the only compliant response is to refuse entry until conforming identification is produced.28. Count procedure: "During a standing count, officers shall count living, breathing flesh and shall not record a count based on a covered or motionless form." An officer reaches a cell where an inmate lies motionless under a blanket. Which action complies?
- A. Skip the cell and return only if time permits at the end of the tier
- B. Require the inmate to show movement and be verified as living and breathing before counting him
- C. Carry the inmate on the count using his presence at the previous count
- D. Count the blanket-covered shape since the bunk is clearly occupied
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The stated procedure forbids counting a covered or motionless form. Verification of a living, breathing person is the explicit standard, so the officer must rouse or observe the inmate until that standard is met before recording the count.29. Contraband procedure: "Any unauthorized item shall be confiscated, documented on a property receipt, and secured in the designated evidence locker before the finding officer ends the shift." An officer finds a sharpened toothbrush during a 1400-hours cell search. Which action complies?
- A. Discard the item in the unit trash so it cannot be recovered
- B. Return the item to the inmate with a verbal warning about weapons
- C. Confiscate the item, complete the property receipt, and place it in the evidence locker before going off duty
- D. Keep the item in a uniform pocket to book into evidence next week
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
The procedure sets three sequential duties, confiscation, documentation, and same-shift securing in the evidence locker. Only the response that performs all three within the stated deadline satisfies the rule; the others skip or delay a required step.30. Count procedure: "If the reported total does not agree with the count board, a recount of the entire unit shall begin immediately, and no inmate movement is permitted until the count clears." The 2100-hours count comes back one over the board figure. Which action complies?
- A. Adjust the count board by one so the totals match and move on
- B. Release inmates to the medication line first, then recount afterward
- C. Accept the total because an overage is safer than a shortage
- D. Halt all inmate movement and immediately recount the entire unit
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
The written rule attaches two consequences to any disagreement with the board: an immediate full recount and a freeze on movement. An overage is still a disagreement, so editing the board or letting movement continue would each violate the stated procedure.31. Visiting procedure: "Visitors may bring into the visiting room only a clear plastic bag containing a small amount of cash and one vehicle key; all other personal property must be secured in the visitor lockers." A visitor arrives at processing carrying a purse with a cell phone inside. Which action complies?
- A. Direct the visitor to secure the purse and phone in a visitor locker before entering
- B. Allow the purse inside if the visitor agrees to keep the phone switched off
- C. Hold the phone at the officer's podium and hand it back during the visit
- D. Permit the purse because it is smaller than the clear bag described
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The rule permits exactly two items beyond the clear bag's contents and routes everything else to the lockers. A purse and phone fall under all other personal property, so the compliant action is locker storage before entry, not any improvised custody arrangement.32. Key control rule: "Security keys shall never leave the institution. Officers exchange a chit for each key ring drawn and must return the ring to the key-issue window at end of watch." At the exit gate after his watch, an officer discovers a key ring still clipped to his belt. Which action complies?
- A. Return to the key-issue window, turn in the ring, and recover his chit before leaving the grounds
- B. Hand the ring to another officer he recognizes in the parking lot
- C. Take the ring home overnight and return it at the start of the next watch
- D. Leave the ring with the gate officer's podium and note it in the morning
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The rule is absolute: security keys never leave the institution, and rings go back to the key-issue window. Walking the ring back and completing the chit exchange is the only action that satisfies both parts. Every alternative either removes the keys or breaks the documented exchange.33. Mail procedure: "Confidential legal mail shall be opened only in the presence of the addressee inmate, inspected for contraband, and never read by staff." An officer processing incoming mail identifies an envelope sent from an attorney's office to an inmate. Which action complies?
- A. Open the envelope in front of the inmate, inspect it for contraband, and return it without reading the contents
- B. Open and photocopy the letter privately in the mailroom for the file
- C. Deliver the envelope sealed and skip the contraband inspection entirely
- D. Read the letter quickly to confirm it is genuinely legal correspondence
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The stated procedure balances security and confidentiality: staff inspect for contraband, but only with the inmate present and without reading. Skipping the inspection fails the security half, while photocopying or reading fails the confidentiality half of the same rule.34. Tool control rule: "Class A tools must be signed out on the inventory sheet, remain under direct staff supervision in use, and be fully accounted for before any inmate leaves the work area." At the end of a plumbing detail, one wrench is missing from the shadow board. Which action complies?
- A. Keep the inmate crew in the work area, begin a search, and notify a supervisor until the wrench is accounted for
- B. Release the crew to the yard and plan a thorough search for the next morning
- C. Sign the inventory sheet as complete so the detail can end on schedule
- D. Assume the wrench was never issued and correct the sheet to match the board
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The rule conditions inmate departure on a complete tool count. With a wrench outstanding, releasing the crew, falsifying the sheet, or papering over the record each defeats the rule's purpose. Holding the crew and resolving the discrepancy is the only compliant path.35. Medication line procedure: "Each inmate must display an identification card, take the medication in view of staff, and open his mouth afterward to confirm the dose was swallowed." An inmate takes his cup, turns away, and starts to walk off before the confirmation step. Which action complies?
- A. Stop the inmate and require the mouth check before he leaves the medication line
- B. Ask the inmate behind him in line to confirm the dose was swallowed
- C. Note the skipped step in the log and address it at tomorrow's line
- D. Let him go since he was observed placing the medication in his mouth
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The written procedure makes the mouth check a mandatory final step, not an optional courtesy. Allowing the inmate to walk away, logging it for later, or outsourcing verification to another inmate all leave the required confirmation unperformed at the moment the rule demands it.36. Reporting rule: "Any employee who uses force, or who observes another employee use force, shall submit a written report before being relieved from duty that day." An officer witnesses a colleague use force at 0800 and then has a demanding shift. Which action complies?
- A. Submit the report within one week once the workload settles down
- B. Skip the report because only the employee who used force must write one
- C. Complete and submit the written report before going off duty that day
- D. Report verbally to a coworker and treat that as sufficient notice
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
The rule covers observers as well as participants and fixes the deadline at relief from duty the same day. A busy shift does not modify either element, so the officer must finish the written report before leaving, whatever else the day demanded.37. Escort procedure: "Maximum-custody inmates shall be escorted in restraints by no fewer than two officers, and the escort route shall avoid inmate-occupied program areas." An officer must move a maximum-custody inmate to a hearing, and the direct hallway passes an occupied dayroom. Which action complies?
- A. Move the inmate without restraints since the hearing room is nearby
- B. Apply restraints, obtain a second officer, and take an alternate route that avoids the occupied dayroom
- C. Use two officers but take the direct hallway past the dayroom anyway
- D. Escort the inmate alone through the direct hallway to save time
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The procedure imposes three simultaneous conditions: restraints, a minimum of two officers, and a route clear of occupied program areas. Meeting two of the three is still a violation, so only the response satisfying every condition complies with the written text.38. Search procedure: "Every cell search shall be recorded on the unit search log with the date, time, cell number, officer name, and results, whether or not contraband is found." An officer completes a thorough cell search and finds nothing. Which action complies?
- A. Skip the log entry because there is no contraband to document
- B. Log only the date and cell number since nothing was recovered
- C. Record the search on the unit log with all required fields and note the negative result
- D. Wait to log the search until a future search of that cell finds something
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
The procedure's final clause, whether or not contraband is found, exists precisely for this situation. A negative result is still a result, and the log entry requires every listed field. Partial entries and skipped entries both contradict the rule's plain language.39. Out-count rule: "Inmates authorized to be away from the unit at count time shall be carried on the out-count list, and the counting officer adds out-count totals to in-cell totals before reporting." A unit has 120 assigned inmates, 3 of whom are authorized at the infirmary. The officer counts 117 in cells. Which report complies?
- A. Report 117 counted in cells plus 3 on out-count, for a reconciled total of 120
- B. Report the unit 3 short and request an immediate institution-wide recount
- C. Leave the infirmary inmates off the report since another unit will count them
- D. Report 120 counted in cells so the total matches the assigned figure
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
Applying the stated rule, the officer combines 117 in-cell with the 3 authorized absences to reach the 120 assigned, and the count clears. Reporting a false in-cell figure or a phantom shortage misstates the record the out-count mechanism exists to keep accurate.40. Sally port rule: "Both gates of the vehicle sally port shall never be open at the same time; the inner gate may be opened only after the outer gate is confirmed secured." A delivery truck has just pulled in through the outer gate. Which action complies?
- A. Open both gates together since the truck driver is a regular vendor
- B. Wave the truck backward out through the outer gate without any gate checks
- C. Confirm the outer gate is fully secured, then open the inner gate for the truck
- D. Open the inner gate while the outer gate is still closing to keep traffic moving
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
The rule sequences the gates deliberately: confirmation that the outer gate is secured must precede any movement of the inner gate. Overlapping the gates for convenience or familiarity creates exactly the breach in the secure perimeter the rule is written to prevent.41. Visiting rule: "Visitors whose clothing resembles inmate attire or staff uniforms shall be denied entry until the clothing is changed; the institution maintains no loaner clothing." A visitor arrives dressed in clothing that closely matches inmate attire. Which action complies?
- A. Deny entry and inform the visitor they may return after changing into different clothing
- B. Admit the visitor this once with a written warning for next time
- C. Admit the visitor but require them to stay seated for the entire visit
- D. Issue the visitor a loaner shirt from the lost-and-found bin
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The rule pairs a denial requirement with a stated absence of loaner clothing, which forecloses the improvised fixes. Entry is conditioned on a clothing change the visitor must make on their own, so the compliant action is denial with an explanation of how to cure it.42. Evidence rule: "Confiscated contraband remains in the finding officer's sole custody until sealed, labeled, and deposited in the evidence locker; any transfer of custody must be recorded in writing." Mid-processing, the finding officer is ordered to respond to an alarm. Which action complies?
- A. Ask a nearby inmate porter to watch the item until the alarm is resolved
- B. Hand the item to a supervisor and record the custody transfer in writing before responding
- C. Leave the item on the office desk and sort out the paperwork afterward
- D. Drop the item in a uniform pocket and carry it while responding to the alarm
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The rule anticipates interruptions by providing a documented transfer mechanism. A written handoff to another staff member preserves the chain of custody, while abandoning the item, carrying it into a disturbance, or entrusting it to an inmate breaks the rule and the evidence.43. Emergency count rule: "Upon activation of an escape alarm, all inmate movement stops and an emergency count begins immediately; results are reported to central control by the fastest available means." The alarm activates while an officer supervises forty inmates in a dayroom. Which action complies?
- A. Wait for central control to call and request the count before starting it
- B. Continue the scheduled dayroom program to avoid alarming the inmates
- C. Send the inmates back to their cells first and count them at the next scheduled count
- D. Stop all movement, count the dayroom inmates immediately, and report the result to central control right away
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
The written rule is triggered by the alarm itself, not by a follow-up request, and it demands an immediate count with immediate reporting. Delaying until the next scheduled count or waiting for instructions inverts the urgency the emergency procedure is built around.44. Package rule: "Inmates may receive packages only from approved vendors; any package arriving from a private address shall be rejected and returned unopened." The mailroom receives a parcel addressed to an inmate that was shipped from a private residence. Which action complies?
- A. Store the parcel in the mailroom indefinitely until someone claims it
- B. Deliver the parcel since the addressee has no recent rule violations
- C. Open the parcel to inspect the contents before deciding what to do
- D. Reject the parcel and return it unopened to the sender
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
The rule leaves no discretion for private-address parcels: rejection and unopened return are both mandatory. Opening it violates the unopened requirement, delivering it violates the vendor-only requirement, and warehousing it performs neither of the two required actions.45. During the 1600-hours institutional count, Officer Reyes records 48 inmates on the first tier, 52 on the second tier, and 45 on the third tier of Housing Unit C. What total should she report for the unit?
- A. 155
- B. 143
- C. 145
- D. 147
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
Adding tier by tier keeps the arithmetic honest: 48 plus 52 makes 100, and 100 plus 45 makes 145. Reporting anything else would create a count discrepancy and force an immediate recount of the entire housing unit.46. Housing Unit B has 156 inmates assigned. At count time, 149 are counted in their cells, 4 are signed out to the medical clinic, and 2 are at a court appearance. How many inmates remain unaccounted for?
- A. 0
- B. 7
- C. 3
- D. 1
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
Accounted-for inmates total 149 + 4 + 2 = 155. Subtracting from the 156 assigned leaves exactly 1 inmate whose whereabouts are not established, which is precisely the kind of shortfall a count is designed to expose.47. An officer begins escorting an inmate from the housing unit at 0915 hours and delivers him to the medical clinic at 1003 hours. How long did the escort take?
- A. 52 minutes
- B. 58 minutes
- C. 42 minutes
- D. 48 minutes
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
From 0915 to 1000 is 45 minutes, and from 1000 to 1003 adds 3 more, giving 48 minutes in total. Splitting the interval at the top of the hour avoids the common error of treating 100 clock units as 100 minutes.48. A correctional officer's watch begins at 2200 hours and ends at 0600 hours the next morning. Not counting breaks, how many hours long is the watch?
- A. 12 hours
- B. 8 hours
- C. 10 hours
- D. 6 hours
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
From 2200 to midnight is 2 hours, and midnight to 0600 is 6 more, for a total of 8 hours. Crossing midnight is easiest to handle by breaking the span into the portion before and the portion after 0000 hours.49. During weekly linen exchange, each of the 46 inmates on a tier turns in 2 sheets and 1 pillowcase and receives the same items back. How many total linen items does the officer issue on that tier?
- A. 92 items
- B. 126 items
- C. 144 items
- D. 138 items
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
Each inmate receives 3 items in all: 2 sheets plus 1 pillowcase. Multiplying 46 inmates by 3 items gives 138. Multiplying by only the sheets, 46 × 2 = 92, is the tempting error the distractors are built around.50. An institution's four facilities report evening counts of 812, 764, 903, and 688. Central control expects a total institutional count of 3,175. How does the reported total compare with the expected figure?
- A. It is 12 fewer than expected
- B. It is 8 fewer than expected
- C. It is 8 more than expected
- D. It matches the expected figure exactly
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The facilities sum to 812 + 764 = 1,576, plus 903 makes 2,479, plus 688 makes 3,167. Since 3,175 − 3,167 = 8, the reported total falls 8 below expectation, a shortfall that would trigger recounts before anything else moves.51. Three-quarters of the 96 inmates on a recreation yard have already returned to their housing units when the recall order is given. How many inmates are still out on the yard?
- A. 48 inmates
- B. 24 inmates
- C. 72 inmates
- D. 32 inmates
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
If three-quarters have gone in, one-quarter remains outside. One quarter of 96 is 96 ÷ 4 = 24. Computing the group that left, 72, and forgetting to subtract it from the total is the classic misstep on remainder problems.52. A count discrepancy is reported to the watch office at 2340 hours and is resolved when the recount clears at 0125 hours. How much time elapsed between the report and the resolution?
- A. 2 hours 5 minutes
- B. 1 hour 45 minutes
- C. 2 hours 45 minutes
- D. 1 hour 15 minutes
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
From 2340 to midnight is 20 minutes, and from 0000 to 0125 is 1 hour 25 minutes. Adding the two segments gives 1 hour 45 minutes. Splitting at midnight keeps military-time subtraction from producing impossible negative values.53. Which set of subject areas does CDCR say its written examination for correctional officer applicants evaluates?
- A. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, reading comprehension, and basic mathematics
- B. California penal codes, gang recognition, and defensive tactics
- C. Criminal law, firearms safety, and report-writing procedures
- D. Psychology, sociology, and public administration theory
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
CDCR publishes that the written exam evaluates grammar, spelling, punctuation, reading comprehension, and basic mathematics. It is a test of fundamental skills, not of criminal-justice knowledge, which candidates learn later at the academy.54. CDCR publishes figures on how applicants perform at each step of selection. What share of participants does the department report succeed on the written exam?
- A. 79 percent
- B. 33 percent
- C. 52 percent
- D. 90 percent
Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
The department reports that 79% of participants pass the written exam. That figure signals a screen of basic skills rather than a highly technical barrier, but roughly one in five applicants still falls short, so preparation matters.55. After you submit an online application for the correctional officer position, when does CDCR say your emailed invitation to the written exam will arrive?
- A. At the start of the next calendar quarter
- B. Within ninety days, by postal mail only
- C. Only after the physical fitness test is scheduled
- D. Within two business days of submitting the application
Show answer & explanation
Answer: D
CDCR states that applicants receive an email invitation to the written exam within two business days of submitting an online application. Watching your inbox, including spam folders, right after applying is therefore part of the process.56. An applicant fails the CDCR written examination, or fails to appear during the designated cycle. Under the department's published rules, what is the consequence?
- A. The applicant is permanently barred from CDCR employment
- B. The applicant must first repeat the physical fitness test
- C. The applicant is eliminated and ineligible to reapply for 30 days
- D. The applicant may retake the exam the following morning
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
Failing the written examination, or failing to appear within a designated cycle, eliminates the applicant and makes them ineligible to reapply for 30 days. The bar is temporary, but it delays every later step of the hiring pipeline.57. Of the candidates who attempt CDCR's Physical Fitness Test after the written stage, what proportion does the department report make it through successfully?
- A. 48 percent
- B. 90 percent
- C. 79 percent
- D. 15 percent
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
CDCR reports that 90% of candidates pass the Physical Fitness Test. Most reasonably fit applicants clear it, but the department still publishes the course standard so candidates can train to the specific requirement in advance.58. Under the department's published PFT standard, what is the maximum time an applicant may take to finish the physical fitness course?
- A. 12 minutes flat
- B. 8 minutes and 15 seconds
- C. 5 minutes and 35 seconds
- D. 3 minutes and 30 seconds
Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
To pass the PFT, applicants must finish the course in no more than 5 minutes and 35 seconds. Training runs should be timed against that published ceiling so there is a comfortable margin on the day of the test.59. Which description matches the layout of CDCR's Physical Fitness Test as officially published?
- A. A 1.5-mile distance run followed by push-ups and sit-ups
- B. A 500-yard course including a mini obstacle section and a 50-yard carry of two 45-pound kettlebells
- C. A swimming circuit with a timed tread-water segment
- D. A one-repetition-maximum bench press and a flexibility screen
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The published PFT is a 500-yard course run over varied surfaces that includes a mini obstacle section and a 50-yard carry of two 45-pound kettlebells. It simulates job movement rather than gym-style strength or endurance events.60. What are CDCR's published minimum age requirements for correctional officer applicants?
- A. At least 25 years old at every stage of the process
- B. At least 20 years old at application and 21 at appointment to the Academy
- C. At least 21 at application and 25 at appointment to the Academy
- D. At least 18 at application and 19 at appointment to the Academy
Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
CDCR requires applicants to be at least 20 years of age when they apply and 21 years of age at the time of appointment to the Academy. A 20-year-old can therefore start the process while approaching the appointment threshold.
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Key facts: CDCR Officer exam
The CDCR Officer Exam is administered by California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), with a Set by CDCR for each administration result.
This free CDCR Officer Exam practice test has 60 original questions written to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)'s official content outline, last checked against it on August 7, 2026. Every question shows a worked explanation, and nothing here requires a signup.
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Official sources
Every exam fact on this page traces to a primary document published by the body that administers the exam.
- Step 2: Written Examination - Peace Officer CareersCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)cdcr.ca.gov
- Step 3: Physical Fitness Test - Peace Officer CareersCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)cdcr.ca.gov
- Hiring Process - Peace Officer CareersCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)cdcr.ca.gov
- Pay and Benefits - Peace Officer CareersCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)cdcr.ca.gov
- The Academy - Peace Officer CareersCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)cdcr.ca.gov
- Peace Officer Careers (CDCR Peace Officer Recruitment)California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)cdcr.ca.gov
Last verified against the official exam content outline:
Frequently asked questions
How should I practice for the reading comprehension section?
Work with institutional-style passages — memos, post orders, and report excerpts — because that is the register the exam and the job both use. Train yourself to answer strictly from the passage, match each number to its own rule, and track sequence words like before, until, and immediately. Our practice bank is written entirely in that style.
What math should I drill for the exam?
Drill hand arithmetic in three corrections-flavored shapes: count reconciliation (assigned equals counted plus authorized absences plus unaccounted), elapsed time on the 24-hour clock including spans that cross midnight, and supply problems where remainders force you to round up to the next whole case. Percentages and simple fractions round out the set.
Do I need to memorize CDCR regulations to pass the written exam?
No. The written exam tests grammar, spelling, punctuation, reading comprehension, and basic math — not regulation recall. Our rules-application questions always quote the full procedure in the question itself; the skill being tested is careful reading and exact application of written text, which is what the exam rewards.
What is the best way to use this practice bank?
Start with a full untimed set to diagnose your weakest of the five subjects, then split daily sessions between that weakness and mixed review, reading every explanation for questions you missed. In the final week before your testing date, switch to timed, calculator-free sets to simulate exam conditions.