Court Officer Exam

Overview
Court Officers are responsible for maintaining courtroom security and protecting the judge, jury, and other participants during hearings and trials. To qualify in most states, you must first pass both written and physical examinations. The position requires you to be able to understand and follow written directions and express yourself clearly, both orally and in writing. It is also essential to understand court procedures and legal terminology. All of these things are touched upon in the written test.

The same topics are presented, at a more advanced level, for the Senior Court Officer exam.

Test Dates
Test dates vary. Contact the city administering your exam to learn when and where the exam is given.

Test Locations
The location of the test varies according to your area. Contact the city administering your exam to learn where you can take it.

Test Structure
The Court Officer exams are generally 3-hours long and are primarily multiple-choice tests. Test topics come from these main categories: clerical checking; observation and memory; reading comprehension; and subject-oriented questions. In some places, a part of the test will involve watching a video and answering questions about what you saw and heard. This will measure your ability to observe, listen, and memorize.

Scoring
The multiple-choice portions of your exam will be scored by a machine and you will be given a raw score. The raw score will then be converted to a scaled score, according to an unpublicized formula.

The score you receive is not the number you answered correctly, your raw score, or, despite being on a scale of 1-100, a percentage. If you are entitled to veterans' service points, these are added to your scaled score to boost your rank on the eligibility list. Those who receive the highest scores go to the top of the list for available positions.

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