The NYC Correction Officer testing period starts Friday, April 11, 2025!
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Are you aspiring to become a correctional officer in NY? The NYS / NYC Correctional Officer Exam assesses your ability to become a New York State Correctional Officer and serve in a local Correctional Facility. To be considered for appointment, you are required to pass a written test for correction officers. Your final score must be 70% or higher, the same as score requirements for other Civil Service exams in New York state. The test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions to be answered in a 3.5-hour period.

If you are applying for a different correctional setting, please see the main correctional officers page.

If you are interested in civil service exams in general, click here for our main civil service exams page.

The NYS / NYC Correctional Officer Exam will challenge your skills and knowledge across 11 key areas. Get a sneak peek at what you'll need to master!

Deductive reasoning questions assess the ability to apply general rules to specific situations to reach logical conclusions. Correctional officers use this skill to enforce regulations, assess inmate behavior, and make quick, rule-based decisions to maintain safety and order.

Deductive Reasoning Sample Question

Review the facts below.

• Apples have grains.
• Onions have a strong smell.
• Grains do not smell.
• Strong smells do not bother David, unless he is running a fever.

Based on the information above, which of the following MUST be true?

A. Apples may smell, but it does not come from their grains.

B. Apples smell funny.

C. Onions are white on the inside.

D. David cannot stand onions, because of their strong smell.

E. Onions do not have grains

View Explanation

The correct answer is A.

The second part of this sentence, "[apples' smell] does not come from their grains", must be true according to the third fact. The first part, "Apples may smell", is a bit different, as it is written in a suggestive manner. It cannot be 'false' as long as it does not contradict any of the facts above, which it does not.

Let's go over the remaining answer choices:

Answer choice B – since we are not told anything regarding the smell of apples, we cannot say whether this is true or false.
Answer choice C is eliminated for the same reasoning, as we know nothing about the colour of onions. It is important to remember that we are supposed to answer the question solely on the basis of the information given to us in the facts, regardless of any additional knowledge we might have about onions from the real world.

Answer choice D – the fourth fact explicitly states that David does not usually mind strong smells. The only occasion where he would mind them is if he were running a fever. There is no specific exception for onions, which makes this a false statement.

Answer choice E – this statement is neither supported nor contradicted by any of the facts above, so we cannot say whether or not it is true.

Inductive reasoning questions evaluate the ability to identify patterns, trends, and relationships in specific information to form general conclusions. Correctional officers use this skill to detect suspicious behavior, recognize emerging security threats, and anticipate potential conflicts before they escalate.

Inductive Reasoning Sample Question

View Explanation

The series is made up of three geometric shapes – a square, triangle and circle. Each object in the series has an internal and external shape. The internal shape in an object becomes the external shape in the next object in the series. This means that the next object in the series will have an external triangle. The internal shapes appear in the following order: square, triangle and circle. We can conclude that the internal shape in the next object in the series is a circle.

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Written comprehension questions assess the ability to read and understand written information, including policies, reports, and instructions. Correctional officers rely on this skill to interpret regulations, follow procedural guidelines, and accurately document incidents and inmate behavior.

Written Comprehension Sample Question

In-House Water Purification Systems

Researchers from CU have developed a new technology that allows us to finally get our water purification system inside the house. The filtering technology is still Reverse Osmosis but filters will be much smaller which will allow you to fit the filtering system inside a normal size closet. In addition, a new chemical process will now prevent the release of bad odors inside the house or office. In-house water purification systems are a significant step towards giving people who do not own a yard a chance to re-use water.

The research team, supported and collaborated by AquaTech, a UK water purification company, describes the new system of in-house water purification as “possibly being the greatest leap forward since the invention of reverse osmosis systems.” AquaTech's spokeswoman Lauren Harper has announced that AT is focused on developing a device according to the new technology, hoping to make it available to the public by the next summer. This product will be called Aqua Guard Micro (AGM). AGM is supposed to replace the popular AGP in the future, and allow also residents of a tenement or an office building to purify their water.

Other companies in the UK also conspire to release an in-house device but it seems that right now AT has a slight advantage in research. In-house water purification systems account for one more major improvement: it provides a greater percentage of usable water from exploited water: AGM produces 0.75 Liters of ready to use water per Liter of water inserted in the device.

A. True

B. Cannot Say

C. False

View Explanation

False. According to the text, ”other companies in the UK also conspire to release an in-house device but it seems that right now AT has a slight advantage in research.” AT are the only ones to have developed the technology, but even they have yet to release the new device. Therefore, the statement is false.

Mathematical reasoning questions assess the ability to analyze problems, select appropriate formulas, and apply mathematical methods to find solutions. Correctional officers use this skill to perform calculations, such as determining the average number of miles driven per tour.

Numerical Reasoning Sample Question

A family of two adults and their three children decides to go see a movie together. Normally, they pay $31 for the tickets. However, the movie theater recently launched an annual membership card costing $100. Card holders are entitled to a 25% reduction on the 2nd adult ticket and an extra free child ticket for every two child tickets they buy. How many times a year should the family go see a movie in order for the membership card to be paid off if the normal price of three adult tickets and two child tickets is $34?

A. 2

B. 5

C. 8

D. 14

E. 15

View Explanation

The correct answer is 15.

If two adults and three children pay $31 for the tickets and three adult tickets and two child tickets cost $34, we can formulate the following equations and find the prices of an adult ticket and a child ticket:
(1) 2A + 3C = $31
(2) 3A + 2C = $34

Subtracting (1) from (2) we arrive at A - C = $3. Therefore:
(3) A = C + $3

Plugging the value of A from (3) back into (1) we get:
2(C + 3) + 3C = 31
2C + 6 + 3C = 31
5C = 25
C = $5

Now, we can plug the value of C back into (3) to get:
A = C + 3
A = 5 + 3 = $8

If card holders receive a 25% reduction on the 2nd adult ticket and a free child ticket for every two child tickets bought, the family will save: A * 0.25 = 8 * 0.25 = $2 on the 2nd adult ticket and £5 on the free child ticket. That means the family will save a total of 2 + 5 = $7 every time they go to the movies.

If the membership card costs $100 per year, it would require $100 / $7 ≈ 14.286 visits to the movie theatre to break even on the cost of the membership card. Since the number of times the family needs to go to the movies has to be a whole number, the card would pay off only after 15 visits.

Our expert-designed preparation pack gives you everything you need: realistic practice tests, sample questions, personality tests, and study guides to ensure your success.

Spatial orientation questions assess the ability to understand and navigate locations, directions, and spatial relationships. Correctional officers use this skill to efficiently move through facilities, respond to incidents quickly, and track inmate movements within the correctional environment.

Spatial Orientation Sample Question

Each line is marked by a different color and is associated with a different letter. Stations are numbered by their location on the line(s). The numbering of the stations progresses from the beginning of the line to its end. Lines always begin at the northernmost station, except for lines G and M which begin at the westernmost station. Codes associated with some of the stations have been written below them.

A station can have more than one code associated with it, as some stations have more than one line passing through them.

Ms. Sol Aroches needs to commute from station M3 to station O3. Which of the following routes would be the least efficient (passes through the most stations)?

A. M3 → M2 → B8 → C3 → O3

B. M3 → C4 → O4 → O3

C. M3 → B10 → B5 → O3

D. M3 → M5 → O3

View Explanation

Note that you are asked to find the least efficient route- this means you must look for the answer with the most stations passed through.

The route that gets you from M3 to O3 in the most steps is route A.

Are you serious about your career? Then you should devote your time and effort and prepare for the exam, due to the many advantages of being a Correction Officer:

Job Security: as a civil servant, your employment is regulated and secured by the Civil Service Law.
Salary: the position is one of the highest-paid civil servants’.
Insurance, Leave and Retirement Benefits: you’ll be covered by health, dental, prescription drug, optical, and life insurance; and have very liberal leave benefits. Furthermore, you will be part of the civil employee’s retirement system in the.
Promotional Opportunities: civil service promotion examinations are very seldom open to the general public, leading to an Assistant Warden and even Warden position.
Other Benefits: these might include credit union membership, consumer buying power, uniform allowances, education and training incentives, and disability insurance.

When applying for a civil service position in NYC, your application may be performed online through the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). DCAS offers efficient and supportive services to assist the New York City government in a variety of operations. Its goal is to assist in recruiting, hiring, and training employees, as well as other service fields. The DCAS exam schedule is released is posted during the fiscal year and is constantly being updated to keep applicants updated on any relevant changes.

We offer you a complete practice pack for the NYS Corrections Officer Written Test. The package includes full length Corrections Officer practice tests, personality tests, sample questions, study guides, and more.

NYS and NYC Correction Officer Exam Prep

What Is the NYC Correctional Officer Exam?

Correction Officer Test Components

Deductive Reasoning

Deductive Reasoning Sample Question

Inductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning Sample Question

Ace Your NYS and NYC Corrections Officer Exam– Start Now!

Written Comprehension

Written Comprehension Sample Question

Numerical Reasoning

Numerical Reasoning Sample Question

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Spatial Orientation

Spatial Orientation Sample Question

The Benefits of a Corrections Officer Career

The Department of Citywide Administrative Services

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