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The Police Oral Board Secret Weapon

Featured Author:

Sergeant George Godoy

Sergeant George Godoy (ret) is a 22 year police veteran from the Denver, Colorado area. During the last 5 years of his law enforcement career he was a police recruiter and investigator responsible for the hiring of police officers. His responsibilities included screening police applicants, administering written tests, participating in oral board interviews, and completing police background investigations.

George is the founder of the Police Exam 911 learning system for police candidates. Utilizing streaming video and digital technology, police hopefuls are taken step-by-step through the application process, written test, oral board, psych, and polygraph exam. Police Exam 911 has been instrumental in helping hundreds of police applicants realize their dream of becoming a police officer.

For more information:
- Visit PoliceExam911.com

More articles from this author:

• Your Written Exam: How To Think Like A Cop
• The Police Entrance Exam - Vehicle Pursuits
• Police Oral Board Interview - From Stress To Success

The next time you are ready to answer that question, turn the card over first to remind yourself what you do not want to say.

Let me tell you how critical this is. If you are not using a tape recorder to practice, practice, practice – rehearse, rehearse, rehearse – learning your material until it becomes second nature to you, you may as well not show up for your oral board.

If you do not spend serious time burning your presentation and your answers into your brain, you are wasting the oral board’s time and your time! Stop the madness and seek out another career. One problem though, you have to interview for other jobs too.

The candidate above has already lost some great opportunities. Had he faithfully used a tape recorder to prepare for his oral boards, he might have already begun his police career.

Some candidates think that if they practice too much their answers will sound canned. But, NO, it won’t! Practice will make sure your answers are planned, complete, and as perfect as possible.

Practice makes permanent.

Luck is preparation meeting opportunity. One practice session with a tape recorder is worth speaking something out loud 10 times. Practice gets you to a point where your answers sink into your subconscious, and that is where the magic begins. Practice won’t let you be fooled.

I believe practicing with a tape recorder is so important that I will not coach a candidate if they are not using one. It is a waste of my time and their money.

Believe me, your competition knows the value of using a tape recorder and they will fly past you, if you’re not using one too.

After 22 years of police experience, here’s what I know – to properly prepare to audition for the position of police officer, you must use a tape recorder.

Practice, practice, practice and you will have the power to catapult yourself into the Olympic Camp of law enforcement. You will have a great shot at the badge – and the chance to be one of the true American heroes.

So, instead of posting on bulletin boards to find out where others stand in the testing process for this city, or that county, ask yourself this question:

What am I doing to prepare for the most important part of the hiring process – the Police Oral Board?

If your answer isn’t the right answer, you may never pass the oral board, or score high enough on the list, to wear a badge. Never! Ever!

So, where is your tape recorder?

Other Resources From The Oral Board Mega-Guide:

• 10 Tips for Mastering the Police Oral Board
• Police Oral Board Interview – From Stress To Success
• Answering Common Oral Hiring Board Questions
• So You Wanna Be A Cop?