Many Massachusetts towns and cities require civil service examinations to be passed to be put on the list of eligible canidates for the police department. These emainations are usually given only once a year and the test results are then forwarded to the towns and cities that you specify. Mass Civil Servic Exam Schedule
The test itself is not difficult, and asks more common sense questions then question regarding the law. The most common type of question is an example of a law is given and you are given a situation to apply that law to. You are to determine which action would be right according to the law provided.
The exam that you coose to take would depend on the field you are most interested in going into. The examination can be taken by getting an application from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Human Resource Division. The examinations are $35.00 unrefundable paid at the time the application for the exam is submitted. The $35.00 fee can be waived for those that qualifiy.
Many people go into the line of police work expecting what they see on T.V. They are expecting to have shoot outs with the "bad guys" and high speed chases. Many times the police work is more public relations than anything else. The most valued trait in a police officer would be patience. They should not get excited over small things and should be friendly and open to the public. Many people should realize that their actions are going to be watched very closley by the public, and small mistakes could become viewed as a scandal by the public.
The hardest part about becoming a police officer is waiting for a job opening. The are serveral ways to find out about the openings. You can call the police department an dask when they expect to have an opening. You will get a call from the police departments that you asked to be put on their lists. Another way is to look at The Commonwealth of Mass Human Resource Department job postings. Job Postings
The most common thing to remember when wanting to becoming a police officer is that you have to have a good reason why you do. Don't go into it for the power, the money, or the respect. You should become a police officer because it is what you always wanted to become one. You should want to be with, and help, the public. You should be doing it because you want to contribute to the state or city that you live in.
If you have any comments or questions, please e-mail me: Amy Connolly