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Introduction to Law Enforcement DSST Practice Test

Unofficial practice on the five areas of the DSST Introduction to Law Enforcement outline, each answer with its source.

By what name are the commissioned officers of a state police agency generally known?

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Exam mode: 50 questions, 60 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with Prometric, which owns the DSST program. Bank checked October 12, 2026.

Next step DSST Criminal Justice practice test

All 50 questions

History of law enforcement 4

  • In December 2014 President Obama created the Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Which event was it a response to? Wikipedia, "President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing". DSST outline: I. History of Law Enforcement (8%), c. Contemporary (2000)
  • O. W. Wilson led reforms as police chief in Wichita and as superintendent in Chicago. Which highly influential book did he write? Wikipedia, "O. W. Wilson". DSST outline: I. History of Law Enforcement (8%), d. Contributions of theorists and practitioners
  • Slave patrols were organized groups of armed men who policed enslaved people in the American South. Where were they first established? Wikipedia, "Slave patrol". DSST outline: I. History of Law Enforcement (8%), a. Pre-colonial and colonial heritage
  • Under the frankpledge system of medieval England, men were grouped in tithings. What was a tithing responsible for? Wikipedia, "Frankpledge". DSST outline: I. History of Law Enforcement (8%), a. Pre-colonial and colonial heritage
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Criminal justice system and process 11

  • An offender on probation breaks the rules of supervision. What may the probation officer then request? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 1.7 The Three C's: Cops, Courts, and Corrections. DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), f. Role of corrections
  • For most people, which part of the criminal justice system is the first point of contact? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 1.7 The Three C's: Cops, Courts, and Corrections. DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), a. Role of police
  • For which offenses does the National Incident-Based Reporting System collect data on every incident and arrest? Wikipedia, "National Incident-Based Reporting System". DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), g. Measurement of crime
  • In Samuel Walker's wedding cake model of justice, which cases form the bottom layer, the largest one? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 1.11 Wedding Cake Model of Justice. DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), e. Role of court
  • The Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of counsel has developed over time. When does it now apply? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 7.10 Courtroom Workgroup: Defense Attorneys. DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), d. Role of defense
  • Under the Brady rule, what must prosecutors do with material, exculpatory information that the government holds? Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute, Wex, "Brady rule". DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), c. Role of prosecutors
  • What do criminologists call the amount of crime that the criminal justice system never learns of? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 2.1 Dark or Hidden Figure of Crime. DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), g. Measurement of crime
  • What is a victim-impact statement? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 1.15 Victim Rights and Assistance. DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), b. Role of victim
  • Which kind of crime statistic comes from asking people how many times they themselves committed a crime, whether or not they were caught? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 2.4 Self-Report Statistics. DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), g. Measurement of crime
  • Which of these does the federal Victim's Rights and Restitution Act direct federal officers to accord to crime victims? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 1.15 Victim Rights and Assistance. DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), b. Role of victim
  • Which organization began the Uniform Crime Reports in 1929, a year before the FBI was given the task of collecting the statistics? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 2.2 Official Statistics. DSST outline: II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process (22%), g. Measurement of crime

Law enforcement systems in the United States 7

  • By what name are the commissioned officers of a state police agency generally known? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 6.4 Levels of Policing and Role of Police. DSST outline: III. Law Enforcement Systems in the United States (15%), b. State
  • Deputies work under an elected county sheriff. For which of these can a sheriff be responsible, in addition to policing? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 6.4 Levels of Policing and Role of Police. DSST outline: III. Law Enforcement Systems in the United States (15%), c. Local
  • What sets campus police apart from campus security? Wikipedia, "Campus police". DSST outline: III. Law Enforcement Systems in the United States (15%), d. Special district police agencies
  • Which agency takes the lead in enforcing the Controlled Substances Act at home? Wikipedia, "Drug Enforcement Administration". DSST outline: III. Law Enforcement Systems in the United States (15%), a. Federal
  • Which agency, the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, is described as the oldest federal law enforcement agency in unbroken operation? Wikipedia, "United States Postal Inspection Service". DSST outline: III. Law Enforcement Systems in the United States (15%), a. Federal
  • Which federal agency investigates offenses that involve making, having or using firearms and explosives unlawfully, and acts of arson and bombings? Wikipedia, "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives". DSST outline: III. Law Enforcement Systems in the United States (15%), a. Federal
  • Which state police agency was founded in 1905 after the Great Anthracite Strike of 1902? Wikipedia, "Pennsylvania State Police". DSST outline: III. Law Enforcement Systems in the United States (15%), b. State

Organization, management and issues 20

  • A 1994 federal law lets one office bring civil actions against police agencies whose use of force forms a pattern of depriving people of their rights. Which office? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 6.9 Current Issues: Use of Force and Vehicle Pursuits. DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), c. Police issues
  • Alice Stebbins Wells was among the first American-born women police officers in the United States. Which city hired her in 1910? Wikipedia, "Alice Stebbins Wells". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), d. Women and other minorities in policing
  • An officer is questioned in an internal investigation of the department. Which warning advises the officer of the right to remain silent on issues that tend to be incriminating? Wikipedia, "Garrity warning". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), c. Police issues
  • CompStat is a police management system in which leaders meet to review trends in crime data. Which department created it in 1994? Wikipedia, "CompStat". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), a. Operations
  • Fusion centers were set up across the United States after the September 11 attacks. What are they designed to do? Wikipedia, "Fusion center". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), e. Emerging issues (cybercrime, homeland security, militarization)
  • In the organization of a police department, what does span of control mean? Wikipedia, "Span of control". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), a. Operations
  • The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services helps agencies hire community policing officers. Which law established it? Wikipedia, "Community Oriented Policing Services". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), b. Community relations and policing
  • Police departments are often called paramilitary organizations. What does that description mean? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 6.12 Current Issues: Internal Affairs and Discipline. DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), a. Operations
  • President Johnson set up the Kerner Commission in July 1967. What was it asked to investigate? Wikipedia, "Kerner Commission". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), b. Community relations and policing
  • Qualified immunity protects a government official from lawsuits over a violation of rights. In which case does it still allow the suit? Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute, Wex, "qualified immunity". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), c. Police issues
  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars discrimination in employment. What did the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 do to its coverage? Wikipedia, "Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), d. Women and other minorities in policing
  • What does the Defense Department's 1033 Program do? Wikipedia, "Law Enforcement Support Office". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), e. Emerging issues (cybercrime, homeland security, militarization)
  • What does the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 make a felony? Wikipedia, "Posse Comitatus Act". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), e. Emerging issues (cybercrime, homeland security, militarization)
  • What generally marks the members of a civilian review board that looks into complaints of police misconduct? Wikipedia, "Civilian oversight of law enforcement". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), b. Community relations and policing
  • What is a use of force continuum? Wikipedia, "Use of force continuum". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), c. Police issues
  • What is racial profiling? Wikipedia, "Racial profiling". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), c. Police issues
  • What is the job of a field training officer? Wikipedia, "Field training officer". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), a. Operations
  • Which law, enacted after the September 11 attacks, expanded the surveillance abilities of law enforcement? Wikipedia, "Patriot Act". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), e. Emerging issues (cybercrime, homeland security, militarization)
  • Which policing model centers on assessing and managing risk, with intelligence officers serving as guides to operations? Wikipedia, "Intelligence-led policing". DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), a. Operations
  • Which unit of a police department investigates an issue raised against one of its own officers? Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, section 6.12 Current Issues: Internal Affairs and Discipline. DSST outline: IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues (40%), a. Operations

Criminal and constitutional law 8

  • A valid federal law and a state law conflict. Which part of the Constitution makes the federal law take precedence? Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute, Wex, "Supremacy Clause". DSST outline: V. Criminal and Constitutional Law and Precedents (15%), a. The Constitution and Bill of Rights
  • Carroll v. United States (1925) upheld a warrantless search made during Prohibition. Which exception to the warrant requirement came from it? Wikipedia, "Carroll v. United States". DSST outline: V. Criminal and Constitutional Law and Precedents (15%), b. Supreme Court case law
  • In American law, what is an ordinance? Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute, Wex, "ordinance". DSST outline: V. Criminal and Constitutional Law and Precedents (15%), c. Federal, state and local laws and ordinances
  • Katz v. United States (1967) redefined what counts as a search under the Fourth Amendment. Which standard came out of the case? Wikipedia, "Katz v. United States". DSST outline: V. Criminal and Constitutional Law and Precedents (15%), b. Supreme Court case law
  • Officers arrest a driver and take his cell phone. Under Riley v. California (2014), what do they generally need before they search its digital contents? Wikipedia, "Riley v. California". DSST outline: V. Criminal and Constitutional Law and Precedents (15%), b. Supreme Court case law
  • Officers search a house with a warrant that a judge issued and that is later found invalid. Which exception, set in United States v. Leon (1984), can let the evidence in? Wikipedia, "United States v. Leon". DSST outline: V. Criminal and Constitutional Law and Precedents (15%), b. Supreme Court case law
  • Police arrest a man in his home on a warrant for burglary. Under Chimel v. California (1969), what may they search without a search warrant? Wikipedia, "Chimel v. California". DSST outline: V. Criminal and Constitutional Law and Precedents (15%), b. Supreme Court case law
  • What did the Supreme Court rule in Mapp v. Ohio (1961)? Wikipedia, "Mapp v. Ohio". DSST outline: V. Criminal and Constitutional Law and Precedents (15%), b. Supreme Court case law

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the content outline of the DSST Introduction to Law Enforcement fact sheet (Prometric, Rev 06/2018, https://getcollegecredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IntroductionToLawEnforcement.pdf, read 2026-10-12): history of law enforcement 8%, overview of the United States criminal justice system and process 22%, law enforcement systems in the United States 15%, law enforcement organization, management and issues 40%, criminal and constitutional law and precedents 15%. The bank holds 4, 11, 7, 20 and 8 questions, the same shares of 50 to the nearest question. Every answer was read on 2026-10-12 in the public page its question names: the Open Oregon textbook Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, Cornell's Wex legal encyclopedia and Wikipedia. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This Introduction to Law Enforcement DSST practice test has 50 questions of our own in the fact sheet's five areas, each with its source. It is unofficial and not affiliated with Prometric, which owns the DSST program.

Read the full guide

Five areas and their weights

The fact sheet (Rev 06/2018, read October 12, 2026) weights them: law enforcement organization, management and issues 40%; the criminal justice system and process 22%; law enforcement systems 15%; criminal and constitutional law 15%; history 8%. The bank holds 20, 11, 7, 8 and 4 questions.

100 questions, 2 hours

That is the real exam, and some of its questions are pretest questions that are not scored. A timed run here is 50 questions in 60 minutes.

Where the answers come from

Each explanation names its page: an open college textbook on the American criminal justice system, Cornell's Wex legal encyclopedia or Wikipedia.

  • Organization, management and issues is 40% of the exam: operations, community relations, police issues, women and other minorities in policing, cybercrime, homeland security and militarization.
  • Learn the Fourth Amendment cases by what each one decided: Mapp, Carroll, Chimel, Katz, Leon and Riley.

Questions and answers

Is there a DSST Introduction to Law Enforcement study guide?

The free one is Prometric's fact sheet: the content outline and three reference textbooks. Here the questions are grouped by the outline's five areas, and each explanation names a public page to read.

What score do you need to pass the DSST Introduction to Law Enforcement exam?

The exam has no pass percent. The American Council on Education recommends 3 semester hours of lower-level baccalaureate credit at a minimum score of 400. The DSST site says to ask an advisor whether your school accepts the exam.

Is DSST Introduction to Law Enforcement the same as DSST Criminal Justice?

No, they are separate exams. By the fact sheets, Criminal Justice gives 20% to law enforcement, beside courts and corrections. This exam gives 40% to police organization, management and issues alone.

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