# Preparing for your oral boards



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

Previous articles provided a basic understanding of how the oral board works so that you can prepare a method to study for the examination. In most departments it takes from three to six weeks to correct the written examination and announce the results to candidates. Use the time between the written examination and the oral test to your advantage. Don't wait to receive your written test score and begin studying for the oral examination. In order to succeed, start studying again the day after the written test and continue until the moment you walk into the room to take your oral exam.

To achieve high scores in any oral interview, you must have excellent verbal communication skills. Clear and effective communication (including body language) is the manner in which you transmit information about yourself to the panelists. Knowing is not enough in an oral exam. You must orally communicate what you know and explain how you will use that knowledge. The test questions are designed to place you in hypothetical situations in which you must make a decision to:
1. Take a particular course of action.
2. Direct a subordinate to accomplish a task (delegate, sergeants test and
above).
3. Commit a group of people under your supervision to a plan of action in
order to accomplish a specific goal or a series of goals sergeants test
and above).
.
Since the exam responses are oral, you must be able to communicate to he panel members in a clear, concise, understandable manner. One reason that officers fail on oral examinations is their tendency to answer questions indicating what they would do at their current level, rather than at the level in which they are testing for. Questions relating to the following areas require responses at the supervisory and/or management level:
1. The difference between supervision, management, and leadership.
2. How you are going to "motivate" personnel under your command.
3. Workforce diversity issues, male and female police officers. 
4. The various parts of the supervisory/management process, POSDCORB,
planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting, and
budgeting.
5. Theory X and Theory Y management styles. 
6. Participative, democratic, situational, and free-rein management.
7. Span of control, delegation of authority, unity of command.
8. The communication process.
9. The delegation process.
10. Evaluating employees.
11. Responding to and handling emergency situations
12. Deadly force
13. Handling Pursuits of Vehicles

In addition to these broad based areas, you can expect specific questions on how you will handle the following:

Full
Article: http://www.policeone.com/patrol-issues/articles/1695167-Preparing-for-your-oral-boards/


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