The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With approximately 10,000 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-largest municipal police department in the United States, after the New York City Police Department and the Chicago Police Department.

The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, also known as the Police Commission, is a five-member civilian body that oversees the LAPD. The Chief of Police reports to the board and the rest of the department reports to the chief.

Meet the minimum qualifications for prospective officers

1. Complete the LAPD Multiple Choice (MC) Written Test, a screening exam that also tests your communication abilities. The exam may be taken online or in-person at an approved testing site.

2. Complete the LAPD background investigation.

3. Pass the LAPD polygraph exam.

4. Pass the LAPD physical abilities test.

5. Attend a personal interview with an LAPD panel.

6. Complete a medical and psychological evaluation.

7. Accept appointment as a recruit and attend The Los Angeles Police Academy.

8. Begin working as an officer with the LAPD.

The LAPD Multiple Choice (MC) Test is an 80-item written test that evaluates your ability to read and write:

• 20 questions on Writing Clarity

• 20 multiple choice Spelling questions

• 20 multiple choice Vocabulary questions

• 20 multiple choice questions on Reading Comprehension where the student reads different passages about policies or reports, then answers questions abut what they read.

Don’t stumble on the final steps of the LAPD hiring process. The Polygraph and Panel Interview are much more difficult than the LAPD MC Written Exam. In both cases, good preparation will definitely improve your outcome.

Fortunately, Sgt. Godoy is including both of these advanced prep courses as a BONUS in his acclaimed LAPD MC Test Prep described in the next paragraph.