APCAT FREE APCAT Cognitive Ability General 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A police recruiter reviews applications. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and have a clean criminal record. Applicant Torres is 21, a Canadian citizen, but has a minor drug conviction. Is Torres eligible?
- Yes, because Torres meets two of three criteria
- No, because Torres does not meet the criminal record requirement (Correct answer)
- Yes, because the conviction was minor
- No, because Torres is not old enough
Correct answer: No, because Torres does not meet the criminal record requirement
All three criteria must be met. A criminal conviction — regardless of its nature — disqualifies the applicant per the stated requirements.
Torres meets age and citizenship requirements but fails the clean criminal record criterion. A 'minor' conviction is still a conviction. Based solely on the stated criteria, Torres does not qualify.
Question 2: A constable must attend 4 briefings per week for 3 weeks, then 2 briefings per week for the remaining 2 weeks of a 5-week training block. How many briefings in total?
- 14
- 16 (Correct answer)
- 18
- 20
Correct answer: 16
3 weeks times 4 briefings = 12; 2 weeks times 2 briefings = 4. Total = 12 + 4 = 16.
First segment: 3 times 4 = 12 briefings. Second segment: 2 times 2 = 4 briefings. Total: 12 + 4 = 16. Multi-step arithmetic problems test structured numerical reasoning.
Question 3: Which of the following is NOT a right protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
- The right to life, liberty, and security of the person
- The right to be informed of the reason for arrest
- The right to a minimum wage (Correct answer)
- Freedom of expression
Correct answer: The right to a minimum wage
The Charter protects civil liberties and legal rights — not economic rights such as minimum wage. Minimum wage is governed by provincial employment legislation.
The Charter protects rights such as life/liberty/security (s. 7), freedom of expression (s. 2), and legal rights on arrest (s. 10). Minimum wage is set by provincial employment standards legislation, not the Charter.
Question 4: A witness states: 'I saw the suspect at the corner of 9 Avenue and 1 Street SW at 3:00 PM.' The investigation confirms the suspect was in Edmonton at 3:00 PM that day. What does this suggest about the witness's account?
- The witness is definitely lying and should be charged
- The witness's account is inconsistent with verified facts and warrants further investigation (Correct answer)
- The witness account is fully reliable
- The suspect must have teleported
Correct answer: The witness's account is inconsistent with verified facts and warrants further investigation
The inconsistency between the witness account and verified facts suggests the account may be inaccurate and requires further investigation.
A conflict between a witness account and verified facts creates a credibility concern. This could mean the witness is mistaken, lying, or misidentified the person. The appropriate response is to note the inconsistency and investigate further.
Question 5: An officer has 24 hours of mandatory training to complete in 6 equal sessions. How long is each session?
- 3 hours
- 4 hours (Correct answer)
- 6 hours
- 5 hours
Correct answer: 4 hours
24 hours divided by 6 sessions = 4 hours per session.
24 divided by 6 = 4 hours per session. Division of total work into equal parts is a practical calculation used in scheduling training, deployment, and shift planning.
Question 6: Which term best describes the formal caution given to a detained person informing them of their rights under the Charter?
- Subpoena
- Recognizance
- Caution or rights warning (Correct answer)
- Extradition notice
Correct answer: Caution or rights warning
When detaining or arresting a person, officers must provide a Charter caution informing the individual of their right to counsel and right to silence.
Section 10 of the Charter requires that upon arrest or detention, a person must be informed promptly of the reason for detention and of their right to retain and instruct counsel. Failure to provide this notification can result in exclusion of evidence obtained thereafter.
APCAT FREE APCAT Cognitive Ability General 2
A police recruiter reviews applications.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and have a clean criminal record.
Applicant Torres is 21, a Canadian citizen, but has a minor drug conviction.
Is Torres eligible?