OACP: Writing a clear incident report

All 14 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. Which statement belongs in an incident report?

   1. The man seemed like a bad person to the officer.
   2. The man's speech was slurred and he swayed while standing.
   3. The man was obviously a drunk who causes trouble here.
   4. The man was probably on his way to another bar.

2. A witness said, "He hit me twice." How should the report record it?

   1. Someone said that he may have hit her.
   2. He hit the witness twice, which we already know is true.
   3. The witness was hit a few times, it seems.
   4. Witness Ana Diaz stated, "He hit me twice."

3. Which time entry is best for a report?

   1. Around midnight or so
   2. Late in the evening
   3. At 23:40 on October 3
   4. Sometime after dinner

4. Many services ask officers to write reports in the first person. Which sentence follows that style?

   1. This officer arrived at the address at 08:15.
   2. I arrived at the address at 08:15.
   3. One arrived at the address at 08:15.
   4. The writer arrived at the address at 08:15.

5. Which detail answers "where" in a report?

   1. At 14:15 on a Tuesday afternoon
   2. Because of an argument over money
   3. In the parking lot at 55 King Street West
   4. Two adults and a child

6. Which description of a person is objective?

   1. Tall and scary, with a mean face
   2. Dressed like a typical troublemaker
   3. Shady-looking, like someone who is up to no good
   4. About 180 cm tall, short black hair, red jacket, jeans

7. A report says a phone was stolen. Which added detail makes it most complete?

   1. How often the officer has seen phone thefts
   2. The weather forecast for the next day
   3. The officer's personal view of how common phone theft is
   4. The make, model, colour and serial number of the phone

8. Which sentence describing how the driver left is clearest for a report?

   1. The operator of the motor vehicle subsequently egressed the area pedestrianly.
   2. The guy took off like crazy, man.
   3. The driver left the scene on foot.
   4. Then he kind of went away from there.

9. An officer did not see the fight but was told about it. Which sentence is correct?

   1. The store clerk told me she saw two men fighting.
   2. Two men must have been fighting, I believe.
   3. Two men were definitely fighting in the store.
   4. I saw two men fighting in front of the store.

10. Which detail is least relevant in a report about a stolen bicycle?

    1. Where and when it was last seen
    2. The bicycle's colour and serial number
    3. Whether the lock was cut or missing
    4. The officer's favourite brand of bicycle

11. Which description is most useful in a report?

    1. A blue 2018 Honda Civic, Ontario plate ABCD 123
    2. Some kind of small car, maybe blue
    3. A car the witness said was nice
    4. A blue car that looked fairly new and quite clean

12. A suspect said, "I wasn't even there." Why should the report quote the exact words?

    1. So the reader knows exactly what the person said
    2. So the report is longer and looks more detailed
    3. So the officer does not have to sign it
    4. So the suspect cannot be charged later

13. In what order should events usually be written in an incident report?

    1. In alphabetical order by name
    2. In the order in which they happened
    3. From the most to the least serious
    4. In the order the officer remembers

14. An officer notices a wrong time in a draft report before submitting it. What is the best action?

    1. Leave it, since the rest of the report is right
    2. Correct it so the report states the accurate time
    3. Remove all times so no one can question them
    4. Change the other times so they match the error