MA Police Officer Test 2011

Got a 91, game plan hasn't changed for me just spoke with my recruiter MEPS in a week.

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OfficerObie59 said:
That's damn good.

However, it's only one piece of the puzzle. Without residency AND vet preference, it still might not be good enough provided the agency even plans on hiring this exam cycle.
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Unfortunately Obie is right, and then too, there is the nepotism angle, which is pervasive. There are lots of components in the hiring process, and contrary to popular belief, the Civil Service System in Mass (as well as in other states) does not level the playing field.
 
mark056 said:
You probably should, at this point, join the Armed Forces or apply out of state, unless of course you have some "in" or connections with people on the Job, and even then with an 88, that's not a given either. [hmmm]
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Dont I know it, just gives me another reason to head south within the year.
 
and contrary to popular belief, the Civil Service System in Mass (as well as in other states) does not level the playing field.
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Even when "played straight", the rule is 2N+1. If a department has 3 openings, it is allowed to choose from the 7 (2*3+1) top eligible scorers.

With any job, the barriers to entry are in general directly proportional to how well that job is compensated. When the barriers are not training (medicine, law) or apprenticeships (plumbing) or family connections (hitman), the ecosystem naturally erects other barriers as large number of people meet the requirement for "big money". And, while cops don't live a wealthy lifestyle, the MA pension system makes it a very desirable job.
 
I just checked online and it says FAIL. I don't know how that is possible. I am confident I did well. Now if say I scored an 85 I would say "jeez I thought I did better than that" however fail?? Maybe there is a mistake. (I have passed the FBI phase one exam and the Foreign Service Officer's exam too).
 
Scored a 98, and I have vet and residency preference. However, in the time since I tested I have gone through the entire hiring process for an agency out of state, and I'm actually sitting in my room at the academy as I type this. Plenty of LEO jobs to be had outside of MA guys. You just need to be willing to make the move.
 
Traditionally, any passing score with veteran preference AND residency was a good place to be, and as a resident non-vet you traditionally needed to break 90. However, as hiring has slowed, even low scoring vets should expect to have a tough time.

Rule of thumb on list selection: Select the municipality you have residency in, the MBTA, and save the other two for small, affluent towns.
 
OfficerObie59 said:
Traditionally, any passing score with veteran preference AND residency was a good place to be, and as a resident non-vet you traditionally needed to break 90. However, as hiring has slowed, even low scoring vets should expect to have a tough time.

Rule of thumb on list selection: Select the municipality you have residency in, the MBTA, and save the other two for small, affluent towns.
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Why would you want to join the mbta?
 
ochmude said:
Scored a 98, and I have vet and residency preference. However, in the time since I tested I have gone through the entire hiring process for an agency out of state, and I'm actually sitting in my room at the academy as I type this. Plenty of LEO jobs to be had outside of MA guys. You just need to be willing to make the move.
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Same, however pensions and retirement cannot compare, unless you want federal, like me.
 
Rob Boudrie said:
Even when "played straight", the rule is 2N+1. If a department has 3 openings, it is allowed to choose from the 7 (2*3+1) top eligible scorers.
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There is a slight caveat to that which is if the "1" in the algebra equation is tied with anyone lower (ties scores then breakdown alphabetically by last name) they have to interview them as well.

Take Rob's example. If number 7 has a tied score with 8-13, the agency has to send postcards to all 13, the principle being that you shouldn't not get an interview because your last name is Wallace.

Fairly frequently, agencies have to send out another certification (round of postcards) to get qualified interviewees. For example, when I was hired, I was number 4 on the list and the agency wanted to hire two. Apparently I was the only one of the first five they liked, because they had to pull another five names to get the second guy I got hired with. This tends to happen when the list is older, as you can imagine in October 2013 when this list is about to expire many of those have either moved elsewhere and are no longer residents of that municipality (their preference is no good), they've been hired elsewhere, fail to answer the postcard, or have simply moved on in life.
 
el duderino said:
Why would you want to join the mbta?
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Why not? The bonus of the list is that it's a statewide list--there is no residency. So if you're a vet and get a good score, it's a good list to put yourself on.

It's also a full service, civil service law enforcement agency in the state pension system. Not only are they on the forefront of all that fun terrorism training stuff, if you ever have any desire to go MSP, I wouldn't be surprised if you saw a merger in the next 20 years.

If you really hate it, you can always lateral to a municipal agency--the MBTA academy, while independently run by the T, is a full time recruit academy. The T almost always has extra academy seats it's fills with municipal recruits. And there are certain agencies out there that have reputations for frequently taking laterals--they hire you and you hit the road. They don't have to burn 5 months salary while you for through the academy, and the break in time for an experienced officer is usually less than a rookie.
 
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The only reason to go to the MBTA Police is to get to another department.

The moral there is zero, every other agency hates them, every other T employee hates them, The T police hate bus drivers.

I am told the pay there is low too, which is why they hate bus drivers because we out earn them big time.

There have been some real winners come through that department that have tainted the T cops for generations to come, The K-9 officer who starved his dog to death, the cop that was supposed to be at Oak Grove on detail that killed a guy while he was away from his post without authorization,that officer was convicted, snuck to Florida without Probation noticing, where he killed some girl he was involved with then he jumped out a window...

Yes the T has some nice toys due to Federal money, but the combined IQ of that department couldn't light a 100 watt bulb let alone use it to full capability.

If you have no other option and really want to be a LEO, then go to the T, otherwise avoid it like AIDS.

Remember when they rolled the "Mets" and RMV cops into MSP? The T cops were supposed to be part of that deal but MSP said NFW they were taking the T cops into their agency. Subsequent attempts have also failed.
 
Glockaholic said:
The only reason to go to the MBTA Police is to get to another department.

The moral there is zero, every other agency hates them, every other T employee hates them, The T police hate bus drivers.

I am told the pay there is low too, which is why they hate bus drivers because we out earn them big time.

There have been some real winners come through that department that have tainted the T cops for generations to come, The K-9 officer who starved his dog to death, the cop that was supposed to be at Oak Grove on detail that killed a guy while he was away from his post without authorization,that officer was convicted, snuck to Florida without Probation noticing, where he killed some girl he was involved with then he jumped out a window...

Yes the T has some nice toys due to Federal money, but the combined IQ of that department couldn't light a 100 watt bulb let alone use it to full capability.

If you have no other option and really want to be a LEO, then go to the T, otherwise avoid it like AIDS.

Remember when they rolled the "Mets" and RMV cops into MSP? The T cops were supposed to be part of that deal but MSP said NFW they were taking the T cops into their agency. Subsequent attempts have also failed.
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They may not have a choice. With the T millions of dollars underwater and with police unions with a fraction of the power they had at the time of the '92 merger, I could absolutely see it happening whether MSP wants it or not. All it takes is one piece of Beacon Hill legislation.

As for the "winners" to go through that agency, I'd say Bill Bratton didn't do so badly.

Sorry if I seem to be doubting your objectiveness, but I do know they serve as the MBTA's loss prevention. LP is never well liked by the other employees, no matter what job it is.
 
OfficerObie59 said:
They may not have a choice. With the T millions of dollars underwater and with police unions with a fraction of the power they had at the time of the '92 merger, I could absolutely see it happening whether MSP wants it or not. All it takes is one piece of Beacon Hill legislation.

As for the "winners" to go through that agency, I'd say Bill Bratton didn't do so badly.

Sorry if I seem to be doubting your objectiveness, but I do know they serve as the MBTA's loss prevention. LP is never well liked by the other employees, no matter what job it is.
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I didn't work in the money room so there was nothing for me to "lose" or steal.

I have sat in hostile territory for 45 minutes waiting for T PD response, because they won't ask local PD's to first respond and secure the scene, and local PD's hate T cops.

We used to time their response time to Malden, it ran on average 45 minutes. Unacceptable from where I was sitting.
 
Obie, I think that the MBTA Transit Police will merge with the MSP and probably within the next two decades. Based on my interaction with the T Police, I would say that it is merger that neither side would enthusiastically support.

I really got screwed over by a T superior officer when working on a special project involving some critical infrastructure and DHS issues that still leaves a bad taste in my mouth today.
 
ochmude said:
Federal is hiring too. That's what I'm doing.
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Border Patrol is hiring again, just signed up for the test. They dont make it convenient for you though, my test is 8am on a monday in NYC, the closest interview office is on the canadian border of vermont, next closest was 8 hours away in either direction.

What agency you get into?
 
el duderino said:
Border Patrol is hiring again, just signed up for the test. They dont make it convenient for you though, my test is 8am on a monday in NYC, the closest interview office is on the canadian border of vermont, next closest was 8 hours away in either direction.

What agency you get into?
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Odd, I tested at the Holiday Inn in Hartford and did my oral interview at the federal building in Boston. The written test is pretty easy. If you're taking the artificial language test, make sure you get very familiar with the grammar rules. It saves you a lot of time flipping around in the book.

Do a lot of Insanity or P90X...or both. If you get hired and make it to the academy, you will die in the mat room otherwise. I went through Parris Island and this PT is no joke.
 

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