Special Agent Entrance Exam

Basic Terms: Singular Singular - refers to one person, place thing, or idea. Example: babysitter; country; pencil; is Rewrite the singular.

babysitter; country; pencil; is

Basic Terms: Plural Plural - refers to more than one person, place, or thing. Example: babysitter, country, pencil, we Make these words plural.

babysitters, countries, pencils, were

Basic Terms: Adjective Adjective - a word that modifies a noun or pronoun. Example: The blue shirt; a funny clown; he is handsome. What are the Adjectives?

blue, funny, handsome

Basic Terms: Present Progressive Present Progressive - a tense for an action that is happening right now. Example: Evan is playing; and is chewing gum. What are the prepositions?

is playing; chewing gum

Basic Term: Verb Verb - expresses the state of or action carried out by the subject in sentence. Example: Pink is my favorite color. Barbara likes chocolate cake. What are the verbs?

is, likes

* Language Usage, Part 1 Punctuation Errors

Errors in punctuation include errors in the use of periods, apostrophes, semi-colons, colons, and other types of punctuation. Example: Improperly using "it's" as a possessive and not a contraction as in this sentence: "The dog hurt it's foot."

* Language Usage, Part 1 Spelling Errors

Spelling errors are words that are spelled incorrectly Example: Spelling the word "investigation" incorrectly as "investigasion"

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 2, Question 6 How many tape dispensers appeared in the photograph? a. none b. one c. two d. three

The answer to the sixth question is "C" because there were 2 tape dispensers that appeared in the photograph

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 2, Question 3 What was written on the open box sitting on the floor in front of the cabinets? a. Makes Your Work Look Better b. Makes Your Work Look Professional c. Makes Your Work Look Great d. Makes Your Work Look Pristine

The answer to the third question is "A" because the writing on the box was "Makes your work look better."

*Logic-Based Reasoning No part-time employees are Secret Service Special Agents. All part-time employees report to a field office location. Some full-time employees are Secret Service Special Agents. Christopher reports to the Maryland field office. Brian is a Secret Service Special Agent. Passage 6, Question 2 Brian is a full-time employee. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

The second conclusion is TRUE. We know that all Secret Service Special Agents are full-time employees. Brian is a Secret Service Special Agent. Therefore, Brian must be a full-time employee. You would answer "A" for TRUE.

Basic Terms: Semi-colon Semi-colon - a punctuation mark used to distinguish between two related independent clauses or (elaborately written) items on a list. Example: They went to the beach it was hot. They were required to bring three barbecue grills a prepared, homemade vegetable salad and six large bottles of diet soda. Where do the semi-colons go in these sentences?

They went to the beach; it was hot. They were required to bring three barbecue grills; a prepared, homemade vegetable salad; and six large bottles of diet soda.

*Logic-Based Reasoning All task force agents work from either Boston or Chicago. Some Boston task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Chicago task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Boston task force agents who are financial fraud investigators received financial investigation training. No Chicago task force agents received financial investigation training. All Chicago task force agents received cyber security training. Passage 3, question 2 a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

Chicago task force agents did not receive financial investigation training. Therefore, this statement must be true. You would answer "A" for TRUE.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 2, pp. 47

Description: Secret Service Special Agents investigate computer and financial crimes. During these investigations, Secret Service Special Agents may be asked to secure and canvass a crime scene in order to locate and preserve potential evidence. The following photograph presents a view of a counterfeiting crime scene that is part of a Secret Service Special Agent's investigation.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 1, pp. 40

Description: Secret Service Special Agents often work on task forces with other agencies to investigate crimes or plan protective events. The following picture presents a view of a meeting conducted with various agencies to investigate a pattern of financial crimes.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Capitalization Errors

Errors in capitalization include capitalizing words that should not be capitalized and not capitalizing words that should be capitalized. Example: "She wanted a new Flower for her window."

* Language Usage, Part 1 Formation of Plurals Errors

Errors in formation of plurals are a specific type of spelling error, which include when the plural form of a word is incorrect. Example: "Children" is the correct way to indicate more than one child, so writing "childs" is an incorrect use of plural formation.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 2

FORGERY INVESTIGATION SUMMARY REPORT (1)On January 4th, 2010, Agents were called to the Check-2-Cash store on 4752 Wentworth Street in Minneapolis, MN. (2)Agents Carrie Furstill and Geoffrey Jansen arrived at the store and we're told that someone attempted to use forged identification documints in order to cash a government-issued check for $2,343.60. (3)The Agents interviewed the teller involved, Markus Hermann, to document the incidents. (4)Earlier that day, the subject enters the store, walked up to the teller, and said he would like to cash a check. (5)The teller took the check from underneath the glass barricade and proceaded to ask for identification. (6)The subject than presented what appear to be a state-issued identification card. (7)When he inspected it, Mr. Hermann notes that the card was missing a watermark and determined it to be a forged Identification. (8)Mr. Hermann intended to report this to the authorities, so he told the subject that hed need to approve the large

Basic Terms: Period Period - a punctuation mark used to indicate the end of a sentence or an abbreviation. Example: I bought you these flowers; ect Rewrite this sentence, where does the punctuation belong?

I bought you these flowers.; ect.

Basic Term: Tense Tense - a verb type that identifies a specific time. (Present simple, Present progressive, Past simple, Past perfect, Future simple, etc.) Give an example: I ____ to Walmart. a. Went b. Drive

I went to Walmart.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 1

INTERAGENCY MEMORANDUM TO: ALL EMPLOYEES FROM: AMELIA GREGORY SUBJECT: MILLIONS IN COUNTERFEIT U.S. CURRENCY RECOVERED (1)On February 9, 2009, the Secret Service and the French National Police seized more than $60 millions in counterfeit U.S. bills. (2)The fake currency was found at an abandoned warehouse located in the heart of Paris, France. (3)A Secret Service representative, Chris Torrington, described the moment by saying, "This was one of the most substantial recovery I have encountered in my career. (4)I'm proud that were all able to witness such a major accomplishment." (5)According to french investigators, the operation in Paris was in the process of completing an order for $30 million in phony bills of various denominations. (6)Very little counterfeit operations have been able to fabricate such a large quantities of bogus notes. (7)Since 1999, the Secret Service has worked in partnership with local police authoritys in both France and Italy to fight a handful of counterfei

Mark completed more investigations than Jake. Megan completed fewer investigations than Mark. Jake completed more investigations than Rob. Mark completed more investigations than Rob. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

If Jake completed more investigations than Rob, and Mark completed more investigations than Jake, then we know that Mark completed more investigations than Rob. You would answer "A" for TRUE.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 1, Question 8 Which of the following sentences contains an error in subject-verb agreement? a) Sentence 1 b) Sentence 10 c) Sentence 12 d) Sentence 13

In Sentence 10, "continue" should be "continues" because the subject for this verb (frequency) is singular. No other listed sentences contain subject-verb agreement errors. Thus, the correct response option is "B."

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 1, Question 7 Which of the following sentences contains an error in capitalization? a) Sentence 2 b) Sentence 5 c) Sentence 9 d) Sentence 10

In Sentence 5, "french" should be capitalized to read "French." All other sentences listed as options use proper capitalization. Thus, the correct response option is "B."

* Detail Observation

In this section, you are presented with a series of photographs. These photographs depict images you may see on the job; for example, a rope line or a city street during a surveillance operation. Next, you will answer a series of questions unrelated to the photographs. Then, you will answer a series of questions about what appeared in the photographs, but you are not permitted to view the photograph while answering these questions. Each picture has an accompanying description. The test administrator will read this description and then you will have 2 ½ minutes to view the photograph. After the viewing period has ended, you will be asked to answer a series of unrelated questions. On the actual test, there will be five Language Usage questions directly following all photographs in the Detail Observation Section.

*Logic-Based Reasoning Passage 6

No part-time employees are Secret Service Special Agents. All part-time employees report to a field office location. Some full-time employees are Secret Service Special Agents. Christopher reports to the Maryland field office. Brian is a Secret Service Special Agent.

* Language Usage, Part II Question 1 This effort won't / be successful without / a partner ship with / you're department.

Part 1 and Part 2 contain no errors. Part 3 contains an error because it should be "partnership." Part 4 also contains an error because "you're" should be "your." Thus, the correct response option is "C" because 2 sections of the sentence contain errors. The correct version of this sentence is: This effort won't / be successful without / a partnership with / your department.

* Language Usage, Part II Question 5 All agents' / are required to / follow this / policies and procedures.

Part 1 contains an error because "agents'" should not be possessive, so it should be "agents'." Part 2 contains no errors. Part 3 contains an error because it should be possessive and thus be "these." Part 4 contains no errors. Thus, the correct response option is "C" because 2 sections of the sentence contain errors. The correct version of this sentence is: All agents / are required to / follow these / policies and procedures

* Language Usage, Part II Question 3 He opened the / cases file, / noted several inconsistency, / and made changes.

Part 1 contains no errors. Part 2 contains an error because file is singular so "cases" should be the singular "case." It should be "case file" or "cases files" to be correct. Part 3 contains an error because "several" indicates more than one inconsistency, so it should be "inconsistencies." Part 4 contains no errors. Thus, the correct response option is "C" because 2 sections of the sentence contain errors. The correct version of this sentence is: He opened the / case file, / noted several inconsistencies, / and made changes.

* Language Usage, Part II Question 4 I am investigating / several womens' claims / that property was stolen / from their cars.

Part 1 contains no errors. Part 2 contains an error because the plural possessive form of women is "women's." Part 3 and Part 4 contain no errors. Thus, the correct response option is "B" because 1 section of the sentence contains an error. The correct version of this sentence is: I am investigating / several women's claims / that property was stolen / from their cars.

* Language Usage, Part II Question 2 All agents / must report / to an / assigned location

Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 all contain no errors. Thus, the correct response option is "A" because 0 sections of the sentence contain errors. The correct version of this sentence is: All agents / must report / to an / assigned location.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 1, Question 6 Which of the following sentences, if deleted, would be least detrimental to the clarity of the memo? a) Sentence 1 b) Sentence 7 c) Sentence 9 d) Sentence 10

Sentence 1 provides key information concerning the purpose of the memo including the main event (e.g., the seizure of more than $60 million in counterfeit U.S. dollars) and the date this event took place. Sentence 7 provides an important segue from the first paragraph to the second, introducing new information that is a major focus of the second paragraph (e.g., partnerships with police forces in other countries). Sentence 9 provides key information that directly ties to the main purpose of the memo, but also provides unique and pertinent information. Additionally, Sentence 9 serves as an important preface to Sentence 10. Sentence 10 provides additional details about the topic at hand, and builds from Sentence 9, but does not speak directly about the specific event that is the focus of the memo. Thus, the correct response option is "D" because deleting Sentence 10 would have the least detrimental impact on the clarity of the memo, compared to the other sentences listed in the options p

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 2, Question 3 Which of the following sentences contains an error in apostrophe use? a) Sentence 12 b) Sentence 13 c) Sentence 14 d) Both A and C

Sentence 12 contains an error in apostrophe use because "we're" should be "were." Sentences 13 and 14 do not contain any errors in apostrophe use. Thus, the correct answer is "A" because it is the only sentence listed where there is an error in apostrophe use

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 2, Question 6 Which of the following sentences contains an error in capitalization? a) Sentence 2 b) Sentence 3 c) Sentence 7 d) Sentence 8

Sentence 2 contains an apostrophe error and a spelling error. Sentence 3 contains an error in use of plurals. Sentence 7 contains an error in capitalization because "Identification" should not be capitalized, as it is not a proper noun. Sentence 8 contains an apostrophe error and a pronoun error. Thus, the correct answer is "C" because Sentence 7 is the only option listed that contains an error in capitalization.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 1, Question 3 Which of the following sentences contains an improperly used word? a) Sentence 2 b) Sentence 8 c) Sentence 11 d) Sentence 12

Sentence 2 contains no errors. Sentence 8 contains no errors. Sentence 11 contains no errors. Sentence 12 contains one error as "capitol" should be "capital." This is considered an improperly used word because "capitol" should be "capital." This is an improperly used word and is NOT considered a spelling error because, though "capitol" is a real word and is correctly spelled, it has a different meaning than the appropriate word "capital." Thus, the correct response option is "D" because Sentence 12 contains an improperly used word.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 1, Question 1 Which of the following sentences contains no errors? a) Sentence 3 b) Sentence 4 c) Sentence 10 d) None of the Above

Sentence 3 contains one error as "recovery" should be "recoveries." Sentence 4 contains one error as "were" is missing an apostrophe (e.g., it should be "we're"). Sentence 10 contains two errors as "continue" should be "continues" (this is an error in subject-verb agreement) and "through out" should be "throughout" (this is a spelling error). Thus, the correct response option is "D" as all of the sentences listed contain errors

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 2, Question 8 Which of the following sentences contains an error in pronoun use? a) Sentence 4 b) Sentence 7 c) Sentence 8 d) Sentence 11

Sentence 4 contains an error in verb tense. Sentence 7 contains an error in capitalization because "Identification" should not be capitalized, as it is not a proper noun. Sentence 8 contains a pronoun error because "her" is the incorrect pronoun given that it has been established that Mr. Hermann is male. Sentence 11 contains no errors. Thus, the correct answer is "C" because Sentence 8 is the only option listed that contains a pronoun error.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 1, Question 2 Which of the following sentences contains exactly two errors? a) Sentence 5 b) Sentence 6 c) Sentence 9 d) Both B and C

Sentence 5 contains no errors. Sentence 6 contains two errors as "little" should be "few" and "quantities" should be "quantity." Sentence 9 contains two errors as "about" should be "between" and "have" should be "has" (this is an error in subjectverb agreement). Thus, the correct response option is "D" as both Sentences 6 and 9 contain exactly two errors each

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 2, Question 4 Which of the following sentences contains a misspelled word? a) Sentence 5 b) Sentence 7 c) Sentence 8 d) Sentence 15

Sentence 5 contains the misspelled word "proceaded" which should be spelled "proceeded." Sentence 7 does not contain a misspelled word; the errors are in verb tense and use of punctuation. Sentence 8 contains an apostrophe error, but no misspelled words. Sentence 15 contains an error in verb tense, but no misspelled words. Thus, the correct answer is "A" because Sentence 5 is the only option listed that contains a misspelled word.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 2, Question 1 Which of the following sentences contains exactly one error? a) Sentence 6 b) Sentence 7 c) Sentence 12 d) Sentence 13

Sentence 6 contains two errors: "than" should be "then" and "appear" should be "appears." Sentence 7 contains two errors: "notes" is the wrong tense and should be "noted" and "Identification" should not be capitalized. Sentence 12 contains three errors: "Agent" should be plural, "we're" should we "were," and "effected" should be "affected." Sentence 13 contains exactly one error: "residence" should be "residents," as it refers to the people who live there, not the actual place. Thus, the correct response option is "D" because among the options listed, only Sentence 13 contains exactly one error.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 2, Question 2 Which of the following sentences contains exactly three errors? a) Sentence 8 b) Sentence 9 c) Sentence 1 d) None of the above

Sentence 8 contains two errors: "hed" is missing an apostrophe, and "her" is the incorrect pronoun given that it has been established that Mr. Hermann is male. Sentence 9 contains one error: "in to" should not have a space and should be one word. Sentence 1 contains no errors. Thus, the correct response option is "D" because none of the listed options contain exactly three errors.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 1, Question 5 Where is the most appropriate place to break the text into separate paragraphs? a) After sentence 4 b) After sentence 5 c) After sentence 6 d) After sentence 7

Sentences 5 and 6 continue to discuss the counterfeit currency recovered in France, along with the rest of the first paragraph. Therefore, they should both be included in the first paragraph. Sentence 7 begins a new section about previous partnership efforts and should therefore begin a new paragraph. Sentence 8 continues the section, following sentence 7 with "in fact," so it should remain in the same paragraph as sentence 7. Thus, the correct answer is "C" because this is the most appropriate place to break the paragraph into two separate sentences.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Subject-verb Agreement Errors

Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that states that the verb must agree in number with its subject. An error occurs when a plural verb is used with a singular subject or a singular verb is used with a plural subject. Example: Using "is" when the subject of the sentence is plural such as in this sentence: "The boys is going to the baseball game."

* Experience Inventory, Part I You may see questions such as: 1. Maintained a to-do list to organize your work. 2. Had a difficult time getting your point across. 3. Worked on a task to help the team even though it was not a required part of your job.

The Experience Inventory is administered in 2 parts. Part 1 contains statements that describe situations that you may or may not have encountered before. This section of the test is only asking about your past experiences, so there is no way to study for these questions. Use the following response option guide to respond to these statements: The frequency with which you have been involved in the situation is: a) Never b) Once or Twice c) Several Times d) Frequently or Routinely It is best to work at a fairly rapid pace, without spending too much time thinking about any one question or statement.

* Experience Inventory, Part II You may see questions such as: 1. You frequently need extra time to complete your work. 2. You accept responsibility when you make a mistake. 3. You follow work instructions, even when you would rather do things differently.

The Experience Inventory, Part 2 contains statements that describe different situations and opinions. You must choose the response option that best reflects the extent to which your past supervisors and/or teachers would agree that the statement describes you. This section of the test is only asking about your past experiences, so there is no way to study for these questions. Use the following response option guide to respond to these statements: Your past supervisors and/or teachers would: a) Strongly disagree b) Disagree c) Neither agree nor disagree d) Agree e) Strongly agree It is best to work at a fairly rapid pace, without spending too much time thinking about any one question or statement.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 1, Question 8 What was the color of the tie worn by the man sitting on the far left of the photograph? a. green b. gold c. red d. blue

The answer to the eighth question is "C" because the man is wearing a red tie.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 2, Question 8 Which of the following appeared in the photograph? a. a post-it note b. a telephone c. a red pen d. both (a) and (c)

The answer to the eighth question is "D" because both a post-it note and a red pen appeared in the photograph.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 1, Question 5 How many expanding file folders were stacked in the middle of the table? a. two b. three c. four d. five

The answer to the fifth question is "A" because there are 2 expanding file folders stacked on the table: one brown folder and one red folder.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 2, Question 5 How many drawers were at least partially open? a. 2 of 8 b. 2 of 10 c. 3 of 8 d. 3 of 10

The answer to the fifth question is "A" because there were 8 drawers, 2 of which were at least partially open in the photograph.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 2, Question 1 What color was the piece of paper on the paper cutter? a. green b. yellow c. white d. pink

The answer to the first question is "B" because the piece of paper on the paper cutter was yellow

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 1, Question 1 Which of the following objects was closest to the phone? a. a coffee mug b. a trash can c. a stack of paper clips d. a pencil

The answer to the first question is "D" because among the objects listed, a pencil was closest to the phone. Other objects were closer or a similar distance to the phone (e.g., blue pens) but none of the objects were listed options.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 2, Question 4 There was a stack of paper on top of the island. This stack had paper of three colors including pink and what other two colors? a. yellow and blue b. green and yellow c. white and green d. blue and white

The answer to the fourth question is "C" because the sheets of paper on top of the island were pink, white, and green.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 1, Question 4 How many chairs were visible in the picture? a. five b. six c. seven d. eight

The answer to the fourth question is "D" because there were 8 chairs visible in the picture. Six of the chairs were around the table and two chairs were in the background of the photograph.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 1, Question 2 What color was the coffee mug on the table? a. black and green b. black and white c. blue and gold d. blue and red

The answer to the second question is "C" because the coffee mug on the table was blue with gold writing.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 2, Question 2 How many pieces of paper were hanging from the bulletin board? a. five b. six c. seven d. eight

The answer to the second question is "D" because there were 8 pieces of paper hanging from the bulletin board.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 2, Question 7 Which of the following objects was closest to the canvas bag? a. a power cord b. manila envelopes c. a bulletin board d. a binder

The answer to the seventh question is "A" because there was a power cord near the canvas bag that was closer than the manila envelopes, bulletin board, and binder.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 1, Question 7 Which of the following is NOT true about the women with gray hair in the photograph? a. She is wearing a gray suit jacket b. She is wearing glasses c. She is wearing a purple shirt d. She is holding a blue pen

The answer to the seventh question is "B" because the woman with gray hair is not wearing glasses. She is wearing a gray suit jacket, a purple shirt, and she is holding a blue pen.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 1, Question 6 What color was the suit jacket of the person sitting to the far right? a. blue b. black c. gray d. purple

The answer to the sixth question is "C" because the woman sitting to the far right of the photograph is wearing a gray suit jacket.

* Detail Observation Sample Photograph 1, Question 3 Which of the following appeared in the picture? a. a blank flip chart b. an exit sign c. a blue notebook d. a woman in a black suit jacket

The answer to the third question is "A" because there is a blank flip chart in the background of the photograph. There is no exit sign, blue notebook, or a woman wearing a black suit jacket.

*Logic-Based Reasoning Jim and Amy work in the same office. Eric and Amy both have the same position within the Secret Service. Amy is a Secret Service Special Agent. Jim and Eric are working on the same assignment. There are only 2 Secret Service Special Agents at Jim and Amy's office. Passage 5, Question 1 Eric is a Secret Service Special Agent. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

The first conclusion is TRUE. The facts state that Amy is a Secret Service Special Agent and that both Eric and Amy hold the same position. Therefore, Eric must be a Secret Service Special Agent. You would answer "A" for TRUE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning All Secret Service Special Agents hired in the last 5 years received information technology training. Only Secret Service Special Agents can receive the information technology training. Some Secret Service Special Agents have not received the information technology training. Julie was hired last year as a Secret Service Special Agent. Allen has received the information technology training. Passage 4, Question 2 Allen is a Secret Service Special Agent. a) True b) False

The second conclusion is TRUE. The facts state that only Secret Service Special Agents can receive the information technology training and that Allen has received the information technology training. Therefore, Allen must be a Secret Service Special Agent. You would answer "A" for TRUE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning All Secret Service Special Agents hired in the last 5 years received information technology training. Only Secret Service Special Agents can receive the information technology training. Some Secret Service Special Agents have not received the information technology training. Julie was hired last year as a Secret Service Special Agent. Allen has received the information technology training. Passage 4, Question 3 Julie has not received information technology training.

The third conclusion is FALSE. The facts state that all Secret Service Special Agents hired within the last 5 years have received the information technology training and that Julie was hired last year as a Secret Service Special Agent. Therefore, Julie must have received the training. You would answer "B" for FALSE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning Jim and Amy work in the same office. Eric and Amy both have the same position within the Secret Service. Amy is a Secret Service Special Agent. Jim and Eric are working on the same assignment. There are only 2 Secret Service Special Agents at Jim and Amy's office. Passage 5, Question 3 Eric and Jim are both Secret Service Special Agents and work at the same office. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

The third conclusion is FALSE. The facts state that both Eric and Amy are Secret Service Special Agents and that Jim and Amy work in the same office. We also know that there are only two Secret Service Special Agents at Jim and Amy's office. Therefore, Jim and Eric could not both be Secret Service Special Agents at the same office, because we know that Amy is a Secret Service Special Agent at Jim's office. You would answer "B" for FALSE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning No part-time employees are Secret Service Special Agents. All part-time employees report to a field office location. Some full-time employees are Secret Service Special Agents. Christopher reports to the Maryland field office. Brian is a Secret Service Special Agent. Passage 6, Question 3 All full-time Secret Service employees are Special Agents. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

The third conclusion is FALSE. We know that all Secret Service Special Agents are full-time employees. We also know that some full-time Secret Service employees are Special Agents. Therefore, some Secret Service full-time employees must hold titles other than Special Agent. You would answer "B" for FALSE.

Melinda is a Secret Service Special Agent. Susan has never been to Georgia. All Secret Service Special Agents have been to Georgia. Fred works with Susan. Melinda has been to Georgia. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

The third conclusion is TRUE. The facts state that Melinda is a Secret Service Special Agent and that all Secret Service Special Agents have been to Georgia. Therefore, Melinda has been to Georgia. You would answer "A" for TRUE.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 2, Question 5 Which of the following sentences contains an improperly used word? a) Sentence 6 b) Sentence 8 c) Sentence 10 d) Sentence 14

The word "than" is improperly used in Sentence 6. This is considered an improperly used word because it should be "then" instead of "then." This is an improperly used word and is NOT considered a spelling error because, though "than" is a real word and is correctly spelled, it has a different meaning than the appropriate word "then." Sentence 8 contains a pronoun use error. Sentence 10 contains no errors. Sentence 14 contains an error where "image" should be the plural "images." Thus, the correct response option is "A" because Sentence 6 contains an improperly used word.

Basic Terms: Comma Comma - a punctuation mark used in a sentence to set off a word, phrase, or clause or to separate items in a list. Examples: This is actually not my shirt. Entering the hospital room Bill started to feel nervous. It was my turn to wash the dishes so we used paper plates. We walked to the park played soccer and swung on the swings. Where do you put the commas?

This is, actually, not my shirt. Entering the hospital room, Bill started to feel nervous. It was my turn to wash the dishes, so we used paper plates. We walked to the park, played soccer, and swung of the swings.

* Language Usage, Part II

This portion of Section 5 contains 5 sentences. Each sentence is divided into four sections by slashes (/). You are to determine how many sections, if any, contain an error. The errors may be errors in grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, or the formation of plurals. Because many experts disagree on the appropriate use of commas in a sentence, we are not testing for this type of error. Therefore, even if you believe that a comma should be present or omitted, do not count that as an error. If none of the sections contain errors, select the option that corresponds to "0 sections." If one section contains an error, select the option that corresponds to "1 section," and so on. A = 0 sections B = 1 section C = 2 sections D = 3 sections E = 4 sections You will have 5 minutes to complete this portion of Section 5.

*Logic-Based Reasoning All task force agents work from either Boston or Chicago. Some Boston task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Chicago task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Boston task force agents who are financial fraud investigators received financial investigation training. No Chicago task force agents received financial investigation training. All Chicago task force agents received cyber security training. Passage 3, question 3 a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

We know that Chicago task force agents received cyber security training. We do not have information about cyber security training for Boston task force agents. Therefore, you would answer "C" for INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO DECIDE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning All task force agents work from either Boston or Chicago. Some Boston task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Chicago task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Boston task force agents who are financial fraud investigators received financial investigation training. No Chicago task force agents received financial investigation training. All Chicago task force agents received cyber security training. Passage 3, question 1 a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

We know that all Chicago task force agents received cyber security training, and we also know that all Chicago task force agents are financial fraud investigators. Therefore, this statement cannot be true. You would answer "B" for FALSE.

Mark completed more investigations than Jake. Megan completed fewer investigations than Mark. Jake completed more investigations than Rob. Jake completed more investigations than Megan. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

We only know that Mark completed more investigations than both Jake and Megan, but we don't know whether Jake or Megan completed more investigations compared to each other. You would answer "C" for INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO DECIDE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning All Secret Service Special Agents hired in the last 5 years received information technology training. Only Secret Service Special Agents can receive the information technology training. Some Secret Service Special Agents have not received the information technology training. Julie was hired last year as a Secret Service Special Agent. Allen has received the information technology training. Passage 4, Question 1 a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

You cannot tell from the facts presented whether the first conclusion is true or false. According to the statements, all Secret Service Special Agents hired within the last 5 years have received information technology training and some Secret Service Special Agents have not received the training. However, we do not know whether or not Secret Service Special Agents hired more than 5 years ago have received the training. You would answer "C" for INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO DECIDE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning No part-time employees are Secret Service Special Agents. All part-time employees report to a field office location. Some full-time employees are Secret Service Special Agents. Christopher reports to the Maryland field office. Brian is a Secret Service Special Agent. Passage 6, Question 1 Christopher is a part-time employee. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

You cannot tell from the facts presented whether the first conclusion is true or false. The facts state that all part-time employees report to a field office location and that Christopher reports to the Maryland field office location. However, the facts do not indicate that only part-time employees report to the Maryland field office or that no full-time employees report to field office locations. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that Christopher is a part-time employee from the facts presented. You would answer "C" for INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO DECIDE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning Jim and Amy work in the same office. Eric and Amy both have the same position within the Secret Service. Amy is a Secret Service Special Agent. Jim and Eric are working on the same assignment. There are only 2 Secret Service Special Agents at Jim and Amy's office. Passage 5, Question 2 Jim is not a Secret Service Special Agent. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

You cannot tell from the facts presented whether the second conclusion is true or false. The facts state that Amy is a Secret Service Special Agent, who holds the same position as Eric. We know that Jim and Eric are working on the same assignment. The facts also state that Jim and Amy work in the same office but that there are only two Secret Service Special Agents in that office. However, because we do not know which office Eric works from, we cannot be sure that Jim is not also a Secret Service Special Agent. You would answer "C" for INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO DECIDE.

Melinda is a Secret Service Special Agent. Susan has never been to Georgia. All Secret Service Special Agents have been to Georgia. Fred works with Susan. Fred works for the Secret Service. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

You cannot tell from the facts presented whether the second conclusion is true or false. We know that Susan cannot be a Secret Service Special Agent, because she has not been to Georgia and all Secret Service Special Agents have been to Georgia. But she may work at the Secret Service in a different job, or she may work for another employer. This means that Fred, who works with Susan, also may or may not work for the Secret Service. You would answer "C" for INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO DECIDE.

Basic Terms: Connotation Connotation - the implied meaning of a word or expression. Examples: Youth positive connotation; childish negative connotation. Where do you put the Connotation?

Youth positive - connotation; childish - negative connotation.

Basic Terms: Past Simple Past Simple - a tense used for an action that began and ended in the past. Examples; I gave Charlie a blended cup of coffee, he was happy. What are the past simple(s) in this sentence?

gave, blended, was

Basic Terms: Noun Noun: a person place, thing, or idea. Examples: A grandmother lives in Holland, her best friend is mouse, and she has a lot of gratitude. What are the nouns in this sentence?

grandmother, holland, mouse, gratitude

Basic Terms: Pronoun Pronoun - a word that places a noun (person, place, thing, or idea). Example: He; she; them; our; ours; their Rewrite the pronouns.

he, she them, our, ours, their

Basic Terms: Subject Subject - expresses about whom or what the sentence is written; who or what is carried out the action in the sentence. Examples: Pink is my favorite color. Barbara likes chocolate cake. What are the subjects?

pink, Barbara

Basic Terms: Adverb Adverb - a word that modifies a verb, a clause, adjective, or another adverb. Examples: I ran quickly. Come here now. I am very happy to meet you. I drove extremely slow. What are the Adverbs?

quickly, now, very, extremely

Basic Terms: Participle Participle - a word formed from a verb which can be used as an adjective, with a conjugated helping verb as part of a verb phrase, or at the beginning of a modifying phrase. Examples: The risen sun; has woken; Spoken all over the world, English is an important language. What are the participles?

risen, waken, spoken

Basic Terms: Modify/Modifier Modify/modifier - to use a descriptive word to clarify the meaning of another word or phrase. (Can be in the form of an adjective, adverb, or modifying phrase.) Examples: The tall build; the swiftly flowing water; Tired from late nights, the students studied for his third test. Running in place, I couldn't wait to start the race. What are the Modify/Modifiers in these sentences?

tall, swiftly tired from late nights running in place

Grammatical Terms: Active Voice Active Voice - a sentence in which the subject performs the action. See passive voice. Example: ____: Brenda bought a bike. ____: A bike was bought by Brenda. Which is Active Voice and which is Passive Voice?

Active Voice: Brenda bought a bike. Passive Voice: A bike was bought by Brenda.

*Logic-Based Reasoning Passage 4

All Secret Service Special Agents hired in the last 5 years received information technology training. Only Secret Service Special Agents can receive the information technology training. Some Secret Service Special Agents have not received the information technology training. Julie was hired last year as a Secret Service Special Agent. Allen has received the information technology training.

Basic Terms: Past Progressive Past Progressive - a tense used for an action that began and continued in the past. Example: The football team were speaking to the press yesterday; and was drinking soda. What is the past progressive in this sentence?

were speaking, was drinking

* Language Usage, Part 1 Word Usage Errors

An improperly used word is defined as correctly spelled, but inappropriately used in the sentence. Example: If a sentence refers to Austin as the "capitol" of Texas, this is an improperly used word because "capitol" refers to a building, not the "capital" of a state.

All task force agents work from either Boston or Chicago. Some Boston task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Chicago task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Boston task force agents who are financial fraud investigators received financial investigation training. No Chicago task force agents received financial investigation training. All Chicago task force agents received cyber security training. No task force agents who received financial investigation t

Chicago task force agents did not receive financial investigation training. Therefore, this statement must be true. You would answer "A" for TRUE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning Passage 5

Jim and Amy work in the same office. Eric and Amy both have the same position within the Secret Service. Amy is a Secret Service Special Agent. Jim and Eric are working on the same assignment. There are only 2 Secret Service Special Agents at Jim and Amy's office.

Mark completed more investigations than Jake. Megan completed fewer investigations than Mark. Jake completed more investigations than Rob. Mark completed fewer investigations than Rob. a) True b) False c) Insufficient Information to Decide

Mark completed more investigations than Jake, Megan, and Rob. You would answer "B" for FALSE.

* Detail Observation Things to Consider in and remember for the Detail Observation Section

People: Consider what the people look like in the picture, what they appear to be doing, and other details about their appearance. Objects: Observe what objects appear in the photograph and their position in the picture. Background: Observe the overall setting and background features in the photograph. Try to anticipate what you might need to remember from the photograph. Practice viewing the sample photographs on the following pages based on the timing requirements to become familiar with how long will have to view the photographs.

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 1, Question 4 Which of the following sentences contains both an error in subject-verb agreement AND a spelling error? a) Sentence 1 b) Sentence 7 c) Sentence 13 d) None of the Above

Sentence 1 contains one error as "millions" should be "million." Sentence 7 contains two errors as "authoritys" should be "authorities" (this is a spelling error) and "has" should be "have" (this is an error in subject-verb agreement). Sentence 13 contains no errors. Thus, the correct response option is "B" because Sentence 7 contains an error in subject-verb agreement and a spelling error

* Language Usage, Part 1 Passage 2, Question 7 Which of the following sentences contains both an error in apostrophe use and an improperly used word? a) Sentence 12 b) Sentence 13 c) Sentence 14 d) Sentence 15

Sentence 12 contains an error in apostrophe use because "we're" should be "were." It contains an improperly used word because "effected" should be "affected." This is an improperly used word and is NOT considered a spelling error because, though "effected" is a real word and is correctly spelled, it has a different meaning than the appropriate word "affected." Sentence 13 Sentence 13 contains an improperly used word ("residence" should be "residents") but no error in apostrophe use. Sentence 14 contains an error where "image" should be the plural "images." Sentence 15 contains an error in verb tense, but no misspelled words. Thus, the correct answer is "A."

*Logic-Based Reasoning All Secret Service Special Agents hired in the last 5 years received information technology training. Only Secret Service Special Agents can receive the information technology training. Some Secret Service Special Agents have not received the information technology training. Julie was hired last year as a Secret Service Special Agent. Allen has received the information technology training. Passage 4, Question 2 Allen is a Secret Service Special Agent. a) True b) F

The second conclusion is TRUE. The facts state that only Secret Service Special Agents can receive the information technology training and that Allen has received the information technology training. Therefore, Allen must be a Secret Service Special Agent. You would answer "A" for TRUE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning All task force agents work from either Boston or Chicago. Some Boston task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Chicago task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Boston task force agents who are financial fraud investigators received financial investigation training. No Chicago task force agents received financial investigation training. All Chicago task force agents received cyber security training. Passage 3, question 3 No task force

We know that Chicago task force agents received cyber security training. We do not have information about cyber security training for Boston task force agents. Therefore, you would answer "C" for INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO DECIDE.

All task force agents work from either Boston or Chicago. Some Boston task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Chicago task force agents are financial fraud investigators. All Boston task force agents who are financial fraud investigators received financial investigation training. No Chicago task force agents received financial investigation training. All Chicago task force agents received cyber security training. No task whether the agents who receive cyber security traini

We know that all Chicago task force agents received cyber security training, and we also know that all Chicago task force agents are financial fraud investigators. Therefore, this statement cannot be true. You would answer "B" for FALSE.

*Logic-Based Reasoning All Secret Service Special Agents hired in the last 5 years received information technology training. Only Secret Service Special Agents can receive the information technology training. Some Secret Service Special Agents have not received the information technology training. Julie was hired last year as a Secret Service Special Agent. Allen has received the information technology training. Passage 4, Question 1 Allen was hired as a Secret Service Special Agent withi

You cannot tell from the facts presented whether the first conclusion is true or false. According to the statements, all Secret Service Special Agents hired within the last 5 years have received information technology training and some Secret Service Special Agents have not received the training. However, we do not know whether or not Secret Service Special Agents hired more than 5 years ago have received the training. You would answer "C" for INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO DECIDE.

Basic Terms: Preposition Preposition - a word that is used before a noun or a pronoun to define a time, spatial, or other relationship. Examples: To the bank; at the store; in a minute; across the street. What are the preposition(s)?

to, at, in, across