INTRODUCTION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
EXAM INFORMATION CREDIT RECOMMENDATIONS
This exam was developed to enable schools to award The American Council on Education’s College
credit to students for knowledge equivalent to that Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT)
learned by students taking the course. This has evaluated the DSST test development
examination includes the History of Law Enforcement, process and content of this exam. It has made the
the U.S. Criminal Justice System and Process, Law following recommendations:
Enforcement Systems, their Organization,
Management and Issues. It also includes Criminal and Area or Course Equivalent: Introduction to Law
Constitutional Law and Precedents. Enforcement
Level: 3 Lower Level Baccalaureate (1hr Law
The exam contains 100 questions to be answered in 2 Enforcement, 2hr criminal justice)
hours. Some of these are pretest questions that will Amount of Credit: 3 Semester Hours
not be scored. Minimum Score: 400
Source: www.acenet.edu
Form Codes: SQ497, SR497
EXAM CONTENT OUTLINE
The following is an outline of the content areas covered in the examination. The approximate percentage of the
examination devoted to each content area is also noted.
I. History of Law Enforcement – 8%
a. Pre-colonial and colonial heritage
b. 1800s and 1900s
c. Contemporary (2000)
d. Contributions of theorists and practitioners
II. Overview of United States Criminal Justice System and Process – 22%
a. Role of police
b. Role of victim
c. Role of prosecutors
d. Role of defense
e. Role of court
f. Role of corrections
g. Measurement of crime
III. Law Enforcement Systems in the United States – 15%
a. Federal
b. State
c. Local
d. Special district police agencies
IV. Law Enforcement Organization, Management, and Issues – 40%
a. Operations
b. Community relations and policing
c. Police issues
d. Women and other minorities in policing
e. Emerging Issues (Cybercrime, Homeland Security, Militarization)
V. Criminal and Constitutional Law and Precedents – 15%
Rev 06/2018
a. The Constitution and Bill of Rights
b. Supreme Court case law
c. Federal state and local laws and ordinances
REFERENCES
Below is a list of reference publications that were either used as a reference to create the exam, or were used as
textbooks in college courses of the same or similar title at the time the test was developed. You may reference
either the current edition of these titles or textbooks currently used at a local college or university for the same class
title. It is recommended that you reference more than one textbook on the topics outlined in this fact sheet.
You should begin by checking textbook content against the content outline provided before selecting textbooks that
cover the test content from which to study.
Sources for study material are suggested but not limited to the following:
1. Cole, G.F., Smith, C.E. and DeJong, C. (2017). The American System of Criminal Justice.
Cengage Learning, 15th edition.
2. Dempsey, J.S. and Forst, L.S. (2016). Policing. Cengage Learning, 8th edition.
3. Schmalleger, Frank. (2017). Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st Century. NJ: Pearson,
14th edition.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
All test questions are in a multiple-choice format, with one correct answer and three incorrect options. The following
are samples of the types of questions that may appear on the exam.
1. Law enforcement, as it is practiced in the United States, has its origins primarily in
a. France
b. Spain
c. Germany
d. England
2. The majority of law enforcement agencies in the United States are concentrated at what level of
government?
a. Federal
b. State
c. County
d. Local
3. The rights of free speech and assembly can be found in which of the following amendments?
a. First
b. Fourth
c. Fifth
d. Sixth
4. Statistics for the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) are collected, tabulated, and distributed nationally by
a. The Bureau of Standards
b. The International Association of Chiefs of Police
c. Interpol
d. The FBI
5. Which of the following is the "victimless" crime for which persons are most often arrested?
Rev 06/2018
a. Embezzlement
b. Intoxication
c. Adultery
d. Sale of pornographic materials
6. Which of the following is best defined as the implementation of scientific principles in the evaluation of
evidential items that are in one way or another involved in criminal and other police investigations?
a. Criminology
b. Criminalistics
c. Penology
d. Modus operandi
7. One of the first duties of a patrol officer arriving at a major crime scene is to
a. Take statements from witnesses
b. Notify the victim's next of kin
c. Draw a detailed diagram of the crime scene
d. Preserve the crime scene
Answers to sample questions:
1-D; 2-D; 3-A; 4-D; 5-B; 6- B; 7-D
Rev 06/2018
