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Criminal Justice Basic Abilities Test (CJBAT)

The CJBAT is Florida's state-mandated basic abilities test that individuals must pass before entering a law enforcement or corrections basic recruit training program: a 97-question, 90-minute computer-based test in three separately timed sections (behavioral attributes, memorization, and cognitive abilities), developed for FDLE by IOS, Inc. and delivered at Pearson VUE test centers in Florida, with separate law enforcement (CJBATLEO) and corrections (CJBATCO) versions of the same instrument.

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Questions97 questions in three sections: Section I 47 items, Section II 10 items, Section III 40 items; unidentified unscored field-test questions are mixed in with the scored questions

Testing time1½ hours (90 minutes) total, in three separately timed sections: Section I 20 minutes; Section II 1 minute to review each picture plus 1½ minutes to answer its questions; Section III 1 hour

ScoringPass/fail only: candidates must score 70 or higher across all three sections AND correctly answer at least 30 of the 50 questions in Sections II and III; no numeric scores are provided to candidates, academies, or agencies, and scores are valid only for entry into basic recruit training programs

Exam feeUSD 39 per exam attempt (both the law enforcement CJBATLEO and corrections CJBATCO exams), paid by credit or debit card at the time of reservation, not at the test center; non-refundable and non-transferable; a new fee is required for each retake

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Exam overview

What to know before choosing your prep

Who runs it: FDLE
Category: Law Enforcement & Corrections
Current version: Current specification; no public version label — the test measures FDLE's statutorily adopted 'minimum competencies' defined from a statewide job task analysis (two discipline versions: law enforcement and corrections)
Where it applies: US-FL, United States
Exam languages: English
Score scale: Pass/fail result only; no numeric or band score is reported (failing candidates receive a diagnostic score report with a bar graph for Sections II and III; Section I results are not provided)
Testing provider: Pearson VUE (FDLE's contracted administrator, working with test developer IO Solutions); test content is copyrighted by FDLE
Format: Computer-based multiple-choice test at Pearson VUE computer-based testing facilities within the State of Florida; the exam mixes in unidentified field-test (pretest) questions that do not affect the score
Availability: Year-round by reservation at computer-based testing facilities in Florida; exams must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance, and rescheduling/cancellation also requires 24 hours' notice
Results: Unofficial pass/fail results provided on the day of testing; official results recorded in FDLE's ATMS database; results are not given by telephone or released to employers or third parties, and FDLE cannot provide official score reports to applicants
Score validity: Four years from the date of the test
Remote testing: Not available

Exam structure

Three separately timed sections: Section I - behavioral attributes (47 items, 20 minutes); Section II - memorization with picture recall (10 items, 1 minute to view each picture and 1½ minutes to answer); Section III - written comprehension, written expression, deductive reasoning, and inductive reasoning (40 items, 1 hour). Separate law enforcement and corrections versions present discipline-relevant scenarios (e.g., evidence/citations vs. correctional-facility incidents); no prior experience or outside knowledge is required.

Where rules vary

A Florida statutory requirement for entry into Florida Commission-certified basic recruit training programs (Section 943.17, F.S.; Rule 11B-35.0011(1), F.A.C.); the same test is administered statewide only within Florida and is uniform across the state. It comes in two discipline versions (law enforcement and corrections), not subdivision variants.

Eligibility

Required for individuals entering a Florida basic recruit training program for law enforcement or corrections; a Social Security Number is needed to process results (submission is voluntary but results cannot be processed without it); two forms of current signature-bearing ID (one government-issued photo ID, in English) on exam day. As of July 1, 2022, law enforcement academy candidates who are qualifying veterans or hold an associate degree or higher are exempt from the Law Enforcement BAT (the exemption does not apply to corrections candidates), and former Florida- or out-of-state-certified officers may be exempt via the Equivalency of Training process.

Retake policy

A new examination fee is required for each retake; a retake reservation can be made no sooner than 24 hours after the failed exam; no more than 3 attempts per discipline in any 12-month period