A scene plays on screen and you pick the best of several responses: judgment on enforcement calls, with the public and with other officers. On test day the video doesn't stop. Here the scenes are written out, so you can study why one answer beats the others.
18scenes on this page
10 sto answer each video item
Human relations scenarios
0 of 18 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
A man walks up to Officer Nash on patrol and says another officer was rude and insulting to him during a traffic stop yesterday. He is upset and says he wants to complain. Nash was not there. What should Officer Nash do?
Answer explanations
A
Correct: The man has a right to complain, and Nash was not there to judge what happened. Taking his details and explaining the process lets the complaint be looked at properly.
B
Incorrect: Sending him to take it up with the officer who stopped him gives him no real way to raise a problem about that same officer.
C
Incorrect: Nash did not see the stop, so defending the other officer is a guess. It also tells the man his complaint is not welcome.
D
Incorrect: Nash has no power to decide discipline and no facts to base it on. A promise like this cannot be kept.
Question 2 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
Officer Diaz is posted at the back door of a building while other officers search inside for an armed robbery suspect. After ten minutes, she hears shouting from the front of the building. What should Officer Diaz do?
Answer explanations
A
Incorrect: Joining the search inside leaves her exit unguarded and adds an officer the search team did not plan for.
B
Incorrect: Running around to the front opens her exit at the moment the suspect may try to slip out.
C
Correct: Her post covers an exit the suspect could use. Staying there and radioing for information keeps the perimeter closed while she learns what is happening.
D
Incorrect: Leaving to find a supervisor abandons the post, and a radio call would get her instructions without moving.
Question 3 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
Officer Holt is taking a burglary report at the home of a woman in her seventies. As they finish, she starts crying because her late husband's watch was taken. The report is complete, and Holt's next call is not urgent. What should Officer Holt do?
Answer explanations
A
Incorrect: Staying until a family member comes could take a long time and holds up the next call far longer than she needs.
B
Incorrect: No officer can promise a stolen watch will come back. A broken promise would add to her distress later.
C
Incorrect: Telling her gently that he has to leave is not necessary when the other call can wait. It treats a grieving victim as a finished form.
D
Correct: The report is done and the next call can wait a few minutes. Listening for a moment shows the victim that her loss matters, not just the paperwork.
Question 4 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
Officer Glenn is taking a theft report from a gas station clerk. As they talk, Glenn sees a man at a pump outside filling a plastic milk jug with gasoline while lighting a cigarette. What should Officer Glenn do?
Answer explanations
A
Incorrect: Shutting off the pump does not deal with the gasoline already in the jug or with the lit cigarette.
B
Incorrect: A fire unit is help for after a fire starts. Staying inside does nothing to stop the man from lighting one now.
C
Incorrect: The danger is happening right now. Finishing the report first leaves an open flame beside gasoline for minutes.
D
Correct: A lit cigarette next to gasoline in an open jug could start a fire at any second. Stopping the man from smoking comes first, and the report can wait.
Question 5 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
On his way to lunch, Officer Pratt sees a man slip a phone off a café table while its owner is looking the other way. The man walks quickly toward the street. The owner has not noticed. What should Officer Pratt do?
Answer explanations
A
Incorrect: People who take a phone and walk off quickly do not usually bring it back, and waiting lets him reach the street.
B
Incorrect: Leaving the decision to the owner lets the man get away and pushes the officer's job onto a victim who did not see the theft.
C
Correct: He just watched a theft happen. Stopping the man and asking about the phone right away gives the owner a chance to recover it.
D
Incorrect: He saw the theft himself. Radioing it in and walking off leaves the job undone.
Question 6 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
A shop owner tells Officer Blake that a man comes in every Friday and demands $100 "for protection." He is scared: "If he finds out I talked to you, he'll smash my windows." He asks Blake to promise that no one will ever know he called. What should Officer Blake do?
Answer explanations
A
Incorrect: No officer can guarantee that a name will never come out, for example if a case reaches court. Making that promise sets up a broken one.
B
Incorrect: Setting up an arrest alone in the shop puts the owner at risk and skips the planning a case like this needs.
C
Correct: The officer should take the report and tell him truthfully what can and cannot be done to keep his name out of it. Honesty keeps his trust if the case goes to court.
D
Incorrect: Saying nothing can be done without testimony in court scares off a frightened witness. Police can still investigate and take precautions without that commitment up front.
Question 7 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
Officer Kim stops a driver for an expired registration. The driver argues loudly that the stop is harassment and refuses to look at her, but he hands over his license when she asks. He makes no threats. Which of the following would be the WORST action for Officer Kim?
Answer explanations
A
Incorrect: Explaining the stop calmly is good practice with an angry driver and helps him accept it.
B
Incorrect: Letting him vent while the officer does her work costs nothing and keeps things calm, so it is not the worst action.
C
Incorrect: Finishing the stop with a citation or a warning is the normal result of a stop like this. It is a reasonable action.
D
Correct: This is the worst choice. Punishing a driver for his attitude is retaliation, and it turns a routine stop into a fight when he is complying.
Question 8 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
During a school visit, a tenth-grader asks Officer Nguyen in front of the class, "Why do cops always harass people like my brother?" Some students laugh, and the teacher looks uneasy. What should Officer Nguyen do?
Answer explanations
A
Incorrect: The officer knows nothing about the brother's case. Saying he must have done something wrong is a guess that insults the student.
B
Incorrect: Shutting the question down tells the class that police will not deal with hard questions.
C
Correct: The student is speaking from what his family went through. Asking and listening in front of the class shows that an officer will hear people out instead of getting defensive.
D
Incorrect: Saying police don't harass anyone is a flat denial. It dismisses his experience in front of everyone and seems to confirm what he believes.
Question 9 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
Officer Grant is walking through a busy farmers' market. He notices a man who keeps glancing around and standing close behind shoppers. Twice, the man's hand drifts near a woman's open handbag, but he has not taken anything. What should Officer Grant do?
Answer explanations
A
Correct: Nothing has been taken, so an arrest has no basis yet. Being seen nearby usually stops a pickpocket, and watching lets the officer act if he tries again.
B
Incorrect: A loud announcement alarms the crowd and warns the man, who simply moves on to another market.
C
Incorrect: A hand drifting near a bag is not yet a theft, so an arrest for attempted theft is not supported by what the officer has observed.
D
Incorrect: Closing the exits of a busy market is far too much for one man who has not taken anything.
Question 10 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
A neighbor tells Officer Ellis she saw a teenage boy spray-painting the school wall last night. She knows his mother and asks Ellis to "just have a word with him" and keep her name out of any report. The school has asked for a police report for its insurance. What should Officer Ellis do?
Answer explanations
A
Incorrect: Writing "unknown suspect" when a witness has named someone makes the report false.
B
Incorrect: A quiet word with the boy leaves no record for the school. It also makes a promise the officer cannot keep.
C
Incorrect: Handing the matter to the family skips the report the school has asked for.
D
Correct: The school needs a report for its insurance, so the incident has to be documented. Her statement is part of that, and she should be told so honestly.
Question 11 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
While you wait with a stranded driver for a tow truck, your partner jokes to the driver, a young man with a heavy accent, "Where'd you learn to drive, back home?" The driver stiffens and looks away. What should you do?
Answer explanations
A
Incorrect: Calling out your partner in front of the driver turns one bad remark into a public argument between officers.
B
Incorrect: Laughing along tells both the driver and your partner that the remark was fine.
C
Correct: Moving the talk on right away spares the driver more embarrassment. Raising it with your partner in private lets him hear it without losing face.
D
Incorrect: Telling the driver afterwards that your partner didn't mean it excuses the remark, and your partner never hears that it was a problem.
Question 12 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
Officer Burke is writing a parking ticket when three children, about eight years old, ride up on bikes and ask if they can see inside his patrol car. He has no calls waiting. What should Officer Burke do?
Answer explanations
A
Correct: No calls are waiting, so finishing the ticket and then giving the children a few minutes is good community contact and costs nothing.
B
Incorrect: Dropping the ticket to show them the car right away leaves his work unfinished when he could do both in a few minutes.
C
Incorrect: He has time and no calls, so telling them he is busy and sending them home wastes an easy chance to build goodwill.
D
Incorrect: He can show them a patrol car now. Pointing them to the station's open house instead is a polite brush-off.
Question 13 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
Rookie Officer Webb takes a report from a theft victim. Back in the patrol car, his field training officer asks for the witness's phone number. Webb realizes he forgot to get it, and the witness has already left the scene. What should Officer Webb do?
Answer explanations
A
Correct: Admitting the mistake right away is honest, and the trainer can help find a way to reach the witness through the victim or the report details.
B
Incorrect: Claiming the witness refused to give a number is a lie, and putting it in a report makes the report false.
C
Incorrect: A number found online and quietly added might be wrong, and it hides how the information was obtained.
D
Incorrect: A witness's number is needed in any theft, small or not, and claiming otherwise only covers the lapse.
Question 14 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
At a crowded outdoor concert, Officer Duke notices that a temporary metal fence near the stage has come loose and is leaning over a row of people pressed against it. The band is in the middle of a song. What should Officer Duke do?
Answer explanations
A
Correct: The fence is leaning over people right now. Getting them away from it removes the danger, and the crew can then secure it.
B
Incorrect: A sudden stop and an announcement can make a packed crowd surge, which is a danger of its own.
C
Incorrect: Pushing a failing fence back up does not make it secure, and one officer cannot be sure it will hold.
D
Incorrect: Waiting for the crew leaves people pressed against a fence that could fall at any moment.
Question 15 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
Officer Jones catches the burglar who broke into an auto repair shop on his beat. The grateful owner tells him, "Bring your wife's car in anytime. Oil changes are free for you." The next week, Jones brings his wife's car in and accepts the free oil change. Was Officer Jones's behavior acceptable?
Answer explanations
A
Correct: The offer was made because he caught the burglar, and free service given for police work is a gratuity, which departments generally forbid.
B
Incorrect: Free service for his wife's car still benefits the officer, and it was offered because of his job.
C
Incorrect: No rule bars officers from using businesses on their own beat. Paying for the oil change would have been fine.
D
Incorrect: Closing the case does not change why the offer was made. It is still a reward for his police work.
Question 16 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
Officer Dunn is putting a calm, handcuffed shoplifting suspect into the patrol car outside a mall. A small crowd gathers, and a man calls out, "Why are you arresting him? He didn't do anything!" The crowd is curious, not hostile. What should Officer Dunn do?
Answer explanations
A
Correct: A short, calm answer settles a curious crowd, and leaving promptly keeps the arrest moving with no wider scene.
B
Incorrect: Threats of arrest toward a crowd that is only curious can turn it hostile.
C
Incorrect: A full account of the case to bystanders goes far beyond what is needed and can share details that should stay private.
D
Incorrect: Refusing to respond to anyone can look like the officer has something to hide, when one short sentence would settle things.
Question 17 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
Officer Pike arrives at a dispute between neighbors over a fallen tree branch. The first neighbor starts shouting about the branch, the fence, and years of other problems. He is angry but not threatening, and the other neighbor has gone inside. What should Officer Pike do?
Answer explanations
A
Correct: An angry person usually has to be heard before he can give clear facts. A short vent calms him, and then the officer can steer him to the branch.
B
Incorrect: Leaving him mid-rant to knock next door looks like taking the neighbor's side before hearing him out.
C
Incorrect: Cutting him off to ask only about today's branch often makes an angry person angrier and less willing to help.
D
Incorrect: Threatening to have him cited for the disturbance escalates a man who is angry but not threatening anyone.
Question 18 of 18 · Human Relations (video)Not answered
A resident waves down Officer Quinn and demands that he ticket a pickup truck parked in front of her house, because its owner "doesn't even live on this street." The truck is legally parked and is not blocking anything. What should Officer Quinn do?
Answer explanations
A
Correct: The truck is legally parked, so there is nothing to enforce. A polite explanation answers her complaint honestly.
B
Incorrect: A warning notice on a legally parked truck has no basis, and it misleads the owner about breaking a rule.
C
Incorrect: Dismissing her as wasting police time is rude and invites more calls, when a short explanation would do.
D
Incorrect: A legally parked driver has done nothing wrong, and asking him to move takes the resident's side without cause.
Answer every question to see your score
What the scenes test
The test page describes good judgment in three settings, built for entry-level officers:
Enforcement: a stop, a crowd or a suspect, handled so that you and the public stay safe.
Public relations: complaints, upset citizens, witnesses and families. Listen, explain, stay respectful.
Teamwork: holding an assigned post, backing up a partner, reporting a problem through the proper channel.
No policy knowledge: answers rest only on what the test shows and on common sense.
Safety. Rule out anything that puts the public, the officer or a suspect at avoidable risk.
Calm and respect. Prefer the option that listens, explains and lowers the temperature.
Follow-through inside your role. The best answer finishes the job through the right channel: your post, your partner, a supervisor, the complaint process.
Watch for two kinds of wrong answer. Overreach: promising that another officer will be disciplined, leaving an assigned post to chase noise, taking over a job that belongs to someone else. Underreach: brushing off a citizen, or walking away from a problem a calm word could fix.
!
Myth: the most decisive option wins
An option that sounds tough (confront, arrest, take charge) is not right by default. If the scene gives no reason for it, look for the answer that solves the problem with the least escalation the scene allows.
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Text practice, video test
The real items play without stopping, with about 10 seconds per answer (NTN). To get closer, read each scene once, answer within a few seconds, then open the explanation. Video practice comes from the developer: Ergometrics practice tests.
More scenarios in an app
2 FrontLine National practice app
More FrontLine National practice questions with explanations, in a study app. Not affiliated with NTN.
The human relations part of FrontLine National: short video scenes, each followed by a multiple-choice question about the best way to handle it. No police experience is assumed.
How much time do you get per video question?
About 10 seconds per video item; the video does not pause. You cannot go back to a scene, so decide on the first viewing.
What score do I need on the video section?
It depends on the department. Published cuts run from 55 / 65 / 65 to 65 / 70 / 70 (video first); San Francisco and Portland ask 60 / 70 / 70. The departments page lists each one.