PELLETB · writing · spelling
Each spelling item is a sentence with one word missing and four spellings of that word; you pick the correct one. POST used no word list to build this sub-test, so there's nothing to memorize. The words are the kind an officer writes in a report. What you can learn is the rules that decide most spellings, and the letter patterns that trip people up.
The rules POST's guide lists, with our own examples:
Source: POST Applicant Preparation Guide, form version 2025, pp. 1, 14–16 · checked 21 Oct 2026
Trap: the version that looks familiar
In our items, wrong options are common misspellings, such as a doubled letter dropped or an ie flipped to ei. When you're unsure, don't pick the one that “looks right” after staring at all four; your eye gets used to the errors. Sound the word out by syllable and apply the rule: re-ceive takes ei after c, re-fer-red doubles because the stress is on fer.
Choose the correct spelling of the missing word: Officers may not ______ evidence that favors the defendant.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "withold" drops one "h" of the double "hh" (with[h]old).
Correct: "withhold" is the correct spelling: w-i-t-h-h-o-l-d.
Incorrect: "withhould" adds "u" (withho[u]ld).
Incorrect: "whithold" moves the "h": the correct spelling has it at wit[h]hold, not at w[h]ithold.
Choose the correct spelling of the missing word: The detective found the suspect's alibi ______.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "plawsible" has "w" where the correct spelling has "u" (pla[u]sible).
Correct: "plausible" is the correct spelling: p-l-a-u-s-i-b-l-e.
Incorrect: "plausibel" reverses "le" to "el"; the correct order is plausib[le].
Incorrect: "plausable" has "a" where the correct spelling has "i" (plaus[i]ble).
The dispatcher logged a two-car _____ on Route 9.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "colision" drops one "l" of the double "ll" (co[l]lision).
Incorrect: "collission" doubles the "s" (collis[s]ion).
Incorrect: "collition" has "t" where the correct spelling has "s" (colli[s]ion).
Correct: "collision" is the correct spelling: c-o-l-l-i-s-i-o-n.
The fleet manager scheduled regular _____ of the patrol vehicles before winter operations.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "maintenence" has "e" where the correct spelling has "a" (mainten[a]nce).
Correct: "maintenance" is the correct spelling: m-a-i-n-t-e-n-a-n-c-e.
Incorrect: "maintanence" has "ane" where the correct spelling has "ena" (maint[ena]nce).
Incorrect: "maintainance" has "ai" where the correct spelling has "e" (maint[e]nance).
Select the correctly spelled word to complete the sentence: After the long foot pursuit, both officers were ______.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "exausted" leaves out "h" (ex[h]austed).
Incorrect: "exhuasted" reverses "au" to "ua"; the correct order is exh[au]sted.
Correct: "exhausted" is the correct spelling: e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d.
Incorrect: "exhaused" leaves out "t" (exhaus[t]ed).
The investigator logged each piece of _____ found at the scene.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "evidance" has "a" where the correct spelling has "e" (evid[e]nce).
Incorrect: "evedence" has "e" where the correct spelling has "i" (ev[i]dence).
Correct: "evidence" is the correct spelling: e-v-i-d-e-n-c-e.
Incorrect: "evidense" has "s" where the correct spelling has "c" (eviden[c]e).
Select the correctly spelled word to complete the sentence: The officer ______ left the evidence bag unsealed overnight.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "inadvertantly" has "a" where the correct spelling has "e" (inadvert[e]ntly).
Incorrect: "inadvertintly" has "i" where the correct spelling has "e" (inadvert[e]ntly).
Incorrect: "inadverdently" has "d" where the correct spelling has "t" (inadver[t]ently).
Correct: "inadvertently" is the correct spelling: i-n-a-d-v-e-r-t-e-n-t-l-y.
Officers must follow the department's _____ when collecting DNA samples.
Answer explanations
Correct: "protocol" is the correct spelling: p-r-o-t-o-c-o-l.
Incorrect: "prottocol" doubles the "t" (pro[t]tocol).
Incorrect: "protocoll" doubles the "l" (protoco[l]l).
Incorrect: "protocal" has "a" where the correct spelling has "o" (protoc[o]l).
The academy stresses _____ and respect for the chain of command.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "dicipline" leaves out "s" (di[s]cipline).
Incorrect: "disipline" leaves out "c" (dis[c]ipline).
Incorrect: "dissipline" has "s" where the correct spelling has "c" (dis[c]ipline).
Correct: "discipline" is the correct spelling: d-i-s-c-i-p-l-i-n-e.
Choose the correct spelling of the missing word: The complainant said the officer was ______ and professional.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "courteus" leaves out "o" (courte[o]us).
Incorrect: "courtious" has "i" where the correct spelling has "e" (court[e]ous).
Incorrect: "curteous" leaves out "o" (c[o]urteous).
Correct: "courteous" is the correct spelling: c-o-u-r-t-e-o-u-s.
Detectives traced the _____ bills to a print shop downtown.
Answer explanations
Correct: "counterfeit" is the correct spelling: c-o-u-n-t-e-r-f-e-i-t.
Incorrect: "conterfeit" leaves out "u" (co[u]nterfeit).
Incorrect: "counterfiet" reverses "ei" to "ie"; the correct order is counterf[ei]t.
Incorrect: "counterfit" leaves out "e" (counterf[e]it).
Two masked men committed an armed _____ at the gas station.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "robbary" has "a" where the correct spelling has "e" (robb[e]ry).
Correct: "robbery" is the correct spelling: r-o-b-b-e-r-y.
Incorrect: "robery" drops one "b" of the double "bb" (ro[b]bery).
Incorrect: "robberry" doubles the "r" (robber[r]y).
The witness saw the suspect _____ into the crowd.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "dissappear" doubles the "s" (di[s]sappear).
Incorrect: "dissapear" doubles the "s" (dis[s]apear); it also drops one "p" of the double "pp" (disa[p]pear).
Incorrect: "disapear" drops one "p" of the double "pp" (disap[p]ear).
Correct: "disappear" is the correct spelling: d-i-s-a-p-p-e-a-r.
Choose the correct spelling of the missing word: A short safety briefing will ______ each search warrant service.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "preceed" reverses "de" to "ed"; the correct order is prece[de].
Incorrect: "precead" has "ad" where the correct spelling has "de" (prece[de]).
Incorrect: "presede" has "s" where the correct spelling has "c" (pre[c]ede).
Correct: "precede" is the correct spelling: p-r-e-c-e-d-e.
The detective doubted it was a _____ that both victims knew the suspect.
Answer explanations
Incorrect: "coincedence" has "e" where the correct spelling has "i" (coinc[i]dence).
Incorrect: "coinsidence" has "s" where the correct spelling has "c" (coin[c]idence).
Incorrect: "coincidance" has "a" where the correct spelling has "e" (coincid[e]nce).
Correct: "coincidence" is the correct spelling: c-o-i-n-c-i-d-e-n-c-e.
Answer every question to see your score
These aren't from the test, since POST publishes no list. They are report-style words where one of the rules above, or a silent letter, usually decides the answer:
Write each one in a sentence, cover it, and write it again. Spelling sticks through use, not by reading lists.
PELLETB practice app
More PELLETB practice questions with explanations, in a study app. Not affiliated with California POST.
No. POST says no specific word list was used to choose the spelling words, so any list sold as “the Pellet B words” is someone's guess. The words are ones likely to appear in police reports.
15–18 items. Each one is a sentence with a blank and four spellings of the same word; you choose the correct one for that sentence.
Learn the handful of rules that cover most words (prefixes, doubling, silent e, y to i, plurals), then practice with words written in sentences. POST notes there are many exceptions, so expect some words to need plain memory.