Correctional Officer (State Prisons: Corrective Services NSW, Corrections Victoria and Others): free practice test
Correctional officers supervise people in custody, keep prisons safe and secure, run searches and musters, escort inmates and support rehabilitation. In NSW you apply online, sit the Round One online test (cognitive ability, work reliability, work safety, emotional intelligence, maths, grammar and spelling), further cognitive and psychological testing, a panel interview, a medical with a physical agility test, and criminal record and probity checks; CSNSW says this can take up to 10 weeks. Recruits then complete 12 weeks of paid training at the CSNSW Academy and on-the-job assessment toward a Certificate III in Correctional Practice.
Watch the free 4:13 video lesson: the key Correctional Officer concepts →
Premium: 3,000 practice questions, 6 full mock exams, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes, topic by topic. See the study path ·
- Lesson 2: What correctional officers really do on shiftMusters, searches, escorts, visits and reports, and what each demands of you.
- Lesson 3: Eligibility, licence and shift-work requirements by stateCitizenship, driver licence, first aid and roster rules across NSW, Victoria and others.
- Lesson 4: Reading the job ad and campaign timingHow campaigns and talent pools open, and how to set up job alerts.
- Lesson 5: Writing an application and résumé that progressesTurning shift, security, customer and conflict experience into selection evidence.
- Lesson 6: Round One: verbal and logical reasoning drillsDeductions, odd one out and reading traps like not, except and must.
- Lesson 7: Number series and timetable problemsDifferences, multiples, alternating patterns and lowest common multiple scheduling.
- Lesson 8: Correctional maths: counts, percentages and 24-hour timeChained fractions, rates, money and time calculations with full worked solutions.
- Lesson 9: Grammar and spelling for incident reportsApostrophes, agreement, tense and the spelling words that cost marks.
- Lesson 10: Work reliability and work safety scalesWhat these scales look for and how hazard and procedure items are scored.
- Lesson 11: Emotional intelligence and de-escalation itemsReading emotions, staying calm and setting firm, fair limits in test scenarios.
- Lesson 12: Candidate suitability testing: the four-hour sessionPacing, consistency checks and honest self-description across psychological measures.
- Lesson 13: Victoria's assessment centre: role play and group taskHow to perform in the role play, group activity and literacy assessment.
- Lesson 14: Conditioning, boundaries and integrity scenariosRecognising manipulation and answering favour, contraband and colleague-misconduct questions.
- Lesson 15: Panel interview: what the panel scoresKnowledge, skills and personal qualities mapped to the role and public sector values.
- Lesson 16: STAR answers: building your story bankSix prepared examples covering aggression, teamwork, integrity, change and pressure.
- Lesson 17: Model answers to common interview questionsWhy corrections, shift work, disagreeing with procedure and handling conflict.
- Lesson 18: Scenario questions with safety-first model answersSafety, procedure, reporting and respect applied to realistic custodial situations.
- Lesson 19: Medical standards: BMI, vision, hearing and spirometryWhat the pre-employment medical checks and how to prepare for each part.
- Lesson 20: Physical agility test preparation planA progressive fitness plan for lifting, carrying, stairs and short bursts.
- Lesson 21: Criminal history, fingerprints and contact-with-offender checksWhat to declare, how disclosures are assessed and documents to have ready.
- Lesson 22: Academy training: the twelve-week primary courseSafety and security, offender management, report writing and officer survival topics.
- Lesson 23: Probation year and Certificate III assessmentsOn-the-job assessments, learning logs and finishing the qualification on time.
Keep going after the free lesson. Every topic gets its own lesson, plus the full question bank, timed simulations and study tools.
About the Correctional Officer exam
Correctional officers supervise people in custody, keep prisons safe and secure, run searches and musters, escort inmates and support rehabilitation. In NSW you apply online, sit the Round One online test (cognitive ability, work reliability, work safety, emotional intelligence, maths, grammar and spelling), further cognitive and psychological testing, a panel interview, a medical with a physical agility test, and criminal record and probity checks; CSNSW says this can take up to 10 weeks. Recruits then complete 12 weeks of paid training at the CSNSW Academy and on-the-job assessment toward a Certificate III in Correctional Practice.
What's on the exam
Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →
How to pass the Correctional Officer exam
- The Round One test mixes aptitude (cognitive, maths, grammar, spelling) with behavioural scales (reliability, safety, emotional intelligence). Practise the aptitude parts for speed and answer the behavioural parts honestly and consistently.
- The medical includes a physical agility test, spirometry, hearing and vision tests, and NSW requires a BMI of 35 or less. Get fit and check your BMI before you apply.
- Prepare STAR examples for the panel interview showing calm authority, following procedures, de-escalating conflict, teamwork and integrity. Link them to the NSW public sector values: integrity, trust, service and accountability.
- You can only apply once every 12 months in NSW, and applications are withdrawn if you are already in process for another centre. Choose your centre carefully and prepare fully before you apply.
Save your results and get your Readiness Score
Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the Hiring Process Cheat Sheet.
What's in the premium Correctional Officer prep
Premium Correctional Officer prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.
Your step-by-step study path
- 1The Job and Eligibility8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Notes free with an account
- 2Cognitive Ability and Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 3Maths, Grammar and Spelling8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 4Work Reliability, Safety and Emotional Intelligence8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 5Medical, Physical Agility and Probity Checks7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 6Panel Interview and Public Sector Values7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 7Application Strategy and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 8Academy Training and the First Year7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.Premium
Read the complete Correctional Officer study notes for “The Job and Eligibility”
Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 11 minutes of reading: What correctional officers do · Who runs Australia's prisons · Entry rules in NSW · Pay and conditions, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.
Study tools included
3,000 practice questions
3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.
6 full mock exams
6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.
Exam Readiness Score
One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.
800 flashcards + spaced repetition
800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.
60 comprehensive key notes
60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.
Mind maps
See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.
Sample questions with answers
These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.
1. All officers posted to the maximum-security wing have completed the use-of-force course. Officer Kaur has not completed the use-of-force course. Which statement must be true?
2. Which word is the odd one out: cell, wing, muster, unit, block?
3. Musters are held every 3 hours starting at 0600, and a buy-up delivery arrives every 4 hours starting at 0600. After 0600, when is the next time both happen at once?
4. A unit holds 64 inmates. 25% are on a work program and 1 in 8 of the rest attend education. How many attend education?
5. An officer works 38 hours a week on an hourly rate of A$37.63. Ignoring penalties and tax, what is the weekly pay to the nearest dollar?
6. Which sentence is correct in spelling and punctuation?
7. Choose the word that best completes the sentence: 'The officer gave a clear and _____ account of the incident in her report.'
8. You are near the end of a long shift and notice a cell door that should be locked is slightly ajar. Your relief is due in 5 minutes. What do you do?
9. An inmate swears at you loudly in front of others after his phone call is cut short by a lockdown. What is the most effective first response?
10. An inmate you supervise asks you to post a letter for him outside the prison because 'the mail takes too long'. What should you do?
11. In the panel interview you are asked: 'Tell us about a time you had to deal with someone who was aggressive.' Which plan works best?
12. Which are the four core values of the NSW government sector under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013?
13. Which of these is a stated requirement of the CSNSW pre-employment medical for custodial applicants?
14. You applied for a CSNSW correctional officer role at one centre 7 months ago and were unsuccessful. A new ad opens for another centre. What happens if you apply now?
15. What training does a new CSNSW correctional officer complete?
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- 3,000 practice questions + 6 full mock exams per exam
- 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
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- One career of your choice: any police force, APS, Defence, border, corrections, fire or state public service career
- 3,000 practice questions + 6 full mock exams per exam
- 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- Content updates during your access
- 5 bonuses: hiring process cheat sheet, interview answer builder, fitness test table and more
- Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back
Renews once a year until you cancel. We email you before each renewal. Cancel any time from your account; you keep access until the end of the year you've paid for.
Correctional Officer exam FAQ
How many questions are on the Correctional Officer exam?
Round One online test covering cognitive ability, work reliability, work safety, emotional intelligence, mathematics, grammar and spelling. CSNSW does not publish the number of questions, with a time limit of round one timing is not published. the follow-up candidate suitability testing takes about 4 hours. Format: online tests are unsupervised; work in a quiet room without help. later testing sessions are run by csnsw's contracted provider. you can only apply for a csnsw correctional officer role once every 12 months.
What is the passing score for Correctional Officer?
No fixed pass mark. Applicants whose aptitude and psychological results are not competitive against the field are told their application will not progress.
How much does the Correctional Officer exam cost?
No fee to apply or test. You may need to pay for a First Aid Certificate if your role requires one before starting. Most government agencies charge no application fee, but some tests and checks cost money (for example Victoria Police's entrance exam, medicals, first aid certificates and police checks). Confirm current costs on the agency's recruiting website before you apply.
Which languages is the Correctional Officer exam offered in?
English.
Where do I take the Correctional Officer exam?
CSNSW: online application on I work for NSW / jobs.dcj.nsw.gov.au; Round One online test from a contracted provider; further cognitive and psychological testing (about 4 hours); panel interview; medical with physical agility test by a CSNSW-nominated provider; criminal record and probity checks.
Is this Correctional Officer practice test free?
Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full Correctional Officer prep is Premium at A$89 a month for this exam.
What's in the premium Correctional Officer prep?
3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (The Job and Eligibility: 375; Cognitive Ability and Reasoning: 375; Maths, Grammar and Spelling: 375; Work Reliability, Safety and Emotional Intelligence: 375; Medical, Physical Agility and Probity Checks: 375; Panel Interview and Public Sector Values: 375; Application Strategy and Timeline: 375; Academy Training and the First Year: 375), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 50 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 8 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.
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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. The recruiting agency changes formats and fees, so confirm with Corrective Services NSW (Department of Communities and Justice); also Corrections Victoria, Queensland Corrective Services, WA Department of Justice, SA Department for Correctional Services, Tasmania Prison Service, NT Correctional Services, ACT Corrective Services and private operators before you book. AusGovCareer is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.