Rising Star for the NYPD Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain Exam

WHICH SCHOOL WAS THE BEST?

vote(s)

Fast Track

20.2%

Rising Star

32.3%

The Key

38.4%

KSA

2.0%

Police Academy

7.1%

JCA said
Feb 8, 2009

While the test and questions are still fresh in everyone's mind, I was just wondering what everyone thought of the actual material (not the instructors) that the schools were putting out there. Whose material helped the most, who had the best questions......Fast Track, Rising Star, Key, KSA, or the Police Academy???

-- Edited by JCA at 00:16, 2009-02-09

testtaker said
Feb 8, 2009

the key definetly had good questions. very similar and they pretty touched on the same topics as the actual test. the academy questions were good too. rising stars were good but too nuanced, they tried to trick u with and/or on too many of the questions and they were mostly least correct questions on the test all questions asked which answer was most correct.

DonnieB said
Feb 8, 2009

The Fast Track's "Total Guide" is a must-have for studying. For those unfamiliar, it is the ENTIRE PG with annotations written in that make it a lot easier to remember.

PLAN-Q said
Feb 9, 2009

I attended the Key and the Fast track. I think the Total Guide is a wonderful asset to anyone studying and for patrol. There Questions were great and very hard.. The Key's instructions was more appealing to me. Inspector Shea is great.. RisingStar was good but there questions were discouraging and the Police Academy's questions were consistent..

sig226 said
Feb 9, 2009

i found it amusing that whatever i had in packets from key was on the exam. never read p/g not even once.key by inspector is the best hands down

excessive force said
Feb 9, 2009

sig226 wrote:

i found it amusing that whatever i had in packets from key was on the exam. never read p/g not even once.key by inspector is the best hands down

and ill put my paycheck on it that u failed miserably...

STOPTHEINSANITY said
Feb 9, 2009

I agree with SIG226 I never opened p/g used only KEY study material.I was under 300 on Sgts list and under 300 on Lts list...So I have to agree with SIG226.When I took the Lts test I felt as if most of questions were covered in class..

Repeat Offender said
Feb 9, 2009

Third time taking this exam....I used the Slow Track & The Off-Key in the past. Slow Tracks questions were obnoxiously rediculous and nothing like the real questions you will encounter. The Off-Key was O.K., but I often found mistakes in their material (either outdated or just flat out wrong). This time around I tried Rising Star's stuff. Not sure about everyone else, but these questions were on the money (for me at least)! Yeah, some were real hard and some were ground balls, but hey, that's the way it is on the real exam. Rising was ALL over with their questions from almost every procedure known to man.....made you study the whole guide so there's no surprises. I thought the format of their questions were almost identical to what we saw on Saturday also. Obviously, everyone studies differently and is looking for something specific in the material they use. I just thought rising had the thoroughness I needed to be confident in case of any suprises. Eveyone has to find their own groove I guess.....just glad it's finally over and I finally feel good about of one these friggin exams!

sig226 said
Feb 9, 2009

and ill put my paycheck on it that u failed miserably...
well i tell u what...what u r saying is an excessive talk! i know sgts on this damned job that that passed with flying colors by memorizing those packets. they key word-memorizing! some people read pg 4-5 times and fail the test the issue is is not how much u read is how much can u retain and thats why packets are more useful.
anyway, ill let u know my score in 5 weeks and if i pass, be a man of ur word send me ur paycheck preferably with some ot)))

excessive force said
Feb 9, 2009

sig226 wrote:

and ill put my paycheck on it that u failed miserably...
well i tell u what...what u r saying is an excessive talk! i know sgts on this damned job that that passed with flying colors by memorizing those packets. they key word-memorizing! some people read pg 4-5 times and fail the test the issue is is not how much u read is how much can u retain and thats why packets are more useful.
anyway, ill let u know my score in 5 weeks and if i pass, be a man of ur word send me ur paycheck preferably with some ot)))

hey ill send u my paycheck but u r shiit outta luck on the o.t. considering theres non to be had as a boss....

waitingfornassau said
Feb 9, 2009

Excessive Farce, are you even a boss yet?

Rob73 said
Feb 10, 2009

Rising star hands down!!! THe format was the best; each question asked for the incorrect statement, giving you 3 correct statements with each question (instead of the other way around which can confuse you). there was also a question from every single procedure of the PG.
The PA was good too...best price: FREE

Another -F- the PG ! said
Feb 10, 2009

Ive done Rising star, the key and fast track ...I suggest Rising star - study at home and read the patrol guide..the test questions arent like any of these classes questions anyways...if u must go to a class The key is definitly better...I hated fast track...i had instructors calling on me like i was in 3rd grade...that doesnt help me pass the sgt test..rising star - best thing...this is a business...u dont need any of these classes...valuable study time is the best thing u cud do...

321 said
Feb 12, 2009

I agree, Rising Star = best bang for the buck hands down! They covered it ALL with accurate and exam type questions. Plenty of them too. Only thing is, you have to be motivated to study on your own (which you should be anyway). I'll be using them again for the next Lt.'s test a couple of hundred years from now at the rate they're going

JCA said
Feb 12, 2009

I've always been a fan of Rising Star personally. Rising Star like all the other schools, has it's mission and teaching points that don't agree with everyone's study habits and abilities. From experience in using them, I can tell you they are by far the best questions out there. Just like the real exam, Rising Star will throw ground ball easy questions at you, followed by questions that will make you pull your hair out and throw stuff. Either way, that's the way the real test is. The format and structure of their questions is almost identical to the DCAS questions, with one hitch: Rising Star almost always asks you for the INCORRECT answer - for a very good reason. Why you ask? So that when you read over 1,000 of their questions, you are actually studying/reviewing and reinforcing GOOD & CORRECT information in 3 of their answer choices. Do the math, 3 good statements X 1,000+ questions = a lot of reading correct information. I don't know about you, but when I study and read questions, the last thing I want to do is constantly read BAD information in answer choices that could stick in my head! Rising Star has good solid questions and sound teaching principles. I'll tell you what else, when I got one of there questions wrong, I knew that I would never let that happen on the real exam (exactly what you want out of a question). I especially appreciated getting their nit-picky questions wrong, because it brought out or showed me something that I totally glossed over and missed in my reading. If you get 70% or better of their questions right, you can be assured that you'll be at the top. The ones you get wrong are the ones that will teach you something you missed. If you want 100% easy questions that will falsely build your confidence and teach you nothing, then use the other schools. Like I said though, you have to find what works for you individually. That's what is so great about having more than one school out there to use. Rising Star worked for me and many other "hard-core" study buffs I know that weren't looking to half-ass it.

I Hate Studying said
Feb 23, 2009

i didnt go to all different schools to judge to say which is better. But i went to the key class and i liked there material and inspector in manhattan was amazing and there study material was great. i also liked the academy questions but never went to the classes.

hollar said
Feb 23, 2009

the fast track had at least 20 questions almost word for word that were on the exam... the fast track covered everything that was on the exam... i attended some key courses, i went to 2 cram courses of the Key, and stop going to the rest, because it was a waste of money, for lt exam, i'm definately going to the fast track

the ringer said
Feb 23, 2009

LAST YR FAST TRACK WAS BETTER,.....THIS YR THEY SEEMED A LIL OFF AND GOT A LIL SIMPLE/lazy....THE KEY WAS BETTER THIS TIME AND I DONT THINK MANY FAILED WHO PAID ATTENTION TO THE INSPECTOR SHEA.....HE HAS TO BE THE MOST REALISTIC //PROFFESIONAL INSTRUCTOR THE NYPD HAS ... N MUST B THE TOP 5 IN THE NYPD AS FAR AS KNOWLEGE GOES..... I THINK THE CLASS THAT wants US TO KP GOING N GET OUR MONEY AS WE GO UP IN THE NYPD, ......SHOULDA HAD LIKE A WEEK AFTER CLASS to help discuss the test n possoible protests.., THIS WAY 3 WKS LATA WE COULDA BEEN DOING SUMTHING ELSE THAN THESE POSTS THAT CLD GO ON 4 WEEKS.....THE....KEYS OUT NOW ARE GD, N ARE REAL CLOSE, BUT LETS PROTEST all THE ones WRONG.......GOOD LUCK TO ALL...

-- Edited by the ringer at 17:43, 2009-02-23

jules said
Mar 23, 2009

Does KSA even exist anymore?

PLAN-Q said
Mar 23, 2009

KSA had good questions.. Fast track questions were great.. There final exam was hard and it made me study.. Ima do fast- track for the LT's test.. Chief Shea from the key is a genius. If there questions were better then theyd be the supreme school

RICH-PD said
Mar 23, 2009

i went to the key twice a week and hit as many fast track in baskets at the end.... i got a 94 with no points or veterans credit....highly recommend the inspector shea and the key.... i kept hearing his voice saying dont be one of the hundreds that get a 69 on this test....

hollar said
Mar 24, 2009

i attended some key courses, and the only instructor that was good was Inspecter Shea, the rest were awful... I attended the Fast Track, and i will attend the Fast Track for the LT prep course, they had at least 20 questions that were on the final exam in the cram course almost word for word, and covered that entire exam to the tea!!!! The Fast Track instructors, all 4 put a lot of effort, you can see the sweat pour down there face when they teach, lol...

boyblue said
Mar 24, 2009

I have taken the key and fast track. I finally passed and I used Fast Track. I did Fast track and I downloaded the Academy's questions from work. The Fast Track has the best material and the best in basket class, bar none. Everyone studies differently and I finally, (5th times a charm) passed this damned thing after finding out what worked for me. I think the thing is that at the end of the day, you have to go home, (or have a nice quiet assignment) and study this thing on your own. The Total Guide from Fast Track makes the Patrol guide much more digestible. Also, because of Inspector Yanosik, I banged out the In basket, all 15 questions correct. Also, I found the Academy's questions to be the best out of everyones. Their questions were the closest to the actual test questions. Is there a best school? Not really. I think that you have to find the one that works for you, but doing the academy questions and attending Inspector Yanosiks In Basket class from the Fast track are a must.

PLAN-Q said
Mar 24, 2009

bb pbbx??!!

JMILZ said
Mar 26, 2009

I used a combination of schools, and material. When I did The Fast Track's questions I averaged from %75-85 questions correct. I also used the total guide. KSA questions were totally hard, and they definitely had me thinking more. I would finish those packets with %50's, and at times would totally discourage me. I went to the KEYs crams, and in-basket which was helpful. But overall the Academy's questions were more on target. I attended whatever class I could due to my various tours, and my child care issues. Luckily I passed. It boils down to YOU! You gotta spend time reading this crap! That's the bottom line.

ccrbsucks said
Mar 28, 2009

Overall, i liked the Key the best. The packets they gave out were right on the money, and the lectures were on point too. Shea is def the most knowledgable of all the instructors they have but i felt towards the end he went on a few too many of his "dont be the guy to get a 69" rants...

SATCOM said
Mar 28, 2009

I went to the police academy a few times...it put me over the top! They handed out a review guide that gave me about 4-6 questions at the end. Fast track was o.k...not great, they pick on you like you are in the 5th grade.

-- Edited by SATCOM on Saturday 28th of March 2009 06:57:34 PM

Phil Atio said
Mar 29, 2009

I read out of the PG and passed the 08 test. That makes me awesome.

ccrbsucks said
Mar 30, 2009

Phil Atio wrote:

I read out of the PG and passed the 08 test. That makes me awesome.

Hahaha that it does Phil!!

Phil Atio said
Mar 31, 2009

by the skin of my balls might i add. but whether you got a 100 or a 70 on the 08 test, you will get made. if the minimum wasnt good enough, there wouldnt be a minimum.

ccrbsucks said
Apr 2, 2009

passing the 08 test was about as money as striking oil in your own backyard, everyone on that list is getting promoted barring of course a catostrophic f*ck up (certainly not to be ruled out). Now i only hope the 09 test follows suit. Reguardless of what list your on, its good to know that they just put a class in bmoc

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