RISING STAR ! The ultimate source to ace your NYPD Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain Exam Visit www.RisingStarPromotion.com to order our questions specifically designed for maximum retention of the Patrol Guide--plus full-length exams!

brooklynbacon · Guru

Comparison and best patrol guides to study?

al3181 · Veteran Member

I'm reading a patrol guide on ipad. It's word by word, but doesn't weight a ton.

hollar · Guru

lmao

jill72 · Senior Member

and i'm not saying this bec. this is the rising star site, but their notes and questions were def. the most comprehensive. My plan will be basic pg, rising star questions, then rising star notes. Repeat 3x.

kriss1887 · Newbie

I agree with Jill. I did The Key also, but Rising Star pushed me over the top...also not saying just cause this is their site...not getting anything free here, Lol!

18and1 · Senior Member

I took the key as well and thought it was on point. Cheif Shea was great. I did hear rising star had the best questions.

twntynout · Senior Member

hey how did u get the patrol guide on ur ipad,im new with it??

15yrwonder · Veteran Member

it's an app. on the i touch and i phone. probably same for i pad. just go to i tunes and search nypd patrol guide.

kriss1887 · Newbie

Anyone know if you can get the Patrol Guide on the Nook?

NYPD231 · Senior Member

al3181 wrote:

I'm reading a patrol guide on ipad. It's word by word, but doesn't weight a ton.

Wow, I thought you were kidding, but sure enough, it's there! I know it says 2011 version, but does it say what interim order it covers up until?

al3181 · Veteran Member

They update it once in a while. I think last update was a few month ago.

nycop80 · Guru

The patrol guide on the iphone, works awesome, yes it is updated every few months for free. It's a one time payment of 9.99

My personal opinion = Take the key classes, they are by far superior imo to fast track. Then, use questions from rising star website , and read, read, read the actual patrol guide. I also have the ksa patrol guide, but as stated above it is more of cliff notes.

WOW · Veteran Member

fast track is $849.00 usc!!! wtf!

fodx · Guru

Yeah $849 is rediculous. It was $600 for the last exam. They also raised the weekly "pay as you go" from $30 to $40 and now it DOESNT include the Total Guide. WTF is right.

wereinbacklog · Guru

Thought the same thing when I received the email, $849 is a bit excessive to say the least.

fodx · Guru

nycop80 wrote:

My personal opinion = Take the key classes, they are by far superior imo to fast track. Then, use questions from rising star website , and read, read, read the actual patrol guide. I also have the ksa patrol guide, but as stated above it is more of cliff notes.

The thing that scares me about The Key is it doesnt offer any type of Patrol Guide (like Fast Track's "Total Guide"). So the only material you have to study is the handouts and the handouts dont include every single procedure.

NYG37 · Senior Member

If you need every procedure then study patrol guide, key covers material that in their opinion and past test will most likely be on the test.

WOW · Veteran Member

that 849 does give you 25 classes..including 2 inbaskets and the cram course. Internet access seems cool also. That being said, anyone have 850 i can borrow?

fodx · Guru

I was gonna do the Fast Track "pay as you go", weekly $40. BUT that doesnt incluse the Patrol Guide, so what good is it??? They raised the price and are giving you less. For Fvcks sake.

infinity · Senior Member

anyone know if you can purchase the fast track guide at one of the classes as a single item?

wereinbacklog · Guru

The Key posted their course pricing online 2day surprised to notice the price didn't change at ALL. Here's the link for anyone interested http://www.nypdthekey.com/ . Wish they would have posted what instructors are teaching what days.

unborn · Guru

The Key really needs to hire a website designer. That page is a mess.

Ex-Narco Ranger · Veteran Member

If you watch the info video at Fast track web site, they say they will NOT be selling the Total Guide, that the only way to get it is to sign up for the class. I believe they used to sell it in the past, I'm taking the Key but would like to get the Fast Track guide if possible.

Shhh · Veteran Member

That's ridiculous. I'm not spending $850 on a book. I'll use my total guide from 2yrs ago and study the interm orders availble for free from the dept. The Key should thank the fool who raised the price at Fast Track for all the new business that will come their way.

-- Edited by Shhh on Tuesday 1st of March 2011 10:22:59 PM

infinity · Senior Member

The same fool prob decided not to sell the guide seperatley. Makes no sense.

wereinbacklog · Guru

The Key's patience paid off by waiting for the fast track to post there pricing. Most of the sergeants at my command are not interested in paying $850 for the course. As for me I plan to take d course that fits best with my schedule.

-- Edited by wereinbacklog on Tuesday 1st of March 2011 10:39:10 PM

wereinbacklog · Guru

If money wasn't a factor which course would you guys take????

egor · Veteran Member

Who has been to fast track classes before? Just curious what the difference between fast track and the key are. I know how the key works because I used them last time, does the fast track hand out their own packets as well or are you basically just reading out of thier fast track guide? thanks

fodx · Guru

The Fast Track is the Total Guide (Patrol Guide) PLUS handouts like the Key gives out. The Key I believe is just the handouts. Thats what make sme nervous about the Key.

haz39 · Veteran Member

im sticking with the fast track if it isn't broke don't fix it, i look at it like yea i would pay 850 to be a LT

the ringer · Senior Member

Fast track was very good a few tests ago,they had the total guide, the CDs , and lots of classes... I would go toast track n then both cram doused for the key and track...I've noticed , that the fast track changes every yearfor the worse and keygets better and better. 1st the key added CDs then made alot of graphs showing percentage of the sections on each test.. Very helpful..I mean study it all but when it comes down you know where to put the extra time in..I find Shea is an amazing person and probablytbe smartest in the department...I also find the key is just a better at being more respectful to you, they wear collared shirts and ties, which shows they mean business...there are one or two god instructors at fast track,but I think one of them definitely Is a lil childish and flirts w the female students, which is just a waste of time for the rest of us, and they say the sane spiel word for word at every class, while wearing whatever they woke up in this morning...at the end of the day ,if you passed you won't care bout the $$... And I think we all told our tax guy we spent some change... Good luck to you all.

-- Edited by the ringer on Wednesday 2nd of March 2011 06:38:12 AM

brat4914 · Guru

The Police Academy will be doing classes as well for FREE again. They had done a class for the 2008 and 2009 Sgt exams offering lectures on the Patrol Guide material and questions with very detailed answers. If you purchase the Patrol Guide from a buff store or on-line and follow along with their handouts that they give during the lectures then it is just as good as the pay classes. From what I have heard, many people did very well who took the Academy course. I heard that their course should be starting somewhere around May.

wereinbacklog · Guru

Are the academy classes in the morning? Don't recall the format they had for d sergeants exam.

Doc22 · Veteran Member

Does anyone know when the Key classes start?

NYG37 · Senior Member

april 2nd.

brat4914 · Guru

if i recall correctly the Police Academy sgt course was wednesdays from 9-1 and 5-9

wereinbacklog · Guru

That would actually work out for me. Does anyone know when they're going to officially announce the exam??

brat4914 · Guru

the exam should be announced within the next couple of weeks............no need to wait for the announcement, it's happening..............so start getting your stuff in line and start reading..........either get a patrol guide or start ready the latest interim orders, but why wait, you know its coming

wereinbacklog · Guru

Thanks for d info, I actually started studying about 2 weeks ago. Registered for the fast track course and must admit im impressed with their material. Wish everyone luck with their studies.

Gotcha · Newbie

$850 for Fast Track?? WTF is right! Not for nothing, but their questions suck (crazy and not exam-realistic). As for the Key, I received a "CIMS primer" email that had INACCURATE information in it!! (The Finance Section does NOT have to be co-located with the Command Element as they state). C'mon guys, really? If you can't even get that right, you want me to buy your stuff and trust its all accurate?
For half the price and triple the quantity of questions, I'll go with Rising Star and read the actual patrol guide and admin guide. For what its worth, guys I know from the top of the '06 lieutenant test swore that Rising Star wrote their exam because the questions were spot on. I got a sample lesson from them and the questions are formatted like a real exam is. They don't have audio cd's or hold any classes though, so you gotta be disciplined enough to study on your own I guess, which is no biggie to me. Good luck all...

JCA · Veteran Member

I agree with "Gotcha". I've used Rising Star more than once ('06 Lt. & '10 Capt.). 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, and other schools, 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 real test-day 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 1,500 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 1,500+ 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 some of 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 myself did the hard work to be at the top of two list, but i give thanks to Rising Star for their top-notch materials.

NYG37 · Senior Member

I also used them for 09 test they do have good questions I wish I had enough time to go through all of them during my preparation

jill72 · Senior Member

I feel that the CDs don't work for me. If you're driving and listening to a CD (where they typically go over the questions) you might hear the "wrong" choice and subconsciously pick-up on it and think that it is the correct choice.

As far as the academy questions go, I did use them the last time, but, let's be honest...the people writing the questions are those who've failed the sergeant's exam 5x or those who will be competing with you

-- Edited by jill72 on Sunday 6th of March 2011 03:31:18 PM

62Zebra · Newbie

Gotcha, I agree with much of what you said. I went back to an old Key book re that CIMS thing. I found that primer thing and on the previous page they mad eit very clear that the Fianance post could put elsewhere but generally does go with the main one.

62Zebra · Newbie

I gotta say, now that I'm looking at the workbook The Key made for CIMS. That is some piece of work. No other school does anything like that. It's damn good and will save you a LOT of time studying. And, it's NOT innaccurate. Here's exactly what they said on the page leading into that primer page with the pictures;

3 of the 5 General Staff positions (Planning, Logistics & Finance) are told, absent unusual circumstances, locate your work area at the ICP.
So these 3 dont have a CP either. (Finance may be remote - placed at DCMB or Operations Unit@1PP,etc.)

brat4914 · Guru

not a workbook ...........but handouts..........the Academy does something similar for each section..........like a summary of each section, not all inclusive but something to use side by side with your patrol guide to help pull out the meat and potatoes you need to know

brat4914 · Guru

and beware some of those posts who have a posting history of only a few may just be "risingstar" themselves pushing their own product

-- Edited by brat4914 on Sunday 6th of March 2011 03:50:43 PM

Rob73 · Member

brat4914 wrote:

and beware some of those posts who have a posting history of only a few may just be "risingstar" themselves pushing their own product

-- Edited by brat4914 on Sunday 6th of March 2011 03:50:43 PM

Or they could be "friends" of rising star, like me:) I admit it. I use their material, I push it, I'm friends with one of the partners, I get my stuff for free:)

Gotcha · Newbie

Hey "brat"....let me guess, you must be one of those half-assed detectives! FYI, not all newbies are some secret plant designed to increase sales (although that is a great idea, lol) - I moved here from the old and defunct Exam X.

brat4914 · Guru

not exactly...........whatever