text: anyone take the tests to be a police officer? i am going in december to take a written, physical and polygraph test to be a police officer in my city. i was wondering how hard the tests are. also, what kind of questions do they ask on the polygraph test? i am nervous because i have done bad stuff in my past but i haven't ever got caught. written tests are designed to test basic problem solving skills, your knowledge of the english language and things of that nature. think of them as a modified version of the sat tests you took in school.  physical tests are exactly that. you have a certain amount of time to complete the given task. this is usually a pass/fail type of test.  polygraph tests are to test your honesty. they ask you questions taken from the background information you give them. seems kind of unusual to be administered the polygraph this early in the process. in most places in ca it usually follows this format: written--physical--oral-- background check --polygraph--medical--2nd oral.