The RCMP Online Entrance Assessment is designed to test not just what you know, but how you think and who you are under pressure. While the cognitive sections… the Business Reasoning and Workstyle Preference sections are different.
About This RCMP Business Reasoning and Workstyle Preference (Powered by anEDGE)
This guide provides proprietary insight into the most critical sections of the RCMP Online Entrance Assessment. anEDGE is Canada’s premier law enforcement career preparation and coaching company, built by a team of former RCMP recruiters, police officers, and executive HR specialists. We transform motivated candidates into top-tier applicants by mirroring the exact format, competencies, and values of the RCMP recruitment process.
These two sections are essentially a specialized Situational Judgment Test (SJT) and a Personality Assessment tailored to the specific needs and values of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. To pass, you must understand and reflect the RCMP mindset.
1. Deconstructing the RCMP Mindset: The Core Values – RCMP Business Reasoning and Workstyle Preference
The key to succeeding in the Workstyle and Business Reasoning sections is to internalize the RCMP’s Core Values. Every decision you make in the test should align with these five principles.
| RCMP Core Value | How it Translates to Assessment Answers |
| Act with Integrity | Prioritize honesty, ethical conduct, and transparency. Never lie, minimize a mistake, or cover up for a colleague. |
| Show Respect | Prioritize fairness, inclusion, and empathy. Treat all people equally, regardless of the situation or their background. |
| Demonstrate Compassion | Show a genuine desire to help and approach situations with empathy, even when enforcing the law. |
| Take Responsibility | Own your actions and decisions. Escalate issues through the proper chain of command, but don’t pass the blame. |
| Serve with Excellence | Commit to continuous learning, professionalism, and collaboration. Always seek the most effective, safe, and professional solution. |
2. RCMP Business Reasoning and Workstyle Preference The RCMP Personality Fit
This section asks you to rate statements (e.g., “I prefer working alone,” “I thrive in unpredictable environments”) on a scale (e.g., Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree). The goal is to determine your fit for the demands of police work.
What the RCMP Looks For (and What to Emphasize):
- Adaptability & Flexibility: Policing is highly unpredictable. Emphasize comfort with change, quick judgment, and problem-solving in novel situations.
- Teamwork & Collaboration: The RCMP relies on its members. Avoid answers that suggest you always prefer to work entirely alone or don’t value input from colleagues.
- Stress Management: Show self-control and composure. Choose statements that reflect the ability to maintain effectiveness and restrain negative actions when under pressure.
- Conscientiousness: Display attention to detail, a commitment to following procedures, and a high level of responsibility for your tasks and equipment.
Tip from a Former Recruiter: Answer from the perspective of a serving police officer, not your current job. For example, while working alone might be fine in an office, a police officer must be ready to collaborate and rely on their partner and the team.
3. Business Reasoning: Advanced Situational Judgment Scenarios
The Business Reasoning section presents complex, work-related dilemmas, requiring you to prioritize actions, analyze data, or choose the most appropriate response. This is where you apply the Core Values directly.
Practice Scenario: The Integrity Dilemma
Scenario: You are conducting routine inventory of evidence storage when you notice a small, clear package labeled “Exhibit A” is missing. Only three officers, including yourself, have the access code. You immediately notify your supervisor. Your supervisor, who is very close to retirement, asks you to re-check the inventory one more time and says, “Let’s see if it just got misplaced before we file an official report. An internal investigation over a small item could be a major headache for all of us right now.”
Possible Actions (You must choose the Most Appropriate and Least Appropriate):
- A. Immediately insist on filing the official report, citing the policy for lost evidence.
- B. Re-check the evidence storage as requested, hoping to find it, but quietly document the missing item and your supervisor’s delay.
- C. Agree to re-check the storage and, if you don’t find it, wait until the next shift to file the report so the supervisor can retire in peace.
- D. Inform your supervisor that while you will re-check, you must notify the on-duty staff sergeant immediately, as per the integrity policy.
RCMP Analysis:
- Most Appropriate: D. This action prioritizes Integrity and Responsibility above convenience, loyalty, or fear of reprisal. Evidence is sacrosanct. The correct action is to follow policy while respecting the chain of command where possible.
- Least Appropriate: C. This action prioritizes protecting a colleague over upholding Integrity and the Responsibility to secure evidence. It is a clear failure to act ethically and demonstrates poor judgment.
Practice Scenario: Community vs. Compliance
Scenario: During a foot patrol in a high-needs, culturally diverse neighbourhood, you notice a group of teenagers playing loud music on a public basketball court after the posted 10:00 p.m. curfew. Residents have complained in the past. You approach the group, who immediately turn down the music and apologize. You can smell cannabis smoke. You know that previous heavy-handed responses have eroded trust here.
Possible Actions (Rate the effectiveness: Very Effective to Counterproductive):
- A. Issue citations to all members of the group for the noise violation and the cannabis smell, clearly enforcing the law.
- B. Confiscate the speaker and tell them you’ll give it back tomorrow if they show up to the community centre, then leave.
- C. Acknowledge their quick compliance, explain the need for quiet hours, confiscate the cannabis, and, instead of citations, require them to clean up the court before leaving.
- D. Ignore the smell, thank them for turning down the music, and ask them to wrap up in 30 minutes, hoping they leave soon.
RCMP Analysis (Focused on Respect & Compassion):
- Very Effective: C. This response balances law enforcement (confiscating illegal substance/addressing the noise) with community-building and Compassion. It uses a restorative measure (cleaning) instead of an immediate punitive citation, building Respect without sacrificing Responsibility to the law.
- Counterproductive: D. Ignoring the smell (a clear legal violation) shows a lack of Integrity and sets a poor precedent. While trying to be compassionate, this response fails to adequately enforce the law or take Responsibility for the situation.
Key Takeaway for RCMP Business Reasoning and Workstyle Preference
The RCMP Business reasoning and workstyle preference is seeking applicants who are Ethical, Adaptable, Accountable, and Community-Focused. Your preparation shouldn’t be about memorizing answers, but about internalizing this mindset and applying the Core Values consistently to every scenario.
Ready to start putting the RCMP Business reasoning and workstyle preference blueprint into practice? Click the link below to access a full-length, timed RCMP Online Assessment Practice Exam that specifically targets these judgment-based scenarios.
Start your full RCMP Entrance Assessment Practice Exams here