Basic Course Tests of Educational Objectives
The POST Peace Officer Basic Course is designed around a detailed set of educational objectives (see Workbook Educational Objectives) for each of 41 separate learning domains. Each learning domain is a distinct body of knowledge and skills that the student officer must learn before being able to successfully perform the job. For example, Patrol Techniques is learning domain #21. The educational objectives are specific knowledges the student officer must learn or specific skills the student officer must master to become proficient in that learning domain. An example of an educational objective for the “Patrol Techniques” learning domain is: “Differentiate between the roles of a contact officer and a cover officer.” In the portion of the basic course on patrol techniques, the student officer would be expected to gain this knowledge. The Basic Course Student Workbooks are critical to learning the various educational objectives.

In some cases, the basic course curriculum designers have also specified required scenario and/or exercise tests and specific instructional activities, that must occur in the basic course. The scenario and exercise tests are role playing situations in which the student officer is tested on a newly learned skill. The required scenario test for the “Patrol Techniques” learning domain, for example, has the student officer “demonstrate safe and effective tactics for approaching pedestrian suspects while utilizing a patrol vehicle.” The student would use a training patrol car to approach instructors playing the role of pedestrians. The specific tactics to use are learned in the portion of the course focusing on this learning domain. The required instructional activities are “hands-on” training in which the student officer practices portions of the to-be-mastered skills. In the “Patrol Techniques” learning domain, a required instructional activity is to “observe an event and after a short delay, describe, either verbally or in writing, the nature of the event and any pertinent observations made.” This instructional activity focuses on one important component of making a successful pedestrian stop.

The Regular Basic Course curriculum is divided into 41 individual topics, called Learning Domains. The Learning Domains contain the minimum required foundational information for given subjects, which are detailed in the Training and Testing Specifications for Peace Officer Basic Courses Training and Testing Specifications for the Peace Officer Basic Courses (2000; POST Publication #342).

Basic Academy Physical Conditioning Program
The POST Peace Officer Basic Academy Physical Conditioning Program is designed to do two things: (1) prepare students to perform the physically demanding aspects of the job and (2) create in the students a desire to maintain a high level of fitness throughout his or her career. The physical conditioning program achieves these goals by providing instructions on the principles of physical conditioning, conducting a systematic series of conditioning exercises over the course of the basic academy, providing classroom training on the important aspects of personal physical health, and requiring all students to pass a work sample test. The physical conditioning program is designed to educate and sensitize the student officer to the need for a lifestyle of daily physical activity.

The complete program as well as information for instructors and a complete description of the POST Job-Related Work Sample Test Battery (including descriptions of the tests and passing points) are contained in the Basic Academy Physical Conditioning Manual 1996.