{"id":46334,"date":"2018-11-16T17:48:26","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T17:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=46334"},"modified":"2026-03-14T15:48:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T20:48:43","slug":"private-investigator-exam","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/private-investigator-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"Private Investigator Practice Test"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Although not required in every state, the Private Investigator test is used in many states to qualify individuals for the role of private investigator.<\/p>\n<p>Click \u201cStart Test\u201d above to take a free Private Investigator practice test, and check out our premium-quality Private Investigator test prep resources by clicking the links below!<\/p>\n<div class=\"buttonlinks\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/studyguides\/privateinvestigator\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Guide Button', 'Guide Click', 'PrivInvest Guide Click']);\">Private Investigator Study Guide<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashcardsecrets.com\/privateinvestigator\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Flashcard Button', 'Flashcard Button Click', 'PrivInvest Flashcard Click']);\">Private Investigator Flashcards<\/a><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"Private_Investigator_Test_Outline\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Private Investigator Test Outline<\/h2>\n<p>The contents of the test will be different depending on which state you take the Private Investigator test in. In Alabama, for example, the exam contains 50 questions and has a time limit of one hour, while the New York exam contains 100 questions and has a time limit of 2.5 hours.<\/p>\n<p>Each state includes slightly different topics on the exam, but most exams will cover the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Private investigator licensing and procedures<\/li>\n<li>Information gathering<\/li>\n<li>Planning<\/li>\n<li>Reporting<\/li>\n<li>Analysis<\/li>\n<li>Ethics<\/li>\n<li>Trial preparation<\/li>\n<li>Surveillance<\/li>\n<li>State laws and regulations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"sg-box-title\">Check Out Mometrix's Private Investigator Study Guide <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get practice questions, video tutorials, and detailed study lessons<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sg-box-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/studyguides\/privateinvestigator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get Your Study Guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/studyguides\/privateinvestigator\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"184\" height=\"238\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/privinvest.jpg\" alt=\" Study Guide\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"Registration\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Registration<\/h2>\n<p>To register for this exam, you will need to contact your state licensing board, who will ensure you are eligible to take the exam. Most boards will require you to submit an application for testing.<\/p>\n<p>The examination fee for each state is different, ranging anywhere from $15 to $500+.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"How_to_Study\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>How to Study<\/h2>\n<p>Think you aren\u2019t a good test-taker? Maybe on a study-time crunch? Or just don\u2019t know how to begin studying? Mometrix has designed a new Study Secrets course to help every student, no matter what study scenario you are in. Here\u2019s what you\u2019ll find in the Study Secrets Course:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Techniques to Conquer Procrastination<\/li>\n<li>Steps to building a Study Plan custom to your learning style<\/li>\n<li>7 Effective Note-Taking Methods<\/li>\n<li>Test-Taking Tips<\/li>\n<li>Memory Techniques and Mnemonics<\/li>\n<li>And much more!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Everyone learns differently, so we\u2019ve tailored our Study Secrets Course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for their upcoming exam or semester. Click below to check it out!<\/p>\n<div class=\"buttonlinks\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/university\/studysecrets\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Course Button', 'Course Click', Study Course Click']);\">Study Secrets Online Course<\/a><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"sg-box-title\">Check Out Mometrix's Private Investigator Flashcards<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get complex  subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sg-box-button blue-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flashcardsecrets.com\/privateinvestigator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get Your Flashcards<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashcardsecrets.com\/privateinvestigator\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"238\" height=\"184\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/privinvestflash.jpg\" alt=\" Flashcards\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"Test_Scoring\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Test Scoring<\/h2>\n<p>The passing score requirements also differ from state to state, but you will almost always need to answer at least 70% of the questions correctly to pass the exam.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" class=\"author-bio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"image\" class=\"author-image\" height=\"127\" width=\"127\" alt=\"Headshot of Mometrix associate Peter Rench.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Peter-Rench-scaled.webp\"><div class=\"author-text\"><p class=\"author-name\">By <span itemprop=\"name\">Peter Rench<\/span><\/p><div class=\"author-desc\"><p>Peter Rench joined Mometrix in 2009 and serves as Vice President of Product Development, responsible for overseeing all new product development and quality improvements. Mr. Rench, a National Merit Scholar, graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in mathematics from Texas A&amp;M University.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"editor\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" class=\"author-bio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"image\" class=\"author-image\" height=\"127\" width=\"127\" alt=\"Aaron Lanni profile pic\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image_2024-12-11_124906662.png\"><div class=\"author-text\"><p class=\"author-name\">Edited by <span itemprop=\"name\">Aaron Lanni<\/span><\/p><div class=\"author-desc\"><p>Aaron is the content manager and lead editor for Mometrix Academy. He regularly produces, updates, proofreads, and edits content to ensure it meets Mometrix\u2019s quality and accessibility standards.<\/p>\n<\/div><p class=\"alignright author-desc author-link\"><a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/editorial-guidelines\/\">Learn more about our editorial guidelines<\/a> \u2192<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/\">Mometrix Academy &#8211; Home<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">Mometrix Test Preparation is not affiliated with or endorsed by any official testing organization. All organizational and test names are trademarks of their respective owners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Although not required in every state, the Private Investigator test is used in many states to qualify individuals for the role of private investigator. Click \u201cStart Test\u201d above to take a free Private Investigator practice test, and check out our premium-quality Private Investigator test prep resources by clicking the links below! Private Investigator Test Outline &#8230; <a title=\"Private Investigator Practice Test\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/private-investigator-exam\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Private Investigator Practice Test\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":205274,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-46334","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-career","7":"page_type-exam-overview","8":"page_domain-private-investigator"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46334"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":269101,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46334\/revisions\/269101"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}