Can You Pass an FBI Entrance Exam?

By: Brian Whitney
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Pass an FBI Entrance Exam?
Image: Wiki Commons by FBI

About This Quiz

A lot of people want a career in the FBI, but it isn't easy to get one. The FBI is the cream of the crop when it comes to law enforcement agencies in this country, and therefore they are pretty choosy about who they hire. You not only have to be extremely intelligent to be a part of the FBI, but you also have to be in top physical shape and willing to put yourself in danger, all while protecting national security. Some of what FBI agents investigate are terrorism, white-collar crime, kidnapping, murder, bank robbery, bribery, organized crime and drug trafficking. FBI agents don't mess around and never give up on a case. If you're a criminal and the FBI is investigating, you know that you're in trouble.

There are many steps when it comes to being hired by the FBI, including a background check and a psychological exam, but arguably the most important thing a recruit needs to do is pass an FBI entrance exam. We've put together a series of questions that will let us know if you're ready to be an FBI agent. Take this test and find out. We promise this isn't just a trick because the FBI is investigating you. We think. 


What was it called in America when alcohol was illegal?
The prohibition
The debarment
The disallowed
The outlawing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI first started using wiretapping during the 1920s during Prohibition. Wiretapping means tapping into phone lines so one can listen to what is being said. This is still done today.

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Who was the FBI's most famous leader?
Patrick Quinlan
J. Edgar Hoover
R. Jay Hamlin
Matt Kennedy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

J. Edgar Hoover was a very controversial figure and was without a doubt the FBI's most famous director. He also was its first director. He held his position for 37 years until his death in 1972 at the age of 77.

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Which activities show that someone is lying?
When they pause when you ask them a question
When they look away
When they touch their face
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are many physical cues to tell when a person is lying. If they delay before answering a question, can't look you in the eye, or fidget constantly with their hands, they're probably lying.

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Which of these is not used by the FBI in interrogation?
Deception
Good Cop/Bad Cop
Suggestibility
Torture
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While it is extremely important for the FBI to solve crimes, torturing suspects to get information is never allowed, nor should it be. An FBI agent can't even threaten to torture anyone.

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What did the FBI think of Martin Luther King?
That he was awesome
That he was dangerous
That he was smart
That he wasn't important
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After his "I have a dream" speech, the FBI tapped the phone of Martin Luther King and seemed convinced that he was up to no good. This is not something the FBI is very proud of today.

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What state is the FBI Academy in?
Virginia
Wisconsin
Texas
Maine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI academy is housed in Quantico, Virginia. The town is only 500 people or so, but houses not only the FBI training academy, but the Drug Enforcement Agency's training academy and one of the United States' largest Marine Corps bases.

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Do FBI agents train in marksmanship?
No, that isn't that important.
Some do, but not all.
Yes, they all do.
No, most FBI agents don't carry guns.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Every single FBI agent is trained in marksmanship.. Other aspects of gun and firearm training include safety and weapon handling. Agents are trained on pistols, carbines and shotguns.

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Is the FBI in charge of investigating murders of federal officials?
No, not ever
Sometimes
Usually
Yes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, there was a lot of confusion as to who was in charge of the investigation. A law was passed in 1965 that made sure the FBI would be in charge of those investigations in the future.

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Which of the following does the FBI do during background tests?
Run a credit check
Interview neighbors
Administer a polygraph
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Other than running a credit check, administering a polygraph and interviewing neighbors , the FBI will also interview business associates and past employers. These guys don't mess around.

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Does the FBI investigate domestic terrorism?
No, that is the CIA.
No, that is the Secret Service.
Sometimes
Yes, they and the CIA do that.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Both the CIA and FBI investigate terrorism. While the CIA only investigates foreign terrorists, the FBI does that and also does investigation of those suspected of being domestic terrorists as well.

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Do FBI agents have to be United States citizens?
Yes
No
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While it might sound like a really good idea for the FBI to hire the occasional foreigner to be a spy, it is not allowed. To be an FBI agent, one has to be a citizen of the United States.

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Do FBI agents investigate kidnappings of children?
Yes
No
They used to, but not any longer.
Only in extreme circumstances
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While most of the time the FBI will only investigate a kidnapping if there is suspected interstate travel, they will almost always investigate if the victim is 12 years old or younger.

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Which amendment protects against illegal searches?
1st
3rd
4th
7th
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Any FBI agent needs to know this. The 4th Amendment in part reads "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,"

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As of 2014, how many female agents were in the FBI?
50
200
2,000
15.000
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While 2,000 female agents certainly is a lot and something to be proud of, there are many more male agents than female. In the year 2014, female agents were only 2,000 out of more than 13.000 total agents.

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What should you do if a car you're following pulls into a parking lot?
Continue driving.
Follow the car up and down the lanes.
Park in the lot far enough away that you can observe the car but not arouse suspicion.
Park as far away from the car in the lot that you can.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When following someone in a car, you always want to maintain visual contact, but never get too close to them, otherwise you might get noticed. It is a delicate balance that takes a while to master.

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What was criminal turned informant James Bulger's nickname?
Blackie
Whitey
Yellow
Orange
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

James "Whitey" Bulger was one of the most infamous criminals of his day. Part of the reason he was so successful was that he was an FBI informant and therefore was immune from prosecution.

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How many weeks of training do FBI recruits get at the FBI Academy?
2
4
20
45
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI agents study for 20 weeks. They learn how to do investigations and also take classes in ethics, interviewing, report writing, investigative techniques, counterintelligence techniques, interrogation, forensic science and more.

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Do FBI agents have to move anywhere they are assigned?
No, it is up to the FBI agent where they work.
Yes. They have no choice.
They have a choice of three states.
Within reason
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One of the requirements of being an FBI agent is that they have to move anywhere in the country that they are assigned. This is hard on recruits, but it also makes a lot of sense as it is a federal job.

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Can an FBI agent lie when interrogating a suspect?
No, not ever
Only if they say certain things
Yes, they can.
Only if it is a high ranking FBI official
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yes, FBI agents can lie during interrogations. They can lie about there being eyewitnesses to a crime, they can lie about having a confession, they can lie about pretty much anything they want to try and get a confession.

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Which member of the Rat Pack was monitored by the FBI for almost 50 years?
Frank Sinatra
Joey Bishop
Dean Martin
Sammy Davis Jr.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Frank Sinatra had rumored ties to the mob and organized crime and he also had a friendship with John F. Kennedy. The FBI amassed more than 2,400 pages on him over the course of 50 years.

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What doesn't an FBI agent need to do to pass a fitness test?
Situps and pushups
300-meter sprint
1.5-mile run
Bench 300 pounds
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One of the many things an FBI agent needs to do to become an agent is to pass a physical fitness exam. While much of being an agent is mental, they have to be prepared for physical engagement.

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Who of the following was an FBI informant?
Jimmy Stewart
Mel Blanc
Walt Disney
Brad Pitt
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Walt Disney became an FBI informant during the 1950s when he reported the names of many associates who he thought might be communists. Many famous people were suspected of being communists at this time.

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What does former FBI Director James Comey cover his computer webcam with?
Tape
His hands
Cardboard
A cloth
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Former FBI Director James Comey uses tape to cover the camera on his computer just in case someone is looking back at him, and he suggests that any sensible person would do the same.

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Which Sacha Baron Cohen character was investigated by the FBI?
Ali G
Bruno
Azamat
Borat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When the actor Sacha Baron Cohen was filming the movie "Borat," the FBI began receiving questions and complaints about the actions of his character. The FBI ended up opening a file on Borat.

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What degree do you need to be in the FBI?
High school
College
Masters
You don't need any degree
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI isn't easy to get into, and they do require that you have a four-year degree from a college or university. They are partial to people with degrees in computer science, law and foreign languages.

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When was the FBI founded?
1908
1940
1956
1969
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI has been around for over a century now. It was started by President Theodore Roosevelt. One of the big reasons it started was because or the corruption that came with the industrialization of the U.S.

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Which is not a way for a fugitive to get off the Most Wanted List?
They are captured.
The charges against them are dropped.
They seem like they will never be caught.
They are no longer considered a "particularly dangerous menace to society.”
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI would never give up and take a fugitive off the list because it seemed like they wouldn't be caught. The only other way for a fugitive to get off the list other then those mentioned is they die.

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Are you the type of person who enjoys getting a surprise party?
No
Maybe
For sure
I have never been given a surprise party.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This question is actually one that was asked on the FBI entrance exam. The answer they're looking for it that you've never been given one. If you want to know why, just ask the FBI, but we wouldn't suggest that.

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How many scientists does the FBI employ?
Around 20
100
300
500
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

in 1932 the FBI laboratory was in one room and was run by a single technician. How things have changed. Today the FBI employs over 500 scientists in their efforts to solve complex crimes.

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Which song was investigated by the FBI?
Louie, Louie
Penny Lane
Satisfaction
Fight For Your Right to Party
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI spent around two years of research attempting to translate the lyrics of the hit 1960s song “Louie Louie" because they thought they were pornographic. They eventually found nothing.

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What does the FBI have more than 5,000 samples of?
Saliva
Hair
Footprints
Blood
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI has over 5.000 samples of hair that are on file. The hair is not just of humans, though, animals also make the grade. Hair is one of the most common types of criminal evidence.

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When did the FBI go digital?
1980
1998
2012
2018
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the FBI is thought of as an agency that is always on the cutting edge, they only went fully digital in 2012. Before that, they still were using paper files for the majority of cases.

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What is an FBI agent called who works on the street level, as opposed to in an office?
Sidewalk agent
Tar agent
Brick agent
Window agent
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As you might imagine, the FBI has a language that is only understood by those who work there. A brick agent is an officer of the FBI, usually one who is fairly new, who works on the street level.

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How many fugitives have never been caught who were on the FBI most wanted list?
29
10
73
1
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Over the years, around 494 fugitives have been put on the most wanted list by the FBI. Out of all of those, 29 were never caught. Some escaped for good while others probably have passed away.

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Which president was the first to fire an FBI director?
Ronald Reagan
Donald Trump
Richard Nixon
Bill Clinton
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite there being evidence that FBI Director William Sessions was misusing his authority, he refused to resign. President Bill Clinton fired him, marking the first time a president fired an FBI director.

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You Got:
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Wiki Commons by FBI