U.S. Probation Officer exam

[zz25]

Taking the written exam for U.S. Probation Officer in a few weeks (an East Coast district). I've been told it's a writing evaluation. Anyone have any tips or advice? Also, does anyone have any info on this position? Is there a high turnover rate? Do many people use it as a stepping stone or is it the type of job people like enough to make a career? I've also applied for several Criminal Investigator/1811 positions and I'm trying to see the pros and cons of each. My background is a bachelor's degree, midway through master's in criminal justice, and 7 years active duty Army special operations. I'm looking for something that's intellectually stimulating but where you still get to be out in the field a lot. In reality I'd be honored to get just one job offer, but it never hurts to be prepared.

[PJM]

There were some posts on this in the federal forum. I took it on the west coast. The test was very straight forward. The multiple choice portion was old LSAT questions dealing with criminal law. Just basic logical reasoning, not too tough. The written portion, from what I was told, is just to make sure that you can write in English. Don't worry too much about missing something b/c it is all right there in the facts.
Try searching in the Fed forum someone recently took the test for EDNY I think.

Good luck,
~PJM

[maluno]

Does anyone have any info on the U.S. Probation Officer Exam in the Southern Districts? It seems like each district has it's own exam and hiring process. Is there any study material available out there to help you prepare for it.