Badge Visualization on the NCJOSI-2
Visualization is the ability to picture how something will look after it changes, such as after it's turned or rearranged. For officers, that often means recognizing a person from a photo even when they are seen from a different angle or have changed their appearance.
This page explains what these questions ask of you and walks through a method for matching the same person across different views and changes.
What the questions ask you to do
Visualization questions on this test often involve faces. You might see a front-facing photo and be asked which side profile shows the same person, or see a person and be asked which of several photos shows them after changes to their hair, facial hair, glasses or other features.
The features that change between pictures are there to distract you. The answer depends on the features that can't easily change, like the shape of the nose, the ears, the jaw and the spacing of the eyes. Some versions use objects instead of people, asking how a shape or object will look after it is rotated or otherwise changed — the same principle applies: track what cannot change.
See a sample question
Face questions need photographs, so our free face sample lives on the homepage. Try the face sample question and then come back to the method below.
A method for face questions
Ignore what's easy to change
Hairstyle, hair color, facial hair, glasses, hats and makeup can all change in minutes. Mentally cover them up before you compare.
Focus on fixed features
Look at the shape of the nose, especially its bridge and tip; the shape and position of the ears; the jawline and chin; and the distance between the eyes.
Compare one feature at a time
Check the same feature across every choice before moving to the next one. Rule out any choice where a fixed feature clearly doesn't match.
Picture the turn
For profile questions, imagine the front-facing face slowly turning to the side. Ask how far the nose would stick out, where the ear would sit, and how the chin would look from the side.
Common mistakes
Matching on hair. Test-makers often give the right answer a different hairstyle and a wrong answer the same one.
Going on overall impression. Faces that feel similar can differ in one fixed feature. Check features one by one.
Forgetting the ears. Ear shape and position are some of the most reliable features and are easy to overlook.
Being thrown by lighting or angle. Shadows and head tilt change how a face looks without changing its structure.
Practice more visualization questions
In Badge & Hose study mode you can focus on one ability at a time and see an explanation after every answer. Visualization is included free.