About Us
Since 1998, The Key Promotional School has prepared NYPD Police Officers, Sergeants, and
Lieutenants to compete and succeed on promotional examinations. For nearly three decades, The Key
has remained the longest-running, most successful, and most respected NYPD promotional school.
Unmatched Command Experience
The strength of The Key begins with its instructors. Our team is comprised exclusively of retired
NYPD executive leadership, including former Police Commissioners, Chiefs of Staff, Borough
Commanders, Precinct Commanders, Squad Commanders, and Borough Crime Commanders.
Members of The Key team have written prior NYPD promotional examinations and commanded the
Office of Management Orders and Directive Section (MODS), the unit responsible for writing and
updating the Patrol Guide and Administrative Guide.
Academically, The Key team is equally unmatched, holding advanced degrees from Harvard
University, New York University, and New York Law School. The Key is also the only school where
students can earn college credits for attending The Key course.
Just as important, every instructor at The Key has scored in the top 100 on NYPD promotional exams,
including members who earned:
• # 1 and # 3 list numbers on a Sergeant’s Exam
• # 1 and # 2 list numbers on a Lieutenant’s Exam
• # 1 on a Captain’s Exam
Field command experience, academic rigor, and proven exam performance, a combination that
separates The Key from every other school. This is not theory but firsthand knowledge of how exams
are written, how answers are evaluated, and how the Department expects supervisors to think.
Exceptional Value
The Key was the first promotional school to provide clear, easy-to-read summaries of the Patrol Guide
and Administrative Guide, and it remains the only school to offer comprehensive summaries of New
York State Penal Law and Legal Bureau Bulletins.
Students receive access to a complete, exam-focused system, including:
The Key Lesson Plans
• Clear, concise summaries of the Patrol Guide and Administrative Guide
The Key Legal Guide
• Free hard copy with mini binder
• Summaries of all current Legal Bureau Bulletins and NYS Penal Law
The Key Online Promotion System (KOPS)
• 24/7 virtual classroom access
• On-demand class video and audio
• The Key Essentials—highly testable procedures and recent Interim Orders
The Key Digital Library
• Patrol Guide
• Administrative Guide
• Legal Bureau Bulletins
• NYS Penal Law
• NYPD Crime Reporting Guide
• NYPD Stop, Question, and Frisk Matrix
Everything we provide is designed to save time, sharpen judgment, and maximize exam performance.
Proven Results
Experience and materials matter—but results matter most.
On the most recent Sergeant’s Exam, The Key once again outperformed every competitor:
• 7 of the top 10 scorers were Key students
• 68 of the top 100 scorers were Key students
• 71% of the top 1,500 scorers prepared with The Key
These results are the product of discipline, structure, and instruction by those who know the exam
process inside out.
Integrity and Loyalty to the NYPD
The Key has always stood by the members of the Department. After the most recent Sergeant’s Exam,
The Key was the only promotional school to provide free Protest Review Sessions to all test-takers,
regardless of enrollment. We also provide free courses and materials to members of the service
deployed on active military duty.
Promotion requires preparation and Preparation is “The Key!!!”
The Key Team
Kevin Ward, Retired NYPD 3-Star Chief
Frank Vega, Retired NYPD 2-Star Chief
Anthony Russo, Retired NYPD Inspector
Paul McCormack, Retired NYPD Deputy Inspector
John Monaghan, Retired NYPD Captain
George Mifsud, Retired NYPD Captain
Ralph Cilento, Retired NYPD Lieutenant Commander