ISP 80th Academy Criminal Law Practice Test

For an act to qualify as an attempt, two things must be present: a clear intent to commit the offense and an action that moves beyond mere preparation into a substantial step toward completing the crime. The substantial-step requirement means the defendant has taken concrete, purposeful steps that strongly indicate imminent success, not just thoughts, plans, or dreams. Examples would be actions like entering a building with the intent to steal or loading tools and approaching a bank with the plan to rob it. Merely thinking about the crime without taking action isn’t enough, because there’s no act moving toward completion. A completed crime isn’t an attempt at all—it's the actual offense. A confession after the fact doesn’t show an attempt, since it occurs after the crime is already done (or claimed), and it doesn’t establish the required substantial, purposeful step.