Recruitment process for police officers

You will submit your application online.

We will assess the suitability of your application.

Make sure you use correct spelling and grammar and that you answer all questions in full.

The application form will ask you for:

• personal details
• employment history
• education history
• history of prior offences and police dealings.

Before you submit your application, you should understand the recruitment process. Learn about the process in the videos below.

Recruitment process: be informed

How to prepare yourself before you apply to be a police officer.

Recruitment process: disclosure

What you need to disclose in your application to become a police officer.

Recruitment process: tips for success

Tips for success for your police officer application.

After you submit your application

After you submit your application, our Recruiting Services Branch may contact you. They will then email you to ask you to sit the Victoria Police entrance examination.

You will need to pay for all costs during the recruitment process. This includes:

• the entrance exam
• travelling to and from assessment venues
• medical appointments, and
• first aid certification.

You must meet certain entry requirements before you apply.

The eligibility checks stage ensures you meet these requirements.

This stage assesses your:

• basic driving history
• criminal history
• responses to motivational and behavioural questions.

The recruitment process is competitive. Not all applications will progress past this initial stage of the process.

If your application is successful, you will need to sit an entrance exam.

You must pass all components of the exam before you can progress to the next phase of the selection process.

The exam includes eight assessments:

• verbal reasoning
• numeracy skills
• abstract reasoning
• literacy skills
• summary writing
• extended writing
• oral communications
• digital literacy.

Exemptions to sitting the exam

Exemptions are made at the discretion of the Recruiting Services Branch.

You may be exempt from the exam if:

• You are currently:
  • undertaking a Bachelor of Criminology (or similar) at an Australian, New Zealand or United Kingdom university, and are in your final year of study, or
  • a Victorian Public Service (VPS) employee (VPSG3 or above), or
  • employed by Victoria Police (all classifications and tenures).
• In the last five years you:
  • passed the Victoria Police ACER entrance exam, or
  • passed a police entrance exam or a police academic entry requirement for another Australian policing jurisdiction, or
  • were employed as a police officer or have prior policing experience in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom, or
  • completed a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in an arts, science, humanities, business or law discipline at an Australian, New Zealand or United Kingdom university, or
  • were employed as a paramedic or firefighter in an emergency services organisation in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom (this exemption does not apply to volunteer work such as State Emergency Service (SES) or Country Fire Authority (CFA)), or
  • were employed in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) on a full-time basis (this exemption does not apply to ADF Reservists), or
  • passed the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or equivalent in Australia, with:
    • an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) of 65 or above, and
    • a minimum score of 25 in English.

Preparation resources

Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is the examination authority for Victoria Police.

You can buy the following resources for entrance exam practice questions:

• Entrance exam Practise Now(opens in a new window) resources
• Entrance exam online practise tests (available after exam registration).

Video tutorials

Explore video tutorials about each of the eight exam components.

Verbal reasoning tutorial

This tutorial:

• explains what’s involved in the verbal reasoning test, and
• gives advice about how to solve verbal reasoning questions.

Numeracy tutorial

This tutorial:

• explains what’s involved in the numeracy skills tasks, and
• gives advice about the types of questions you will find on the exam.

Abstract reasoning tutorial

This tutorial:

• explains what’s involved in the abstract reasoning test, and
• gives advice about how to solve abstract reasoning questions.

Literacy skills tutorial

This tutorial:

• explains what’s involved in the literacy test, and
• gives advice about how to answer literacy skills questions.

Summary writing tutorial

This tutorial:

• explains what’s involved in the summary writing task, and
• gives advice about how to write a summary text.

Extended writing tutorial

This tutorial:

• explains what’s involved in the extended writing task, and
• gives advice about how to write an extended piece of writing.

Oral communication tutorial

This tutorial:

• explains what’s involved in the oral communication test, and
• gives advice about how to answer the questions.

Digital literacy tutorial

This tutorial:

• explains what’s involved in the digital literacy test, and
• gives advice about to answer digital literacy questions.

Sitting the exam

You will be responsible for all examination costs. This includes the cost of:

• the initial $228 exam, and
• any re-sits.

You will have two months to sit your exam. If you are unsuccessful on any component, will be able to re-sit.

If unsuccessful on the re-sit, an exclusion period will apply. This is why you need to be ready to pass the entrance exam before you apply.

After you book your exam, we will send you instructions to download an electronic ticket. We will send this seven days before the sitting date.

You must bring a printed copy of your ticket to the exam.

You will not be able to change the session date and time after you book your exam.

The dress code for the entrance exam is tidy, casual attire.

If you pass the exam, Recruiting Services will conduct a preliminary check.

This check will cover your previous history to determine your eligibility and suitability for the role.

We will send you a document pack that you must complete in detail. This includes various aspects of your background including but not limited to:

• your employment
• your family associations
• your education
• and your travel.

Accurately completing this document package is an assessed component of the recruitment process.

Your application will be delayed if any information is missing or incomplete.

Failure to disclose information can result in your application being cancelled.

Fingerprinting

All police officer applicants must have a set of fingerprints taken.

Contact your local police station to make a fingerprint booking. You must bring photo ID and other identification documentation to confirm your identity.

The Recruiting Applicant Pack lists the documentation required. This is under the Police Applicant Schedule of Requirements.

A member of the station will take your fingerprints and sight your documents.

There is no fee to have your fingerprints taken.

Please do not make an appointment with a Victoria Police Fingerprint Facility.

Interstate applicants

Interstate applicants need to take a fingerprint card to their appointment. Your ink prints will be sent to our Victorian Fingerprint Unit.

To get your fingerprint card, email us at rsb-springboard-mgr@police.vic.gov.au.

Code of conduct and prior behaviour

Victoria Police conducts extensive background checks during the selection process.

All Victoria Police employees follow a code of conduct. You must align with the code of conduct expected of our employees.

The application process involves a thorough assessment to identify any:

• prior misconduct
• corruption
• or any form of improper conduct.

The ongoing expectation is that you understand and avoid misconduct. You must also immediately report it if you become aware of it in others.

This helps keep Victoria Police an ethical organisation.

Prior offences and Voluntary Disclosure Form (VDF)

You can check our prior history guidelines to learn if a past offence will affect your application.

Check the prior history guidelines

If you are unsure about your eligibility due to a prior offence, submit a Voluntary Disclosure Form (VDF) before you submit your application.

If you have any contact with police during the selection process, you must inform the Recruiting Services Branch immediately at recruitingservices@police.vic.gov.au.

As a police officer, you must maintain a healthy level of fitness.

If you pass our background checks, we may invite you to attend the fitness test. The test will assess your cardio fitness and physical strength.

The fitness test is held at the Victoria Police Academy. You will be notified of the date approximately one month in advance.

Allow one and a half hours to complete all the tests on the day.

The fitness test includes the following components:

• beep test (to level 5.01)
• grip test (30kg in each hand)
• Illinois agility run (20 seconds)
• push-ups (five successive push-ups on toes)
• prone bridge (hold for 60 seconds)
• swim (100 metres in four minutes).

The swim test will not be completed on the day. You must complete the swim in your own time before you attend the fitness test at the Academy.

You can attend your local pool, and must have sign off by a qualified lifeguard that you completed the test.

You must be in Victoria to complete the fitness test. You cannot complete it interstate or overseas.

POLICE FIT app

You can prepare for the Victoria Police fitness test with the POLICE FIT app.

The app is a free tool with exclusive videos, tips, workouts, and resources to help you succeed.

Victoria Police fitness test video

This video explains what’s involved in the Victoria Police fitness test.

Policing can be psychologically demanding. You must complete psychological testing during the recruitment process to assess your suitability.

Psychologists from the Victoria Police Psychology Unit will interpret the test results. They will provide recommendations to the Recruitment Services Branch.

Following the test, most applicants attend a one-on-one interview with a psychologist. This is a normal part of the process. It helps to interpret your test results, and further assess your suitability.

You must be in Victoria to complete the psychological testing. You cannot complete the testing interstate or overseas.

We will provide you with a medical booklet on the day of your fitness test. This document aims to assess your:

• current health status, and
• medical and surgical history.

As part of this medical assessment process, you need to:

• complete a self-assessment questionnaire
• undergo an examination by a GP
• have your hearing tested by an audiologist or audiometrist
• have your vision tested by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

You will need to pay for all costs associated with this stage.

Read our medical guidelines to learn if a medical condition will affect your application.

We will assess your application against our values and the Victoria Police code of ethics.

During this stage of the process, we look further into your:

• employment history
• associations
• social media
• any police involvements.

You must disclose all relevant information to Victoria Police throughout the recruitment process.

This means declaring all your associations, past and present, that you suspect to have a criminal conviction. It also includes those Victoria Police would consider being of poor character and reputation.

This includes:

• family members
• people you live with
• any person you associate with or have associated within the past.

This allows us to assess the risk of your associations to you, your colleagues and the organisation.

Failure to declare this information will raise concerns about your integrity, character and suitability for the role.

The panel interview is usually the final step in your recruitment process.

It is usually held at the Victoria Police Centre. Two members of Victoria Police will attend.

The interview will consist of behavioural and scenario-based questions. We will also assess your verbal communication skills.

Come prepared with examples of when you have:

• had successful work relationships
• used your communication skills
• shown personal drive, and
• shown integrity.

The interview determines if you are suitable for induction into the Victoria Police Academy.

Your interview will run for about 40-50 minutes.

You must be in Victoria to complete the panel interview. You cannot complete it interstate or overseas.

Preparation for behavioural questions

To prepare for the behavioural questions, you can:

• Brainstorm past experiences that demonstrate relevant strengths for the police officer position. Think about communications skills, conflict negotiation, teamwork and leadership.
• Draw from experiences where you achieved a positive result in a negative situation.
• Research current affairs in Victoria. This should include issues facing Victoria Police and the community.
• Know your motivation for applying for the role.
• Select the best examples from your list of past experiences.
• Structure responses to possible questions.
• Practise mock interviews and role-playing.

When preparing possible responses, practise the ‘STAR’ method. ‘STAR’ stands for:

• Situation: explain the situation where an experience happened.
• Task: the task you had to complete in the situation.
• Actions: the action or actions you took in the situation.
• Result: the outcome or outcomes of the situation.

Preparation for interview panel day

On the day of your interview:

• Dress in business attire.
• Arrive 15 minutes early. Allow plenty of time for travel and to find the venue. The address is: Ground floor, 311 Spencer Street, Docklands.
• Bring any supporting documents you need.

During the interview:

• Try and stay calm and relaxed. Take deep breaths.
• Introduce yourself to the interview panel members.
• Allow the interviewer to finish talking before you answer the question.
• If you don't understand a question, ask them to repeat or rephrase it.
• Think about your answer before you speak. There's no need to rush.
• Show interest and enthusiasm when responding to questions.
• Be concise when you answer each question.

The panel will give you an opportunity to ask any final questions.

If you are successful in the selection process, you will go into the candidate pool awaiting invitation to start training at the Victoria Police Academy.

Giving notice to your current employer

We will contact your current employer for a reference. We recommend letting them know that you are part of the candidate pool.

We do not recommend giving notice until you have a final letter of offer.