Frequently asked questions about PSO applications

To start your application as a protective services officer, please read all the information and click 'Apply now' in the right-side 'Related links' menu.

It is also highly advised that you attend an information session prior to applying, however this is not compulsory.

The recruitment process for protective services officers generally takes 12-18 months. However depending on the complexity of the applicants history (including medical), further checking may be required and the time frame may exceed 12-18 months.

To ensure that your application runs smoothly, please ensure that you respond to all calls and/or emails from Recruiting Services and return all paperwork at the earliest opportunity.

The timing for each applicant differs greatly depending on the type of checks necessary. As would be expected, Victoria Police must be very thorough and comprehensive in the background checking process and to ensure we find the most suitable applicants. It can take up to one month. However, depending on the complexity of the applicants prior criminal history and associations, the time it takes to complete the background checks may exceed one month.

Victoria Police has a responsibility to both applicants and the broader community to be diligent in its employment activities. The assessments of suitability are individually genuine and based on a thorough understanding of what we are employing people to do. The Chief Commissioner or their authorised delegate will at all times retain the right as an employer to choose to employ or not employ an applicant.  Applicants are assessed holistically against set criteria to determine their relative competitiveness in the selection process. There are only three specific areas that can be reviewed under the Victoria Police Recruitment Policy. They are;

• Character and Reputation Assessments - An applicant who has a prior offence history that indicates disrespect of the law or the community, or whose past behaviour is not aligned to the Victoria Police organisational values may be considered to not be of good character and reputation.  If an applicant is unsuccessful on the basis of prior history, a request to review the outcome can be made via Manager of Recruiting Services Branch on the provision that the applicant has not been permanently excluded from applying in future.  If the Manager of Recruiting Services Branch deems a review of outcome plausible, your case will be presented to the Executive Review Panel (ERP).  The decision of the ERP is binding and applicants should note that the outcome may exclude them from applying for longer than was originally directed.
• Medical/Health – Reviews will be conducted by the Medical Advisory Unit on request.  
• Psychological screening – Applicants may request a review of the process of the assessment but not the outcome. Not agreeing with the assessment does not form grounds for review/appeal.

All requests for review must be directed to recruitingservices@police.vic.gov.au in the first instance.

If you wish to check whether your particular medical condition will affect your application to Victoria Police, refer to our Medical guidelines. 

Your offence history will be assessed at the time of your application. 

Failure to declare any previous offences before you submit your application may result in the cancellation of your application.

Check the prior history guidelines to assess if a prior offence will affect your application to Victoria Police.

Check the prior history guidelines

If you have a previous offence, we recommend that you submit a Voluntary Disclosure Form (VDF) prior to submitting your application.

The application process for PSOs is similar to the police application process, but there are some small variants, these include: 

• the entrance examination result required for a PSO is slightly less than the level required for a police member
• at the fitness test stage, PSO applicants will not be required to complete a swim test

A certified document is a copy of a primary document, that has on it an endorsement or certificate that it is a true copy. It does not certify that the primary document is genuine, only that it is a true copy of the primary document.

Authorised persons include but are not limited to currently serving police officers, registered Pharmacists, registered medical practitioners and Justice of the Peace. 

Yes, but your eyesight must meet certain minimum standards. 

Unaided visual acuity must be at least 6/36 (without error) in the worse eye and at least 6/18 (without error) in the better eye – if due to a refractive error. Corrected distance vision of at least 6/9 in either eye and 6/6 when both eyes are used together.

Generally, only three police or PSO applications in total are accepted.

Withdrawn applications are not counted in the three attempts.

To re-apply you need to follow these steps:

1. make sure you are logged out of the Police Career Website
2. go http://www.policecareer.vic.gov.au/police (Police applications)
   or http://www.policecareer.vic.gov.au/pso (PSO applications)
3. click ‘Apply now’
4. follow the prompts as if to start a new application
5. when you get to the stage where it asks you to create an account select ‘I already have an account’ and log in
6. the system will generate a new application for you

There is no minimum or maximum height requirement.

The Victoria Police Act stipulates that you must be an Australian citizen or hold Australian permanent residency to join Victoria Police. New Zealand citizens are required to have a Special Category visa and be residing in Australia to submit an application.

We advise applicants to disclose all previous history and allow Recruitment Services to make a thorough assessment. You are expected to disclose everything, as failure to disclose any previous issue or prior offence history will be looked upon unfavourably and your application may be cancelled.

No, you are not required to complete the full course of injections however you will be required to start the course of injections before you are inducted into the Victoria Police Academy.

You will be eligible to apply if you have an accepted Australian permanent residency. A number of classifications are not eligible to apply. You may confirm your eligibility by emailing your passport details to recruitingservices@police.vic.gov.au

You must maintain a fitness level that will allow you to undergo intensive academy training and perform an operational role. You will also be retested twice a year once you are a serving member of Victoria Police.

Birth certificates can be obtained through the Births and Deaths department of the state and country in which you were born.

Applicants do not need to physically be there to obtain their birth certificate. Some birth certificates can be applied for over the internet or through a family member.

Birth extracts, identity cards, Statutory Declarations, high school results, affidavits and consulate birth certificates will not be accepted as substitutes for a birth certificate.

In a case where there is absolutely no way to obtain a birth certificate, a letter is required from the overseas local area administration stating that the original birth certificate is not available for this person.

Yes, but your eyesight must meet certain minimum standards.

Unaided visual acuity must be at least 6/36 (without error) in the worse eye and at least 6/18 (without error) in the better eye – if due to a refractive error. Corrected distance vision of at least 6/9 in either eye and 6/6 when both eyes are used together.

If this is the case, you will be required to contact Recruiting Services by emailing recruitingservices@police.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window) in order for us to guide you through the process of submitting an application online.

No, Victoria Police prohibits its employees to undertake any form of secondary employment or unpaid work in the security/investigative Industry.

Employees who hold a current private agents licence may not commence duty as a protective services officer until the licence has been rescinded.

No.

Victoria Police has recently updated their policy regarding Uniform and Appearance Standards, which includes direction around tattoos/body art and piercings. 

Employees are required to project an image that is consistent with a professional and disciplined law enforcement agency.

No visible offensive, or inappropriate tattoos are permitted. 

Offensive or inappropriate tattoos

These are tattoos that include words, images or objects that are, or could be perceived to: 

• be obscene, violent, defamatory, sexually explicit, discriminatory, harassing, insulting, threatening or racially intolerant 
• constitute sexual harassment, or that are discriminatory or vilifying under equal opportunity legislation
• be incompatible with Victoria Police's role, and could affect our reputation, or diminish public confidence.

Face, neck and head tattoos

Tattoos of the face, head and front of the neck are not permitted.

Neck tattoos on the rear of the neck may be permitted, but must not extend forward of the neck, beyond an imaginary line drawn vertically from behind the back of the ear down to the shoulder.

Existing employees are not permitted to get additional body art on the face, head and/or front of the neck. All employees must cover or remove all body art or modifications that are offensive or inappropriate while on duty. 

Hand tattoos

Hand tattoos may be permitted.

Leg and arm tattoos

Tattoos on the legs and arms will be permitted.

Tattoo questions

Current or future applicants with tattoos/body art on the head, face, neck or hands should email RECRUITINGSERVICES-MGR@police.vic.gov.au. 

Beards are permitted provided they are:
- grown while on leave, or otherwise absent from duty
- grown for a minimum of three weeks prior to resuming duty 
- full face that includes a moustache  
- trimmed to follow the underside of the jawline and the neck is clean shaven
- kept neat, clean and close trimmed
- not to exceed 20mm in length 
- not extreme in style or colour. 

Now that I’m on the Pool of Candidates, am I guaranteed a position?

You have been deemed suitable for employment with Victoria Police however there is no absolute guarantee that you will be offered a position. At times of high recruitment, it is likely that all applicants in the Pool of Candidates will be offered a start date in the near future.

The Pool of Candidates is an order of merit for all applicants. All components of your application and testing were scored resulting in your final tally. You are ordered based on this final score. As new applicants enter the Pool of Candidates, the order of merit continually changes and you may slide either up or down. When a squad is being selected for training, generally the top scoring applicants are picked from the order of merit. You will not be told your final score, nor where you sit on the order of merit.

What time frame can I expect before I am selected?

Given the nature of a changing Pool of Candidates, a time frame cannot be given. We are experiencing high recruiting at this time and therefore we expect squad allocation to occur within 6 months from you being placed in the pool, however this cannot be guaranteed and can change due to operational requirements. We aim to give applicants 4-6 weeks’ notice of their start date.

What do I need to notify Recruiting Services Branch about?

As a potential candidate for selection you will be required to update Recruiting Services Branch if your circumstances change. These circumstances include:

• change of address, phone number or e-mail address
• declaration of bankruptcy
• infringement notices you receive (tickets or fines)
• any injury you receive
• any medical procedure that you undergo
• if you are away and will not be contactable by phone or email
• being questioned/interviewed/charged/involved with the police on any matter
• any other matter which you believe may affect/delay your induction to recruit training

Holidays and leave

Once you are added to the Pool of Candidates, you are strongly advised not to book any extended leave (more than 4 weeks). It is recommended that if necessary, short periods of leave only are taken soon after being added to the Pool of Candidates. Deferring induction due to leave may not be granted and your application may be cancelled. You are encouraged to contact RSB to discuss any future travel plans (prior to booking) after being placed in the Pool of Candidates.  Emergency matters will be accommodated.

What do I do if I no longer wish to become a member of Victoria Police?

If your circumstances change and you no longer wish to be considered for a position please advise Recruiting Services Branch via e-mail to recruitingservices@police.vic.gov.au

If I am offered a position, will I have to undertake any further assessments?

Depending on how long you have been on the Pool of Candidates you may need to redo your fitness assessment prior to being given a letter of offer for employment. This is to ensure you are still at an acceptable fitness level to enter training at the Academy.

You will be asked to verify that you have not had any medical procedures, injuries or any other circumstances that may affect your ability to be trained as a member of Victoria Police.

How much notice will I be given if I am selected for a squad?

Given the nature of a changing Pool of Candidates, a time frame cannot be given. We aim to give applicants 2 to 4 weeks’ notice of their start date.

Should I give notice to my current employer?

No, this is not advised until you have a final letter of offer for employment.

As part of the final checks your current employer will be contacted for a reference, so it is advisable you make them aware of your selection status and possible resignation sometime in the future.

Be ready from the moment you begin! All applicants need to be physically ready and capable to pass the fitness test at the commencement of their application. You will be booked for a fitness test if you pass the preliminary checks and video interview stage.

Victoria Police selection panel members will be looking for applicants who demonstrate behaviours consistent with our organisational values. You will be asked a series of questions comprising of both behavioural and scenario based questions.

Your responses should include examples of your behaviours/experiences which illustrate your capacity in the following areas:

• tasking and coordination
• achieving results
• establishing productive working relationships
• communicating effectively
• displaying personal drive and integrity

We do not expect applicants to understand procedures, powers or policy whilst answering questions.

Download our tips for behavioural questions.

The fitness test includes:

• handgrip dynamometer test (30kg in each hand)
• Illinois agility run (19.2 seconds; current COVID protocols require a stand up start and so time has been reduced from 20 seconds)
• multi-stage fitness (beep) test (attain Level 5.01)
• 1.3 metre obstacle climb (currently not tested due to COVID protocols)
• five push-ups (successive on the toes)
• prone test (held for 60 secs)

The video interview is designed to find out more about an  applicant in order to assess their suitability to the position.  You will be asked a number of questions during the interview that are aligned to the role and organisational requirements, organisational values and behaviours.

No, if you are under 21 years of age you are required to have successfully completed the VCE, Senior VCAL or equivalent. This requirement does not apply to applicants over 21 years of age.

No, common sense is probably the most important prerequisite for employment with Victoria Police. The life skills that you bring and those that you will learn on the job, are most valued by Victoria Police.

Security experience is not required for a protective services officers role. You will be provided extensive training in your new role at the Victoria Police Academy.

PSO recruits will start on their base salary of $69,711 upon their first day of training at the Victoria Police Academy. Future PSO pay and conditions are subject to bargaining as part of the 2015 Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.

PSO recruits will remain on their base salary of $69,711 upon graduation. In addition there are shift penalties that apply for working nights, weekends and public holidays.

Each year salary increments increase with the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement if members qualify under their Professional Development Assessment.

Contributions to Emergency Services Super Fund can be salary packaged. Victoria Police staff are members of the Emergency Services Super Fund. For further information about the ESS visit www.esssuper.com.au

Unfortunately you cannot take leave during training unless it’s leave allocated by the Education Department. Training at the Academy is physically and mentally demanding, there’s a lot to fit in during your training and it will take all your dedication to succeed.

The majority of PSOs shifts will be spent patrolling train stations and their surrounds. Shifts will commence at a designated Police Station at 4 pm each day however there are additional Night Network shifts that commence at 8 pm each Friday and Saturday evening.

Protective services officers are entitled to the following:

• Five weeks' recreation leave per year with an additional two weeks in lieu of public holidays and a further 10 days accrued time off in lieu of the 38 hour week – this equates to nine weeks' leave
• sick leave of 15 days per year
• a range of other generous leave entitlements; including maternity and paternity leave and study leave
• long service leave after 7 and a half years of service

Yes, income as a protective services officer like any member of Victoria Police is a taxable income.

Applicants are now able to apply for a part-time PSO arrangement at the beginning of the recruitment process. There is a required field in the online application to specify if you are applying for a part-time or a full-time arrangement.

All successful applicants will be required to undertake full time training at the Academy for the 12 week duration. Upon completing your Academy training, you will then start working to your part-time arrangement. All part-time PSOs will be rostered for a minimum of 40 hours per fortnight.

Your salary and entitlements will be calculated on a pro-rata rate based on the contact hours worked. The annual base salary of a PSO is $66,399 at full time; it will then reduce to part time pro-rata of full time. All leave entitlements will also be calculated pro-rata of contact hours worked.

If you are currently in the recruitment process and would like to update your application please contact Recruiting Services Branch.

Victoria Police provides its employees with reasonable flexibility in working arrangements where operational and service delivery priorities allow, accommodating their personal circumstances.

The Fair Work Act 2009 indicates that an employee, other than a casual, must complete 12 months of continuous service with the employer immediately before making a request for flexible working arrangements, ie. part time.

You must be residing in Australia. You must be available to attend the fitness test, psychological test and then the panel interview in Victoria as part of the selection process. The Victoria Police Entrance Exam can be sat at various locations in Victoria.

The Victoria Police Act stipulates that you must be an Australian citizen, hold Australian permanent residency to join Victoria Police. New Zealand citizens are required to have a Special Category visa and be residing in Australia to submit an application.

You will be eligible to apply if you have an accepted Australian permanent residency. A number of classifications are not eligible to apply. To determine if your residency status is acceptable, please send your passport details and relevant documents to recruitingservices@police.vic.gov.au

At this present time there is no recognition for prior policing experience. All protective services officer recruits will be required to complete the 12-week training course regardless of the experience they possess.

Unfortunately there is no recognition for prior or current military service. All protective services officer recruits will be required to complete the 12-week training course. 

Unfortunately, upon appointment as a protective services officer you will be required to forfeit your security licence.

A secondary job cannot be obtained if there is considered to be a conflict of interest. All secondary employment will need to gain approval before gaining or continuing employment.

Academy training hours are usually 7.30 am to 4.10 pm Monday to Friday, but these hours may vary to include evening and weekend work.

Yes, we encourage recruits to have a healthy work-life balance while in the Academy. Study at the Academy is challenging and you’ll need the support of your friends and family and will want to see them after a long week.

No, to achieve the high standards required by Victoria Police it is mandatory to dedicate yourself full-time to your studies.

Yes, all training will be provided by Victoria Police at the Victoria Police Academy located on View Mount Road, Glen Waverley.

The Victoria Police Academy is located on View Mount Road, Glen Waverley.

Download a map of the address(opens in a new window)

It is not compulsory to live in whilst you undertake your training. You may travel to the Victoria Police Academy in Glen Waverley to complete your training on a daily full-time basis. However recruits who live further than 30km from the academy may elect to live in.

Recruits staying at the Academy during training need to pay a fee. This costs $501.10 per fortnight and includes meals and accommodation.

You will need access to a computer that has one of the following web browsers:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0, 8.0
• Mozilla Firefox 3.0, 3.5, 3.6
• Safari 3.2, 4.0, 5.0
• Chrome 5.0
• Opera 10.0, 10.5

iPads and iPhones are not compatible with the online application form because these devices do not use a standard file structure which may prevent the user from attaching documents to their application form.

Applicants attempting to submit their application from a Department of Defence computer system are also likely to incur problems due to applied security settings.

You will be required to answer a series of questions regarding:

• personal details
• contact details
• drivers licence details
• history of any prior offences

No, you can log back into the system on multiple occasions to complete your application. However it is important to note that the system will not automatically save your information until you proceed to the next step so you must frequently hit the 'save' button (located on the bottom of each page) to ensure that you do not have to enter information more than once.

Once you have submitted your application, you can view all of your responses however you cannot make any edits. If any of your personal details change between submitting your application and finishing the selection process with Victoria Police, please inform the Recruiting Services Branch as soon as possible and we will update our records.

No, you can only apply for one position at a time. If you wish to withdraw either your police or PSO application, please advise Recruiting Services before commencing a new application.

If you have lost your password, you will have an option to have the password emailed to you directly. Please press 'forgot password' on the Apply Now page.

After a certain amount of incorrect password attempts your account will be disabled.

To reset your password, please email RECRUITMENT.PASSWORDRESET@police.vic.gov.au to request a password reset.