Frequently asked questions about police officer applications

The recruitment process for police officers is very complex, it is currently taking 6-9 months to complete. However applicants could complete the process in less than 6 months and should be available to commence training ASAP with a reduced ability to take extended periods of leave 6-12 months after applying. 

Depending on the complexity of the applicants history (including medical), further checking may be required and the time frame may exceed 12 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.

We understand that you may have had issues or prior offences in your past, which you may think will impact your application. We advise applicants to disclose all previous history and allow Recruitment Services Branch 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.

It is an offence under the Victoria Police Act to gain entry to the Police Force using false, misleading or incomplete information

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.

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 behavioral based questions.

Your responses should include examples of your behaviors/experiences which illustrate your capacity in the following areas: Tasking and Coordination, Achieving Results, Establishing Productive Working Relationships, Communicating Effectively and Displaying Personal Drive and Integrity. 

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

• Tips for behavioural questions

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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 such as now however, 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. 

What do I need to notify Recruiting Services Branch about?
As a potential candidate for selection, you will be required to update the Recruiting Services Branch if your circumstances change.  These circumstances include:

• change of address, phone number or email 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/Leave
Once you are added to the Pool of Candidates, you are strongly advised not to book any extended leave (more than four 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.

During your Academy training, you will be given leave at set times determined by the course timetable. 

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 email 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.

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.

The fitness test includes the following components:

• beep test (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).

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

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 have a criminal, driving or domestic violence history, or have been declared bankrupt or have outstanding warrants, you should have your prior offence history assessed by Recruiting Services prior to sitting your entrance exam. 

View our Prior History Guidelines.

If you are still unsure and wish to have your prior history assessed, please complete the Voluntary Disclosure Form (VDF).

No, you will need to gain considerable experience in general duties. This is usually a 2-4 year period.

Entry into specialised positions is very competitive and you will need to compete for a position.

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.

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

• the entrance examination result required for police applicants is slightly higher than the level required for a PSO
• PSO applicants are required to complete a video interview
• at the fitness test stage, police applicants will be required to complete a swim test whereas PSO applicants will not

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.

Upon appointment to Victoria Police you will be required to perform a range of shifts including afternoon, night shifts and weekends to meet policing and community needs.

You may also be required to perform duty at any location within Victoria as determined by Victoria Police.

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
   • www.police.vic.gov.au/police-apply-now (police applications)
   • www.police.vic.gov.au/pso-apply-now (PSO applications)
2. click 'Apply now'
3. follow the prompts as if to start a new application
4. when you get to the stage where it asks you to create an account select 'I already have an account' and log in
5. the system will generate a new application for you

There is no minimum or maximum height requirement.

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.

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.

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

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 refractive error. Corrected distance vision of at least 6/9 in either eye and 6/6 when both eyes are used together.

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.

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 police officer until the licence has been rescinded.

Victoria Police has 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.

For information tattoos and tattoo placements, visit our Code of conduct page.

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 20 mm in length 
- not extreme in style or colour. 

There are no education requirements to apply for Victoria Police.

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. Any further education is assessed for the relation to what benefit it will have to the organisation.

Training is ongoing for your first two years as a Probationary Constable. Study leave is available post probationary stage. Further in-house courses and training are available.

Yes, recruits are paid a salary whilst training.

During the first 12 weeks (weeks 1-12) you will be paid $54,219 per annum.

At the end of Week 12 (weeks 12-31) you will be sworn in as a constable at which time you will be paid $75,604 per annum.

Once you are sworn in as a constable you will be paid $75,604 per annum. In addition, there are shift penalties and overtime payments available.

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

Yes, income as a police officer like any member of Victoria Police (employee in Australia) is a taxable income.

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.essuper.com.au(opens in a new window)

Police 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 (accruing)
• a range of other generous leave entitlements including maternity and paternity leave, study leave and defence force leave
• long-service leave after seven and a half years of service

Police officers are eligible to submit a request for flexible working arrangements, ie. part time, after two years and 13 weeks from starting their Academy training, when officers are confirmed in their role as police constable and receive their Diploma of Policing.

Flexible work arrangement requests are always subject to the operational requirements where the requesting officer is based.

Victoria Police provides a 24-hour, seven day-a-week service, therefore as a Constable you will be required to work a variety of shifts associated with particular duties and locations. This includes weekends, night shifts and public holidays. The arrangement for ordinary hours of work is described in the The Victoria Police Force Enterprise Agreement 2011.

The ordinary hours of work for full-time members is 80 hours per fortnight arranged within various shifts to suit service delivery needs. Intrusive hours (0100 hours to 0700 hours) and unsociable hours (1800 to 0100 Monday to Friday and 0700 to 0100 hours Saturday and Sunday) attract shift allowances for each of these hours worked.

Yes, depending on operational requirements, reasonable requests for flexibility will be considered in light of the workplace in question.

You will be attached to a metropolitan 24-hour station during your probationary period. You may elect to undertake this training at a country station which may be facilitated if there is a vacancy at that location. You will not be posted to a country station during your probationary period unless you nominate to be.

Please note upon appointment to Victoria Police you will be required to perform a range of shifts including afternoon, night shifts and weekends to meet policing and community needs.

Also, you may be required to perform duty at any location within Victoria as determined by Victoria Police.

If you nominate a country location, and if there is a vacancy available, you may be transferred to that location at the end of your probationary period (two years). If there is not a vacancy at that nominated station, you may be transferred to another country station in the vicinity. Once transferred you must remain in that position for a minimum of two years.

If you do not nominate a country location you will be matched to a metropolitan location where you must remain for a minimum of two years.

Victoria Police recognises the need for work-life balance but all decisions regarding postings are made on operational requirements. You must be prepared to be posted anywhere within the state of Victoria at the Chief Commissioner’s discretion.

In circumstances where an urgent need arises a ballot may be required to fill a 'special position'. These positions are generally located in country areas that from time to time have not been filled by internal transfer methods. In this situation, those members at the end of their probationary period that have not been allocated a position may be transferred to one of these positions. Allocation of these positions is conducted via a ballot process.

Members that have elected to be transferred to a country station will not be subject to the ballot process.

If balloted, you will be required to remain at the location for a minimum of two years but can stay as long as you like after that.

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.

Training is ongoing for first two years as a Probationary Constable. Study leave is available post probationary stage. Further in-house courses and training are available.

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 exams are offered at various sites in Victoria.

The Victoria Police Act stipulates that to join Victoria Police, you must be an Australian Citizen, or hold Australian permanent residency. New Zealand Citizens who are residing in Victoria on a Special Category Visa are deemed to be permanent residents for the purpose of our requirements.

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

There is currently no direct lateral transfers available to police members from other jurisdictions. Please refer to recognition of prior police service

Prior Policing Experience applicants residing overseas at the time of application or during the application process should contact the Police Alternative Employment Unit by phone for advice on +61 3 8335 6100.

Recognition of Prior Policing Service is ONLY considered to those who have served as an operational police officer in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom (this does NOT include Non Commissioned Officers from New Zealand or Special Constables from the United Kingdom).

As each application is assessed individually, there is no guarantee that prior service will be recognised or that a position with Victoria Police will be offered at the end of the process, even if all components of the application process are passed successfully.

Former members of Victoria Police will be required to register via the Police Registration and Services Board (PRSB). More information can be obtained at Former Victoria Police officers

No. Victoria Police only recognises prior policing service.

If suitable in application, all training including abridged training to transition back into policing role will be conducted at the Victoria Police Academy. The length of the training will be determined by previous service and currency of experience.

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.

There are no open days planned in the near future.

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.

See a map of the location(opens in a new window)

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.

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 40km from the academy may apply 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, please email RECRUITMENT.PASSWORDRESET@police.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window) to request a password reset.

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.