The Recruitment Process

When we receive your application form, we will undertake an Integrity Check to identify any criminal offences and/or traffic infringements that you have previously incurred.

The assessment will take into consideration the nature of the offence, the frequency and recency of the occurrence and your age at the time of the offence.

Internal clearances and references from various business units including health and safety, personnel services and professional standards will also be requested for officers seeking to return to the WA Police Force.

Whilst some applicants will not necessarily be excluded from proceeding to the next recruitment assessment, the WA Police Force need to ensure that people of the highest integrity are employed. For this reason, some convictions may result in an applicant being deemed unsuitable for progression.

If you progress from the initial Integrity Checks, a review of any tattoos that may be visible when wearing a short sleeve shirt including those located on the neck, face or hands will be undertaken.

Applicants are required to provide colour photographs of their tattoos whilst wearing a collared short sleeve shirt when submitting their application.

Tattoo standards are contained within the WA Police Force Commissioner’s Uniform and Appearance Manual and consideration of tattoos is given in regard to whether they are:

• in a prohibited location
• prohibited form
• detract from a professional appearance.

If your tattoos do not meet the required standard, Police Recruiting are unable to provide any advice in relation to proposed modification or removal and how this may impact future selection. For further information on tattoo standards, please visit our FAQs or contact us.

The psychological tests are assessments and evaluations of you - everything from your personality, psychological state and background risks. It is very important that you respond to the psychological tests honestly. The tests are designed to identify applicants who impression manage and this will result in an invalid assessment result.

To join the WA Police Force, you are required to have a reasonable level of fitness. During this evaluation, you will be required to perform the following:

• agility test
• abdominal strength test (sit-up)
• push-up test
• grip strength
• bag lift and carry
• beep test

Read the Physical Performance Evaluation Fact Sheet.

If you are successful in Stage 1 you will be invited for a panel interview which will assess your suitability for the role of a Police Officer. Whilst you will not be able to study anything specific for your interview, you can take some positive steps to help you perform your best on the day:

• Ensure that you have prepared yourself by researching the requirements and responsibilities of a Police Officer. You may also wish to take the opportunity to speak to Police Officers about their role.
• Consider and identify specific examples from your own life and work experiences that might best demonstrate your suitability in meeting the requirements and responsibilities of frontline policing.
• Read and consider all available information on the Let's Join Forces website, including the essential criteria you will be assessed against throughout the recruitment and selection process, together with an understanding of the four core values of the WA Police Force:

Selection Criteria

• Personal Drive and Integrity
• Supports Strategic Direction
• Achieves Results
• Builds Productive Working Relationships
• Communicates with Influence

Core Values

• Duty
• Teamwork
• Integrity
• Care

On the day of your interview:

• Be punctual and ensure you attend at the correct location.
• Dress appropriately in smart business attire, and consider your grooming.
• Whilst interviews can be daunting you should try your best to be confident, composed and professional. Throughout the interview be aware of your communication, eye contact and body language.
• Listen to the questions carefully and give thoughtful answers. Every response you give is a chance to demonstrate your suitability to the panel. If you don't understand a question, ask for clarification.
• Be clear and concise in your communication. Answer questions fully but don't elaborate unnecessarily. Try to be concise.
• Be open and honest in your answers. Be yourself. The panel is not expecting perfection.

For advice on how to prepare for your interview, read the factsheet.

All applicants applying for a Police Officer position are required to meet the assessment criteria for the role. Recruitment assessments are comprehensive and take into consideration prior work performance, integrity factors including traffic and criminal history, psychological suitability, physical ability and assessment against essential criteria relevant to the job role. 

Applicants that proceed through the selection process to the review panel are assessed holistically using all information collected during the recruitment process. This enables the review panel to determine progression to Stage 3.

Applicants that are not progressed to Stage 3 assessments will be given an individual reapplication date (if applicable). If you are given a reapplication date, we encourage you to reapply.

Following the completion of Stage 1 and Stage 2 assessments, you will be required to undertake a final health and medical assessment. This examination is designed to ensure your fitness and health are of a high standard and that there is no reason why you would be unable to carry out all the duties required as a police officer.

Applicants with prior medical history may be required to provide additional contemporary information to support their final health and medical assessment.

You are required to have a minimum uncorrected visual acuity of 6/30 in each eye. Outside this range, an assessment of your circumstances will be conducted on a case-by-case basis. However, as a minimum, you must be able to meet the corrected visual acuity standard of 6/6 binocularly or 6/6 in one eye and 6/9 in the other when wearing soft contact lenses.

A report from a qualified person will be required detailing your vision history, current treatment and future prognosis. This must include your history of duration of wear and tolerance of soft contact lenses over a 10 hour period and expected future tolerance to wearing soft contact lenses on an ongoing basis. The WA Police Force will send you a form that you need for this report.

A number of other checks will be conducted during Stage 3 including:

• full Background and Integrity Check
• identifying particulars - fingerprints and DNA
• bankruptcy check.

Once applicants have completed these requirements consideration is given to place in the selection pool. Placement in the selection pool does not guarantee an offer of employment. Those placed in the selection pool will be required to meet certain pre-qualification requirements (e.g. confirmation of physical ability) prior to selection to a recruit school. Please note that applicants from the selection pool are not placed in a recruit school on a first in first out basis. Police recruiting ensures that schools have a mix of recruits across gender, age and background.

Applicants who are not progressed will be given an individual reapplication date (if applicable).

For applicants who reach the final assessment stages of the recruitment process, the following costs will be reimbursed by the WA Police Force:

• First Aid Certificate
• Medical (standard P58)
• Visual Acuity Assessment
• Bankruptcy Check
• Fingerprints and DNA

Applicants must provide proof of payment and complete a claim form. Police Recruiting will provide more information to applicants who progress to the final stage.