Two officers in a crowd at a night carnival. The crowd is watching fireworks in the distance, but the two uniformed officers are looking towards the camera.

Recruitment process for police officers

The recruitment process to become a police officer with Victoria Police.

There is no one key attribute, skill or experience that we look for in police officer candidates. Instead, it’s your overall suitability for the role that will improve your chances.

On average, the recruitment process takes six months to complete. It will assess key competencies covering:

  • intellect
  • psychological make-up
  • general fitness
  • work history
  • community involvement
  • medical history
  • and prior offence history.

Stages of the recruitment process

The stages of the police officer recruitment process.

If you're successful in the recruitment process

Learn what to expect at the Victoria Police Academy on our Victoria Police Academy and police training page.

If you're unsuccessful in the recruitment process

We assess applications against several criteria. If your application is unsuccessful, you can request a review.

To request a review, please email recruitingservices@police.vic.gov.au.

There are three areas we can review under the Victoria Police Recruitment Policy.

How many applications you can submit

You can submit an application for a police officer position three times.

If you withdraw your application, it is not counted as one of your three attempts.

Updated