Recruitment process for protective services officers

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

The recruitment process can take more than 12 months to complete. We assess key competencies, including:

• intellect
• psychological make-up
• work history
• community involvement
• medical history
• prior offence history

Recruitment process

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 consist of:

• 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 protective services officer. What you need to disclose in your application to become a protective services officer. Tips for success for your protective services officer application.

Once you complete your online application, you may be contacted by our Recruiting Services Branch. They will then email you to ask you to complete the Victoria Police entrance exam.

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

• the entrance exam
• travelling to and from assessment venues

The eligibility checks stage ensures you meet these requirements. This includes assessing your:

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

Please note, 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
• abstract reasoning
• summary writing
• extended writing
• oral communications

Exemptions to sitting the exam

All exemptions are approved at the discretion of our Recruitment Team. You may be exempt from the exam if you:

• have an Australian university bachelor degree from the past five years in arts, science, humanities (business), or law
• have prior policing experience in the past five years in Australian, New Zealand or United Kingdom policing jurisdictions
• are currently employed in those jurisdictions

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

Verbal reasoning tutorial

This tutorial:

• explains what's involved in the verbal reasoning test
• gives advice about how to solve verbal reasoning questions
• explains what's involved in the numeracy skills tasks
• gives advice about the types of questions you will find on the exam
• explains what's involved in the abstract reasoning test
• gives advice about how to solve abstract reasoning questions

Literacy skills tutorial

This tutorial:

• explains what's involved in the literacy test
• gives advice about how to answer literacy skills questions
• explains what's involved in the summary writing task
• gives advice about how to write a summary text
• explains what's involved in the extended writing task
• gives advice about how to write an extended piece of writing
• explains what's involved in the oral communication test
• gives advice about how to answer the questions
• explains what's involved in the digital literacy test
• gives advice about to answer digital literacy questions

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

• the initial $228 exam
• any re-sits

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

You cannot sit your exam if you don't:

• arrive at the venue at the time stated on your ticket
• bring a printed ticket

However, you may apply to ACER for an exemption to re-book for a future date.

If you pass the exam, our Recruitment Team 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 family associations
• your education
• 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.

All PSO applicants must have a set of fingerprints taken. You must bring photo ID and other identification documentation to confirm your identity. The Victoria Police Recruiting Applicant Pack explains 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 need a fingerprint card to take with them to their appointment. Your ink prints will be sent to our Victorian Fingerprint Unit.

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. That means 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, and immediately report it should you become aware of it in others. This helps keep Victoria Police an ethical organisation. Your previous history will be assessed at this stage and throughout the entire selection process. This includes your:

• traffic history
• criminal history
• employment history

Prior offences and Voluntary Disclosure Form (VDF)

You can check our prior history guidelines to learn if a past offence will affect your application. As a protective services officer, you must maintain a healthy level of fitness. As part of the application process, you will be required to undertake a fitness test. The test will assess your level of cardio fitness and physical strength.

The fitness tests are normally held at the Victoria Police Academy. They are followed by a psychometric assessment. Please allow five hours for these tests. The fitness test includes the following components:

• beep test (to level 5.01)
• grip test (30kg in each hand)
• Illinois agility run (20 seconds)
• prone bridge (hold for 60 seconds)

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.

The protective services officer role 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.

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

• current health status
• medical and surgical history

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

• 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. Failure to disclose information may result in the cancellation of 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

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. It will consist of behavioural and scenario-based questions. Not all applicants will be deemed suitable for induction into the Victoria Police Academy.

Come prepared with examples of when you have:

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

The interview determines if you are suitable for induction into the Victoria Police Academy. 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. We aim to provide you with six weeks' notice before starting at the Victoria Police Academy.

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