How to become a police officer in NSW
every stage, from eligibility to Goulburn

The NSW Police Force is Australia's largest police force and it has been recruiting hard. Budget estimates in September 2025 put vacancies at 2,472, and the class that attested in August 2026 was the largest in 14 years. For you as an applicant, that means more start dates and a force that wants you through the door, but the entry standards themselves have not been lowered.

The big difference from other states is that NSW trains you through the Associate Degree in Applied Policing (ADAP). The first 16 weeks are online study and unpaid; the next 16 weeks are full-time at the Academy in Goulburn on a weekly wage; then you serve a year as a probationary constable on $92,576 including the loading, which is about $2,786 a fortnight after 2026-27 tax.

These are the four minimum requirements NSWPF lists. Meet all of them before you start, because the application will stop at the first one you miss.

The academic requirement in plain terms

An ATAR of 50 is a low bar, but it is a hard one. If you left school without an ATAR, a Certificate III or higher, an earlier degree or a recognised bridging course counts. If you have none of those, the fee-free UPPAP preparation program run with the university is the official route in. Budget a term for it.

Citizenship: watch the NZ wording

NSWPF accepts New Zealand citizens on a 444 visa, but Western Sydney University's course page says the ADAP is only open to Australian citizens and permanent residents. That conflict hasn't been resolved publicly. If you're a New Zealander, ask NSWPF Recruitment to confirm in writing that you can enrol before you pay for a medical.

NSWPF numbers its application stages, and you get a case manager once you lodge the Professional Suitability Application at Stage 3. The interview at Stage 5 only happens if NSWPF decides it needs one. Here is each step with what it involves and how to get through it.

1. 1

   Eligibility check

   Before you apply

   Confirm you meet the age, citizenship, licence and education requirements.
   How to prepare: Check your ATAR or equivalent first. If you are under the academic bar, the fee-free UPPAP course is the fix, and it takes time, so start it now.

2. 2

   Stage 1: pre-application documents

   Step 2

   Documents certified by a Justice of the Peace.
   How to prepare: Book a Justice of the Peace once and certify everything in one visit: ID, licence, academic transcripts, change-of-name papers.

3. 3

   Stage 2: qualifications

   Step 3

   Aquatic Rescue Sequence certificate (valid 5 years) and first aid.
   How to prepare: Book the Aquatic Rescue Sequence and a first aid course early. The certificate lasts 5 years, so an older one may still count.

4. 4

   Stage 3: Professional Suitability Application

   Step 4

   Lodged via iworkfor. You are assigned a case manager; background and reference checks and fingerprints follow.
   How to prepare: Be complete and honest about every police contact, traffic matter and debt. Omissions do more damage than the facts. List referees who have seen you work under pressure.

5. 5

   Stage 4: physical, psychometric and medical

   Step 5

   Physical Capacity Tests, psychometric testing (possibly a psychologist interview) and a medical (research notes 'Cogent Thinking').
   How to prepare: Train to beat each Physical Capacity Test standard by a margin, not just meet it. Sleep well before the psychometric tests and answer consistently.

6. 6

   Stage 5: interview

   Step 6

   Only if needed.
   How to prepare: Prepare four or five real STAR stories about integrity, teamwork, conflict and pressure in case you are called.

7. 7

   Stage 6: final checking

   Step 7

   Final checks before an offer.
   How to prepare: Keep your contact details, licence and social media clean. A new charge, licence suspension or debt default at this point can stop you.

8. 8

   Stage 7: offer into the ADAP

   Step 8

   Offer into the Associate Degree in Applied Policing. A separate application to Western Sydney University is needed.
   How to prepare: Lodge the Western Sydney University application straight away. The offer from NSWPF does not enrol you.

9. 9

   ADAP Session 1: online study

   16 weeks

   16 weeks of distance/online study (unpaid), including a residential at the Academy and a 2-week station placement.
   How to prepare: Plan your money for 16 unpaid weeks. Many people keep working part-time; the study load is real, so block out hours each week.

10. 10

    ADAP Session 2: Academy

    16 weeks

    16 weeks full-time at the NSW Police Academy, Goulburn, paid as temporary administrative staff.
    How to prepare: Arrive fit. You live at Goulburn, so sort leave from your current job, your rent and family arrangements before day one.

11. 11

    Probationary Constable

    12 months

    12 months as a Probationary Constable plus 3 online part-time sessions; confirmed as Constable after probation.
    How to prepare: Expect to be assessed on the job by field training officers while you finish the last three online sessions of the degree.

Two features of this process catch people out. First, Stages 1 and 2 are on you: gather and certify documents, and book the swim and first aid qualifications, before NSWPF does anything. Second, the offer at Stage 7 is an offer into the degree. You still have to apply to Western Sydney University separately and accept a place for a specific start date.

The NSWPF offer does not enrol you. Apply to Western Sydney University the same week you receive it.

No. Unlike Victoria and Queensland, NSW does not set a separate written police entrance exam. Your academic suitability is the ATAR of 50 or equivalent, which Western Sydney University assesses for the degree, and your aptitude and personality are measured by psychometric testing at Stage 4.

Academic readiness

How

ATAR 50+ or an equivalent qualification, checked for ADAP entry

When

Before you apply, then by WSU

English proficiency

How

Required for the degree

When

Before you apply

Psychometric testing

How

Aptitude and personality testing, possibly followed by a psychologist interview

When

Stage 4

Written skills

How

Assessed through the degree itself

When

ADAP Session 1 onward

What is assessed	How	When
Academic readiness	ATAR 50+ or an equivalent qualification, checked for ADAP entry	Before you apply, then by WSU
English proficiency	Required for the degree	Before you apply
Psychometric testing	Aptitude and personality testing, possibly followed by a psychologist interview	Stage 4
Written skills	Assessed through the degree itself	ADAP Session 1 onward

Source: NSWPF application process page and the WSU ADAP course page.

Psychometric tests reward calm and consistency more than cramming. Practise timed reasoning questions so the format is familiar, and answer personality items honestly; inconsistent answers across similar questions are easy for assessors to spot. Our NSW police entrance exam guide explains what the psychometric stage covers, and the free entrance exam practice tool gives you timed reasoning and verbal sets to warm up on.

NSW's fitness standard is one of the toughest entry standards in Australia. You must pass all six tests, and you get two sittings to do it. The beep test is at level 7.1, against 5.01 in Victoria and 5.07 in Queensland (written as level.shuttle).

Handgrip strength

Standard

30 kg each hand

Attempts

2 attempts

Prone bridge

Standard

90 seconds

Attempts

1 attempt

Vertical jump

Standard

30 cm or more

Attempts

2 attempts

Push-ups

Standard

25

Attempts

1 attempt

Illinois agility run

Standard

20 seconds or less

Attempts

2 attempts

Multi-stage fitness test (beep test)

Standard

Level 7.1

Attempts

1 attempt

Test	Standard	Attempts
Handgrip strength	30 kg each hand	2 attempts
Prone bridge	90 seconds	1 attempt
Vertical jump	30 cm or more	2 attempts
Push-ups	25	1 attempt
Illinois agility run	20 seconds or less	2 attempts
Multi-stage fitness test (beep test)	Level 7.1	1 attempt

Source: NSWPF recruitment, Fitness page. You also need an Aquatic Rescue Sequence certificate at Stage 2.

Where people fail

Three tests do most of the damage. The 25 push-ups in one attempt is five times Victoria's standard. The 90-second prone bridge needs specific core work, not general fitness. And beep test 7.1 is a genuine aerobic standard: if you can't run for 7 minutes at a steady pace today, give yourself 8 to 12 weeks.

Build a plan with our NSW police fitness test guide, and use the beep test audio to rehearse the exact level.

Free tool

Would you pass the NSW tests today?

Enter your beep level, push-ups and plank time and see which forces' standards you'd meet now, and how far you are from NSW.

Check my fitness →

NSW is unusual in making the interview conditional. Stage 5 is listed as "only if needed", which in practice means NSWPF calls you in when something in your file needs exploring or a decision needs more evidence. You can't plan on skipping it, so prepare as if it will happen.

Integrity

What a strong answer shows

A time you did the right thing when it cost you something

Working with others

What a strong answer shows

How you handled a team conflict and what you changed afterwards

Communication

What a strong answer shows

Calming a difficult person, or explaining bad news clearly

Resilience

What a strong answer shows

Coping with pressure, failure or a distressing event, and what support you used

Motivation

What a strong answer shows

Why policing, why NSW, and what you know about the job's downsides

What panels look for	What a strong answer shows
Integrity	A time you did the right thing when it cost you something
Working with others	How you handled a team conflict and what you changed afterwards
Communication	Calming a difficult person, or explaining bad news clearly
Resilience	Coping with pressure, failure or a distressing event, and what support you used
Motivation	Why policing, why NSW, and what you know about the job's downsides

General police interview competencies; NSWPF doesn't publish its Stage 5 question bank.

Use the STAR structure (situation, task, action, result) and keep each answer to about two minutes. Have a fresh example for each theme rather than stretching one story. Our NSW police interview guide has example questions and model answers.

Free tool

Rehearse your answers out loud

Answer real police panel questions and get an instant STAR score with feedback. Two scored answers a day are free; full access is A$34.99 for 30 days.

Start a mock interview →

Most of what NSWPF assesses happens in Stages 3, 4 and 6, and much of it runs in the background while you train for fitness. Here is what each check involves.

Background and references

What happens

Criminal history, police contact, referees and fingerprints, after your PSA at Stage 3

Your cost

None listed

Psychometric testing

What happens

Aptitude and personality tests; you may be asked to a psychologist interview

Your cost

None listed

Medical

What happens

A full pre-employment medical with NSWPF's nominated provider

Your cost

$555.50 plus any specialist referrals

Final checking

What happens

A last integrity and suitability review before the offer

Your cost

None listed

Check	What happens	Your cost
Background and references	Criminal history, police contact, referees and fingerprints, after your PSA at Stage 3	None listed
Psychometric testing	Aptitude and personality tests; you may be asked to a psychologist interview	None listed
Medical	A full pre-employment medical with NSWPF's nominated provider	$555.50 plus any specialist referrals
Final checking	A last integrity and suitability review before the offer	None listed

The medical is the stage where unexpected costs appear. If the doctor wants a specialist report on your eyesight, hearing, a past injury or a mental health history, you pay for it. Gather old records before the appointment to save weeks. Having a history of anxiety or depression is not an automatic bar; what matters is current fitness for the role and evidence that you manage it.

NSW recruits train as student police officers through the ADAP, delivered by Western Sydney University and the NSW Police Force. Only the middle session is paid.

During Session 2 you're employed on a temporary basis as administrative staff. The recruiting site gives $1,360 a week plus super and allowances, with free accommodation and meals at Goulburn. Over 16 weeks that's about $21,760 before tax, by our calculation.

Course fees go on a HECS-HELP loan if you're a citizen. Our data records them at about $9,112 a year as a Commonwealth-supported student, but WSU's course page showed an indicative fee "from $11,885" when we checked on 9 October 2026, which may reflect a newer fee year. Either way you repay through the tax system once your income passes the threshold. Our NSW Police Academy guide covers daily life at Goulburn.

When you attest you become a probationary constable on $83,028 base, or $92,576 with the 11.5% loading that replaces weekend penalties. You serve 12 months at a station under field training officers and finish three part-time online sessions of the degree, then you're confirmed as a constable. From there you climb a pay level each year you meet the competency requirements, reaching Constable Level 5 ($104,802 loaded) after about five years.

Where will you be posted?

NSWPF posts recruits across the state. The "Be a Cop in your Home Town" program lets you nominate a regional location, with priority districts in the Northern, Western and Southern regions. Choosing the country can pay well.

The headline is a remote cash incentive of $36,000 in total over five years at designated Remote locations and $31,000 over five years at Special Remote locations, plus police housing at 3% of salary. Which towns qualify is set by NSWPF, so confirm before you nominate. For the full pay picture see the NSW police salary guide.

If you're a serving officer elsewhere, NSW has a faster route than the degree. Overseas police, though, have no special pathway.

Professional Mobility Program

Who it's for

Serving police from any Australian or NZ force, generally 1 year full-time after probation

Key terms

12 weeks paid at Goulburn, rank recognised up to Senior Constable, help with relocation

Reappointment

Who it's for

Former NSWPF officers with 3+ years' service who left less than 3 years ago

Key terms

Training program $1,658 and medical $454.74 at your cost; 12-month probation

Standard recruit entry

Who it's for

Everyone else, including UK and other overseas police who hold residency

Key terms

Full application and the full ADAP

Pathway	Who it's for	Key terms
Professional Mobility Program	Serving police from any Australian or NZ force, generally 1 year full-time after probation	12 weeks paid at Goulburn, rank recognised up to Senior Constable, help with relocation
Reappointment	Former NSWPF officers with 3+ years' service who left less than 3 years ago	Training program $1,658 and medical $454.74 at your cost; 12-month probation
Standard recruit entry	Everyone else, including UK and other overseas police who hold residency	Full application and the full ADAP

Source: NSWPF Professional Mobility Program and Reappointment pages.

UK and other overseas officers: we found no overseas lateral pathway into NSWPF. You'd need citizenship or permanent residency and then the standard recruit route, including the full degree. If you're a UK officer weighing up Australia, WA Police sponsors visas for UK and Irish officers and runs a 13-week transition course, and Queensland recruits international police through PACE.

Other pathways NSWPF lists include an Accelerated Prosecutor Recruit Program for law graduates, an accelerated program through FETSC, an Elite Athletes pilot, a Cadet Traineeship and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruitment. Ask the recruiting team which ones are open when you apply.

NSW has no exam fee, but the unpaid first session and the medical make it one of the more expensive forces to join.

Medical

Amount

$555.50 initial exam, plus any specialist fees

Note

NSWPF application costs page

Aquatic Rescue Sequence

Amount

$10

Note

Certificate valid 5 years

First aid course and pocket mask

Amount

from $79

Note

Provider prices vary

Entrance exam

Amount

None: NSW has no separate written exam

Note

Psychometric testing is part of Stage 4

ADAP course fees

Amount

About $9,112 a year in our data; WSU's course page showed "from $11,885" on 9 Oct 2026

Note

Commonwealth-supported place, HECS-HELP for citizens

Income lost in Session 1

Amount

16 weeks unpaid

Note

The biggest real cost for career changers

Cost	Amount	Note
Medical	$555.50 initial exam, plus any specialist fees	NSWPF application costs page
Aquatic Rescue Sequence	$10	Certificate valid 5 years
First aid course and pocket mask	from $79	Provider prices vary
Entrance exam	None: NSW has no separate written exam	Psychometric testing is part of Stage 4
ADAP course fees	About $9,112 a year in our data; WSU's course page showed "from $11,885" on 9 Oct 2026	Commonwealth-supported place, HECS-HELP for citizens
Income lost in Session 1	16 weeks unpaid	The biggest real cost for career changers

Source: NSWPF application costs page and WSU ADAP page, checked 9 October 2026.

The realistic budget is the medical, the small qualification fees, and enough savings or part-time income to cover 16 weeks of study. Once you reach Goulburn your accommodation and meals are covered and you're paid weekly. The HECS-HELP debt is repaid gradually through tax once you're earning.

NSWPF doesn't publish an average time from application to offer, so treat any precise figure you see elsewhere with caution. What is fixed is the training: 32 weeks to attestation and 12 months to confirmation.

1. 1

   Get eligible

   Weeks to months

   Licence held 6 months, ATAR 50 or equivalent, Aquatic Rescue Sequence and first aid. If you need UPPAP, add a university term.

2. 2

   Application Stages 1 to 7

   Not published

   Documents, PSA, fitness, psychometrics, medical, checks and the offer. NSWPF does not publish an average time for these stages.

3. 3

   ADAP Session 1 (online)

   16 weeks

   16 weeks of unpaid study with a residential and a station placement.

4. 4

   ADAP Session 2 (Goulburn)

   16 weeks

   16 weeks living in at the Academy, paid weekly. You attest at the end.

5. 5

   Probationary Constable

   12 months

   12 months at a station, then confirmation as a Constable.

Work backwards from a start date. The dates listed when we checked were 26 October 2026, 1 March 2027, 3 May 2027 and 23 August 2027. If you are not yet eligible, a realistic target is one of the 2027 intakes: that gives you time to complete UPPAP if needed, get fit to beep 7.1, and save for the unpaid session.

Comparing forces? See how to join Victoria Police, which has a paid academy from day one.