How to become a police officer in WA
the 2026 guide to joining WA Police

The Western Australia Police Force polices the largest state in the country with about 7,286 officers and Aboriginal Police Liaison Officers. Its recruiting is run through the Let's Join Forces site, which publishes one of the clearest official pay tables in Australia; it matches the agreement rates from 1 July 2026 exactly.

WA has made itself easier to get into than most forces. There's no written entrance exam, a criminal record isn't automatically disqualifying, no formal qualifications are needed, and the costs you pay at the final stage are reimbursed. What it hasn't eased is fitness: the Physical Performance Evaluation has six tests, including a bag carry most other states don't use.

WA lists these minimum requirements for entry-level officers. Most applicants can meet them quickly.

The first aid certificate is the one most people don't have. You can get it within 90 days of applying, so it needn't hold you up. Note that WA asks for a C or C-A licence, and a provisional licence is fine.

Tattoos and records

WA is unusually clear here. You upload photos of visible tattoos and piercings with your application and they're reviewed at Stage 1. Face tattoos are out; neck and hand tattoos are assessed case by case. A criminal record is assessed, not an automatic bar.

WA runs a compact process: an online application followed by three assessment stages, which the force says take about 3 to 4 months together. Here's what each involves and how to prepare.

1. 1

   Online application

   Day one

   With ID, licence history and photos of visible tattoos and piercings.
   How to prepare: Photograph every visible tattoo and piercing clearly in good light, and have your licence history ready. Get your HLTAID011 first aid within 90 days if you don't have it.

2. 2

   Stage 1: initial assessments

   Stage 1

   Integrity check, tattoo review, psychological evaluation and the Physical Performance Evaluation (PPE).
   How to prepare: Stage 1 bundles the psych evaluation and the Physical Performance Evaluation, so you need to be fit before you apply, not after. Train to beat the beep and bag carry standards by a margin.

3. 3

   Stage 2: panel interview

   Stage 2

   Assesses teamwork, drive and integrity, analytical and problem solving, adaptability and judgement, and communication; followed by a holistic review panel.
   How to prepare: Prepare one STAR example for each of the five areas the panel scores. A holistic review panel then looks at your whole file.

4. 4

   Stage 3: final assessments

   Stage 3

   Health and medical (P58 standard), vision, full background and integrity check, fingerprints and DNA, and a bankruptcy check. Final-stage costs (first aid, medical, vision, bankruptcy check, fingerprints/DNA) are reimbursed.
   How to prepare: Check your eyesight against the vision standard early and sort out any debts; there's a bankruptcy check. Keep receipts, because these costs are reimbursed.

5. 5

   Selection pool

   Wait for a squad

   Placement is not guaranteed; you must confirm your physical ability before recruit school. The 3 stages take about 3-4 months.
   How to prepare: Keep training. You must confirm your physical ability again before recruit school, and a place isn't guaranteed.

WA tests your fitness at Stage 1, so get fit before you apply, not after.

Where WA applicants come unstuck

WA doesn't publish failure rates, so we won't guess at numbers. But the structure of the process tells you where the pressure points are. Stage 1 combines four separate assessments, so a weak spot in any one of them (an undeclared matter, a tattoo you didn't photograph, an off day on the beep test) can end the application early. Stage 2 scores five named areas, so a candidate with great stories about teamwork but nothing on judgement is exposed. And Stage 3 has hard medical and vision lines that no amount of preparation can move.

The practical answer is to check the hard lines first (eyesight, licence, first aid, debts), then train fitness and interview stories in parallel before you submit.

The order matters. Because the PPE sits in Stage 1 alongside the psych evaluation, you can't use the early weeks of the process to train up, as you might in Victoria. Our WA police fitness test guide has a plan.

The current WA process lists no written aptitude or cognitive entrance exam, and the official FAQ says there's no standardised aptitude test score. The older "WA Police Entrance Assessment" is no longer referenced on the recruiting site. If a prep provider tries to sell you WA exam practice, check it against the current process first.

Written aptitude or entrance exam

In the 2026 WA process?

No

Where

Removed

Psychological evaluation

In the 2026 WA process?

Yes

Where

Stage 1 (personality and psychological state)

Physical Performance Evaluation

In the 2026 WA process?

Yes

Where

Stage 1

Panel interview

In the 2026 WA process?

Yes

Where

Stage 2

Medical, vision and background

In the 2026 WA process?

Yes

Where

Stage 3

Assessment	In the 2026 WA process?	Where
Written aptitude or entrance exam	No	Removed
Psychological evaluation	Yes	Stage 1 (personality and psychological state)
Physical Performance Evaluation	Yes	Stage 1
Panel interview	Yes	Stage 2
Medical, vision and background	Yes	Stage 3

Source: Let's Join Forces recruitment process page and FAQ, checked 9 October 2026.

Reading and writing still matter, because report writing is a core part of police work. Our WA police entrance exam guide explains what replaced the exam and how to prepare for the written work in training.

The PPE is part of Stage 1. Unlike NSW, Victoria and Queensland, WA sets different standards for men and women on two tests, and it adds a bag lift and carry that those states don't use.

Illinois Agility Test

Standard

20 seconds or less (male) / 22 seconds or less (female)

Sit-ups

Standard

Minimum 1

Push-ups

Standard

Minimum 10, on toes

Grip strength

Standard

30 kg

Bag lift and carry

Standard

35 kg

Beep test

Standard

Level 7.01 (male) / 6.01 (female)

Test	Standard	Notes
Illinois Agility Test	20 seconds or less (male) / 22 seconds or less (female)
Sit-ups	Minimum 1
Push-ups	Minimum 10, on toes
Grip strength	30 kg
Bag lift and carry	35 kg
Beep test	Level 7.01 (male) / 6.01 (female)

Source: Let's Join Forces recruitment process page.

For men, beep 7.01 is close to NSW's 7.01 and well above Queensland's 5.07. The 35 kg bag lift and carry tests functional strength, so train carries and deadlifts, not just running. You'll also need to confirm your physical ability again before recruit school, so don't let your fitness drop while you wait in the pool. Use the beep test audio to practise the exact level.

Free tool

Check yourself against the WA standard

Enter your beep level, push-ups and other results and see whether you'd pass WA's PPE today, and how it compares with every other force.

Check my fitness →

Stage 2 is a panel interview scored on five areas, followed by a holistic review panel that looks at your whole application. The five areas are published, which gives you a precise preparation list.

Teamwork

A story to prepare

A time you put the team's goal ahead of your own

Drive and integrity

A story to prepare

A time you kept going when it was hard, or did the right thing when no one would know

Analytical and problem solving

A story to prepare

A problem you broke down and solved with limited information

Adaptability and judgement

A story to prepare

A decision you made quickly when plans changed

Communication

A story to prepare

Calming someone who was upset, or explaining something complex simply

Area the panel scores	A story to prepare
Teamwork	A time you put the team's goal ahead of your own
Drive and integrity	A time you kept going when it was hard, or did the right thing when no one would know
Analytical and problem solving	A problem you broke down and solved with limited information
Adaptability and judgement	A decision you made quickly when plans changed
Communication	Calming someone who was upset, or explaining something complex simply

Areas from the Let's Join Forces recruitment process page; the example prompts are ours.

Build one strong STAR example for each area, from work, sport, volunteering or family life, and keep each to about two minutes. Make sure the result is clear and say what you learned. Our WA police interview guide has sample questions.

Free tool

Practise for the WA panel

Answer police interview questions and get an instant STAR score against competencies like WA's. Two scored answers a day free; A$34.99 for 30 days of full access.

Start a mock interview →

WA's checks are split between Stage 1 and Stage 3, and it publishes its vision standard in full.

Integrity check and tattoo review

Stage

1

What it involves

Early screening of your history and visible tattoos

Psychological evaluation

Stage

1

What it involves

Personality and psychological state

Health and medical

Stage

3

What it involves

Assessed to the P58 medical standard

Vision

Stage

3

What it involves

Unaided at least 6/9 in the better eye and 6/18 in the other; contact lens wearers corrected to 6/6 binocular or 6/9 each eye; at least 70° peripheral vision each side

Background, fingerprints, DNA, bankruptcy

Stage

3

What it involves

Full background and integrity check

Check	Stage	What it involves
Integrity check and tattoo review	1	Early screening of your history and visible tattoos
Psychological evaluation	1	Personality and psychological state
Health and medical	3	Assessed to the P58 medical standard
Vision	3	Unaided at least 6/9 in the better eye and 6/18 in the other; contact lens wearers corrected to 6/6 binocular or 6/9 each eye; at least 70° peripheral vision each side
Background, fingerprints, DNA, bankruptcy	3	Full background and integrity check

Source: Let's Join Forces recruitment process page.

If you wear glasses, check the unaided standard with an optometrist before you apply; it's a hard line. The bankruptcy check means unmanaged debt can be a problem, so sort out defaults early. Final-stage costs are reimbursed, so keep every receipt.

Entry-level recruits train for 28 weeks at the WA Police Academy in Joondalup, 30 km north of the Perth CBD, on the Recruit-in-Training rate of $74,309 a year (about $1,429 a week before tax).

Since the 2025-26 Budget, regional recruits get free on-site accommodation during training, part of a $15.6 million package. Recruits don't normally get shift allowances at the academy. Our WA Police Academy guide covers the course content.

After graduation you serve 18 months as a probationary constable on $94,651 base, which is about $2,840 a fortnight after 2026-27 tax. You move to the 3rd-year rate ($97,542) when you complete probation, and First Class Constable starts at $107,977.

How WA pays shift work

WA pays shift allowances as flat dollar amounts per 8-hour shift, not percentages: $74.11 for a weekend day, $101.13 for an evening and $126.56 for a night shift from 1 July 2026. A probationary constable doing two night shifts and two weekend day shifts a fortnight adds about $10,435 a year, by our calculation, taking gross pay to about $105,086 and take-home to about $3,113 a fortnight.

Going regional

You must be prepared to work anywhere in WA, with tenures typically 2 to 4 years. The incentives are significant.

Amounts for the regional attraction payment aren't published. See the WA police salary guide for district and locality allowances.

WA launched Australia's first overseas police recruitment campaign in October 2022, aiming for 750 officers over five years. It remains the most clearly defined route into Australian policing for serving UK and Irish officers.

Who can apply

WA international transition

Serving officers from the UK and Republic of Ireland (the FAQ also lists New Zealand)

Service needed

WA international transition

More than 2 years 8 months' operational service with probation completed; at least 3 years by visa nomination

Break in service

WA international transition

No more than 18 months

Age

WA international transition

Under 55 at visa nomination

Visa

WA international transition

Employer Nomination Scheme subclass 186 under a labour agreement; family can be included; about 2 to 6 months to process

Training

WA international transition

13-week paid transitional course at Joondalup

Probation

WA international transition

6 months

Rank and pay

WA international transition

Service recognised up to Constable 5th year ($102,263); 5+ years' service can test for First Class or Senior Constable; up to 9 years counted

Relocation

WA international transition

Help is offered but dollar amounts aren't published

Requirement	WA international transition
Who can apply	Serving officers from the UK and Republic of Ireland (the FAQ also lists New Zealand)
Service needed	More than 2 years 8 months' operational service with probation completed; at least 3 years by visa nomination
Break in service	No more than 18 months
Age	Under 55 at visa nomination
Visa	Employer Nomination Scheme subclass 186 under a labour agreement; family can be included; about 2 to 6 months to process
Training	13-week paid transitional course at Joondalup
Probation	6 months
Rank and pay	Service recognised up to Constable 5th year ($102,263); 5+ years' service can test for First Class or Senior Constable; up to 9 years counted
Relocation	Help is offered but dollar amounts aren't published

Sources: Let's Join Forces international transition, transitional officer information and FAQ pages. Applications were listed as open on 9 October 2026.

The visa is employer-sponsored permanent residence, which is the key advantage over NSW and Victoria, where you need residency before applying. The first international squad of 30 (27 from overseas) graduated in September 2023, according to a government media statement summary we haven't read in full. The cumulative total since isn't published.

Comparing options? Queensland also sponsors international police through its PACE course and offers a $20,000 relocation incentive.

Serving officers from another Australian state or New Zealand do the same 13-week transitional course at Joondalup, then 6 months' probation, and WA says recruitment takes 0 to 4 months. The agreement (cl 10.8) gives the Commissioner absolute discretion over academy exemption, probation and starting rank for experienced officers.

Entry-level recruit

Training

28 weeks

Probation

18 months

Interstate or NZ officer

Training

13 weeks

Probation

6 months

UK or Irish officer

Training

13 weeks

Probation

6 months

Former WA officer

Training

May be exempted (cl 10.7)

Probation

May be waived

Pathway	Training	Probation
Entry-level recruit	28 weeks	18 months
Interstate or NZ officer	13 weeks	6 months
UK or Irish officer	13 weeks	6 months
Former WA officer	May be exempted (cl 10.7)	May be waived

Sources: Let's Join Forces and the WA Police Force Industrial Agreement 2024.

Former WA officers can be exempted from the academy, have probation waived and be appointed at a rank and salary that recognises prior service.

WA is one of the cheapest forces to join: there's no exam fee, final-stage costs are reimbursed and you're paid from day one of the academy.

Entrance exam

Amount

None

Note

WA no longer sets a written exam

First aid HLTAID003 or HLTAID011

Amount

Provider prices; reimbursed

Note

Can be obtained within 90 days of applying

Medical (P58 standard) and vision

Amount

Reimbursed

Note

Final-stage cost

Fingerprints, DNA, bankruptcy check

Amount

Reimbursed

Note

Final-stage cost

Academy accommodation

Amount

Free for regional recruits

Note

2025-26 Budget measure

Cost	Amount	Note
Entrance exam	None	WA no longer sets a written exam
First aid HLTAID003 or HLTAID011	Provider prices; reimbursed	Can be obtained within 90 days of applying
Medical (P58 standard) and vision	Reimbursed	Final-stage cost
Fingerprints, DNA, bankruptcy check	Reimbursed	Final-stage cost
Academy accommodation	Free for regional recruits	2025-26 Budget measure

Source: Let's Join Forces recruitment process page and 2025 Budget statement.

1. 1

   Apply and pass Stage 1

   Stage 1

   Integrity check, tattoo review, psych evaluation and the PPE.

2. 2

   Stage 2 and 3

   ≈3–4 months in total

   Panel interview and holistic review, then medical, vision and background checks. WA says the three stages take about 3 to 4 months.

3. 3

   Selection pool

   Varies

   Wait for a squad place; placement isn't guaranteed.

4. 4

   Academy

   28 weeks

   28 weeks at Joondalup on the Recruit-in-Training rate.

5. 5

   Probationary Constable

   18 months

   18 months, then you move to the 3rd-year rate.

Comparing states? Read how to join Victoria Police and how to become a police officer in NSW.