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How long does police recruitment take?
every force's timeline, start to finish

From your first application to a confirmed constable can take up to three years, but the selection process itself is a matter of months. Here is how long each stage takes in every force, when intakes start, and how to use the waiting time.

Updated 9 October 2026 13 min read Sources checked 9 October 2026 Independent, not advice

The short answer

Police recruitment in Australia usually takes about 2 to 6 months from application to offer, depending on the force: Tasmania says 8 to 12 weeks, WA 3 to 4 months, Victoria about 6 months, and the AFP 6 to 9 months or more. Add an academy of about 6 to 8 months and 1 to 2 years' probation.

Fastest published process

8–12 wks

Tasmania

Longest published process

Up to 12 mo

AFP, 'often'

Academy

25–32 wks

Victoria to NSW (both parts)

Probation

1–2 years

after graduation

Contents +
  1. 1The short answer
  2. 2Process length by force
  3. 3Each force's stages, in order
  4. 4Deadlines inside the process
  5. 5Intake cycles and start dates
  6. 6Academy length
  7. 7Probation
  8. 8Application to confirmed constable
  9. 9What slows it down
  10. 10A 6-month preparation timeline
  11. 11What we couldn't confirm
  12. 12FAQs
  13. 13Sources

How long does police recruitment take?

Months to get in, years to be confirmed.

There are three clocks to keep in mind. The selection process, from application to offer, takes from about 2 months to a year depending on the force. The academy takes about 6 to 8 months, paid in every force except the first part of NSW's training. Probation then runs for 1 to 2 years while you work as a constable.

Selection process

2–12 months

published ranges, by force

Academy

25–32 weeks

Queensland about 8 months

Probation

12–27 months

Victoria's runs to week 116

Only the first clock is unpaid, and it's the one you can most influence. Most delays come from missing paperwork, failed or postponed fitness tests, slow referees and medical follow-ups. This page sets out every force's published timeline and what drives it, then gives you a six-month plan to be ready for each stage when it arrives.

How long each force's selection process takes

These are the timeframes each force publishes for its process, or the best figure we could find. Several forces don't publish one at all, and every force says individual timelines vary.

Published recruitment process times by force

NSW Police

Process length (application to offer)
About 10–12 weeks if nothing is delayed (reported from NSWPF pages; not confirmed by us)
Stages in our data
11

Victoria Police

Process length (application to offer)
About 6 months on average (other official text says 6–9 months)
Stages in our data
11

QPS

Process length (application to offer)
Not published; QPS says it varies by applicant
Stages in our data
13

WA Police

Process length (application to offer)
About 3–4 months for the 3 stages, then a selection pool
Stages in our data
5

SAPOL

Process length (application to offer)
Domestic not published; overseas transition process at least 8 weeks
Stages in our data
7

Tasmania Police

Process length (application to offer)
Typically 8–12 weeks; offers about 4 weeks before the course
Stages in our data
8

NT Police

Process length (application to offer)
Not published
Stages in our data
8

AFP

Process length (application to offer)
6–9 months (role pages); 'often up to 12 months' (process page)
Stages in our data
9

NSW's figure appears in a search summary of NSWPF recruitment pages that we could not open directly, so treat it as unconfirmed. Stage counts are from each force's process as listed in our data; Queensland's official flowchart has 13 steps.

The fastest published process is Tasmania's, at 8 to 12 weeks, helped by short deadlines: online testing within 7 days and a full application within 14. WA's three stages take about 3 to 4 months, after which you go into a selection pool. Victoria's process averages about 6 months, and other official text says 6 to 9.

The AFP is the slowest, largely because of security vetting that reviews at least 10 years of your history and checks your partner. Its role pages say 6 to 9 months and its process page says "often up to 12 months". Queensland says its timeline varies with your availability, referees' responses and any information needed from overseas.

Passing every stage isn't the finish line. In Victoria and the AFP you then wait in a pool for an academy place.

Each force's stages, in order

The order matters because it tells you what to prepare first. Some forces test fitness early, before you've invested time in an interview; others leave it until after the psych and medical.

Recruitment stages by force

NSW Police

Stages in order
Eligibility check → pre-application documents → qualifications → Professional Suitability Application → physical, psychometric and medical → interview → final checking → offer into the ADAP → Session 1: online study → Session 2: Academy → Probationary Constable

Victoria Police

Stages in order
Online application → Eligibility checks → Victoria Police Entrance Exam → Background checks → Video interview → Fitness test → Psychological testing → Medical → Comprehensive checks → Panel interview → Candidate pool

QPS

Stages in order
Expression of Interest → QPS Entrance Assessment (QPSea) → Application submission → Eligibility review → Interview and pathway determination → Integrity vetting → Pre-Employment Medical Screening (PEMS) → Psychological assessment → Application and referee checks → Quality assurance → Allocation and offer → Visa (if applicable) → Pre-appointment integrity vetting, then recruit training

WA Police

Stages in order
Online application → initial assessments → panel interview → final assessments → Selection pool

SAPOL

Stages in order
Online eligibility form and application → SAPOL Recruitment Test (TAFE SA) → Remote IQ and personality testing → Panel interview → Medical examination → Fitness test → Selection board

Tasmania Police

Stages in order
Expression of interest → Background checks → Fitness assessment and online suitability testing → Full application → Interview and assessment day → Certificates → Medical → Review and selection

NT Police

Stages in order
Online application → Suitability background checks → Cognitive assessment → Fitness assessment → Panel interview → Referee checks → Pre-employment medical → Probity checks

AFP

Stages in order
Sworn Officer eligibility tool → Online application → Online testing (SHL) → Entry Physical Competency Assessment (EPCA) → Employment Suitability Questionnaire and traffic history → Health assessment → Assessment centre (online) → Security clearance and vetting → Merit pool and course offer

From each force's published process in our data files. Some forces run steps at the same time; the AFP says its steps may run in a different order.

Three patterns are worth knowing. Fitness early: WA puts its Physical Performance Evaluation in Stage 1, and Tasmania asks for fitness and online testing before the full application. Exam early: Victoria's entrance exam comes straight after the eligibility checks, and you have 3 months to sit it. Interview late: Victoria's panel interview is one of the last stages, after psych, medical and comprehensive checks.

For a stage-by-stage walkthrough of your force, use the per-state guides: for example how to become a police officer in Victoria or how to join the AFP.

The deadlines inside the process

Several forces set short windows for individual stages. Missing one can push you back months, so know them before you start.

Published deadlines and waiting periods

Victoria

Deadline or waiting period
3 months to sit the entrance exam
What it means
Book your exam promptly after applying

AFP

Deadline or waiting period
14 days to complete the online tests
What it means
Have a quiet block of time ready when the link arrives

AFP

Deadline or waiting period
Maximum 3 attempts at online testing, 12 months apart
What it means
A failed attempt costs you a year

AFP

Deadline or waiting period
Psychological results valid for 12 months
What it means
A long gap before an offer may mean repeating it

Tasmania

Deadline or waiting period
Online testing within 7 days; full application within 14 days
What it means
Write your selection criteria statement in advance

Tasmania

Deadline or waiting period
Offers about 4 weeks before the course
What it means
Plan notice to your employer around this

WA

Deadline or waiting period
First aid within 90 days of applying
What it means
You can apply first and certify soon after

SA

Deadline or waiting period
Resit the TAFE SA test after 3 months; reapply 12 months after an unsuccessful selection
What it means
Prepare properly for the first attempt

NSW

Deadline or waiting period
2 sittings to pass the Physical Capacity Tests
What it means
Don't sit the test until you're consistently at standard
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Intake cycles and academy start dates

Once you have an offer, your start date depends on when the next course begins. Some forces publish dates; most don't. Here's what's on record.

Police academy intake cycles, as at October 2026

NSW Police

Intake cycle or published start dates
ADAP starts listed: 26 Oct 2026, 1 Mar 2027, 3 May 2027, 23 Aug 2027; 4 attestation classes a year

Victoria Police

Intake cycle or published start dates
52 recruits inducted every 2 weeks (intake doubled to 1,300 a year, May 2026)

QPS

Intake cycle or published start dates
PACE (experienced police): 3–4 intakes a year; mainstream intake dates not published

WA Police

Intake cycle or published start dates
Not published as dates

SAPOL

Intake cycle or published start dates
Not published as dates

Tasmania Police

Intake cycle or published start dates
Next listed starts: 11 Jan 2027, 22 Mar 2027, 9 Aug 2027, 18 Oct 2027

NT Police

Intake cycle or published start dates
Not published as dates

AFP

Intake cycle or published start dates
Merit pool, then course offers; dates not published

Tasmania's schedule also lists a mid-2027 date printed as '31 June 2027', which isn't a real date; check with Tasmania Police. Queensland's PACE intakes are for experienced police only.

Victoria is recruiting at a pace no other force matches publicly: 52 recruits inducted every 2 weeks, after the intake was doubled to 1,300 recruits a year in May 2026, with a regional academy due to open in Mildura from 18 January 2027. NSW has moved from three to four attestation classes a year at Goulburn. A frequent intake cycle means less waiting between passing selection and starting.

For lateral entrants, Tasmania's next Accelerated Training Program is expected in early to mid 2027, and the AFP's Skilled Police Program is closed with no date for its next intake.

How long is police academy training?

Academy courses run from 25 to 32 weeks of formal training in most forces. The structure differs: some swear you in partway through, and Tasmania includes 6 weeks of practical training at a station.

Police academy length and location by force

NSW Police

Length
16 weeks online (unpaid) + 16 weeks at the Academy
Where
Goulburn

Victoria Police

Length
25 weeks (sworn in at week 12)
Where
Glen Waverley, Melbourne (Mildura from Jan 2027)

QPS

Length
About 8 months (exact weeks unconfirmed); PACE 20 weeks
Where
Oxley (Brisbane) or Townsville

WA Police

Length
28 weeks
Where
Joondalup (north of Perth)

SAPOL

Length
About 6 months (unconfirmed)
Where
Taperoo (Adelaide)

Tasmania Police

Length
28 weeks (incl. 6 weeks at a station)
Where
Rokeby (Hobart); some intakes in Launceston

NT Police

Length
30 weeks (one FAQ says 32)
Where
Berrimah (Darwin)

AFP

Length
26 weeks (PSOs 15 weeks)
Where
Barton, Canberra

SA's 6-month figure and Queensland's 8-month figure come from a search summary and a 2023 ministerial statement respectively; exact weeks aren't confirmed. The NT constable course is 30 weeks on its recruiting page and 32 in one FAQ.

Victoria swears recruits in as probationary constables at the end of week 12 of its 25-week program, which is also when pay rises from the recruit rate to the constable rate. NSW's model is the outlier: 16 weeks of unpaid online study (including a residential and a 2-week station placement) before 16 paid weeks at Goulburn. Read more in the academy guides for each force, such as the WA Police Academy guide, and in recruit pay while training.

How long is police probation?

After graduating you work as a probationary constable under supervision. Probation ends when you're confirmed in the rank, usually after completing a workbook or development program as well as the time.

Probation periods by force

NSW Police

Probation
12 months as a Probationary Constable, then confirmed as Constable.

Victoria Police

Probation
Through week 116 of training (2 years 13 weeks), ending with the POL50124 Diploma of Policing.

QPS

Probation
Graduates are sworn in as First Year Constables (Constable 1.1). The First Year Constable Program is about 12 months of station-based training under Field Training Officers and an Education and Training Officer; finishing it moves the officer to pay point 1.2. Probation is at least 12 months.

WA Police

Probation
18 months as a Probationary Constable after graduation; transitional (interstate and international) officers serve 6 months.

SAPOL

Probation
About 2 years in total for domestic recruits: 3 months operational after graduation as part of continuous training, then permanent appointment as Constable after a further 18 months (from a public summaries; not verified). Transition recruits serve 6, 9 or 12 months depending on recognised service.

Tasmania Police

Probation
Recruits serve their first year on probation (recruitment site); under the Police Service Act 2003, non-commissioned appointment/promotion probation is up to 12 months as the Commissioner determines (extendable). Graduates are posted to a 24/7 station (Hobart, Glenorchy, Bridgewater, Bellerive, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie) for at least 2 years.

NT Police

Probation
Constables: to the second anniversary of commencement (2 years), Police Administration Act s.16A(3)(a). ACPOs: 12 months from commencement. ARP: 12 months including training (CA 2022 cl.70(d)). The Commissioner may shorten or extend probation (by up to 6 months at a time).

AFP

Probation
Police graduates are probationary officers at Band 2.4 and stay there for at least 12 months and until the AFP workbook is signed off (by a supervisor who has supervised them for 3+ months), then move to 3.1. A formal probation period beyond this is not stated. PSO recruits start at 2.1 for at least 12 months, including training.

SA's domestic probation length is from a search summary and is not confirmed.

Lateral entrants serve shorter probation: 6 months in WA and Tasmania after their transition courses, 6, 9 or 12 months in SA depending on recognised service, and 12 months including training in the NT's Accelerated Recruitment Program.

From application to confirmed constable: the total time

Adding the three clocks together gives a realistic picture of when you'll be fully qualified. This is our calculation from each force's published process, academy and probation lengths, so treat it as a planning estimate rather than a promise.

Estimated total time to a confirmed constable (calculated by us)

Tasmania

Application to end of probation
about 20–21 months
Built from
8–12 week process; 28-week course; first year on probation

NSW

Application to end of probation
about 22 months
Built from
10–12 week process (unconfirmed); 16 + 16 weeks; 12 months' probation

WA

Application to end of probation
about 27–28 months
Built from
3–4 month process; 28 weeks; 18 months' probation

AFP

Application to end of probation
about 24–30 months
Built from
6–12 month process; 26 weeks; at least 12 months at Band 2.4

Victoria

Application to end of probation
about 33–36 months
Built from
6–9 month process; probation runs to week 116 of training, which includes the 25-week academy

Excludes any wait in a candidate or merit pool. Queensland, SA and the NT are not shown because they don't publish a process time.

The NT measures its 2-year probation from the start of training, so its total is about 2 years plus however long selection takes. The time before you're paid is the shortest part of the journey everywhere: 2 to 12 months of selection, against 1.5 to 2.5 years of paid training and probation.

Promotion clocks start after probation

Pay increments and promotion eligibility usually depend on years of service after you're confirmed. See police pay in Australia for how each force's scale climbs.

What slows applications down, and how to avoid it

Queensland's recruiting site names three factors outside the process itself: your own availability, how fast your referees respond, and information needed from overseas. The rest of this list is general guidance on the delays applicants can control.

Avoidable delays

  • ✓ Missing certificates: first aid, swimming or aquatic rescue, ordered too late.
  • ✓ Uncertified or incomplete documents (NSW wants pre-application documents certified by a Justice of the Peace).
  • ✓ Sitting the fitness test before you're at standard, then waiting for another sitting.
  • ✓ Slow referees who weren't warned they'd be contacted.
  • ✓ Medical follow-ups: specialist reports for a condition you could have documented in advance.
  • ✓ Overseas history: police checks from countries you've lived in take time; start them early.
  • ✓ Rescheduling tests or interviews (Queensland's ACER test has a $107 late reschedule fee).

Some delays aren't in your control, like waiting for vetting or an intake place. Use that time to keep training and practising your interview answers, so a short-notice start date doesn't catch you unprepared.

A 6-month preparation timeline

If you're starting from scratch, six months gives you time to get fit, sort your paperwork, prepare for the tests and still apply with a margin. If your force's process is long (Victoria, the AFP), you can apply around month 3 and keep preparing as you go. This plan is general guidance.

  1. 1

    Month 1: decide and audit

    Month 1

    Choose your force using the force quiz. Read its eligibility rules. Test yourself on its fitness events. Order your traffic history and list every offence, fine and address.

  2. 2

    Month 2: paperwork and base fitness

    Month 2

    Get first aid and any swimming certificate. Certify ID and qualifications. Run 3 to 4 times a week and start push-up and plank work. Do a diagnostic entrance test practice set.

  3. 3

    Month 3: apply (long-process forces)

    Month 3

    If you're applying to Victoria or the AFP, submit now. Study 30 to 45 minutes a day on your two weakest test areas. Warn your referees.

  4. 4

    Month 4: tests

    Month 4

    Timed practice tests. Beep test with audio every week. Start drafting STAR examples for the interview.

  5. 5

    Month 5: apply (shorter-process forces) and interview prep

    Month 5

    Apply to Tasmania, WA or NSW now if that's your force. Practise 8 to 10 interview answers out loud with feedback.

  6. 6

    Month 6: peak

    Month 6

    Fitness above standard on two separate days. Full mock interviews. Keep documents and certificates current for the medical and final checks.

Free tool

Practise your interview answers

Get a police-style question, answer by typing or speaking, and get a score out of 10 against STAR and police values. Two free scored answers a day; A$34.99 for 30 days of full access.

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Free tool

Track your fitness against the standard

Enter your beep test level, push-ups and plank time each month to see how far you are from your force's minimums.

Check my fitness →

What we couldn't confirm (and who can)

Timelines are the least consistently published part of police recruitment. These are the gaps.

Open questions on recruitment timelines

NSW's overall process time (10–12 weeks appears only in a search summary)

Who can confirm
NSWPF Recruitment

Queensland's overall process time and academy length in weeks

Who can confirm
QPS Recruiting, 1300 BE A COP

SA's domestic process time, academy length and probation

Who can confirm
SAPOL Recruiting

The NT's process time and intake dates

Who can confirm
NT Police Recruitment, 1800 005 099

Whether Victoria's process includes a video interview

Who can confirm
Victoria Police Recruiting

Tasmania's mid-2027 intake (printed as 31 June 2027)

Who can confirm
Tasmania Police Recruiting Services
Guide How to become a police officer Eligibility Eligibility requirements Hub Joining the police hub

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Frequently asked questions

How long does the police application process take in Australia?

It depends on the force. Tasmania says 8 to 12 weeks, WA about 3 to 4 months for its three stages, Victoria about 6 months on average (6 to 9 months in other official text), and the AFP 6 to 9 months on its role pages and often up to 12 months on its process page. Queensland, SA and the NT don't publish an overall figure.

How long is police academy training in Australia?

Most courses run about 6 to 8 months. Victoria's is 25 weeks, the AFP's 26, WA's and Tasmania's 28, and the NT's 30 (one FAQ says 32). SA's is about 6 months and Queensland's about 8 months, but neither length in weeks is confirmed. NSW has a 16-week unpaid online session and then 16 weeks at Goulburn.

How long is police probation in Australia?

Between 12 months and about 2 years after you graduate. NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and the AFP use about 12 months, WA 18 months, the NT 2 years from when you start (including training) and SA about 2 years in total. In Victoria, probation runs to week 116 of the training program, about 2 years and 3 months.

How often do police academies take new recruits?

Regularly. Victoria inducts 52 recruits every 2 weeks after doubling its intake in May 2026. NSW attests four classes a year, with ADAP starts listed for 26 October 2026, 1 March 2027, 3 May 2027 and 23 August 2027. Tasmania lists starts on 11 January, 22 March, 9 August and 18 October 2027. Other forces don't publish dates.

Why is my police application taking so long?

The usual causes are waiting for referees, medical specialist reports, overseas police checks or security clearances, and waiting for a place in an intake once you've passed everything. Queensland's recruiting site names your own availability, referees' responses and information needed from overseas as factors. Respond to every request quickly and keep your documents ready.

Can I speed up my police application?

Partly. Have your licence, first aid and swimming certificates, certified ID and a full list of any offences ready before you apply. Be fit to standard before your fitness test, book tests and medicals promptly, and warn your referees. An existing AGSVA security clearance may speed up AFP vetting.

How long after the interview do you hear back from the police?

Forces don't publish a standard turnaround. After the interview there are usually more checks (references, medical, final vetting) and then a selection board or quality review. Passing all stages typically puts you in a candidate pool or merit pool until an intake place is offered. Tasmania says offers usually go out about 4 weeks before the course starts.

How long does it take to become a police officer in Australia from start to finish?

Allow roughly 20 months to 3 years from application to being confirmed as a constable once probation is included. By our calculation from published figures, that's about 20 to 22 months in Tasmania and NSW, 24 to 30 for the AFP, 27 to 28 in WA, and close to 3 years in Victoria. The part before you're paid is usually only 2 to 12 months.

Evidence

Sources and how we checked them

Every figure on this page comes from the sources below, read on 9 October 2026. Pay rates and rules change when new agreements are made, so check the source for the date you're reading this. Where we couldn't confirm something from an official source, the page says so instead of guessing. Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy.

  1. NSW Police Force: recruiting site
  2. Victoria Police: recruiting site
  3. Queensland Police Service: recruiting site
  4. Western Australia Police Force: recruiting site
  5. South Australia Police: recruiting site
  6. Tasmania Police: recruiting site
  7. Northern Territory Police Force: recruiting site
  8. Australian Federal Police (incl. ACT Policing): recruiting site
  9. NSW Police Force recruitment: Salary and benefits — NSW Police
  10. Victoria Police: Police officer training — Victoria Police
  11. QPS Recruiting: General entry policing pathway (as summarised publicly) — QPS
  12. Let's Join Forces (WA Police Force): Training at the Academy — WA Police
  13. SAPOL: The Academy — SAPOL
  14. Tasmania Police Recruitment: FAQs — Tasmania Police
  15. NTPFES: Constable recruitment page — NT Police
  16. AFP College — AFP
  17. Queensland Police Recruiting: recruitment process — 13 steps; factors affecting processing time

Related guides

Every Australian police force compared → Pay, academy and probation side by side. Police pay in Australia 2026 → What you'll earn once you graduate. Which police force should I join? → A free quiz matched to all eight forces.

Joining the police

More in this series

Getting started How to become a police officer in Australia The complete national guide: every step, every force's rules, costs, timelines and a preparation plan. Getting started Police eligibility requirements in Australia Citizenship, age, licence, education, health, criminal history and tattoos for all 8 forces. Getting started Police age limits in Australia Minimum joining ages, why no force has an upper limit, and each force's compulsory retirement age. AI prep tools Recruit Prep Bundle AI mock interview, entrance exam prep and a fitness pass plan together for 180 days, for less than buying them separately. Academy and training Police recruit pay while training Recruit pay in all 8 forces compared, with tax, super, academy costs and the pay jump at graduation. Academy and training NSW Police Academy, Goulburn The ADAP with Western Sydney University: the unpaid online session, 16 weeks at Goulburn, pay, fees and attestation. Academy and training Victoria Police Academy Glen Waverley's 25-week course week by week, swearing-in at week 12, live-in costs and the new Mildura academy. Academy and training QPS Academy, Oxley and Townsville About 8 months of recruit training, free live-in, recruit pay, the First Year Constable Program and PACE. Academy and training WA Police Academy, Joondalup 28 weeks at Joondalup: subjects, hours, Recruit-in-Training pay, regional accommodation and 18 months' probation.
See every joining the police guide →

General information, not advice. This guide explains published rules and rates. It doesn't consider your personal circumstances and isn't financial, legal, tax or credit advice. Confirm anything you rely on with your force, your police association, the ATO or a licensed professional.