Queensland Police fitness test
three tests, strict technique

The QPS Recruit Entry Fitness Assessment checks aerobic fitness and upper-body and trunk endurance. QPS says the assessment shows you have a reasonable degree of fitness and the capability to handle the physical training at the academy and the demands of operational policing.

Queensland's beep minimum is second-lowest in Australia, behind Victoria's, but its push-up and plank rules are among the strictest. Compare it with every other force in our national fitness test guide.

You can't just turn up. The QPS Certificate of Indemnity and Confirmation of Fitness Form has three parts, and the first two must be done before you're allowed to start.

1. 1

   Part A: certificate of fitness (your doctor)

   Before the test

   A medical practitioner examines you and certifies that you're medically fit to undergo the physical assessments. Book this early; it's a normal GP appointment at your own cost.

2. 2

   Part B: indemnity declaration (you)

   Before the test

   You consent to the assessment, acknowledge the risks, agree to notify QPS of health changes, and, if you're not at a PCYC, agree to keep the video until you've started as a probationary constable or are no longer an applicant.

3. 3

   Part C: confirmation of fitness (the assessor)

   On the day

   The assessor checks your photo ID, confirms the assessment followed the QPS standard, and records your prone bridge time, push-ups and beep test level.

Return the completed form to QPS Recruiting by the date they give you, with your assessor's qualification if you weren't assessed at a PCYC. Always download the current form from the recruiting site; QPS updated it in April 2026.

If you live in Queensland, you sit the assessment at a Queensland PCYC, unless QPS approves otherwise. Applicants outside Queensland use an accredited personal trainer or PCYC equivalent, under stricter rules.

The method is precise. You start kneeling. On "ready", you place your hands on the floor in front of you with fingers straight and elbows under your shoulders, then lift into the bridge: legs straight behind you, toes tucked under, body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles. You hold for 90 seconds.

The shaking rule is the one people don't expect. If you can only just hold 90 seconds, you'll probably shake in the last 20. Train until you can hold two minutes calmly, so 90 seconds on the day is well within your range. Practise three holds every other day, adding five to ten seconds a week, and film yourself from the side to check your line.

QPS push-ups are stricter than a gym set. Hands roughly shoulder width apart, legs straight, feet no wider than hip width, weight on your toes, and your body straight from shoulders through hips to heels for the whole test. A 7 cm dome cone sits under you, and your chest must touch it on every rep. The cadence is one push-up every two seconds, from an audio clip or called by the assessor.

A cadence makes push-ups much harder than doing them at your own speed, because you can't rush the easy reps or rest between the hard ones. Ten at a 2-second cadence takes 20 seconds under tension. If you can do 15 to 20 in your own time, you'll probably manage 10 to the beat, but test it. Free metronome apps set to 30 beats per minute (one beat every two seconds) work well, and a rolled towel or small cone gives you the depth marker.

Train your push-ups to the beep, with the cone, every single session. That's the QPS test.

The beep test is run over 20 m with an official audio track. Calculated by us from the standard level table, 5/7 means about 780 m of shuttles in 4:57, with level 5 at 10.5 km/h and 6.86 seconds per 20 m. QPS sets four rules you must train for.

The stop-and-turn rule costs more energy than a looping turn, so practise it in every session. Aim to reach level 6 or 7 in training. For comparison, NSW's minimum (7.1) is 260 m further than Queensland's. The beep test levels guide has the full table and an eight-week plan.

1. 1

   Week 1: honest baseline

   Baseline

   Do all three events exactly to the QPS rules: plank with a friend watching your line, push-ups to a 2-second metronome with a 7 cm marker, beep test with stop-and-turns.

2. 2

   Weeks 2–3: build

   5–6 sessions

   Three runs a week: beep intervals starting at level 3 or 4 (run until you miss, rest 2 minutes, 4 repeats), an easy 25–30 minute run, and a turns session. Cadence push-ups: 4 sets of 60–70% of your cadence max, 3 times a week. Planks: 3 holds every other day.

3. 3

   Week 4: re-test

   Re-test

   Lighter first half, then a full mock test in order. Move your weakest event to the start of each session.

4. 4

   Week 5: sharpen

   Specific

   Intervals start at level 5. Cadence push-ups to 15. Plank to 2 minutes. One full mock test.

5. 5

   Week 6: taper

   Taper

   Two short sessions at test standard. Rest for 48 hours before your assessment.

If your baseline is far off (for example, under level 4 on the beep test or unable to do five strict push-ups), double the build phase and book your assessment later. Remember that results last six months, so there's no advantage in sitting too early.

The assessor records your actual prone bridge time, push-up count and beep test level, not just pass or fail. QPS says you must pass every component before you can be offered a recruit position, and the current form says fitness results are valid for six months.

Some websites quote a six-month re-sit window for Queensland, but that rule belongs to the ACER entrance assessment, not the fitness test. If you fail an event, ask Queensland Police Recruiting how and when you can re-attempt before you rebook.

The swim is a separate eligibility requirement, not part of the fitness assessment. Queensland needs a 100 m swim, untimed, any stroke, without stopping or touching the side or bottom. It must be verified by an approved swimming instructor on the QPS Certificate of Swimming Proficiency.

Untimed doesn't mean easy for non-swimmers: you can't stop at the wall or stand up. If you can't swim 25 m without stopping, book lessons now. Breaststroke or a relaxed freestyle with regular breathing is enough. Victoria's test, by contrast, has a four-minute limit; see our Victoria Police fitness test guide.

Once through, the rest of selection includes the entrance assessment, interview, medical and psych testing. Our QPS profile covers each step and the academy, the Queensland Police salary guide shows constable pay with the 21% shift allowance, and the AI mock interview helps you prepare for the panel. If you're also considering NSW, its six-event test is much harder.