What the WA Police PPE is, and where it sits in the process
The Physical Performance Evaluation (PPE) is WA Police's entry fitness test. It comes early: Stage 1 of the process groups it with the integrity check, the tattoo review and the psychological evaluation. You have to pass it before you reach the panel interview in Stage 2.
WA Police is explicit that the PPE is not about being the strongest or fastest person in the room. Each event is mapped to a policing task in the official fact sheet: the agility run to pursuing offenders and getting around obstacles, the bag carry to manual handling and arrests, and the beep test to foot patrols and working under duress.
Events
6
agility, sit-up, push-ups, grip, bag carry, beep
Where
Joondalup
WA Police Academy
Process stage
Stage 1
before the panel interview
Whole process
3-4 months
per WA Police
The bar is a minimum, not a ranking. There is no published bonus for beating it. But the Academy that follows is far harder than the PPE: 28 weeks for entry-level recruits, followed by 18 months as a Probationary Constable. So the smart goal is to pass the PPE comfortably, then keep building.
The six PPE standards at a glance
The table below is drawn from our WA data file, which matches the recruitment process page. Under it, we've added how many attempts the PPE fact sheet allows for each event, because that changes how you should pace yourself on the day.
Illinois Agility Test
- Standard (recruit applicants)
- 20 seconds or less (male) / 22 seconds or less (female)
Sit-ups
- Standard (recruit applicants)
- Minimum 1
Push-ups
- Standard (recruit applicants)
- Minimum 10, on toes
Grip strength
- Standard (recruit applicants)
- 30 kg
Bag lift and carry
- Standard (recruit applicants)
- 35 kg
Beep test
- Standard (recruit applicants)
- Level 7.01 (male) / 6.01 (female)
| Event | Standard (recruit applicants) | 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) |
Modified Illinois agility
- Attempts allowed
- 2
- What fails you
- Over time; running the course the wrong way; touching a cone; not running both feet around the outside of every cone
Sit-up
- Attempts allowed
- 3
- What fails you
- Feet lifting or sliding; elbows not reaching knees. Failing all three means you can't do the bag lift
Push-ups
- Attempts allowed
- 1
- What fails you
- Three consecutive reps with incorrect technique; resting more than 3 seconds
Grip strength
- Attempts allowed
- 2 per hand
- What fails you
- Under 30 kg on either hand (the second go is only used if the first fails)
Bag lift and carry
- Attempts allowed
- 2
- What fails you
- Poor lifting technique; unsafe carry; dropping the bag; running
Beep test
- Attempts allowed
- 1
- What fails you
- Missing the 20 m line on two successive beeps before your level
| Event | Attempts allowed | What fails you |
|---|---|---|
| Modified Illinois agility | 2 | Over time; running the course the wrong way; touching a cone; not running both feet around the outside of every cone |
| Sit-up | 3 | Feet lifting or sliding; elbows not reaching knees. Failing all three means you can't do the bag lift |
| Push-ups | 1 | Three consecutive reps with incorrect technique; resting more than 3 seconds |
| Grip strength | 2 per hand | Under 30 kg on either hand (the second go is only used if the first fails) |
| Bag lift and carry | 2 | Poor lifting technique; unsafe carry; dropping the bag; running |
| Beep test | 1 | Missing the 20 m line on two successive beeps before your level |
Different roles, different numbers
The same fact sheet sets lower standards for custody support applicants (agility 21.00 s men, 23.20 s women; beep test 5.01 men, 4.01 women; 5 push-ups) and 5 push-ups for cadets. Cadets and custody support applicants don't do the grip test. Everything on this page is for police recruit applicants.
Check your scores against WA and every other force
Enter your beep level, push-ups and plank time and see which Australian police fitness tests you'd pass today.
The modified Illinois agility test: 20 or 22 seconds
The agility run is a maximal test of changing direction at speed. Men must finish in 20.00 seconds or less and women in 22.00 seconds or less. WA uses a modified course: the far line is 9.14 m from the start, a little shorter than the 10 m used in the classic version.
- 1
Start face down
Lie on your stomach with your head and hands behind the start line and your chest touching the ground. Your feet can be anywhere. The clock starts on 'Go'.
- 2
Sprint out and back
Get up fast and sprint 9.14 m to the far line, round the small cone and sprint back towards the start.
- 3
Weave up and back
Run around the first cone on the start line, passing to the right of it, then weave through the line of cones to the far line, round the end cone and weave back.
- 4
Final sprint and finish
Sprint straight to the far line again, round the small cone, then sprint through the finish line. The clock stops as you cross it.
Most people who fail don't fail on fitness. They clip a cone, cut inside one with a foot, or forget to weave on the way back. Walk the course before your attempt and say the sequence out loud. You get two attempts, so a clean, slightly slower first run that banks a pass is worth more than a reckless fast one.
How to train for it
Set up the course at a park with six markers and time yourself once a week from week one. The fastest gains come from three things: getting off the ground quickly, braking with low hips at each turn, and keeping your shoulders over your feet through the weave.
Agility training, twice a week
- ✓ Burpee-to-sprint starts: 6 x 10 m from a prone position
- ✓ Cone weaves with cones 2-3 m apart, 6 runs at 90% effort
- ✓ Shuttle turns: 5-10-5 drill, 6 reps, full recovery
- ✓ Lateral bounds and skater jumps, 3 x 8 each side
- ✓ One full timed Illinois run at the end, logged
- ✓ Trainers with grip, not running flats, on the day
The beep test: level 7.01 for men, 6.01 for women, one attempt
WA's standard is Level 7.01 (male) / 6.01 (female). You run 20 m shuttles on a flat, non-slip surface in time with the recording, starting at level 1. If you don't reach the line by the beep you are called 'short'. Reach it on the next beep and you carry on; miss two in a row and you are out.
Level 7.01 means finishing the first shuttle of level 7: about 1,040 m of running in roughly 6:22, with shuttles at 11.5 km/h. Level 6.01 means finishing the first shuttle of level 6: about 840 m in roughly 5:17, at 11.0 km/h. That is a sustained effort, not a sprint, and the one-attempt rule means you need a margin. Train to at least one full level above your target.
4
- Speed
- 10.0 km/h
- Shuttles
- 9
- Seconds per shuttle
- 7.20 s
- Distance at end of level
- 640 m
- Time at end of level
- 4:09
5
- Speed
- 10.5 km/h
- Shuttles
- 9
- Seconds per shuttle
- 6.86 s
- Distance at end of level
- 820 m
- Time at end of level
- 5:10
6
- Speed
- 11.0 km/h
- Shuttles
- 10
- Seconds per shuttle
- 6.55 s
- Distance at end of level
- 1,020 m
- Time at end of level
- 6:16
7
- Speed
- 11.5 km/h
- Shuttles
- 10
- Seconds per shuttle
- 6.26 s
- Distance at end of level
- 1,220 m
- Time at end of level
- 7:19
8
- Speed
- 12.0 km/h
- Shuttles
- 11
- Seconds per shuttle
- 6.00 s
- Distance at end of level
- 1,440 m
- Time at end of level
- 8:25
| Level | Speed | Shuttles | Seconds per shuttle | Distance at end of level | Time at end of level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 10.0 km/h | 9 | 7.20 s | 640 m | 4:09 |
| 5 | 10.5 km/h | 9 | 6.86 s | 820 m | 5:10 |
| 6 | 11.0 km/h | 10 | 6.55 s | 1,020 m | 6:16 |
| 7 | 11.5 km/h | 10 | 6.26 s | 1,220 m | 7:19 |
| 8 | 12.0 km/h | 11 | 6.00 s | 1,440 m | 8:25 |
Calculated by us from the standard Léger 20 m table used by our beep test audio. WA's recording may differ slightly; treat times as a guide.
How to train for it
Two run sessions a week will move most people a level in six to eight weeks. One should be intervals at or just above your target pace, such as 6 to 8 x 400 m with 90 seconds' rest. The other should be a steady 25 to 40 minute run at a pace you could talk at. Add a third session of actual beep test practice every second week.
Practise the turns. Plant one foot on or over the line, turn on the beep and accelerate. Arriving early and waiting is fine at the low levels; it wastes nothing and keeps your rhythm.
Practise with free beep test audio
Run the 20 m shuttle test in your browser with spoken level calls, and see exactly how far 7.01 and 6.01 are.
Sit-up, push-ups and grip: the strength checks
These three events are short but strict. The standards look low (sit-ups: minimum 1; push-ups: minimum 10, on toes; grip: 30 kg), which is exactly why people underprepare and then fail on technique.
The sit-up (one rep, three attempts)
You lie on your back, arms crossed with hands touching your shoulders, knees bent to about 90 degrees. You sit up until your elbows reach your knees, and both feet must stay on the ground without sliding or lifting. Heels down with toes raised is allowed. Fail three times and WA won't let you attempt the bag lift, because weak trunk control raises injury risk.
Push-ups (10 reps, one attempt)
Start at the top on your toes, legs straight and feet together, hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Lower until your elbows are at 90 degrees or less with a straight body, then press fully back up. You can't pause for more than 3 seconds between reps, and three consecutive reps with poor form is a fail.
Grip (30 kg, each hand)
WA uses an adjustable dynamometer with your arm by your side and elbow bent at 90 degrees. You squeeze as hard as you can for about 3 seconds, dominant hand first. You need 30 kg on both the left and right hands.
Train these
- ✓Push-ups: 4 sets a session, 3 sessions a week, stopping 2 reps short of failure
- ✓Sit-ups: slow, feet-down sit-ups with arms crossed, 3 x 10
- ✓Grip: dead hangs, farmer's carries and towel holds, twice a week
- ✓Practise the exact WA push-up depth on a 5 cm block
Common ways to fail
- ✕Feet sliding in the sit-up because you've only trained with them anchored
- ✕Half-depth push-ups that feel fine at home but don't count
- ✕Pausing too long at the top of a push-up
- ✕Only training your dominant hand's grip
The 35 kg bag lift and carry
This is the event most applicants have never practised, and it's the one most closely tied to the job: lifting and moving a dead weight safely. You lift a 35 kg Aqua Bag (a water-filled training bag that shifts as you move), carry it 20 m at hip height, and place it on a table about 70 cm high.
- 1
Set up
Feet about shoulder width either side of the bag, chest up, back flat. Grip the bag's handles or hug it low.
- 2
Lift with your legs
Brace your trunk, drive through your heels and stand up tall. No rounding of the lower back, no jerking. The assessor is watching technique.
- 3
Carry at your hips
Hold the bag at hip height the whole way. Walk only, with short, steady steps, for 20 m.
- 4
Place it on the table
Lift it onto the table (about 70 cm) under control. A dropped bag at any point is a fail.
You have two attempts. If you can't yet deadlift your own bodyweight for a few reps, the bag will feel heavy, so train the hinge first. Water-filled bags are awkward because the load moves, which punishes a loose trunk.
How to train for it
Twice a week for 8 weeks
- ✓ Kettlebell or trap-bar deadlifts, 4 x 6, building towards bodyweight
- ✓ Zercher or bear-hug carries with a sandbag, 4 x 20 m
- ✓ Farmer's carries with 2 x 20 kg, 4 x 30 m for grip and trunk
- ✓ Box squats or step-ups for leg drive, 3 x 10
- ✓ Dead bugs and side planks for bracing, 3 x 30 s
- ✓ Once a fortnight: lift a 30-35 kg sandbag to a 70 cm bench
WA's free Fit for Duty 8-week programme
Fit for Duty is WA Police's own free training programme, built by the physical trainers at the WA Police Academy. You register on the Let's Join Forces site with your name, email, postcode and date of birth, and a new week arrives by email. It's the best place to start, because it's written by the people who will train you.
Length
- What you get
- 8 weeks, at your own pace
Cost
- What you get
- Free
Written by
- What you get
- WA Police Academy physical trainers
Each week
- What you get
- A gym (strength) programme, an endurance programme and a running programme
Levels
- What you get
- Advanced alternatives for every movement
Equipment
- What you get
- Adaptable with or without gym access
| Feature | What you get |
|---|---|
| Length | 8 weeks, at your own pace |
| Cost | Free |
| Written by | WA Police Academy physical trainers |
| Each week | A gym (strength) programme, an endurance programme and a running programme |
| Levels | Advanced alternatives for every movement |
| Equipment | Adaptable with or without gym access |
Week 1 sets the tone. The gym session is full-body: bodyweight and goblet squats, banded and bent-over rows, glute bridges and hip thrusts, push-ups and dead bugs. The endurance session is a circuit of three rounds (four if advanced) with 30 to 45 seconds of work and rest, using lunges, incline push-ups, step-ups, planks, sprawls and burpees. The running programme opens with a baseline beep test.
What Fit for Duty doesn't do
It's a general programme, so it doesn't drill the PPE events themselves. Add a weekly Illinois run and a fortnightly bag-carry rehearsal on top. Those two events reward practice more than raw fitness.
An 8-week plan that trains every PPE event
If you'd rather follow one plan that names every event, use this outline. It assumes three to four sessions a week and that you can already run for 20 minutes. If you can't, add two to four weeks of easy run-walk first.
- 1
Weeks 1-2: baseline and technique
3 sessionsTest yourself on all six events and write the numbers down. Run twice a week (one interval, one steady). Learn the hinge with a kettlebell. Practise strict push-ups and feet-down sit-ups. One Illinois walk-through and timed run.
- 2
Weeks 3-4: build volume
4 sessionsIntervals go to 6 x 400 m. Steady runs reach 30 minutes. Deadlifts 4 x 6 and carries 4 x 20 m. Push-ups 4 sets to 2 short of failure. Grip work twice a week. Timed Illinois run every week.
- 3
Week 5: deload
3 lighter sessionsHalve the volume, keep the intensity. Retest the beep test and agility. If you're more than a level short on the beep test, add a third weekly run from week 6.
- 4
Weeks 6-7: event-specific
4 sessionsBeep test practice every week. 8 x 400 m or 4 x 800 m intervals. A full mock PPE in week 7, in the WA order if you know it, with the attempts WA allows. Sandbag lift to a 70 cm bench.
- 5
Week 8: taper and test
2 sessions + testTwo short, sharp sessions early in the week, then rest for 48 hours before the PPE. Sleep well, eat normally, and arrive early.
Want this built around your own numbers and test date? Our paid AI Fitness Test Pass Plan ($24.99 one-off, 180 days' access) takes your force, current scores, equipment, injuries and weeks to go, and writes a week-by-week programme that attacks your weakest events first. It's optional: Fit for Duty plus this outline is enough for many applicants.
Doing the PPE if you live outside Perth
WA Police says the PPE is held at the WA Police Academy in Joondalup. If you don't live in the Perth metropolitan area, you'll be asked to source a qualified physical trainer to oversee the PPE, and WA Police will send instructions.
Questions to ask before you book a trainer
- What qualification does the trainer need, and who pays for the session?
- What equipment must the venue have (35 kg Aqua Bag, a 70 cm table, a dynamometer, 20 m of non-slip floor)?
- How are results submitted, and is video required?
WA Police's instructions answer these; we haven't seen them, so don't assume.
Regional applicants have a real incentive to get this right. WA's academy is at WA Police Academy, Joondalup (30 km north of Perth CBD), and the state's regional recruiting push means free on-site accommodation for regional recruits during Academy training (see our WA Police profile).
If you fail: attempts, retests and requalifying
The fact sheet sets out the attempts you get on the day for each event (see the table above). What it doesn't publish is a waiting period before you can sit the whole PPE again after a fail. We looked on the recruitment process page, the fact sheet and the fitness preparation article and found none.
Requalifying is a real possibility
WA Police says applicants who reach the selection pool may be required to attend the Academy to requalify in the PPE before being eligible for selection. You must also tell Police Recruitment straight away if you're injured before starting at the Academy. Passing once isn't the end of training.
If you fail an event, ask the assessors exactly why: depth on push-ups, a clipped cone, feet moving in the sit-up. Then ask WA Police Recruitment when you can retest. Those are the only people who can give you a firm answer.
Two of WA's six events give you one attempt. Train to pass them with room to spare, not on the line.
Test-day checklist
Before and on the day
- ✓ Confirm the time and location (Joondalup, or your approved trainer)
- ✓ Photo ID and any forms WA Police sends you
- ✓ Running shoes with grip for agility turns and the beep test
- ✓ Light layers you can strip off before the beep test
- ✓ Water, and a normal meal 2-3 hours before
- ✓ No hard training in the 48 hours beforehand
- ✓ Walk the Illinois course and say the route out loud
- ✓ Bank a clean first agility run; use the second to go faster
Tell the assessors before you start if you're carrying any injury. A PPE done on a sore knee or shoulder can turn into weeks off training, which costs you more than rescheduling.
Beyond the PPE: what Academy fitness looks like
WA Police's fact sheet is candid that most physical training at the Academy is high intensity, and that you're responsible for keeping fit throughout the recruitment process. It lists the kinds of sessions you'll face and gives an example maintenance week.
Monday
- Example maintenance session (WA Police fact sheet)
- Intervals: 6 x 600 m hard with 100 m walk recovery
Tuesday
- Example maintenance session (WA Police fact sheet)
- Weights, 3 x 10: dumbbell bench press, lat pulldown, dumbbell shoulder press, dumbbell squats, triceps pushdowns, biceps curls
Wednesday
- Example maintenance session (WA Police fact sheet)
- Rest or light activity
Thursday
- Example maintenance session (WA Police fact sheet)
- Run 3-8 km at a constant pace
Friday
- Example maintenance session (WA Police fact sheet)
- Bodyweight circuit, 20 reps each (push-ups, squats, sit-ups, lunges, Russian twists, supine pull-ups), 3 rounds with 3 minutes' recovery
Saturday
- Example maintenance session (WA Police fact sheet)
- 30-minute easy bike ride or run
Sunday
- Example maintenance session (WA Police fact sheet)
- Rest or light activity
| Day | Example maintenance session (WA Police fact sheet) |
|---|---|
| Monday | Intervals: 6 x 600 m hard with 100 m walk recovery |
| Tuesday | Weights, 3 x 10: dumbbell bench press, lat pulldown, dumbbell shoulder press, dumbbell squats, triceps pushdowns, biceps curls |
| Wednesday | Rest or light activity |
| Thursday | Run 3-8 km at a constant pace |
| Friday | Bodyweight circuit, 20 reps each (push-ups, squats, sit-ups, lunges, Russian twists, supine pull-ups), 3 rounds with 3 minutes' recovery |
| Saturday | 30-minute easy bike ride or run |
| Sunday | Rest or light activity |
Academy sessions listed by WA Police: interval running, hill sprints, bodyweight sessions, 3 km timed runs, gym strength sessions and an obstacle course.
While you wait for an intake, keep the rest of your application moving. Practise for the panel interview with our AI mock interview, and check what you'll earn on our WA Police salary page. The $79.99 Recruit Prep Bundle includes the fitness plan with interview and exam practice if you want all three.
Comparing forces? See how WA's PPE stacks up against the SA Police fit-for-duty circuit, the Tasmania Police fitness test, the NT Police fitness assessment and the AFP fitness test.
Free email alerts
Get told if the WA Police PPE standards change
WA updated its PPE fact sheet in January 2025. If the beep levels, agility times or bag weight change again, or the Fit for Duty programme reopens, we'll email you the same week.
- ✓PPE standard changes for WA
- ✓Fit for Duty and intake news
- ✓New WA recruiting guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the WA Police fitness test called?
It is the Physical Performance Evaluation, or PPE. You sit it in Stage 1 of the recruitment process, alongside the integrity check, tattoo review and psychological evaluation. It has six events: agility, a sit-up, push-ups, grip strength, a 35 kg bag lift and carry, and the 20 m beep test.
What beep test level do you need for WA Police?
Recruit and cadet applicants need level 7.01 if male and level 6.01 if female, according to WA Police's PPE fact sheet. Custody support applicants have lower levels (5.01 and 4.01). You get one attempt. If you miss the line on two successive beeps you are removed from the test.
How many push-ups do you need for WA Police?
Recruit applicants need 10 push-ups on their toes, men and women alike. Cadet and custody support applicants need 5. You lower until your elbows are at 90 degrees or less and cannot rest more than 3 seconds between reps. Three consecutive reps with incorrect technique is a fail, and there is only one attempt.
How heavy is the WA Police bag carry?
The bag is a 35 kg Aqua Bag. You lift it with correct technique, walk 20 m carrying it at hip height, and place it on a table about 70 cm high. You may only walk. Dropping it, lifting badly or carrying unsafely is a fail. Two attempts are allowed.
Is the WA Police Fit for Duty programme free?
Yes. Fit for Duty is a free eight-week programme written by the physical trainers at the WA Police Academy. You register on the Let's Join Forces website and receive a strength, endurance and running programme by email each week, with harder alternatives for every movement and options with or without a gym.
Can I resit the WA Police PPE if I fail?
WA Police publishes the number of attempts for each event on the day, but the fact sheet we read does not state a waiting period before a full retest. Ask WA Police Recruitment directly before you book. Also note you may be asked to requalify in the PPE at the Academy before being selected from the pool.
Where is the WA Police PPE held?
At the WA Police Academy in Joondalup. If you live outside the Perth metropolitan area, WA Police says you will need to source a qualified physical trainer to oversee your PPE, and it will send instructions on how that works.
Is the WA agility test the same as the standard Illinois test?
No. WA uses a modified Illinois agility test with a far line 9.14 m from the start, a prone start with your chest on the ground, and a weave through cones there and back. Touching a cone, running the wrong way or not running both feet around the cones is a fail.
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.
- WA Police Force: Applicant Physical Performance Evaluation fact sheet (updated 31 January 2025) — event protocols, attempts, custody support standards, maintenance programme
- Let's Join Forces (WA Police Force): Entry-level officer recruitment process
- Let's Join Forces: Get Fit for Duty — free 8-week programme
- Let's Join Forces: Fit for Duty, week 1 — session types
- Let's Join Forces: Fitness test preparation
Related guides
Joining the police
More in this series
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.