Hiring Process

All police cadet candidates must submit an online application and provide an updated PDF copy of your Experian credit report. You can obtain your Experian credit report from www.Experian.com or www.AnnualCreditReport.com. Your credit report must be dated within 30 days of your application.

IMPORTANT: We contact all applicants via email throughout the hiring process. It is recommended that you “whitelist” or add iCIMS to your approved/safe sender list to ensure that our emails are properly delivered to your inbox and not marked as spam. Not taking this step may result in you missing important updates regarding your application. 

SUBMITTING INFORMATION: Applicants should not send any personal information, such as a credit report, social security card, or driver’s license information to us via email. Submitting personal information by email is not a secure form of communication. Instead, please upload these documents directly into the iCIMS portal by logging into the system. Applicants with questions are asked to contact the Recruiting Office directly at 512-974-4211 for assistance on this matter. 

After submitting an application online, each one is reviewed for disqualifying factors. Applicants who pass the Intake Review will be contacted via email and scheduled for Phase I Testing. Candidates will also be provided with a link to complete an electronic Background History Statement (BHS) at this time. You must complete the BHS form prior to attending Phase I Testing (more details can be found on the Background Investigation tab). 

Those who do not pass the Intake Review process will be contacted via email and provided with an eligibility date to reapply, if applicable. Some disqualifiers are permanent. Please visit the FAQ section of our website for information on potential disqualifiers. 

Applicants who pass the Intake Review process will be scheduled for Phase I Testing. The electronic Background History Statement (BHS), which is requested upon successful completion of the Intake Process, must be completed and submitted online prior to attending Phase I Testing.

This portion of the process is a one day event and includes the written exam, a series of psychological questionnaires, and the physical fitness tests. Applicants will be required to bring the following documentation to Phase I Testing:

• Original/Certified Birth Certificate
• Naturalization documents, if applicable
• Social security card
• Current driver’s license
• High school diploma, official high school transcripts, or GED
• Official departmental forms (link provided in testing confirmation email)

Because the physical fitness tests will be conducted on this day, applicants are encouraged to wear athletic attire and to bring drinks or snacks. 

Failure to sit for the written exam or failure to earn a passing score of at least 70 will result in your disqualification from the hiring process. Applicants must review the Reading Comprehension Manual prior to sitting for the exam - a number of questions on the exam will be based on this reading material. We also strongly suggest that you review the Candidate Orientation Guide and take the free practice exam. This will give you a better understanding of what to expect on the day of the exam.  

The psychological questionnaires administered include the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI). Both are designed to measure a variety of personality and psychological factors related to police work. Results will be reviewed by a psychologist and follow-up questions may be asked during the psychological interview in Phase II.

The physical fitness test is Pass/Fail. Applicants will complete a timed 1.5 mile run and a 500 meter sprint row test. Scores on these tests will be averaged. Your minimum average score must be in the 70th percentile to pass. Any combination of scores averaging at least 70% will result in a passing score. Applicants will run the timed 1.5 mile route, rest for 20 minutes, and then complete the 500 meter sprint row test.

Time requirements for 1.5 mile run:

Applicants will complete a timed 1.5 mile run on an outdoor track. The times listed below are in minutes and are separated by gender and age category. All times listed are at the 70th percentile. Use this as your baseline to determine where you currently stand and whether or not you need to improve your time prior to testing.

Row requirements: Applicants must conduct a 500 meter sprint row on a Concept 2 row machine with a damper setting of 5. Scores are based on your row time and gender. Applicants who stop rowing before completing the 500 meters or who do not pass the minimum standard as outlined above will be disqualified and cannot continue in the hiring process. The row times listed below are in minutes and are separated by gender. Times listed are at the 70th percentile.

Males: 1 minute 48 seconds

Females: 2 minutes 7 seconds

Cadets in the police academy must complete this same physical fitness test and score a minimum average score of 80% in order to graduate. Do not underestimate this test! Below are a list of resources related to the row test. You are also welcome to schedule time to visit the Recruiting Office during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.) to receive instruction from a member of the Recruiting team if necessary. Please consult your physician before starting any strenuous physical exercise program. 

Row resources:

Concept 2 website, with training video

Candidates who pass all aspects of Phase I Testing with a score of 70 or above will move on to the Background Investigation stage of the hiring process.

Applicants will submit an electronic Background History Statement (BHS) and a list of required documents to the Recruiting Unit online through the iCIMS portal prior to attending Phase I Testing. In order to prepare for the amount of information required in the Background Investigation phase, it is highly recommended that applicants begin gathering this information immediately after submitting the initial application. You will be asked to provide:

• Last 10 years of chronological work and volunteer history, including phone numbers and email addresses for a supervisor and coworker at each place of employment or for each volunteer position
• Last 10 years of chronological residence history
• Last 10 years of relationship history including names, phone numbers, and email addresses for current and past relationships
• Life history of vehicle crashes, citations, and warnings
• Contact information for all immediate family members including parents, step-parents, adoptive parents, in-laws, siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, adoptive siblings and all children
• Contact information for 5 personal references that you have known for at least 2 years (cannot include family members, current/prior relationship, or current/prior supervisors/coworkers that are already listed in your work history section)

Documentation that must be submitted electronically through the iCIMS portal:

• Driver’s license
• Social security card
• High school diploma, official high school transcripts or GED
• Original or certified birth certificate
• Naturalization documents, if applicable
• College transcripts, if applicable
• DD214 (Member 4 or Service 2 versions only) or good standing letter from Commanding Officer if active military, if applicable
• Marriage license(s), if applicable
• Divorce decree(s) and addendum(s), if applicable
• Last 2 earnings statements from your current job or last filed tax return if unemployed
• Current or prior law enforcement: Copy of personnel file and any Internal Affairs investigations in which you have been involved. If you are unable to obtain this documentation, you must provide an addendum explaining the reason(s) why and what you did to attempt to obtain this information.
• You may be asked to supply an updated Experian credit report at some point during the background investigation

Once the applicant has provided all of the required information, uploaded copies of required documentation to the iCIMS portal, and passed Phase I Testing, a Background Investigator will conduct the investigation. Applicants are expected to communicate with their assigned investigators in a timely manner throughout this stage of the hiring process. Failure to respond with required information, or a failure to communicate in a timely manner will result in your disqualification. 

Applicants who successfully complete the Background Investigation stage of the hiring process will be invited to complete Phase II Testing. This is a 2-day process and consists of:

• Psychological interview – The psychological interview is conducted by a Department psychologist and consists of a one-on-one interview with the applicant along with a review of the previously taken psychological questionnaires (MMPI & IPI). The psychologist will decide whether or not the candidate meets the mental and emotional fitness to function successfully as a police cadet and upon graduation, as an Austin Police Officer. Candidates should dress in business formal attire for this interview. The psychological interview and oral board interview are scheduled to occur on the same day. 
• Oral board interview –The candidate will be sat in front of a panel of Austin Police officers ranging from the rank of officer to lieutenant. During the oral board, the applicant will be asked questions designed to demonstrate certain knowledge, skills and abilities considered basic for the effective performance as a police officer. Candidates should dress in business formal attire for the oral board interview. 
• Polygraph examination – The candidate will receive instructions on how to prepare for the polygraph examination. A pre-polygraph questionnaire will be completed during Phase I Testing. The polygraph examiner will develop your examination from the information you give on the pre-polygraph questionnaire and from the report provided by your background investigator. The polygraph examination is approximately a 2 hour process. 
• Medical assessment – Applicants who successfully complete all previous stages of the hiring process will be required to take a general fitness assessment and medical examination conducted by Austin Police Wellness staff. Each candidate’s physical and medical condition will be evaluated to ensure that he/she can function safely as a police cadet. If the applicant’s medical history or the physical findings by the Department physician indicate the need for further clarification the applicant will be required to submit their medical records to the Austin Police Staff Physician. Upon completion of the physical assessment, the candidate will be given directions to proceed directly to a medical facility to undergo a collection of bodily fluids and hair samples. The samples will be analyzed to detect the use of illegal drugs.  

Applicants who successfully pass Phase I Testing, the Background Investigation, and Phase II Testing will be offered a conditional offer of employment. This offer is conditional upon the successful completion of the remaining portions of the application process and upon funding authorization by the City of Austin. For Modified Academy cadets who are not from Texas, this offer is also conditional upon completion of the TCOLE out of state process. See the Modified Academy portion of the Academy page on our website for additional information about this process. 

All applicants must attend a mandatory orientation session at the Training Academy approximately 3-5 weeks prior to the start of the Academy. Applicants who do not attend orientation are subject to disqualification and the conditional offer of employment will be rescinded. At orientation you will meet Cadet Training staff, members of the APD executive team, and your classmates. Cadet Training staff will outline expectations for the first day of the Academy. You are encouraged to bring a close friend or family member with you to orientation. Keeping them involved in the process is important and this opportunity allows them to establish friendships with other spouses, family members, etc. A strong support system starts here.