QPS Entrance Assessment

How to apply to become a police recruit

Before applying to become a police recruit, you must be eligible and have either successfully completed the QPS Entrance Assessment (QPSea) or meet one of the exemption criteria listed below.

The QPSea assesses the following areas: literacy, reasoning ability, and writing ability. Please note: digital literacy and numeracy are no longer part of the assessment. From 9 May, 2023, QPS Recruiting will cover the costs for the QPSea (conditions apply – see below FAQ).

To request a QPSea (ACER) voucher, complete the Eligibility form and if eligible, submit the ‘Expression of Interest’.

It is an expectation from QPS that when an applicant is issued with a voucher, they will:

Log on to the ACER website and make a booking within 7 days of receipt of voucher; and
Ensure compliance with ACER registration requirements, including their rescheduling or cancellation process; and
The QPS will only pay for one voucher per person, and will only subsidise applicants who only have to resit up to 2 resit components. Applicants who need to resit 3 or more components will be responsible for the associated payments.

QPSea exemption criteria

Individuals who meet one of the below criteria, may be exempt from completing the QPS Entrance Assessment:

Have an ATAR of at least 80 (or OP score of 10 or below), with a ‘C’ or ‘pass’ grade in English and General Mathematics in Year 12 from an Australian educational institution.
Hold a bachelor degree (or higher) as identified by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF level 7 or higher) which has been undertaken in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, or the Republic of Ireland. Consideration may be given to an exemption if the applicant can provide evidence that the degree was completed in English and it meets the Australian Qualifications Framework requirements.
Hold a diploma qualification (AQF level 5 or higher), completed with an Australian educational institution and has completed Year 12 in Australia with a ‘C’ or ‘pass’ grade in English and General Mathematics.
Passed the QPS entrance assessment (QPSea) within the last 3 years.
Are a current or recently resigned police officer from Australian or New Zealand jurisdictions (including QPS) and meet the eligibility requirements to undertake an accelerated program, including the PACE program. To be eligible for this exemption you need to meet all of the following criteria:
- Current or recently resigned police officer from Australian or New Zealand jurisdictions (including QPS),
- Minimum of 2 years policing experience,
- Maximum of 5 years since resigning, and
- Years of operational policing experience is greater than years since resigning.

QPSea FAQs

What is the QPS Entrance Assessment (QPSea) and who pays?

As policing is a dynamic industry, it’s important to ensure that our future operational workforce is well equipped to meet challenges they will face. Testing incorporates a mixture of literacy, writing skills, and abstract reasoning. Note: digital literacy and numeracy are no longer part of the assessment.

The Queensland Police Service Entrance Assessment (QPSea) is administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of QPS. To be eligible to undertake the QPSea you must meet all of the eligibility requirements.

To be eligible to apply to become a QPS police recruit, you need to either:

Pass all of the associated assessment areas: Literacy, Abstract Reasoning, and Online Writing. Note: digital literacy and numeracy are no longer part of the assessment.
Be eligible for an exemption from the QPSea.

From May 9, 2023, QPS Recruiting will pay for one QPSea, and the cost for the resit for those who need to resit up to 2 components, for each applicant. If the QPS has paid for an applicant to undertake the QPSea, which includes those who are a ‘no show’, the QPS will not pay for a further assessment; however the applicant can pay at their own cost.

Note: It is an expectation from QPS that when an applicant is issued with a voucher, they will:

Log on to the ACER website and make a booking within 7 days of receipt of voucher; and
Ensure compliance with ACER registration requirements, including their rescheduling or cancellation process; and
The QPS will only pay for one voucher per person, and will pay for up to 2 resit components. The applicant will be responsible for any further payments.

Where can I get more information?

Go to the ACER’s QPS website. This includes:

structure and content of the assessments
booking the assessment – venue or remotely
preparing for the assessment
payment
resits
when you will receive the results
additional FAQs.

What if I don’t pass the QPSea tests?

You will be able to re-sit the specific tests you did not pass. Please refer to the QPSea Candidate booklet for more information on this.

The QPS will only pay for one voucher per person, and will only subsidise applicants who only have to resit up to 2 resit components.

Applicants who need to resit 3 or more components will be responsible for the associated payments. Full conditions will be provided when the voucher is issued.

How long is my successful QPSea result valid for?

Your successful QPSea result is valid for 3 years. If you have passed your QPSea but have paused your application process, or need to resit another stage of the application, you do not need to resit your QPSea within this 3 year period.

Does the QPS earn money from QPSea testing?

No. The cost of testing is to pay for the administration, coordination, resourcing and marking of the QPSea testing by ACER. QPS do not receive monetary benefits from QPSea testing payments.

Why are QPS outsourcing these tests?

There are a number of reasons QPS has moved to the QPSea testing administered by ACER including:

Accessibility - Prior to the new QPSea testing, supervised testing was available at only two venues in Queensland (Brisbane and Townsville). QPSea testing is more geographically accessible with assessments being conducted every six weeks at eight venues throughout Queensland as well as being available via online proctored testing throughout the year. Testing is now more accessible for candidates who are regional, rural, remote, interstate or internationally based.
Transparency and fairness - Clear testing requirements, instructions and example tests are now provided to candidates prior to testing. This provides applicants the ability to prepare and practice to give them the best chance of success for testing.

View General FAQs