Although there are some minor differences in how training is facilitated, statewide minimum standards hold strong. An applicant cannot have any felony convictions. She must pass a fingerprint and criminal history check. California Code Section 1031 and 1031.5 requires peace officers to be United States citizens or permanent resident aliens who are eligible for and has applied for citizenship. Applicants must pass a background check, be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or GED. They must undergo a medical and psychological suitability examination. Candidates must have an employment interview.
Once the application has been submitted and accepted, a candidate will need to pass the reading and writing ability test. The reading ability test is given in two sections. The first consists of 20 questions which come from passages in the test. After reading the passage, the applicant must answer questions regarding what has been read. He must read a passage which has 40 words missing, each replaced by dashed lines representative of the length of the word. The test-taker must formulate from his own vocabulary the words that fit each of the blanks.
The writing portion of the test is divided into three sections. First, test-takers must decide which sentence of two is clearly written as what is known as the clarity portion. Next is the spelling portion of the test. Here, the applicant must simply pick which of the four choices given is the correct spelling of the word missing from the sentence that is given. Lastly, the applicant must choose the correct words to replace other words in a sentence. The correct answer will be the word which represents terminology in law enforcement and is a synonym of an underlined word in the sentence.
Most academies require a physical agility test as a prerequisite to earning a place in the academy. It will usually be taken the same day as the written and reading test. The PAT varies from academy to academy if taken at all. Most PATs include a 99-yard obstacle course, 165 lb. body drag for 32 feet, a chain link fence and a solid wall climb, a 500-yard sprint and a 1.5 mile run to be completed in 14 minutes or less.
An applicant will become a cadet once she enters the basic academy. The basic academy is where the actual preparedness for police work is taught. There basic academy offers 41 domains of study from Policing in the Community to Crimes to Crimes Against Children to Gang Awareness. In addition to studies, there is regular daily physical fitness, qualifying with a weapon and driver training. Training can take from six months to a year, depending on which format is taken.
Once all of the above is completed, it is time to start looking for employment. Some jobs can be found at the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, which is a government website. Other job locations will be internet job search site such as Monsterjobs.com and Careerbuilder.com. Where there is employment, remember there will be a 12 to 24 month probationary period. The actual age for employment for cadets is 21.