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Frequently Asked Questions
Information | General | Education | RCMP Police Aptitude Test Battery (RPAB) | RCMP Police Aptitude Test (RPAT) | Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE) | Selection Process | Medical | Training Academy | Postings | Aboriginals | Salary | Pension transfers - DND
Information
1. Where can I obtain an application for
employment as a police officer?
General
3. Do I have to be bilingual?
4. Do I have to meet any basic requirements to be hired as an RCMP constable?
5. What if I used drugs in the past?
6. While I am a Canadian Citizen, I live outside of Canada, can I still apply?
Education
8. What kind of courses should I take in
high school, college or university to prepare for a career as a regular
member with the RCMP?
9. I just completed high school, can I apply?
10. What if I was educated outside Canada?
RCMP Police Aptitude Test Battery (RPAB)
11. What
score do I need to obtain in the RCMP Police Aptitude Battery (RPAB)
to advance to the next stage in the recruiting process?
12. If I fail the RPAB test, can I reapply? Is there a cost to write the RPAB?
13. How long is my written test score good for?
14. How is my final score calculated for the RPAB?
RCMP Police Aptitude Test (RPAT)
15. Where is my raw
RCMP Police Aptitude Test (RPAT) score? Why is my score reported on
a scale from 0 to 5?
16. What do my component scores mean?
17. Am I required to write the Six Factor Personality Questionnaire (SFPQ)?
19. Why is the conscientiousness score being considered for the recruiting process?
Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation
(PARE)
21. How do I prepare for the PARE test?
22. How much does the PARE testing cost?
Selection Process
23. What are my chances of being
selected for the Cadet Training Program?
24. How long does the entire selection process take?
25. What are the different tests and exams administered during the selection process?
Medical
26. Do I need perfect vision
to apply as a regular member (police officer) of the RCMP?
27. Can I still apply if I had laser surgery?
Training Academy
28. What kind of training is involved
in becoming an RCMP officer?
29. How physically fit should I be before attending the Training Academy?
30. What kind of physical training is involved at the Training Academy?
31. Do I have to pay to attend the training?
32. Should I take a leave of absence to attend training?
Postings
34. What happens after I graduate?
36. Once I’m posted, what kind of duties will I be assigned?
37. How long before I can get into a specialized unit?
38. Is it possible to apply for a position in forensic investigation?
Aboriginals
40. As an Aboriginal or Inuit person,
what are my chances of being posted back to my home area? Can I be
posted somewhere else in Canada? Do I have to be posted to a specific
community?
Salary/Rank
42. How much are newly engaged (hired)
police officers paid?
43. Once I become a member of the RCMP, what rank will I hold?
Pension transfers - DND
44. I am a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces. Can I transfer my pension to the RCMP or elect to pay back the return of contributions?
Information
1. Where can I obtain an application for
employment as a police officer?
You can obtain an application for police officer by attending an Information Session. Please see the Recruiting Contacts/Information sessions for the current dates, times and location in your area.
You may contact the nearest recruiting office. There is an abundance of information on the recruiting pages of the RCMP website.
General
No, but you must be proficient in either English or French. Applicants may be required to take a second language evaluation (SLE) test in one of Canada’s official languages (English or French)
4. Do I have to meet any basic requirements to be hired as an RCMP constable?
To become a regular member (constable) with the RCMP, you must:
- be a Canadian Citizen;
- be proficient in either of Canada’s official languages;
- have a Canadian secondary school diploma or equivalent;
- possess a valid, unrestricted Canadian driver’s licence; and,
- be 19 years of age when you are hired;
See Basic Requirements for more information.
5. What if I used drugs in the past?
The experiences of each applicant are evaluated on an individual basis. Our selection process is exceptionally thorough and includes several in-depth interviews, a polygraph examination and a background investigation. All information, including any previous drug use, is considered and a final decision is made.
6. I am a Canadian Citizen, but I live outside Canada, can I still apply?
Unfortunately, the recruiting process is conducted in Canada only. If you meet the basic requirements and wish to apply to become a regular member of the RCMP, you will have to travel to Canada at your own expense. To find out about the next available information session, consult the list of recruiting offices.
7. What are the age requirements to be hired as a police officer? What are the age requirements to apply?
You may apply at 18 years of age. However, you must be 19 years of age to be engaged (hired) as a regular member (police officer) of the RCMP.
Education
8. What kind of courses should I take in high
school, college or university to prepare for a career as a regular
member with the RCMP?
The RCMP does not recommend one course of study over another. While one of the basic requirements is a high school diploma or equivalent, we hire applicants from all educational background and areas of study. The RCMP also promotes and encourages continuous learning. The RCMP offers a wide variety of assignments that often requires knowledge in a specific field of study.
9. I just completed high school, can I apply?
Yes, one of the basic requirements is a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent.
10. What if I was educated outside of Canada?
If your education was obtained outside Canada, you will require an equivalency assessment. You may obtain this equivalency through International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (I.C.A.S.) www.icascanada.ca.Your original education documents and the I.C.A.S. evaluation is required with your application.
RCMP Police Aptitude Battery (RPAB)
11. What score do I need to obtain in the RCMP Police
Aptitude Battery (RPAB) to advance to the next stage in the recruiting
process?
The selection scores vary at any given time and also from province to province. Also, the selection scores within any particular province fluctuate depending on the number of applicants writing the test, how competitive the scores are, and how many recruits are being selected. As a result of these factors, the scores will be higher in some provinces than others. For your information, the average score for the RPAB is 246.93.
12. If I fail the RPAB test, can I reapply? Is there
a cost to write the RPAB?
Yes, you may write again but you must wait
one year before retaking the test. There is no cost to write the test.
13. How long is my written test score good for?
Results from the RPAB are valid for one year.
14. How is my final score calculated for the RPAB?
The RCMP Police Aptitude Battery (RPAB) aggregate score is based on the successful RPAT score (minimum 3.2/5.0) and the Six Factor Personality Questionnaire’s (SFPQ) Conscientiousness score. Steps used in calculating the aggregate score ensure that both components are combined fairly and that the RCMP uses the best possible combination of these measures. The steps are:
STEP 1 — This first step is similar to the response under the question, "Where is my RPAT raw score? Why is my score reported on a scale from 0 to 5?" (below). Because the RPAT and the SFPQ use different scales, their findings must be transferred to a common scale. The standardization process we use is an very common mathematical procedure and can be found to any introductory statistics book.
STEP 2 — Based on available research of personnel selection best practices, the RCMP applies a 60% weight on RPAT score and a 40% weight on the SFPQ’s score. The converted RPAT score from Step1 is multiplied by 0.60; the converted SFPQ score is multiplied by 0.40. The two totals are then added together.
STEP 3 — In the final step, the combined score is placed on a new scale. A score on this scale ranges from 0 to 500, with 250 being the average score.
RCMP Police Aptitude Test (RPAT)
15.
Where is my raw RCMP Police Aptitude Test (RPAT) score? Why is my
score reported on a scale from 0 to 5?
Consider the following scenario. A person writes a selection exam called the Celsius. The person obtains a raw score of 20. A second person writes a second exam measuring the same concepts, but this one is called the Fahrenheit. The second individual obtains a raw score of 68. When comparing these two raw scores, it would appear that the second individual did much better. Actually, because the scales used for the two scores are different, the scores are not comparable. The scores must be converted to a common scale before they can be compared. If this transformation was done in our example, it would be concluded that the two individuals actually performed equally well: to convert the Fahrenheit to the scale used in the Celsius, subtract 32 and multiply by 5/9. Because there are several different forms of the RPAT, the RCMP has chosen to report RPAT scores in a standardized format.
Every exam has a unique scale. This unique scale is defined by the
questions on the exam. If you change a question on the exam, you
have changed the scale. Characteristics of the exams such as the difficulty
of the questions, the number of options available in each question,
and the number of questions all play a role in defining an exam’s
scale.
If you want to compare scores from various versions of the exam, you must place
every one of the exams to be compared on a common scale. In the case of the
RPAT, there are several versions (forms) of the test such that a common scale
was required. We must be able to make identical conclusions regardless of what
form you have written, and this can only be accomplished with a common scale.
The scale chosen is one modeled after the grade point average used by many
universities, except that our scale ranges from 0.00 to 5.00 rather than 0.00
to 4.00. The pass mark for the RPAT is set at 3.20.
This scale can be applied to every version of the RPAT. In that the raw scores on their own are not interpretable, they will no longer be included in any subsequent feedback regarding RPAT performances. By the way, if you divide your obtained RPAT score by 5, you will get a rough estimate of the percentage obtained of the total possible points available (e.g., you need roughly 64% -- 3.2 divided by 5 -- to pass the RPAT).
16. What do my component scores mean?
All components are miniature tests within the overall test. This means that each of these mini-tests has its own scale. Like the raw score for the overall test, the raw scores for each of these mini-tests cannot be interpreted on their own. To ensure they are interchangeable with various forms of the RPAT, each mini-test has to be put on a common scale. In addition, to be able make a conclusion such as, “I’m strong in memory but weak in logic”, the mini-tests within each form must be on the same scale.
For the RPAT components, the scale we’ve chosen has an average score of 2.50. This means if you obtained a component score of less than 2.50, you have demonstrated below average performance for that particular component. If your score is above 2.50, you have demonstrated an above average performance for that particular component. The higher your score, the better you did. With this scaling in place, you can compare component scores obtained by different people even if they wrote different versions of the RPAT. In addition, you can compare your scores over administrations, even if you wrote different versions of the RPAT.
The scale chosen for the components (i.e., the mini-tests) is not the same as the scale chosen for the total RPAT score (i.e., the overall test). This was done intentionally to emphasize the different purposes of the two sets of scores (i.e., for decision making for the total RPAT score, and for feedback to candidates for the component scores). You cannot average out the component scores and arrive at the total scores. You would need to take into account several factors such as how difficult each component is, how many questions each component had, and how many points were the component question’s worth.
Note that increases in any component score will directly lead to an increase in the total score; similarly, decreases in a component score will lead to a decrease in the total score. Therefore, if you intend on improving your performance, all you need to do is improve upon the identified weaknesses (i.e., any component score that is less than 2.50) and maintain your identified strengths. This improvement will reflect itself in the total score.
Conscientiousness Test
17. Am I required to write
the Six Factor Personality Questionnaire (SFPQ)?
Yes. As of June 28, 2004, all applicants must have a valid Conscientiousness Score. It is essential that you answer each question. Failure to do so will result in the termination of your application.
18. I wrote the SFPQ before June 28th, 2004. Will my results be re-calculated to include my conscientiousness score?
Yes. The SFPQ you wrote prior to June 28th, 2004, has been scored and will be combined with your RPAT result to give you a new score and ranking. Provided that you passed the RPAT with a score of 3.2 or greater, you will receive correspondence advising you of your conscientiousness score and your RPAB aggregate score result.
19. Why is the conscientiousness score being considered for the recruiting process?
The conscientiousness scores are closely linked to concepts such as honesty, integrity and commitment. These are important qualities in police officers who hold significant public trust as a result of their employment.
20. When I wrote the SFPQ, it was not being used to determine my final score. As a result, I did not fully prepare. Can I rewrite it?
No. As the SFPQ is a personality questionnaire. There is no way to study for it. As long as you answered the questions truthfully, your results will be accurate.
Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE)
21. How do I prepare for the PARE test?
The PARE is a job related physical ability test designed to simulate a critical incident where a police officer chases, controls and apprehends a suspect. To prepare for this test, see information on PARE.
22. How much does the PARE testing cost?
The cost for the physical test is between $40 to $60. A PARE certificate, valid for six months, will be issued upon passing the test. If the certificate expires during the recruiting process, you will be required to re-test at the expense of the RCMP.
Selection Process
23. What are my chances of being
selected for the Cadet Training Program?
Each year, about 8,000 Canadians apply to join the RCMP as a regular members. Approximately 1,000 are sent to the RCMP Academy. The number of applicants selected depends on human resource needs across Canada.
24. How long does the entire selection process take?
It depends upon successful completion of the necessary steps of the selection process. Generally, it takes between 6 to 18 months to fully process an application.
25. What are the different tests and exams administered during the selection process?
Applicants must first take the RCMP Police Aptitude Battery (RPAB). Those who pass the test and are selected will then take the Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE) followed by the interviews (regular member Selection interview Guide, Pre-employment Polygraph) and finally the medical/health assessment.
Medical
26. Do I need perfect vision to apply as a regular member
(police officer) of the RCMP?
No, but if you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, you must meet the minimum vision standards. Please review information on this topic available through the application process.
27. Can I still apply if I had laser surgery?
Yes, if an applicant has had recent corrective vision surgery, a minimum wait of one month is required after surgery to continue with the process and the applicant will be required to submit a full report from the operating ophthalmologist. This information is to be reviewed by the appropriate Health Service Staff member prior to proceeding with the application process. Types of laser surgery recognized by the RCMP are surface refractive surgeries (Lasek , Lasik, or Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) procedures) in conjunction with using the Wavefront measurement procedure.
Training Academy
28. What kind of training is involved in becoming an RCMP officer?
Cadets undergo an intensive twenty-four week training session at the Training Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan. Instruction is provided in subjects such as:
- law enforcement
- community policing
- policing driving
- firearms training
- police defensive tactics
- physical training
- public and police safety
- drill deportment
- tactical training
To facilitate training, instructors use simulation exercises, role-playing, problem-solving, demonstrations, lectures, group discussions, research, community exchanges, and debates. Information on this topic is available through the Cadet Training Handbook.
29. How physically fit should I be before attending the Training Academy?
Applicants
are expected to enter cadet training with a good level of physical
fitness. The training program is not designed for cadets to “get
in shape”, but rather to allow each cadet to enhance
their education, skills and abilities in fitness. Cadets who arrive
at Depot in less than good physical condition often
struggle with both the physical and the academic aspects of the Cadet
Training Program. See Fitness Expectations.
30. What kind of physical training is involved at the Training Academy?
The physical demands of a typical training day are difficult for cadets who are unfit. A training day may include marching on parade (troop inspection) at 0615 hrs, “doubling” from class to class (double time marching; similar to a jog), or sparring in Physical Defence Tactic, marching/running/performing push-ups in drill, running 4 miles and climbing 9 flights of stairs... all before noon! After a quick lunch, the same troop may perform in the Sergeant Major’s noon parade, then attend a classroom lecture and a firearms training session in the afternoon. Missing the bus and having to run out to the firearms range, meeting an instructor to practice the PARE test after classes and squeezing in a weight workout after supper may further compound the activity of the day. Be prepared to have enter Cadet Training with a good level of physical fitness.
31. Do I have to pay to attend the training?
The RCMP covers the following expenses: traveling to the Training Academy, uniform, training courses as well as room and board. Cadets pay for all other incidental costs, such graduation fund, school supplies, shoe polish, etc. In a recent survey, cadets said they required about $4,600 over the 24-week training period to cover incidental costs.
32. Should I take a leave of absence to attend training?
You will be required to terminate your employment upon successful completion of the Cadet Training Program and after having received an offer of employment from the RCMP.
33. Once I successfully complete the Cadet Training Program, will I automatically be hired as a regular member of the RCMP?
Cadets who successfully complete the Cadet Training Program will normally be hired as a regular member (police officer) of the RCMP. It is the intention of the RCMP to recruit cadets and provide them with specific job oriented training for the purpose of hiring them.
Posting
34. What happens after I graduate?
After your graduation from Depot, you will normally be hired as a regular member of the RCMP. Your education will continue throughout your first postings, where you will be coached and mentored by experienced police officers as part of our Field Coaching Program.
You will be posted to the area or detachment
that has the greatest need for police services. While the greatest
need at the present time is in Western Canada, all members must be
prepared to serve anywhere in Canada. You are welcome to indicate your
preference. However, organizational and human resource requirements
will take precedence.
36. Once I’m posted,
what kind of duties will I be assigned?
Academy training is followed by six months of on-the-job field training under the supervision of experienced police officers. Usually, assignments include traffic law enforcement and general detachment duties.
37. How long before I can get into a specialized unit?
Newly engaged members are normally posted to general duty assignments and expected to complete a minimum or three years of operational policing before becoming eligible to apply in specialized unit. Members who meet the competency profile (i.e. skills, experience) for a particular position may be considered for a specialized unit to meet organizational needs.
38. Is it possible to apply for a position in Forensic Investigation?
Only regular members of the RCMP can apply for positions in Forensic Investigation. A regular member must have completed a minimum of three years of operational policing duties before being eligible to apply for placement in the Forensic Identification Apprentice Training Program.
39. My spouse would like to continue his/her education. Is it possible to be posted close to an urban center with a university?
As a member of the RCMP, you may be posted anywhere in Canada. It is the RCMP’s responsibility to provide policing service to many small and remote communities. This may make continuing education difficult.
Aboriginals
40. As an Aboriginal or Inuit person,
what are my chances of being posted back to my home area? Can I be
posted somewhere else in Canada? Do I have to be posted to a specific
community?
The RCMP, by virtue of the Canadian Constitution and the RCMP Act, has primary responsibility for policing on reserves and Aboriginal and Inuit communities across Canada. As the federal government has responsibilities stemming from Tripartite Agreements being negotiated with Aboriginal and Inuit communities throughout Canada, Aboriginal and Inuit applicants' posting requests are given careful consideration.
Because of these contractual agreements, it is incumbent upon the RCMP to employ Aboriginal members to serve in these communities, a significant number of which are situated in rural and/or more isolated areas of Canada. Notwithstanding this, as a member of the RCMP, you may be posted anywhere in Canada.
41. Are there any special programs for hiring Aboriginal persons? I have heard of the Aboriginal Cadet Development Program?
The Aboriginal Cadet Development Program (ACDP) still exists, however no program is planned for the near future.
Salary/Rank
42. How much are newly engaged (hired)
police officers paid?
Please see salary levels and benefits for RCMP members.
43. Once I become a member of the RCMP, what rank level will I hold?
Cadets hired after training begin at the constable level. After seven years of service, a constable may participate in the promotion process to advance to the next level (corporal).
Pension transers- DND
44. I am a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces. Can I transfer my pension to the RCMP or elect to pay back the return of contributions?
Yes, the RCMP recognizes prior service with the Canadian Armed Forces. A newly hired RCMP member may choose to transfer his/her Canadian Forces pension to the RCMP Pension Fund or to purchase prior Canadian Forces service for which a return of contributions was received, provided it meets the eligibility requirements under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act. Eligible service in the Regular Forces must normally be full-time paid service of at least 90 consecutive days. Periods of Canadian Forces Reserve service must be continuous full-time paid service of at least six months.
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| Content created: 2005-10-14 Content revised: 2006-05-05 |
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