Police Academy – Training Institution for Deputy Recruits

Police academies are the foundation of police work in the United States and provide the framework for a career in policing. Every state in the US has different guidelines and certifications for recruits to pass and graduate from their academy. The majority of states have minimum physical and academic requirements to be completed prior to entry into the academy.

At the Sheriff’s Office, applicants must be a US citizen of at least 18 years of age and 60 credits from an accredited college or university at the time of filing their application. However, college credits may be waived for applicants who have a current Act 120 certification (MPOETC) and a minimum of two years of full active military duty with an Honorable Discharge. Additionally, credits may be waived if an application graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police Training Academy and a minimum of two years of full active military duty with an Honorable Discharge. Thirty credits may be waived for applicants with a minimum of two years of full active military duty with an Honorable Discharge.

Upon taking the civil service exam, eligible candidates will be awarded Veterans’ Preference. Applicants who apply and/or participate in the preemployment testing process prior to being honorably discharged from their military service commitment or prior to being released from active duty, other than active duty for training, will not be entitled to Veterans’ Preference. If you are eligible to receive Veterans’ Preference and submitted the required documentation with your application, your results letter will indicate that 10 points were added to your score. Points are added only if you achieve a passing score on the examination and proper documentation is received.

The written examination will test you:

• Ability to learn and/or apply police information • Ability to observe and remember details/observation and memory
• Ability to use judgment and logic/situational judgment and problem solving
• Ability to follow directions • Verbal ability (vocabulary and reading comprehension)
• Basic Arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and percentages)

On the day of the written examination, applicants are required to bring their admission letter and a valid photo ID. The photo ID is a requirement for the exam to be scored. Those who arrive late will not be admitted and will not be rescheduled for a new test time.

As always, the passing grade on the written examination is 75% based on a possible score of 100%. Test results are typically available within several weeks of the exam. All deputy hiring for the next three years will be done from the eligibility list.

For more information about the police academy, please visit the Allegheny County Police Academy website.