Police
Careers - Police Officer Exam Process
Note: Applicants may not be rescheduled for any part of the recruitment process if they find it necessary to cancel their appointments or do not appear at the examining site at the appointed time. Applicants will be notified at the address provided on the application form. Please keep the Arlington County Human Resources Department and the Police Department (Personnel section) informed of your current address.
Video-Based Human Relations Test & Reading Test
Applicants must successfully complete the video and reading examinations administered for the position. Persons who do not successfully complete either or both exams are not eligible for reapplication and retesting for six months.
Character/Background Investigation
Applicants successfully completing the written exam will be given a character/background questionnaire which they are to complete and return along with any required supporting documents within a specified time period. A comprehensive background investigation will be conducted by the Police Department. Applicants will be photographed and fingerprinted by the Police Department.
Panel Interview
Applicants will be interviewed by staff of the Police Department.
Polygraph
Applicants will be required to take a polygraph examination administered by licensed/certified police personnel. Candidates who have engaged in any activity that would support a felony conviction will be unlikely to receive further consideration. Candidates who do not successfully complete this portion of the application process will not normally be allowed to reenter the applicant process. Exceptions may be authorized on a case by case basis by the Chief of Police.
During the polygraph exam, applicants will be questioned in the following relevant areas:
- Accuracy of information that applicants provide on written applications and related documents.
- Honesty, integrity and reliability of the applicant.
- Criminal history, either previously detected or undetected.
- Traffic history, either previously detected or undetected.
- Involvement with illicit drugs.
- All questions will be discussed with the applicant by the polygraph examiner prior to the start of the test. At that time the applicant will be given the opportunity to clarify any potential problem areas.
Stress Test / Chest X-Ray
Applicants will be given a stress test and chest X-ray, performed by INOVA Occupational Health.
Psychological evaluation
Due to the nature of the job of Police Officer, a psychological evaluation will be conducted by a licensed psychologist. The evaluation will measure intelligence, personality, emotional stability and psychological fitness and will be conducted after a conditional offer of employment is made.
Drug and alcohol testing
A drug test administered by the Arlington Hospital Pathology Laboratory is required after a conditional offer of employment.
Medical examination
The medical examination will be scheduled with the Occupational Health Clinic after a conditional offer of employment has been made.
Recruitment Process Time Frames
Once processing by the police department begins, it is estimated that it will take 6 to 12 weeks to complete all of the above steps in the examination process. However, if the applicant pool is large, some candidates may experience lengthy delays before processing begins. Successful completion of all steps in the recruitment process will place the candidate on an unranked eligible list from which all Police Officer I vacancies will be filled during the duration of the eligible list. Remember that all steps identified above have been determined qualifying; that is, each step must be passed prior to completion of the next step in the process or prior to starting employment.
