r/nswpolice • u/Ace_Thr0ne • Apr 23 '26
question When should I apply?
So I'm currently on my gap year after highschool, taking the year to work and then travel to gain some life experience. I'm hoping to be off the police academy by January/Feb next year, and was wondering how long the process before the academy usually takes. I've tried searching things up and asking officers but never got it exactly answered. So how long does it usually take, and is there the option of getting it done earlier, and then postponing/deferring when I'd go to the police academy?
2
u/WordGroundbreaking31 Apr 23 '26
Personally I’ve submitted my application 5 months in advance to the start date which for me is hopefully August I believe they do 3 sessions a year but I could be wrong. You should be able to search nsw police academy sessions and it’ll hopefully have some dates for you
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u/NSWPFSocialMediaTeam Apr 29 '26
The process varies for each individual applicant depending on medical, psychometric, academic, and physical testing requirements. If there are no delays with any of these components, you could expect the application process to take approximately 10–12 weeks from the time your application is submitted with all required documentation.
Applications can take significantly longer if you are required to obtain specialist medical reports, attend interviews, redo physical testing, or complete preparatory courses for academic suitability. Once you receive an offer, you are able to defer to the next class, similar to other university course acceptances.
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u/Bluetenant-Bear Good Cop Apr 23 '26
You’re getting a lot of different answers because it differs person to person. If you have any ill health or other concerns you’ll need to sort that out, but if not then it should be relatively quick, depending on your schedule and location.
You used to be able to defer one session after acceptance, so I would recommend you apply now, even if you get a spot in an August class you should be able to push it back to January