2. Application Review
Once your application is received, it will be reviewed to ensure the information is complete. This review includes the CPS conducting your Enhanced Security Clearance. You will then be contacted regarding your next step.
3. Written Testing
As per provincial guidelines, anyone interested in a policing career must write the Alberta Police Cognitive Ability Test (APCAT).
4. Physical Testing
A-PREP (Alberta Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police) is the police recruit selection physical abilities test used by all municipal police agencies in Alberta.
5. Disclosure Interview
You will meet with a Recruiting officer and review in significant detail, your Personal Disclosure Form and personal history.
6. Panel Interview
The Behavioural Descriptive Interview (BDI) is based on the philosophy that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. The interview is designed to assess your character as it relates to the chosen competencies.
7. Psychological Testing
Psychological testing is intended to review your suitability as a police officer. These tests take several hours to complete and are not something you can study for.
8. The Polygraph
A specially trained polygraphist will conduct this examination. Please note that we conduct a pre-employment polygraph, not a criminal interrogation.
9. Background Investigation
Background investigators will conduct reference checks and interview various people from your life, including present and past employers and colleagues, friends, neighbors, etc. They will contact people you have identified in your application package and others you have not.
10. Pre-selection
Your applicant package is reviewed in its entirety to determine suitability for the CPS and competitiveness against others in the applicant pool.
11. Selection
The Recruiting officer will present your application to a board of Senior Officers and HR Professionals to determine suitability for hire. Offers of employment are dependent on many factors including your competitiveness against others in the pool.
12. Conditional Offer of Employment
You will complete a pre-employment medical and those selected as most competitive will receive a conditional offer of employment.
13. Final Step to Employment
Congratulations, CPS recruit training begins. This program is both mentally and physically challenging. The lessons learned here will give you the tools and skills necessary to start your career in policing. Please note that all recruits must meet a standard to graduate from training and complete their probationary period.
Ready to start the process?
The application process is a detailed and extremely time-consuming process to engage in – but it is designed to help us identify the very best applicants to become Calgary Police Service officers. It may take up to nine months to complete from beginning to end. As such, you must be mentally and physically ready to complete each step of the process before you apply. We offer several applicant resources to help potential applicants determine their readiness.