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Requirements
Application & Hiring Process for Police Cadets
Sign up for the Civil Service Exam online. This can be done at our website, www.ppdcareer.com, under the “Employment Opportunities” tab. You will click on any current job postings and fill out the appropriate registration on the website. Make sure to check any junk mail filters on your email to ensure you receive notifications.
Achieve a minimum passing score of seventy (70) percent on the written Civil Service Exam on the posted test date.
Make sure to arrive on-time with your printed event ticket and a Government Issued photo ID (driver license, Texas ID card, Military ID card, etc.).
You will not be allowed to bring anything else with you inside the Exam site. Please leave your cell phone, smartwatch and any food or drinks in your vehicle. Everything you need to complete the exam will be provided at the exam site.
The Civil Service Exam will consist of a 200 question, multiple choice test which the applicant will be allowed three hours to complete. The exam will focus on the applicant’s Cognitive Ability and Non-Cognitive Measure of Integrity. The applicant’s exam will be scored at the exam site and they will be informed if a minimum score of 70% was achieved.
Successfully complete the Physical Agility Test as prescribed by the Pasadena Police Department by demonstrating the applicant is physically capable of performing the essential job function for the position of police officer.
The physical agility test consists of two events - a timed 1.5-mile run and a 500-meter row sprint on a Concept 2 Model D stationary rowing machine. Both of these events will be conducted at the Pasadena Police Training Complex. You will start with the 1.5-mile run and after completion, will be given a minimum of 20 minutes to recover. You will then complete the 500-meter row.
The scores from both tests will be averaged for a total physical readiness test score. The total score average for both events must be at the minimum 40th percentile or above in your age and gender class to be considered a passing score.
For example, if you score in the 70th percentile for the 1.5 mile run and in the 60th percentile for the 500-meter row, your total score would be 65% and you would pass the Physical Agility Test.
You can access the standards and minimum requirements for the physical agility test at www.ppdcareer.com under the “Requirements” tab as well as below.
Turn in a fully complete Personal History Statement packet and supply all required supporting documentation including a full credit report from Experian (www.experian.com or www.freecreditreport.com), dated within the last 30 days of your application, by the posted due date. The Personal History Statement will need to be completed, printed out, and notarized by a Notary Public before Police Academy Staff can accept it.
The Personal History Statement includes a checklist on the first page to ensure you prepare all required documents. These original documents will be photocopied at the time you return your Personal History Statement packet while you wait.
To ensure a quick and easy process, please ensure that all fields of the Personal History Statement are completed and that you have put your initials at the bottom corner of every page. If a particular question does not apply to you, mark it with N/A or Not Applicable.
Tattoo and Facial Hair Policies
You can click on either of the following links to learn more about the Department's current tattoo and facial hair policies.
Once you have turned in your Personal History Statement, it will be reviewed to ensure that all information has been completed and that all the supporting documents have been provided. Your Background File will then be assigned to a Background Investigator to complete an investigation.
Your Background Investigator will contact your personal and employment references as well as a full criminal history investigation. This portion of the hiring process takes time and your Background Investigator will be in contact with you if they have any questions regarding your Personal History Statement. Part of this Background Investigation will include an in-person preliminary interview with your Background Investigator. This interview will be scheduled by your Background Investigator once your file has been reviewed.
The applicant must successfully pass a pre-employment Polygraph Examination.
Your Background Investigator will provide you with a Pre-Employment Polygraph Questionnaire packet which will need to be completed prior to your polygraph interview. This packet will assist the Polygraph Examiner in developing the questions for your exam.
It is very important to be thorough and completely honest when answering these questions. Your Polygraph Examiner will inform the Background Investigator of the results of your examination. The polygraph examination is approximately a 2-hour process.
Successfully complete an Oral Board Interview which will consist of a panel of Pasadena Police Officers ranging from the rank of Officer to Lieutenant. During the oral board, the applicant will be asked questions designed to demonstrate certain knowledge, skills and abilities considered basic for the effective performance as a police officer. Candidates should dress in business formal attire for the oral board interview. The interview is approximately a 45-minute process.
The applicant will be given a written conditional offer of employment with the Pasadena Police Department. This offer will be contingent on the applicant completing the following appointments to meet the requirements of the conditional offer of employment:
- a post-job offer psychological exam conducted by a licensed, doctoral-level psychologist.
- pass a medical exam which includes a visual acuity test (eye exam)
- a drug test
- fingerprinting
All appointments will be scheduled for the applicant and paid for by the Department.
rtOnce all the previous steps have been successfully completed by the applicant, a formal job offer will be presented to the applicant. This offer will come in the form of a letter from the Chief of Police and will document the date of cadet orientation, academy start date and the salary upon entry.
Eligibility Requirements for Police Cadets
All applicants must meet the following minimum requirements to apply for the position of police cadet:
- Must be 21 years of age at the time of State Licensing (approximately six months into the Basic Police Academy)
- Must be a U.S. citizen (by birth or naturalized)
- Texas Occupations Code §1701.3095 allows for qualified, legal permanent residents of the United States who have been Honorably Discharged from the United States Armed Forces with at least two years of service before discharge and have applied for United States citizenship to be eligible for licensure as a Texas Peace Officer.
- Must possess a High School Diploma or Certificate of High School Equivalency (GED)
- If the applicant has a GED, they must have also completed 12 or more hours of college credit from an accredited college or university with a 2.0 cumulative grade average or better.
- Must have a valid driver's license and proof of vehicle insurance
- Must read, write, and speak the English language fluently
- Must be able to meet all state licensing eligibility requirements per the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Rules (Title 37, Part 7, Chapter 217, Rule §217.1) at the completion of the Basic Police Academy
Physical Requirements
Applicants must successfully pass the police officer Physical Agility Test to continue in the hiring process. Prior to taking the physical agility test, you will be required to submit a completed and signed Physical Agility Test Consent Form attesting to your ability to participate in the test. Click the link below to download this form.
Physical Agility Test Consent Form
The physical agility test consists of two events - a timed 1.5-mile run and a 500-meter row sprint. The scores from both tests will be averaged for a total physical readiness test score. The total score average for both events must be at the minimum 40th percentile or above in your age and gender class to be considered a passing score. You can review the charts below to find your minimum standard.
Video Example of Proper Rowing Technique
Additional Minimum Eligibility Requirements for Lateral Entry Police Officers
- POLICE LATERAL ENTRY PROGRAM- The Police Lateral Entry Program is authorized as a form of seniority pay as authorized by the City Council and designed to attract additional qualified applicants who would not require the training time involved
with an applicant who lacks previous experience. This additional recruiting tool shall involve compensating lateral entry officers for their experience based on the number of years of their prior experience, up to a maximum of six years, as well as the number of the sworn officer in the department where they previously worked, at the discretion of the Police Chief.
Eligibility for Lateral Entry
1. A lateral entry applicant shall have at least three (3) years continuous service as a paid, full-time certified peace officer with a comparable law enforcement agency, including out-of-state agencies, as approved by the Chief of Police.
2. The lateral applicant shall have been in a position where they had the authority to enforce laws, investigate crimes, make arrests, respond to calls for service, carry a firearm, and use discretion as part of their assigned duties.
3. Lateral applicants shall not have more than a three (3) year break in service from the time they left a comparable law enforcement agency as calculated from the date indicated on the TCOLE F-5 separation document and the time they made application with the Pasadena Police Department.
Seniority for Lateral Entrants
The Lateral Entry Program is for pay purposes only and actual work experience in another law enforcement agency shall not be considered for promotional eligibility requirements, departmental seniority, leave calculations, transfers or other such accruals/programs, which utilize years of service in calculation.
Departmental seniority for lateral officers shall begin on their Civil Service hire date with the Pasadena Police Department.
- Certified out of state applicants must have successfully challenged TCOLE prior to the Civil Service examination.
- Applicants who qualify for lateral pay will not receive the hiring bonus.