November 2014 Version 1

November 2014 Version 1

Applied Policing Skills Assessment Day (APSAD)Police Officers require a range of skills to perform their daily duties within the community.

The Applied Policing Skills Assessment Day (APSAD) is designed to:• introduce participants to some of the key skills they will need while at the academy and as a police

constable, and

• test each participant’s capability for recruit training and police work.

Should you be required to re-attend APSAD to meet the required standard/s, you must advise Police Recruiting in writing what you have done to prepare yourself and improve your fitness to meet the required assessment standards. You will be required to undertake all the APSAD assessments again.

Participants may be provided the opportunity to re-test assessments at the discretion of the assessor and/or Recruiting Officer.

Communications Exercise

As a police officer, accurate and timely communication is necessary and important to convey information simply and precisely. At crucial times – such as operating to critical deadlines or when people or property are at risk – the ability to communicate and it’s significance become even more important.

Participants are tested with two basic communications exercises. Both tests require the participant to relay information from a set script over a police radio to provide:1. a description of a person, and

2. request urgent medical and police assistance.

The information needs to be clearly understood by the reader and the listener, and be stated with accuracy. In a real-life situation the location of injured people, or a description of suspects or registration numbers, can be crucial to the situation.

During the second test, participants are required to perform a small physical activity (eg, a 100 metre run) before reading the radio script. This simulates real-life situations where police officers are required to relay timely and accurate information during times of exertion.

Physical Assessments

The following physical tests are to gauge each participant’s fitness and capability to complete recruit training at the Queensland Police Service Academy.

At the beginning of recruit training, the initial entry tests determine if the participant has taken the advice and improved themselves before starting at the academy.

November 2014 Version 1

1. Hang Test

Prior to undertaking the hang test, the test will be demonstrated by a person authorised by the Inspector, Operational Skills Training Unit (OSTU).

Entry Standard - 3 seconds or greater

• Participants approach the chin up bar relative to their height.

• Participants grasp the bar with an over hand grip and may be assisted to a pull up position (assisted by other participants who grasp the persons leg which is bent at the knee for the participant to put weight on it).

• When ready to commence, the command is given to “release” at which time the assisting participants release the participant and move away.

• Participants will be required to hang in this position for a period of 3 seconds.

Participants will be deemed not competent by assessors if they:

1. drop to a point that the angle between forearm and upper arm becomes more then 90 degrees;

2. use their chin to assist their hang on the bar;

3. use their feet to assist them to hold their weight up (eg, against wall); or

4. do not hold their position for the required time.

2. Prone Bridge Test

Prior to undertaking this assessment, it will be demonstrated by a person authorised by the Inspector, OSTU.

Entry Standard - 60 seconds or greater

Participants will then be lined up with appropriate space between each person. All participants in that group will be tested at the same time and be observed by authorised personnel in the following manner:• Participants are asked to take a kneeling position.

• The command ‘ready’ will be issued, at which time participants will place their hands on the floor in front with fingers straight and elbows ‘soft’.

• Participants will then walk their hands forward, allowing their legs to stretch out behind them causing their core muscles to activate. Leaning forward, moving weight on to their hands, aligning abdominals lifted, participant extend legs straight out behind them with toes under so some weight is on the balls of their feet. The body is then to be held in a straight line from shoulders to ankles.

Participants will be deemed not competent by assessors if they:1. change their position or alter their posture for a second time after being given a verbal warning;

2. display excessive shaking; or

3. do not hold the position for the required time

November 2014 Version 1

3. Push Ups

Prior to undertaking this assessment, it will be demonstrated by a person authorised by the Inspector, OSTU.

Entry Standard - 5 push ups or greater

Participants will be required to demonstrate a standard push-up technique from the toes in the following manner:

• Hands will be placed on the ground approximately shoulder width apart.

• Straightened legs with feet no wider than hip distance apart.

• Body to be kept straight from shoulders through to the hips and heels (which is to be maintained throughout the entire test).

• A dome cone will be placed directly between the hands of the participant.

• Visual contact will be maintained by assessor to ensure participants touch the dome cone with their chest on every push up.

• Repetitions are to be conducted to a tempo which is played via an audio clip or is called out by the assessor using a 2 second rhythm.

The participant will be deemed not competent by assessors if they:

1. rest on the ground or break posture to an unsatisfactory level as deemed by the assessor/s;

2. raise their hands or feet from the ground;

3. do not complete the required push ups in the correct manner.

November 2014 Version 1

4. Beep Test

Participants will then be required to complete the Beep Test, also known as the Shuttle Run, using an official audio track to call each level via the audio recording to ensure test standardisation.

Participants undertaking this assessment must not:

• Run in a continuous pattern (eg, a small semi circle at the end of the 20m shuttle) - participants must come to a complete stop and turn.

• Leave for the next shuttle lap until the audio beep has sounded.

• Get more than 2 verbal warnings if they do not meet the 20m line before the next audio beep. If a participant can not make it successfully to the line during these warnings, the participant is given the score of her/his last successfully completed level.

• If a participant is given a warning and successfully makes it to the next level, the warnings will be reset.

• Please note that the audio recording announces the level and shuttle participants are about to start, not the one they are completing.

Participants will be rated against the above standard by assessors and the assessment team, who will also record each participants individual score.

AGE/GENDER LEVELSA B C

U 30 Male > 9/4 9/3 - 8/6 8/5 - 7/8

30-39 Male > 8/5 8/4 - 7/10 7/9 - 7/1

40+ Male > 7/7 7/6 - 7/1 6/10 - 6/3

U30 Female > 7/5 7/4 - 6/10 6/9 - 6/3

30-39 Female > 7/1 6/10 - 6/5 6/4 - 5/6

40+ Female > 6/5 6/4 - 5/7 5/6 - 5/1

November 2014 Version 1

5. Illinois Agility Test

Prior to undertaking this assessment, it will be demonstrated by a person authorised by the Inspector, OSTU.

Entry Standard - Less than: 20 seconds - Female 19 seconds - Male

The test course will be constructed of cones. Participants will be required to start at the starting point, lying on the ground with hands on top of each other and chin resting on hands.

Once the participant moves from this position, the assessor initiates the timer and the test has started. Participants are required to follow the pattern listed in the following diagram.

The participant will be deemed Not Competent by assessors if they can not complete the course as instructed and/or within the required time.

November 2014 Version 1

6. Hand Grip Dynamometry Test

Prior to undertaking this assessment, it will be demonstrated by a person authorised by the Inspector, OSTU.

Entry Standard - 2 reps on each hand @ 30kg or greater.You must pass all 4 reps

Participants will be assessed according to the instruction manual of the testing device manufacturer.

The participant will be deemed Not Competent by the assessors if they can not successfully complete, as instructed, the required reps with each hand.

• Hand grip exercise equipment is a readily available, inexpensive and easy way to increase your hand grip strength.

7. Practical Firearms Assessment

Participants will then be required to complete the following 4 tests utilising QPS training ‘red’ guns. The purpose of these tests is to ensure participants have the grip strength to operate QPS Glock firearms.

The test will be conducted by a QPS firearms instructor in the following manner:

1. 60 second hold – participant must hold the firearm in front with straight arms for a 60 second period. The participant must not lower arms, or an individual arm at any time.

2. Trigger pull – participant will be require to pull the trigger 5 consecutive times, ensuring the firearm moves minimally (aiming sites move with little deviation).

3. Weapon rack – participant will be required to pull the slide of the firearm back and release, causing the slide to rack.

4. Slide work – participant will be required to grasp the rear of the slide of the firearm and pull it back and forth 3 times consecutively.

Participants will be assessed on each sub-test, and will also be given an overall competent or not competent rating by the assessor.

November 2014 Version 1

8. Operational simulation exercise

Participants will be required to complete a simulated exercise mimicking activities of an operational police officer. Prior to performing this test, it will be demonstrated by a person authorised by the Inspector, OSTU.

Entry Standard: Less than 24 seconds - Female 21 seconds - Male

Prior to the test commencing, the participant will be counted down 3, 2,1 and will then initiate the exercise, at which time the assessor will commence timing.

Participants will be required to undertake the exercise according to the following diagram.

Once the feet of the dummy pass the nominated line the test ends.

A 50kg dummy (utilising correct drag posture) is used in this exercise.

November 2014 Version 1

9. Swimming Assessment

Prior to commencing this assessment, participants with limited swimming ability are to be identified and directed to undertake the swim in a lane near the side of the swimming pool in case assistance is required.

Entry Standard - Complete 50m or greater

If a participant completes a full 100m swim correctly, they will not be required to undertake this assessment during Academy training.

All participants will be required to complete a swimming assessment in the following manner.

Participants:• must be fully clothed, which consists of a t-shirt and long pants (no tights or ‘skins’ permitted, and if

pants are unlikely to stay up, a belt or drawstring is recommended).

• are not allowed to stop during the swim.

• must use either Freestyle, Breast Stroke or Survival Side Stroke.

• are allowed to change stroke style during the swim, as long as it is one of the nominated techniques and of reasonable form.

Although the swimming assessment is not timed, participants are expected to complete this assessment at a reasonable speed and in a reasonable time.