Aspiring Victoria Police officers will be able to complete the force's entrance exam online to get more recruits into training faster.
The change - to begin on 1 November - means applicants will be able to complete the assessment where and when they choose.
Testing slots will be available every 10 minutes day and night, including public holidays.
It's among a range of measures aimed at streamlining the recruitment process and brings Victoria Police into line with multiple police forces elsewhere.
Currently applicants can only sit the exam on a computer at a testing centre, typically conducted on one Saturday a month.
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), which has partnered with Victoria Police on its entrance exams over the past decade, is overseeing design and delivery of the new online assessment.
Testing will be supervised by a real person in real time, with applicants required to verify their identity and keep their camera on at all times.
Supervisors will also be able to see the applicant's computer screen to ensure they're doing the right thing.
The exam will be conducted on a special secure browser with supervisors remotely scanning the applicant's computer for unauthorised software.
They will also perform a 360-degree scan of the room where the exam is being conducted, make sure applicants aren't wearing earpieces and ensure their phone remains out of reach.
Testing will be timed, recorded and reviewed to further ensure a stringent assessment process.
ACER conducts similar online testing for medical professionals, aspiring teachers and people working in the finance industry.
The independent education research organisation also delivers an online entrance exam for the Queensland Police Service.
Concurrently, Victoria Police's entrance exam has been streamlined after a review instigated in December last year found it could be enhanced.
It will now take two hours to complete, down from the current 4.5 hours which is longer than most police forces.
There will be four testing sections instead of eight spanning literacy, abstract reasoning, report writing and numeracy.
Two of the previous writing tasks have been merged in the new-look assessment.
The previous oral communication component will now be assessed at interview with set criteria being introduced while digital literacy was deemed no longer necessary given applicants will have demonstrated it by registering for and completing the online exam.
Overall there remains more than 100 questions and tasks.
Around 3100 potential police are currently in the recruitment process with more than 40 per cent - more than 1200 people - waiting to complete the entrance exam.
Victoria Police has some 1200 vacancies statewide.
Applicants will still be able to complete the entrance exam in person if they choose.
Those who've recently worked as a firefighter or paramedic or achieved favourable VCE results don't need to sit the exam.
There has been no change to the standards required to pass the exam.
The entrance exam is also used for prospective protective services officers.
Quotes attributable to Acting Superintendent Paul Morgan, Human Resources Command:
"This change means aspiring police can complete the entrance exam where and when it suits them.
"That's especially important for busy people like parents and those living in regional areas, interstate or overseas.
"For the community it means more recruits starting their training sooner.
"That's more boots on the ground keeping you safe.
"Victoria Police's high standards of entry will be maintained, with all testing supervised by a real person watching in real time.
"Police forces elsewhere have been successfully conducting their entrance exams online for years.
"In a competitive jobs market it's vital Victoria Police gets with the times."
