As put by Assistant Commissioner Deployment Tusha Penny
Police can today confirm preliminary findings of an audit into the application of recruitment standards for police officers.
The audit followed the discovery in April that discretion had been applied to some applicants who failed the Physical Appraisal Test (PAT) but were accepted into training at the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC).
We looked at 1022 recruits from 14 wings which started training between January 2024 and April 2025.
There were eight individuals who did not meet all the requirements of the PAT and were allowed to begin training at the RNZPC. A further nine passed individual components of the PAT on different dates, in breach of the policy, and were progressed. The policy requires all components be passed during one testing session.
All subsequently passed the Physical Competency Test (PCT) which is required before a recruit can graduate.
In the interests of transparency and to assess the full extent to which discretion was being used, the audit was expanded to include all other pre-employment testing over the same time period.
This included the psychometric test, the English literacy testing and typing.
Police must be proficient in English. Literacy testing is only required of applicants who do not have level 2 NCEA English or higher or comparable international qualifications.
Of the 1022 recruits, 267 were required to do the test and 128 did not pass.
All applicants passed psychometric testing before beginning at RNZPC but 36 that initially failed were allowed to re-sit without a six-month stand down period between tests.
This stand down period is considered good practice by the provider Police uses to administer this test.
One person did not pass the typing test, which requires a typing speed of 25 words a minute.
All recruits who were given discretion and have since graduated did pass all mandatory tests required to graduate.
In response to the findings, the Commissioner has made it clear that the use of discretion falls short of his expectations and standards.
He has instructed there is to be no further use of discretion to allow people to enter RNZPC without first meeting all mandatory recruitment standards.
There will be no exemptions and no circumstances where discretion is applied.
The findings also raised concerns about inconsistencies and confusion around the criteria and application of discretion in some cases.
While discretion has long been used in exceptional cases, the audit makes it apparent it has increasingly been accepted as common practise over recent years.
Any suggestion a tolerance had developed for accepting lower standards than those set for recruitment is of concern to the Commissioner.
The Police recruitment process is designed to be thorough and robust and there are good reasons for the standards required.
The literacy assessment is designed to be relevant to the work required of police staff.
The ability to communicate well under pressure is critical for an officer's own safety and those of their colleagues, as well as the public.
Police is committed to serving our communities by having the best possible people in our organisation.
We have an incredible organisation of men and women from diverse backgrounds and experiences, who work hard in, and for their communities.
NZ Police officers are proud of the standards that are required to join.
We have many staff who have English as a second language.
These people add immense value to our organisation and to the communities they work in.
That is why ESOL support is available at RNZPC for recruits who need it, as well as other learning support for recruits.
However, all recruits must meet the required standard before they begin training with us.
Policing is a very rewarding career.
The findings from this audit will support our ongoing work to recruit and train world-class police officers.
There is guidance and support on preparing for the pre-entry tests on www.newcops.govt.nz for people who want to join.
That includes physical training plans to prepare for the PAT and guidance on how to upskill in areas required to meet the requirements.
The report on the preliminary findings is attached.
