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Physical Training Standards

The Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council shall designate a qualified trainer to administer the physical fitness assessment to determine the physiological capacity of a candidate to learn and perform the essential job functions of an entry-level police officer. Such test shall be administered within prior to the Level III academy and will be posted in the course description of the date.

Please Note: The Police Academy is once again offering physical testing (PT test) at each of the written entrance test dates. This test is for agency use only as part of the hiring process. It is important to note that applicants still have to attend the physical testing prior to entering the Level III academy. The specific dates for PT tests connected to each Level III class are posted in the course description for each class. When registering applicants, please indicate if the physical test will be taken.

The Test

The current physical fitness test for entrance into the Level III basic academy were changed on December 7, 2022. Applicants who are in the process for the 115th Basic Training Course will be held to the old standards of a 2000 meter row exam. Applicants who will be part of the 116th Basic Training Academy and beyond will be held to these standards. 

2000 Meter Row (Old Standards)

  • Cardiovascular capacity and aerobic power, it requires nearly exhaustive effort.
  • The test consists of a Concept2 Rower Evaluation.

    This evaluation consists of the 2000-meter row for time. All candidates taking this evaluation will need to do so in the presence of a certified AED/CPR tester. The damper setting is set to 5 for each of the evaluations.

    All scores will be graded using a time standard and percentage comparison (Use the calculator listed here to see what the required time is for your age, weight, and gender). 

    Calculator  

500 Meter Row and 1.5 Mile Run (new, effective for anyone entering the 116th Basic Training Course and beyond)

The physical readiness test consists of two events; a timed 1.5-mile run and 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 of 40th percentile or above to be considered a passing score (Agencies may set a higher score for their hiring requirements but the Academy has the entrance score at the 40th percentile) .

The requirements can be found below. Please use the chart below to find your minimum standard at the 40th percentile and train for a higher percentage to be competitive.

 

Physical Fitness Evaluations

Physical fitness evaluations will be administered during the basic training program. Fitness evaluations will consist of a 2000-meter row, and 1.5 mile run.

Injured candidates will actively participate in a physical training program designed specifically for them. The nature of the injury may in some circumstances impact the decision made by the training staff as to whether the candidate may continue their involvement in basic training.

 

 

Physical Fitness Training for the Academy:

  1. Workouts: The academy experience will include a significant amount of physical fitness and your preparation will be paramount. Below are two areas of focus regarding your workouts:
    1. Online Workouts are available on the Texas DPS website for you to follow – utilize the body weight options for the Daily Workouts posted on our website. These can be done in addition to any weight training you may be doing on your own.
    2. Academy Focused Add-on Workouts should be utilized to focus on exercises that are heavily used in the beginning of the academy. These should be included after your initial workout on at least two to three days of the week. Perform 6 to 8 sets of 30 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest for each exercise option below in week 1 and then 45 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest in week 2. Select one of each of the exercises for each of the 6 areas and perform 6 to 8 sets of all 6 selected exercises
      1. Burpees or Up Downs
      2. O Swimmers or T Swimmers
      3. Regular Push ups or Close Grip Push ups or Pull Ups
      4. Squats or Lunges or Step Ups
      5. Low Plank Hold or High Plank Hold (push-up position with no movement)
      6. Sprints or Squat Jumps
    3. After you have established a baseline assessment score for yourself using the Calculator. The academy experience will include a significant amount of physical fitness training. Prior to your arrival, your preparation is paramount. Below are two areas of focus regarding your workouts:
  1. Online Workouts are available on the Texas DPS website for you to follow – utilize the bodyweight options for the Daily Workouts posted on our website. These 30-min workouts can be done in addition to any strength or cardiovascular training you are doing on your own. The current series focuses on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to promote muscular endurance.
  2. Academy Focused Add-on Workouts may be utilized to focus on exercises that are heavily used in the beginning of the academy. These should be included after your initial workout on at least 2-3 days of each week. Please follow the below progression over the next 4 weeks, after which we will retest your baseline scores and send further resources:

 

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Please see below for links to instructional videos for the highlighted movements:

 

Additional Training Resources: Webinars are available to assist applicants in physically preparing for Academy physical fitness regime demands.  Please utilize these resources to ensure you are in optimal physical condition to sustain a daily fitness program without injury. Conditioning includes not only physical workouts but proper nutrition, sleep, and stress management.

Webinars: https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/training-operations-tod/webinars