Police Fitness Test by Force: Attempts, Retake Gaps and Where the Rules Differ
The standard does not change between forces in England and Wales: it is level 5.4 on the 15m bleep test (35 shuttles, 525 metres, about 3 minutes 35 seconds). What changes is the process around it. Of the 40 forces whose own pages we could read, 11 allow three attempts and 2 allow two; gaps run from three weeks to about six; and only 3 publish a wait before you can reapply. Police Scotland also uses 5.4 on 15m; PSNI uses a timed obstacle course instead.
Every row below is built only from the force's own website or a PDF it hosts, read on 6 October 2026, with links so you can check. Where a force does not publish something, we say "Not published" rather than guess. Forces change their pages, and your invitation letter or recruitment team always wins over this table.
Level 5.4
15m track, England and Wales
40
own pages, checked 6 October 2026
13
of 40 forces
3
fitness-specific
General training information, not medical advice. Stop if you feel pain, dizziness or chest discomfort, and see a GP before you start if you have a health condition, an injury or are pregnant. No tool can guarantee a pass.
What is national and what is local
The College of Policing sets the test and the standard for England and Wales. It leaves most of the recruitment process to forces. Its 2021 implementation guidance explains why: COVID-19 and the Police Uplift Programme changed established practice, so in the interim "it is for individual forces to decide how to incorporate the JRFT into their recruitment and training processes".
| Point | Set nationally? | What the College says |
|---|---|---|
| The test | Yes | 15m multi-stage fitness test, run indoors on suitable flooring, in PT kit |
| The standard | Yes | 5:4, the same for everyone; no concessions for age or sex. "Forces must deliver the test to the 5:4 standard only." |
| Warm-up | Partly | Candidates must be warmed up; the administrator could take them to the start of level 3 as part of it |
| When in recruitment | No | For forces to decide |
| Recruit attempts and gaps | No | Not set for recruits. For serving officers: at least two retakes, with at least six weeks between them advisable |
| Reapply wait | No | Not covered |
| Missed-line warnings | No | The guidance we read sets no national warning rule |
Sources: College of Policing job-related fitness standards page and Implementation guidance for fitness testing (August 2021), pages 5 to 9 and 20, read 6 October 2026. The College page says it is "currently under review" because of the new personal safety training curriculum; no change to the 5.4 standard has been published. For the national picture on failing, see what happens if you fail the police fitness test.
Police fitness test rules by force
Police constable recruitment, England and Wales. Words in quotation marks are the force's own. Each force name links to our pay profile for that force; the source links under each row go to the force's own page. All read 6 October 2026.
| Force | Standard stated | Attempts | Gap between attempts | Wait to reapply | When you take it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Police Checked 6 October 2026 | Careers page: the test “takes three minutes and 35 seconds and covers a total of 525 metres”. The 5.4 level appears in the Met's FOI disclosure of its standards (March 2024), not on the careers page. | Three in total: “If you fail on your first attempt, don't worry you can try twice more.” | Not published | Not published | After the interview at the Met recruitment centre in south London, alongside the medical; the assessment centre also takes biometrics. |
| City of London Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “The recruit pass mark is level 5.4.” | “Candidates have two attempts to complete the fitness test.” | Retake “three weeks after their initial attempt” | Not published. A second fail means the application is withdrawn. | Pre-employment checks delivered as part of the assessment centre, after a conditional offer. |
| Avon and Somerset Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “a 15 metre shuttle run (bleep test) up to level 5.4” | “a maximum of three attempts” | “approximately six weeks between each attempt” | Six months after the third and final attempt | With the pre-selection health medical and in-person force interview; fitness testing “may occur before the assessment centre is completed”. |
| Bedfordshire Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “level 5.4 on the 15m bleep test” (the page describes this as “just under 6 minutes of running”) | Not published | Not published | Not published | After the conditional offer and forms, when you come in for biometrics. |
| Cambridgeshire Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | “to achieve 5.4 in a bleep test” | “three attempts at the fitness test during the pre-employment stage” | Not published | General rule, not fitness-specific: wait six to twelve months after being unsuccessful at any stage | Pre-employment stage. |
| Cheshire Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | “a 15m multi-stage shuttle run (bleep test) to level 5.4” | Three in total: the first at the in-person assessment, then “a further 2 attempts” at a pre-employment day | “within a reasonable timeframe” | No fixed wait published; the force advises reapplying “when you are in a position to meet the fitness requirements”. | First attempt at the in-person assessment; later attempts at the pre-employment day (with drugs test, biometrics and uniform fitting). |
| Cleveland Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “Bleep Test Pass Mark is Level 5.4” (fitness PDF dated 2019 in its file details) | Not published | Not published | General rule, not fitness-specific: no application within 6 months of failing any part of the process | Not published |
| Cumbria Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | “Level 5 Shuttle 4”, 35 shuttles and 525 metres | Three in total: “two further attempts at a later date” | “a maximum of six weeks between tests”, with guidance from the PTI | Six months after three failed attempts | You must pass before the application continues. |
| Derbyshire Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | “a running test (known as a multi-stage shuttle run or bleep test) to level 5:4” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Pre-employment checks after a successful National Interview. Taken again during initial training. |
| Devon and Cornwall Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “Pass Mark Level 5.4 on the 15m Police Job Related Fitness Test” | Retake offered “at a later date”; number not published | Not published | Not published | You must pass to progress to the rest of the selection process. Held at force headquarters, Middlemoor, Exeter, with several other candidates. |
| Dorset Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “Pass Mark Level 5.4 on the 15m Police Job Related Fitness Test” | Retake offered “at a later date”; number not published | Not published | Not published | You may be asked to do it on force interview day. Held at Winfrith. |
| Durham Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | “a multi-stage shuttle run (MSSR) and individuals need to achieve level 5.4” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Stage five, pre-employment checks, after the final interview. You must pass before the application continues. |
| Dyfed-Powys Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “a shuttle run to level 5/4 (bleep test)” | “up to a maximum of three times” | Not published | General rule, not fitness-specific: no new application within 6 months of a rejection by any force in England or Wales | Pre-employment checks after the assessment centre. |
| Essex Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “level 5.4 on the bleep test” | Three in total: “two more attempts within 12 weeks” | “second attempt after six weeks, third attempt six weeks later” | Not published | Stage 3: senior interview and fitness test. |
| Gloucestershire Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | “Required level is 5.4 = 5 levels and 4 shuttles over a 15 metre course.” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Stage 8 (fitness test, biometrics and substance misuse checks), after the interview and medical and before the offer of employment. |
| Gwent Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “a shuttle run to level 5/4 (bleep test)” | “up to a maximum of three times” | Not published | Not published | Pre-employment checks after the assessment centre. |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | The recruitment page gives no level; the force's 8-week training PDF says “Bleep test format to achieve level 5.4” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Step 3, the in-person assessment day, before the conditional offer. |
| Hertfordshire Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | “To pass you need to reach a minimum of level 5.4.” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Pre-appointment checks after the conditional offer. |
| Kent Police Checked 6 October 2026 | Fitness SOP (reviewed April 2026): student officers must pass “to level 5.4”. The rejoiner page also says 5.4. | Not published for constable applicants (the special constable page allows “two more attempts within a 12 week period”) | Not published for constable applicants | Not published | Pre-employment checks; the SOP says before appointment as a student officer. |
| Lancashire Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | “You'll need to reach a 'level 5.4' rating to pass the test.” | Three: the assessor “may give you the opportunity to try again”, and the wait applies “after three attempts” | Not published | “you'll need to wait 6 months before re-applying” | Stage 5, after the interview and conditional offer, at headquarters in Hutton, Preston. |
| Leicestershire Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “You need to reach level 5:4 to pass.” | “You'll get two attempts to pass” (PCEP and PCDA pages) | Not published | Not published | Step 5, pre-employment checks, after the national force interview. |
| Lincolnshire Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “You must reach at least level 5.4.” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Stage 5, after the interview and before the medical, at police headquarters in Nettleham, Lincoln, in a 15-metre gymnasium. |
| Merseyside Police Checked 6 October 2026 | No level on the force's pages; its FAQ links to the College of Policing job-related fitness standards | Not published | Not published | General rule for any rejected application: wait 3 months before applying again | Stage 6, post-interview pre-employment checks. |
| Norfolk Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | “Complete a 15-metre ‘bleep test’ (minimum pass level: 5.4).” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Step four, pre-employment checks, during the conditional offer period. |
| North Wales Police Checked 6 October 2026 | The recruitment page gives no level. The force hosts a 2016 College of Policing guidance PDF that says the test “should be run to a level of 5:4”. | Not published by the force (the hosted 2016 College guidance says forces should allow three attempts, normally up to six weeks apart) | Not published by the force | Not published | After the conditional offer, with biometrics, at force headquarters in Colwyn Bay. |
| North Yorkshire Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “a minimum standard of reaching level 5.4 on a 15 metre bleep test”, for officers, PCSOs, transferees and special constables | Not published for officers (the PCSO page allows up to three attempts) | Not published | Not published | After you pass the assessment process. |
| Northamptonshire Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “15m multi-stage shuttle run (bleep test) to level 5.4” | The FAQ says “three attempts”, then that a candidate who “fails at the second attempt” is rejected. Ask the force which applies. | “an agreed time for training and improvement”, agreed by you and the trainer | Not published for fitness | The process page places it after the online assessment; the FAQ lists it after interview, vetting and substance testing. |
| Northumbria Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “To pass, you must reach level 5.4” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Pre-employment checks after the conditional offer. |
| Nottinghamshire Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “minimum standard of level 5.4 on a 15-metre bleep test” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Before a formal offer: after the online assessment and before the medical and interview. |
| South Wales Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “You must achieve level 5.4” on a 15 metre track | Not published | Not published | Not published | After a successful assessment centre, then a second “pre-appointment fitness test approximately 6 weeks prior to the anticipated appointment date”. |
| South Yorkshire Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “a minimum standard of reaching level 5.4 on a 15-metre bleep test” | “Re-tests are possible if you fail on the first attempt.” Number not published. | Not published | Not published | Pre-employment checks after the interview. |
| Staffordshire Police Checked 6 October 2026 | Level not stated: “Able to pass a job-related fitness test” | Not published | Not published | Not published | The vetting, medical, fitness and reference checks stage, after the interviews. |
| Suffolk Constabulary Checked 6 October 2026 | “Complete a 15-metre ‘bleep test’ (minimum pass level: 5.4).” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Step four, pre-employment checks, after the interview, alongside the conditional offer. |
| Surrey Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “The standard required is level is 5.4”; 3 minutes 35 seconds and 525m | Three: “the opportunity to re-take it twice more” (recruitment guide, Feb 2024) | Not published | Not published; after the third fail the application is rejected | As part of your application, again in initial training, then every year. |
| Sussex Police Checked 6 October 2026 | Level 5.4; joint policy: “level 5:4 on the JRFT or 10 minutes on the AJRFT” to complete recruitment | Three: “the opportunity to re-take the test twice more” (transferee FAQ) | Not published | Not published; after the final fail the application is rejected | Not published |
| Thames Valley Police Checked 6 October 2026 | Level not stated on the constable page (it links to joiningthepolice.co.uk); the special constable page says level 5.4 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Step 6, pre-employment checks after a provisional offer. FAQ: “Generally you will be asked to complete a fitness test 2-3 months prior to starting on an intake.” |
| West Mercia Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “A minimum standard of level 5.4 on a 15-metre bleep test” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Pre-employment checks (5.2 Fitness Test), after the national in-force interview. |
| West Midlands Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “to run the bleep test to a level of 5.4”; “minimum of four shuttles at level 5 to pass” | Not published | Not published | Not published | Part of the pre-employment checks. |
| West Yorkshire Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “Applicants must pass level 5.4.” | Not published | Not published | Not published | After the in-force interview; the bleep test is the first part of the fitness assessment, followed by a medical. |
| Wiltshire Police Checked 6 October 2026 | “a multi-stage shuttle run (MSSR) and individuals need to achieve level 5.4” | Not published for applicants (student officers in training get “2 further opportunities”) | Not published | Not published | Step 4, pre-employment checks; you must pass before the application continues. |
Extra notes and sources, force by force
Metropolitan Police
Offers a six-week training programme PDF to download.
City of London Police
Officers must pass a fitness test every year.
Avon and Somerset Police
Warm-up to level 3 on the 15 metre shuttle run, then lower-body stretches. Familiarisation events after you apply.
Bedfordshire Police
Invites you to contact the force for support with the test, and has a video of hints and tips.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Cheshire Constabulary
A third fail means the application is withdrawn. The FAQ says you will be given help to improve your fitness.
Cleveland Police
Warm-up runs to the start of level 3. Officers are expected to pass the test every year.
Cumbria Constabulary
Published stop rule: you are only stopped if you look under severe stress or “miss 3 consecutive beeps”. The page covers officers and special constables.
Derbyshire Constabulary
The joining information PDF says failing in training may stop you taking part in that part of the course and may result in dismissal. A 2020 news post has a video including what counts as a warning.
Devon and Cornwall Police
Warm-up walking and running between the lines. The swim “does not currently form part of the recruitment fitness test”.
Dorset Police
Warm-up runs to the start of level 3, then the test starts again at level 1.
Durham Constabulary
Mandatory “whichever police officer role you are applying for”.
Dyfed-Powys Police
Essex Police
The process page still carries a COVID-19 line about self-declaration that does not match the rest of the page; check with the force.
Gloucestershire Constabulary
Says “You will be given help to improve your fitness”.
Gwent Police
The PCSO and special constable pages use the same 5/4 standard and three-attempt wording. Transferees also take a fitness test.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary
Publishes an 8-week bleep test training programme (PDF) and a fitness test video.
Hertfordshire Constabulary
Police officers, special constables and PCSOs all take a fitness test.
Kent Police
Runs fitness test preparation workshops. The SOP says the College of Policing sets 3.7 for serving officers (see the serving officers section below).
Lancashire Constabulary
Offers “our training recording”. Special constables and transferees get the same wording.
Leicestershire Police
The special constable page says “you'll have three chances to reach level 5.4”, so check which applies to you.
Lincolnshire Police
Has a how-to video. The PCSO page says there is no fitness test for PCSOs.
Merseyside Police
Has a fitness test page with a video. Transferees take the test in their own force and send the result.
Norfolk Constabulary
Transferees also take a fitness test.
North Wales Police
The recruitment page says “Our officers take this test every year.”
North Yorkshire Police
Also states that “your Body Mass Index must be under 30”.
Northamptonshire Police
Warm-up to level 3 (1 minute 30 seconds), then stretching.
Northumbria Police
“There are no strength or assault course style tests to complete as part of our application process.” The eligibility page says 5.4 takes about 3 minutes 40 seconds; the application process page says “This involves a 15-minute bleep test”.
Nottinghamshire Police
The same standard applies to special constables.
South Wales Police
Fail the pre-appointment test and you are not eligible, “irrespective of the results of your previous fitness tests”.
South Yorkshire Police
Special constables: same standard. PCSOs: no fitness test listed. Transferees need an in-date test from their current force.
Staffordshire Police
Special constables take a medical and fitness check.
Suffolk Constabulary
Transferees also take a fitness test.
Surrey Police
Practice test available at headquarters. The joint Surrey and Sussex policy accepts “10 minutes on the AJRFT” (a treadmill alternative) only in set cases, such as after a failed JRFT or on occupational health advice.
Sussex Police
Practice test available at headquarters. Probationers cannot do safety training until they pass 5:4 (joint policy).
Thames Valley Police
Special constables take their fitness test at Sulhamstead.
West Mercia Police
The candidate checklist advises starting training “at least six weeks before” and practising the bleep test regularly.
West Midlands Police
West Yorkshire Police
An FOI response (April 2024) says serving officers are tested at 3.7 from April 2024, while new students in their first year stay at 5.4.
Wiltshire Police
Says you will be given help to improve your fitness. A student officer who fails a third time in training is served a Regulation 13 notice (probation policy, Oct 2025).
Forces left out, and why
On 6 October 2026 we could not find constable fitness test arrangements on these forces' own websites, so we have not filled in a row for them. The national 5.4 standard still applies. Ask their recruitment teams directly.
- Greater Manchester Police: The constable assessment page now returns 404 and the live recruitment site has no fitness detail.
- Humberside Police: The constable page says only to maintain a good level of fitness. The special constable page says the police officer standard of 5.4.
- Warwickshire Police: No fitness test information on the constable, transferee or special constable pages we could open.
Patterns worth knowing
What the table adds up to, counted from the rows above.
Three attempts is the common rule, not a national one
Forces publishing three attempts in total: Metropolitan Police, Avon and Somerset Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Cheshire Constabulary, Cumbria Constabulary, Dyfed-Powys Police, Essex Police, Gwent Police, Lancashire Constabulary, Surrey Police and Sussex Police. Two: City of London Police and Leicestershire Police. 27 of the 40 forces in the table do not publish a clear number for constable applicants.
The gap decides how much you can train
6 forces publish a gap. Three weeks (City of London) leaves little time to change your fitness, so arrive ready for the first attempt; six weeks is enough for a short block of training. Forces publishing a gap: City of London Police, Avon and Somerset Police, Cheshire Constabulary, Cumbria Constabulary, Essex Police and Northamptonshire Police.
A final fail can cost months
Forces publishing a fitness-specific wait before reapplying: Avon and Somerset Police, Cumbria Constabulary and Lancashire Constabulary (six months). Several others say the application is withdrawn without giving a wait. Treat your last attempt as the one that matters most.
The test can come early or late
Some forces test early: at the in-person assessment or interview day (Hampshire, Cheshire, Essex, Dorset) or before a formal offer (Nottinghamshire). Most put it in pre-employment checks after a conditional offer. Thames Valley says generally 2 to 3 months before your intake, and South Wales adds a second test about 6 weeks before appointment. Some test again in training (Derbyshire, Surrey, and BTP in week one). Train as if the test is sooner than you expect, and stay fit after you pass.
Warm-ups differ
Avon and Somerset, Cleveland, Dorset and Northamptonshire describe a warm-up run to level 3; at Dorset the test then starts again at level 1. Devon and Cornwall describe walking and running between the lines. The College allows the warm-up to the start of level 3 and says forces should consider letting candidates do their own.
Same standard, different descriptions
Force pages describe the run as about 3 minutes 30, 3 minutes 35 or 3 minutes 40 seconds, and two pages give much longer figures. The College figure is 3 minutes 35 seconds and 525 metres, and the count that matters is 35 shuttles.
Scotland, PSNI, BTP, MDP and CNC
Police Scotland and PSNI are outside the College of Policing standards for England and Wales, and the national forces (MDP and CNC) set their own tests. So we checked each one's own site rather than assuming 5.4. Read 6 October 2026.
Police Scotland
Test and standard“The standard you need to pass is level 5.4”, on a 15-metre track (multi-stage fitness test).
WhenA “Fitness assessment” stage after the entrance test and before the assessment day and vetting. The test “must have been completed within 6 months” of being given a start date, and you may be asked to do another at any point.
AttemptsNot published
GapNot published
Wait to reapplyNot published for fitness
AlsoRecommends Copstrong, its online strength and conditioning training. The transferee and rejoiner pages say more people fail the fitness test than any other stage.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
Test and standardPhysical Competency Assessment (PCA), not a bleep test: an obstacle course “completed three times in 4 minutes and 30 seconds”, including running, crawling, climbing, balancing, lifting, carrying, dragging and weaving.
WhenAfter a successful assessment centre, starting with a voluntary (but “highly recommended”) familiarisation session. It must be passed before entering the Police College.
AttemptsTwo: a fail on the first occasion gives “one more opportunity”, and there are “no further opportunities” after the re-test.
GapWithin a twelve-week period (FAQ); the applicant guidance describes a re-test twelve weeks after the first PCA, which can be taken at any stage in that period.
Wait to reapplyNot published
AlsoAfter a fail, you are offered the chance to attend five PCA support sessions before the re-test. In training, the standard tightens to within 4 minutes.
British Transport Police (BTP)
Test and standard“running to a 15-metre bleep test to a minimum standard of level 5.4”, plus a warm-up.
WhenBTP's pages describe it in three places: at the assessment centre day, in your first week of training, and again at the start of personal safety training.
AttemptsNot published
GapNot published
Wait to reapplyGeneral rule: after an unsuccessful application for the same role “you must wait six months”.
AlsoServing officers: a BTP FOI response (March 2024) says the test is “only mandatory for new recruits during the initial training phase” and officers in specialist roles. The BTP Federation (a secondary source) dates this change to August 2022. BTP's careers FAQ still mentions annual testing.
Ministry of Defence Police (MDP)
Test and standardRecruits take the Physical Employment Standards JRFT (PES-JRFT): both parts in a 20kg weighted vest over 20-metre shuttles, including a 76kg casualty drag over 20 metres in 20 seconds. Inspectors and above take the 15m bleep test to 5.4.
WhenDuring the application process, initial training, and annually.
AttemptsPES-JRFT: “two attempts to pass both components”. Bleep test: a second attempt after a recommended training period.
GapNot published as a number
Wait to reapply“you may reapply after three months”
AlsoA different test from the College of Policing JRFT for constable recruits.
Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC)
Test and standard“a multi-stage shuttle run to level 7.6” for police officer applicants. Track length not published.
WhenPart of a medical examination that “may be held at any point” in the recruitment process.
AttemptsNot published
GapNot published
Wait to reapplyNot published
AlsoRecommends “practicing a few times” before the assessment. Officers are tested on recruitment and regularly through their career.
For specialist roles inside a force (firearms, public order, dogs and others), the College recommends higher levels; see specialist role fitness standards.
After you join: 5.4 or 3.7?
This page is about recruitment, where every force that states a level says 5.4. But three force documents say serving officers are now tested at, or can pass at, a lower level, 3.7, and you may see "3.7" on forums:
- Kent Police's fitness SOP (reviewed April 2026) says the College of Policing sets 3.7 for police officers and special constables, while student officers must pass 5.4 before personal safety training.
- A West Yorkshire Police FOI response (April 2024) says the level for police officers was reduced to 3.7 from the week commencing 1 April 2024, and that new students in their first year stay at 5.4.
- The joint Surrey and Sussex JRFT policy (2025) says that, as an interim position, existing officers will be accepted at 3:7, while applicants, transferees and rejoiners must reach 5:4.
The College of Policing fitness page we read on 6 October 2026 still gives 5:4 and is marked "under review"; we did not find a College publication setting 3.7. For a recruit, none of this changes anything: plan for 5.4. For the annual test, see the annual fitness test for serving officers and check your own force's policy.
Questions to ask your force before the test
If your force's page does not answer these, its recruitment team can. Ask in writing so you have the answer to hand.
- How many attempts do I get, and is the first one at the assessment or after the offer?
- How long is the gap between attempts, and can I ask for a later date if I am injured or ill?
- If I fail every attempt, how long must I wait before reapplying?
- Where is the test held, and what is the floor (sports hall, gym)?
- Is there a familiarisation or practice session?
- How is the warm-up run, and does the test restart at level 1 afterwards?
- How do warnings work if I miss the line?
- Will I take the test again in training, and what happens if I fail it then?
- If I have an injury or medical condition, who do I tell and when? (See medical exemptions.)
Scenarios
Applying to City of London, missed by two shuttles
The force publishes two attempts, the second three weeks after the first, and withdraws the application after a second fail. Three weeks is short, so the focus is pacing and turning on the beep rather than building new fitness. Two shuttles is 30 metres.
Applying to Avon and Somerset, first attempt next month
Up to three attempts about six weeks apart, then six months before reapplying. Use the time before the first attempt as if it were the only one; the later attempts are a safety net, not a plan.
Moving from England to Police Scotland
The standard on Police Scotland's page is also 5.4 on a 15-metre track, so your training carries over. Note its rule that the test must be within 6 months of your start date, and ask how many attempts you get, as that is not published.
Applying to PSNI after practising the bleep test
PSNI's test is an obstacle course, not a shuttle run, so book the familiarisation session. Aerobic fitness still helps, but you also need to crawl, climb, lift, carry and drag within the time.
Myths
"Some forces have an easier fitness test."
Not in England and Wales: the College says forces must deliver the test to 5:4 only. The process differs, the standard does not.
"Everyone gets three attempts."
Many forces that publish a number say three, but City of London and Leicestershire publish two, and PSNI gives one re-test. Many forces do not say.
"There is a national six-month ban after failing."
There is no national rule. Some forces publish six months before reapplying; most publish nothing.
"Pass at recruitment and you never take it again."
Several forces test again in training, and officers who do personal safety training are retested every year under College guidance (BTP has narrowed this for its existing officers). See the annual fitness test.
Unprepared for the 15m Bleep Test?
Three tools built from your own answers for the police 15m bleep test (Level 5.4): a 6-week plan, a pass predictor and a weakness analysis. Practice aids, not a guarantee of a pass.
General training information, not medical advice. Stop if you feel pain, dizziness or chest discomfort, and see a GP before you start if you have a health condition, an injury or are pregnant. No tool can guarantee a pass.
Fitness test by force FAQ
Is the police fitness test the same in every force?
In England and Wales, yes on the standard: the College of Policing sets level 5.4 on the 15m test, which is 35 shuttles and 525 metres, about 3 minutes 35 seconds. Every force in our table that names a level says 5.4. What differs is how many attempts you get, the gap between them, when in the process you take it and whether you must wait before reapplying. The College says it is for individual forces to decide how to fit the test into recruitment.
How many attempts do you get at the police bleep test?
It depends on the force. Of the forces that publish a number, 11 allow three attempts in total and 2 allow two (City of London Police and Leicestershire Police). Many forces do not publish a number, so ask your recruitment team before your first attempt.
How long do you have to wait between police fitness test attempts?
Where forces say, the gap ranges from three weeks (City of London Police) to about six weeks (Avon and Somerset, Essex, and Cumbria, which sets six weeks as the maximum). For serving officers the College of Policing says at least six weeks between retakes is advisable; for recruits the gap is force policy.
If I fail every attempt, when can I reapply?
Only a few forces publish this. Avon and Somerset Police, Cumbria Constabulary and Lancashire Constabulary say six months after the final failed attempt. Some publish general rules for any rejected application: six months at Cleveland, Dyfed-Powys and British Transport Police, six to twelve months at Cambridgeshire, three months at Merseyside. The rest do not say, so ask.
What level is the Met Police bleep test?
Level 5.4. The Met's careers pages describe the test as three minutes 35 seconds and 525 metres; the 5.4 level appears in the Met's published FOI disclosure of its fitness standards (March 2024). The Met says that if you fail the first attempt you can try twice more.
What is the Police Scotland fitness test?
Police Scotland's own recruitment page says it is a multi-stage fitness test on a 15-metre track and the standard is level 5.4. It sits after the entrance test and before the assessment day, and must have been completed within 6 months of being given a start date. Police Scotland does not publish its rules on attempts or retake gaps.
Does PSNI use the bleep test?
No. The Police Service of Northern Ireland uses a Physical Competency Assessment: three laps of an obstacle course within 4 minutes 30 seconds. If you fail, you get one re-test within twelve weeks, with the offer of support sessions beforehand, and no further attempts after that.
Do British Transport Police officers still take an annual fitness test?
BTP's own FOI response from March 2024 says the test is only mandatory for new recruits during initial training and for officers in specialist roles. The BTP Federation, a secondary source, says the change for existing officers and PCSOs was made in August 2022. Recruits still need 5.4 on the 15m test. BTP's careers FAQ still mentions annual testing, so check the current position with BTP.
Will they stop me if I miss a beep?
That is set locally. Cumbria publishes its rule: you are only stopped if you look under severe stress or miss 3 consecutive beeps. Derbyshire has a video explaining what counts as a warning. The College of Policing guidance we read does not set a national warning rule, so ask your force how it handles missed lines.
Why do force pages give different times for 5.4?
They round it differently: pages we read say about 3 minutes 30 seconds, 3 minutes 35 seconds and 3 minutes 40 seconds, and two pages give much longer figures. The College of Policing gives 3 minutes 35 seconds and 525 metres. The standard itself is the same 35 shuttles wherever you test.
Where will I take the fitness test?
Usually at a force site. Examples from force pages: Devon and Cornwall at force headquarters, Middlemoor, Exeter; Dorset at Winfrith; the Met at its recruitment centre in south London. Your invitation will give the venue. The College requires an indoor facility with suitable flooring.
What is the 3.7 bleep test?
Level 3.7 is a lower mark that some forces now use for serving officers' annual test. Kent Police's fitness SOP (reviewed April 2026) says the College of Policing sets 3.7 for officers, a West Yorkshire Police FOI response says its officers moved to 3.7 from April 2024, and the joint Surrey and Sussex policy accepts 3.7 from existing officers as an interim position. All three keep 5.4 for new recruits. The College page we read still shows 5:4, so recruits should plan for 5.4.
Are MDP and CNC fitness tests different?
Yes. Ministry of Defence Police recruits take a different test, the PES-JRFT, in a 20kg weighted vest over 20-metre shuttles with a casualty drag, and can reapply after three months. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary asks police officer applicants for a shuttle run to level 7.6. Both are outside the College's 5.4 recruit standard.
My force is not in the table. What does that mean?
Only that we could not find its arrangements on its own website on 6 October 2026. The College standard of 5.4 on the 15m test still applies to police officer recruits in England and Wales. Ask the force's recruitment team how many attempts you get, the gap between them and whether you must wait before reapplying.
Not verified
- Anything a force does not publish. "Not published" means we could not find it on the force's own site on 6 October 2026, not that no rule exists.
- Whether force pages are current. Few show a "last updated" date; Cleveland's fitness PDF dates from 2019, and Essex's page still has a COVID-19 line.
- The Met's level comes from its FOI disclosure of standards (March 2024); its current careers pages give the time and distance but not the level.
- When BTP stopped testing existing officers: its own FOI (March 2024) gives no date; August 2022 comes from the BTP Federation, a secondary source.
- Police Scotland's and BTP's rules on attempts and retake gaps, which their sites do not publish.
- The track length for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary's 7.6 shuttle run.
- Where force pages contradict themselves (Northamptonshire on two or three attempts; Leicestershire's constable and special constable pages), we show both and you should ask the force.
- Greater Manchester Police's current constable arrangements: the old page is offline, so we left GMP out of the table.
- A College of Policing publication of the 3.7 serving officer level that Kent, West Yorkshire, and Surrey and Sussex describe; we did not find one.
Sources
- College of Policing, Job-related fitness standards. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- College of Policing, Implementation guidance for fitness testing (August 2021). Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Each force's own pages and PDFs, linked under its row above and in the Scotland, PSNI, BTP, MDP and CNC section. All accessed 6 October 2026.
- BTP Federation, chair's blog, 28 February 2024 (secondary source, labelled where used). Accessed 6 October 2026.
PolicePay is independent and is not affiliated with the College of Policing or any police force. If you spot a force page that has changed, the force's own page is right and this table is out of date. Last checked 6 October 2026.