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Fitness Test Rules

Every force tests recruits to the same 5.4 standard, but the rules around it differ: how many attempts you get, the gap between them, how long you wait if you fail and when the test falls. Pick your force to see exactly what it publishes, with the source.

Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated

Short answer: do police fitness test rules differ by force?

The standard does not: recruits need 5.4 on the 15m bleep test everywhere in England and Wales. The College of Policing leaves the rest to forces. Of the 13 forces that publish a number, 11 allow three attempts and 2 allow two. Gaps between attempts run from about three to six weeks.

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My force's fitness test rules

Pick a force to see what it publishes about the recruit fitness test: the level, attempts, the gap between retakes, the wait to reapply and when it falls. Each line quotes the force's own pages, checked 6 October 2026.

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Contents
National RulesAttempts ComparedWaits to ReapplyRetakes and VettingHow We Checked FAQs Sources

What is national and what is local

The College of Policing's fitness testing guidance (August 2021) sets the standard: 5:4 on the 15m multi-stage fitness test, which is 35 shuttles and 525 metres. It says "it is for individual forces to decide how to incorporate the JRFT into their recruitment and training processes". So attempts, gaps, timing and reapply rules are each force's choice.

The College's rule of at least two retakes, with at least six weeks advisable between them, is for serving officers who fail their annual test. It is not a rule for applicants.

Attempts compared

Recruit fitness test attempts by force, from each force's own pages (checked 6 October 2026)
Attempts publishedForces
ThreeMetropolitan 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
TwoCity of London Police and Leicestershire Police
Not published27 forces

Waits to reapply after failing

3 forces publish a specific wait after a fitness fail:

  • Avon and Somerset Police: Six months after the third and final attempt
  • Cumbria Constabulary: Six months after three failed attempts
  • Lancashire Constabulary: “you'll need to wait 6 months before re-applying”

Others publish a general wait after any unsuccessful stage, or nothing. The finder shows each force's wording.

Retakes and the 2026 vetting window

Since 13 July 2026, a police officer candidate's vetting clearance must have been granted within the six months ending with the day they are appointed, and if the appointment slips past six months from the grant the candidate must reapply (Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025, regs 4B and 4C). A late fitness retake that moves you to a later intake can do that. Check your dates with the clearance clock.

How we checked

Every row comes from the force's own website or a document the force hosts, read on 6 October 2026. Quotes are the force's own words. Where a force publishes nothing on a point, we say so. 3 forces gave us nothing we could read: Greater Manchester Police, Humberside Police and Warwickshire Police.

Rules change

Recruitment pages change without notice. Treat the finder as a starting point and confirm with the force before you plan around a retake gap.

Quick answers

Frequently Asked Questions

How many attempts do you get at the police fitness test?

It depends on the force: the College of Policing leaves recruit testing arrangements to each force. Of the 13 forces that publish a number on their own pages, 11 allow three attempts and 2 allow two (City of London Police and Leicestershire Police). 27 do not publish a number.

Is the police fitness test the same in every force?

The recruit standard is the same: 5.4 on the 15m bleep test, set by the College of Policing. What differs is how many attempts you get, the gap between them, when in the process you take it and how long you wait to reapply after failing.

How long do you wait between police fitness test attempts?

Forces that publish it give gaps from about three weeks (City of London) to about six weeks (for example Avon and Somerset). The finder shows the exact wording for each force.

What happens if I fail all my attempts?

Usually your application ends. Some forces publish a wait before you can reapply, for example six months after the final attempt at Avon and Somerset. Under the July 2026 vetting rules, a delay to your start date can also mean your vetting has to be done again.

Where does the finder's information come from?

From each force's own website or a document the force hosts, checked on 6 October 2026. Where a force publishes nothing on a point, the finder says "Not published" rather than guessing. Each result links to its source.

Evidence

Sources and how we checked them

Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 21 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.

  1. College of Policing: Implementation guidance for fitness testing (August 2021, PDF) : the 5:4 standard; "it is for individual forces to decide how to incorporate the JRFT into their recruitment and training processes"; in-service retakes for serving officers (accessed 21 October 2026)
  2. Each force's own recruitment pages, as linked in the finder : 40 forces with published arrangements, 3 with none we could read, checked 6 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
  3. The Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/502), latest revised text : reg 4B and 4C: the six-month vetting window that a delayed start can break (accessed 21 October 2026)
Related Guides

On this topic elsewhere

Police Fitness Test by Force (Full Table) → Every force side by side. What Happens If You Fail → Retakes, support and reapplying. Police Fitness Test Pass Rates → What the Met's FOI data shows. Six-Month Clearance Clock → Will a retake push your start date too far?
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Disclaimer

PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the College of Policing, the Home Office or any police force and it does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Recruitment standards, assessment formats and vetting decisions are set by the College of Policing and each force and change from time to time: check the force you are applying to before relying on anything here. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 21 October 2026.