To become a police officer, there are specific requirements an individual needs to meet. These include:
"You must be at least 17 years old to apply and 18 when you start at Police College. There’s no upper age limit
You must be a New Zealand or Australian citizen or have New Zealand permanent residency
You must be able to speak, read, write and listen in English
You must be physically fit
You must have good eyesight (minimum binocular visual standard of 6/12 unaided)
You must have a full New Zealand Driver Licence.
Let our recruitment staff know about any previous criminal or traffic convictions including warnings, court appearances, and diversions
Provide police clearance for any other country you've worked or lived in for longer than three months."
(newcops.govt.nz, 04.05.2021)
Although there are no set educational requirements to join the NZ Police Force, they recommend that individuals are skilled in English and Maths. These two subjects are tested within the recruitment process through psychometric testing.
Within the recruitment process you are also expected to complete numerous tasks which include:
a 10 minute typing test, where you need to get a typing speed of 25 words a minute or higher
completing a 12 week distance learning course that is delivered by Unitec.