Fitness test results show officers passing 96% of tests

POLICE officers in Essex have achieved a 96.4 per cent pass rate in the new annual fitness (bleep) test.

Of 562 officers who took the test between March and May this year, 542 officers passed. Female officers had a 93.7 per cent pass rate and male officers had a 97.5 per cent pass rate. The results of more than 13,000 police fitness tests across England and Wales have been published with officers achieving an overall pass rate of 98 per cent.

The results come as the College of Policing publishes its guidance on police fitness tests, which become mandatory on 1 September.

The College published its latest results from 32 forces who mostly carried out the tests between March and May this year.

It showed male officers achieved an average pass rate of 99 per cent (10,265 attended the test and 10,127 passed).

Female officers achieved an average pass rate of 94 per cent (3,693 attended the test and 3,479 passed).

The 15 metre shuttle run is based on scientific research to match the aerobic demands of officer safety training. The standard is the same as that used when recruiting officers.

The guidance requires that officers, who undertake Personal Safety Training, should be subject to mandatory annual fitness testing and achieve a level 5:4 on a 15 metre shuttle run.

There is an emphasis in the guidance on providing support and advice to officers in order to pass.

It follows results of nearly 30,000 police fitness tests, published by the College in May, which showed officers had an overall pass rate of 97 per cent.

The figures from 37 forces showed male officers achieved an average pass rate of 99 per cent (20,820 attended the test and 20,583 passed).

Female officers achieved an average pass rate of 92 per cent (7,419 attended the test and 6,849 passed).

Rose Bartlett, from the College of Policing, said: “The results show that the vast majority of officers tested are fit.

“The new guidance issued to forces has been designed to provide supportive measures to help officers to pass and the College has now commissioned research in order to understand why women and older officers have a lower pass rate.

“The College will continue to monitor the results of police fitness tests and support forces in helping officers to pass.”

Mark Smith, chairman of Essex Police Federation, said: “We are having good results. We have had a number of officers that have failed the test on first attempt. They are mainly females I believe but they have been given support and help and I believe most of them have passed on second attempt.”