Police Officer Applicant

Pentagon Force Protection Agency 

FAQ What you need to 

know about becoming 

a Pentagon Police 

Officer
What is the application process to become 

a Pentagon Police Officer?

Answer: Once you have competed the application 

on USAJOBS.com and the announcement closes, 

all applications will be reviewed to ensure that 

the applicants meet the minimum requirements 

for the job. The applications that pass the initial 

screening are sent to the hiring official (PFPA) 

for review. PFPA reviews the applications and 

conducts a pre-employment check. Those 

applicants who pass the pre-employment check 

will receive an email invitation to PFPA Test Day 

at the Pentagon. This process takes about one 

month from the announcement closing date. 

How long before I may receive a tentative 

job offer?

Answer: Police Officer applicants will receive a 

tentative job offer approximately two weeks after 

successfully passing a Physical Ability Test (PAT), 

the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST), 

and Oral Board Interview. Following the tentative 

job offer, the applicant will be required to pass 

both law enforcement and reference checks, as 

well as, a medical exam, security clearance, and 

drug screening. Generally, the process, from 

application to tentative job offer, takes about three 

to four months.

Application & Hiring Process

Protecting Those Who Protect Our Nation 

Professionalism
Is there anything that I should pay 

attention to when applying to a job 

vacancy and specifically, is there anything I 

need to ensure that my resume contains?

Answer: Yes. You must include the hours 

worked per week and the dates of employment 

for each job listed on your resume, in order for 

Human Resources to accurately determine your 

qualifications. If your resume does not contain 

hours worked per week and dates of employment, 

your application will be marked as incomplete 

and you will not receive consideration for the 

position. 

You should consider using the USAJOBs.gov 

resume builder, which requires you to enter work 

hours for each job you list. For more information 

regarding what you should include in your federal 

resume, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/

application/documents/resume/what-to-include/

How many times will I have to come to the 

Pentagon to complete the hiring process?

Answer: The Recruitment Branch requires all 

applicants to attend a full one-day session for 

testing and an interview at the Pentagon. A 

Physical Ability Test (PAT), the National Police 

Officer Selection Test (POST), and an oral board 

interview will be done on that day.
What will my starting pay be as a PFPA 

Police Officer? 

Answer: Please refer to the job announcement 

for a salary range. Your salary is determined by 

the grade for which you qualify and are selected. 

This information is typically provided at the time 

you receive a tentative offer of employment. If you 

possess prior creditable service as a Police Officer 

with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, 

United States Secret Service Uniformed Division 

or United States Park Police, you may be eligible 

for a salary offer above the minimum step of the 

grade of which selected. 

Does PFPA hire people with disabilities?

Answer: Yes. All individuals, including those 

with disabilities, are encouraged to apply. If an 

applicant needs a reasonable accommodation 

during the hiring process, he/she should promptly 

contact the PFPA Recruitment Branch at 

(703) 571-8000 to make their request. 

 Upon receipt of a tentative offer of employment 

from PFPA, an individual will undergo a medical 

examination to evaluate whether they can safely 

and effectively perform the full range of the 

essential duties of a PFPA Police Officer, with or 

without reasonable accommodations. 

Application & Hiring Process

Protecting Those Who Protect Our Nation 
NOTES:

If I have a medical issue, will that 

prevent me from becoming a police 

officer? 

Answer: Not necessarily. The mere 

presence of one or more medical 

conditions is not determinative. 

No matter what medical conditions 

an individual may have, the PFPA 

encourages you to apply and go through 

the hiring process. If you receive a 

tentative offer of employment, you 

will be required to undergo a medical 

examination and the PFPA Medical 

Review Officer will evaluate whether, 

notwithstanding the presence of one 

or more medical conditions, you can 

safely and effectively perform the full 

range of essential duties, with or without 

reasonable accommodations.

Accountability
What is the PAT? 

Answer: The PAT is a physical ability test that all PFPA applicants 

are required to pass. Taking the PAT is not only a condition of initial 

employment - all incumbent employees must take (and pass) the PAT 

annually as a condition of continued employment. The PAT consists of 

19 push-ups (in 2 minutes or less) and 11⁄2 mile run (in 17 minutes, 30 

seconds or less). 

In the event an applicant fails to complete the 19 push-ups (in 2 minutes 

or less), they will be given the opportunity to complete a “Dummy 

Drag” (25 feet in 15 seconds or less). In order to pass the PAT and 

continue the hiring process, applicants must meet the 11⁄2 mile run, as 

well as, either the 19 push-ups or the Dummy Drag requirement. 

Am I required to pass the National Police Officer Selection 

Test (POST) to qualify for a Police Officer position?

Answer: Yes. Every applicant is required to undergo the same testing 

process, which includes the POST. 

What is the POST and how long will it take to complete?

Answer: The POST is a timed, written test that measures the basic 

skills - reading, writing, grammar, and mathematics. These skills are 

considered necessary to successfully perform the duties of a PFPA 

Police Officer. Each applicant is given 90 minutes to complete the 

POST. 

NOTE: If an applicant has a disability that requires an 

accommodation, that applicant may be given more time to complete the 

POST. If an applicant has a disability that requires an accommodation, 

they must immediately contact the PFPA Recruitment Branch at 

(703) 571-8000 to coordinate the appropriate reasonable 

accommodation for the applicant.

Required Testing 

Prior to Job Offer

Protecting Those Who Protect Our Nation 
NOTES:

Will I have to take a POST if I have already taken one for 

another agency?

Answer: Yes. There are several different versions of the POST 

administered by various employing agencies. PFPA does not accept the 

test results from other agencies. 

Integrity
Required Training Received Once 

a Final Job Offer is Extended

Protecting Those who Protect our Nation 

What kind of training do Pentagon Police 

Officers receive?

Answer: All new recruits begin their employment 

at the Agency with two weeks in-processing. 

During this time recruits will be issued their 

uniforms, IDs, receive preliminary training, and 

complete required paperwork. 

Recruits will then attend three months of basic 

training at the Uniformed Police Training 

Program (UPTP) at the Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Center (FLETC) in either Glynco, 

Georgia or Artesia, New Mexico. 

Recruits who successfully graduate from 

FLETC, will attend 25 days of Agency Specific 

Basic Training (ASBT) at FLETC’s training 

facility located in Cheltenham, Maryland. 

After completion of ASBT, police officer 

recruits complete a six-week Field Training and 

Evaluation Program (FTEP) at the Pentagon 

under the guidance of a PFPA Field Training 

Officer. 

If I am already a police officer do I have 

to attend the Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Academy (FLETC) for basic 

police training? 

Answer: PFPA will consider waivers for those 

individuals who have completed the Uniformed 

Police Training Program (UPTP) administered at 

FLETC or a Federal Law Enforcement Training 

Accreditation (FLETA) accredited academy. 
NOTES: Will PFPA provide housing during 

FLETC training?

Answer: Yes. PFPA provides housing for recruits 

while they attend the Uniformed Police Training 

Program (UPTP) training at the Federal Law 

Enforcement Training Center in Georgia or New 

Mexico. 

PFPA does not provide housing for incoming 

recruits during the Agency’s two week inprocessing before they leave for UPTP at FLETC 

in Georgia/New Mexico. 

PFPA does not provide housing during Agency 

Specific Basic Training (ASBT) and Field Training 

and Evaluation Program (FTEP), which occurs 

after recruits complete FLETC Uniformed Police 

Training Program (UPTP) and return to the 

National Capitol Region. 

We encourage you to arrange housing prior to 

your start date with the PFPA.

Vigilance
Protecting Those Who Protect Our Nation 

Information for Veterans 

Will my military time count towards my 

civilian retirement?

Answer: The Recruitment Branch encourages 

you to contact PFPA’s Human Capital Program 

Management Division once you have completed 

your required training and are on duty. If a 

response is needed prior to your entry on duty, 

please contact the Human Resources Specialist 

listed on your tentative job offer. 

Who qualifies for a Veterans Recruitment 

Act (VRA) appointment?

 Answer: The VRA is a special authority by 

which agencies can appoint eligible veterans 

without competition to positions at any 

grade level through General Schedule (GS) 

11 or equivalent. To be eligible for a VRA 

appointment, you must have separated from the 

armed forces under honorable conditions and be 

one of the following:

• A disabled veteran; 

• Or in receipt of a campaign badge for service 

during a war or in a campaign or expedition; 

• Or in receipt of an Armed Forces Service 

Medal (AFSM) for participation in a military 

operation; 

• Or you are a recently-separated (e.g. a veteran 

who was separated within the last three 

years).

Please contact PFPA Recruitment Branch at 

(703) 571-8000 with any questions regarding 

your eligibility under VRA or for additional 

information.
Additional 

Information

Who qualifies under the Veterans 

Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA)?

Answer: The Veterans Employment 

Opportunities Act (VEOA) of 1998 provides 

that agencies must allow preference eligibles or 

eligible veterans to apply for positions announced 

under merit promotion procedures, when 

the agency is recruiting from outside its own 

workforce. VEOA eligibles are rated and ranked 

with other merit promotion candidates under the 

same assessment criteria. Veterans’ preference 

is not applied in this instance. The appointing 

official may select any candidate from those who 

are among the best qualified. 

To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, 

an applicant must meet one or more of the 

following: 

• Be a preference eligible. 

• A veteran separated from the armed forces 

after three or more years of continuous active 

service, and performed under honorable 

conditions. 

• A veteran released shortly before completing 

a three-year tour is considered to be eligible.

Please contact PFPA Recruitment Branch at 

(703) 571-8000 with any questions regarding 

your eligibility under VEOA or for additional 

information.

For the purpose of VEOA eligibility, what 

is a preference eligible veteran?

Preference eligibles are veterans who are disabled 

or who served on active duty in the Armed 

Forces during certain specified time periods or in 

military campaigns. The definition of “preference 

eligible” is further defined in 5 CFR 211.102.

Will I receive additional 

compensation for speaking a 

foreign language?

Answer: Currently, PFPA does not offer 

additional compensation for speaking a 

foreign language.

I have a Top Secret security 

clearance with my agency. Will 

PFPA use that information instead 

of doing a complete background 

check? Will that help speed up the 

background process?

Answer: The background check that 

PFPA conducts as a part of its hiring 

process is multi-faceted. For this reason, 

having an active security clearance at 

the time of your application will not 

help speed up PFPA’s hiring process. 

PFPA’s investigators conduct their own 

checks for each applicant that is separate 

from the background security clearance 

investigative process performed by 

the Office of Personnel Management 

(OPM).

Selfless Service
Call a PFPA recruiter today:

703-571-8000

Protecting Those 

Who Protect 

Our Nation