Phase 4: Background Investigation / Physical Ability Test

Background Investigation (Physical Ability Test during this phase)

Portland Police officers are entrusted with the responsibility to keep our city safe and maintaining community trust. We want to ensure every police officer has been through a thorough background investigation. Sometimes this can take weeks or months. We appreciate how difficult this wait can be; please know that we have done extensive work to our process to ensure that it is thorough, but completed in a timely manner.

During the background process, an investigator will take your personal history statement form and contact your current and prior employers, relatives, and personal references. The investigator will check your employment history, credit status, driving record, criminal history, police contacts and other pertinent information necessary to conduct a thorough investigation.

It is important to be completely honest with your background investigator. Police officers are held to a high standard of integrity and must be credible witnesses. Negative spots in your background will not necessarily result in failing your background; however, deliberate misrepresentation, falsifying or omitting information will most likely result in disqualification.

During this phase you will need to pass the physical ability test (PAT) before the completion of background.

Physical Ability Test (PAT)

We encourage applicants to take the Portland Police Bureau Physical Ability Test (which is free of charge) or an Oregon Physical Ability Test administered by the National Testing Network after taking the entry level test. There is an $85 fee assessed with the National Testing Network’s administration of the OR-PAT. 

During either physical ability test, you will be tested on:

  • Physical strength

  • Endurance

  • Agility and coordination

These tests are pass/fail, and individual times have no impact on your overall score.

The Portland Police Bureau Physical Ability Test is offered monthly and applicants can retake the test each month if they do not initially pass.