2026 Police Captain

Statewide Departmental Promotional Examination for Police Captain 1YP-442

If you currently have a Civil Service Online Account DO NOT create a new account to apply for this exam. Utilize the Government Jobs Help & Support to access your account. Online Employment Application Guide | Massachusetts Civil Service Applications

Test takers with two accounts may cause delays with properly recording your application and notifications from civil service such as notices to appear, or job opportunities. If you have questions, please email View email address on click.appcast.io.

Examination Date: September 14, 2026

Application Open Date: June 1, 2026

Application Deadline: July 7, 2026

Examination Processing Fee: $150

Candidates for this examination must be employees in one of the following Massachusetts Police Departments. Please read the below department listing carefully. Departments and eligible titles will be listed as they are requested.

Departments – Eligible Title(s): Lawrence – Police Lieutenant

Eligibility: To be eligible for this examination you must: (1) be an employee in the police department for which the examination is given with permanent civil service status in the specified eligible title(s) by the date of the examination; and (2) have served in the force at least one year since you were appointed and performed the job duties of the eligible title(s)*. A combination of temporary and permanent service from a certification can be applied towards meeting this one year requirement. Time spent working in the title of Police Captain will not interrupt the service period in your permanent position.

*If the eligible title has been lowered to the entry level rank, you must have served in the force at least one year or three years depending on the participating municipality since you were appointed and performed the job duties. Police Officers filing for this examination must have one year of permanent experience after completion of their police academy course. Service as a Student Officer, before successful completion of an approved academy, does not count towards meeting the eligibility requirement.

Note: Pursuant to the provisions of Massachusetts General Law (MGL) 31 § 59, if less than two applications are received from eligible candidates, this examination will be postponed. If the examination's eligible title has been lowered to the entry level rank, the examination will go forward with less than two eligible candidates submitting applications.

Eligible List: Individuals placed on the resulting eligible list shall be eligible for certification from such list for such period as the administrator shall determine, but in any event not to exceed two years, unless otherwise outlined in Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 31, § 25 or the Human Resources Division (HRD) revocation policy.

Examination Weights: The examination weights are: 24% Technical Knowledge, 16% Situational Judgment, 40% Assessment Center and 20% Experience & Education.

Application: All applications and examination processing fees must be received by the application deadline. You will receive two confirmation emails when you have completed the process: one email confirming your application has been received, and one email confirming your payment has been received. Your application is not complete until you have received both confirmation emails. Candidates who have been approved for an examination fee voucher may record redeeming the voucher on the application. If you have not submitted payment or redemption of an examination voucher of the examination processing fee on or before the application deadline, your application will not be accepted.

Note: Although the online application system allows candidates to elect to receive notification by email or regular mail, please be advised that HRD utilizes only email for all notices to candidates.

Current Military Personnel: Any current military personnel requesting a makeup opportunity, visit Civil Service Military Makeup Examinations for more information.

Makeup Examination: With the exception of current military personnel, no candidate has the right to a makeup examination due to personal or professional conflicts on the testing date. Candidates are advised to consider this before applying for the examination. If you file an examination application by the application deadline but are unable to appear for the examination on the examination date due to an emergency or unanticipated hardship, you may request a makeup examination by filing a written request with verifiable documentation to HRD no later than seven calendar days from the original written examination date. HRD reserves the right to approve or deny your request. HRD may require an additional examination processing fee upon approval of your request.

Reasonable Accommodations: If you need reasonable accommodations due to a documented impairment, or medical condition, you must fill out the Testing Accommodations Request Form and submit supporting documentation as outlined on the form from a qualified professional detailing what type of accommodation you require at the exam site. The form and supporting documentation must be scanned and attached to the application or emailed to View email address on click.appcast.io no later than four weeks prior to the exam date. Without such a letter, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to grant your accommodation. This information is requested only to provide reasonable accommodations for exams and will not be used for any other purposes. For information regarding reasonable accommodations and the required form please see: Reasonable Accommodations for Civil Service Examinations.

Examples of Essential Duties:

Duties: Under supervision, to perform the duties of a Police Captain in conformance with the rules and regulations of the Police Department; to perform all duties assigned by a higher rank up to the Chief of Police in every phase of police work; and to perform related work as required.

Examination Subjects: The written examination will be designed to test, where practicable, the following knowledge, skills, and abilities that have been established as qualifications for the position: Knowledge of the U.S. and Massachusetts Constitutional law, the Massachusetts General Laws, Federal, State and Local Rules and Regulations, local ordinances and bylaws and important court decisions that pertain to the operation of a police department and govern police work; knowledge of appropriate police goals, objectives, methods, procedures, and techniques pertaining to major police functions (e.g., traffic control, criminal investigation, hostage situations, juvenile investigation, etc.); knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of community policing (e.g., patrol, community relations, neighborhood and community policing, etc.); knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of police supervision (e.g., planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling, training, performance evaluation, communication, job stress, psychological aspects, motivation, etc.); ability to choose actions appropriate to the situation; ability to confront problems, take charge, and assume responsibility; ability to demonstrate administrative judgment; ability to coordinate the efforts of others in accomplishing assigned objectives. The examination will measure your Judgment and Decision-Making, Accountability, Adaptability, Guiding and Developing Others, Leadership (including Managing Activities and Building Teams), and Interpersonal Skills (including Conflict Management).

Candidate Preparation Guide : Coming soon

Reading List : Available at Reading Lists

Situational Judgement Test (SJT): The examination will measure your Judgment and Decision-Making, Accountability, Adaptability, Guiding and Developing Others, Leadership (including Managing Activities and Building Teams), and Interpersonal Skills (including Conflict Management).

Experience & Education (E&E): All candidates must complete the 2026 Statewide Police Captain Promotional Examination E&E Claim application online. This is a separate application. Submitting an E&E claim in any way other than through the online claim process will result in a failed examination component. Instructions and a link to the E&E claim will be emailed to you prior to the written examination date. A confirmation email will be sent upon successful submission of an E&E Claim application.

Statutory Preference Points: Upon submission of written proof, two points will be added to the passing score of qualified Veterans and Disabled Veterans or individuals who have 25 years of service as a member of a regular municipal police force in Massachusetts and have passed an examination for promotional appointment in such force. If you are qualified for both the Veteran's Preference and the Promotional Preference for 25 years of service, please be advised that two points are the maximum allowable number of points to be added to your passing, overall examination score. To claim the Promotional Preference for 25 years of service, candidates must claim this preference in the E&E Claim application and verify eligibility on the Employment Verification form submitted with your E&E application. To claim veterans' preference, claim veteran status in the application and attach your DD214 to the application or email it to View email address on click.appcast.io. For more information on veteran status refer to the Military Information section on our website.

Updating Information : Candidates are responsible for maintaining accurate contact information. Failure to keep your records current may jeopardize opportunities for employment. For information on how to update your information, visit the Update Your Account

During the HRD review process or during the life of the applicable eligible list(s), candidates must make original supporting documentation available should the issue of authenticity arise with any submitted document copies.

Refunds: There will be no refunds of the examination processing fee unless the exam is cancelled by HRD.

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