Police Officer Trainee

The Position

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply immediately. Why Join Oakland Police Department? The Oakland Police Department is hiring Police Officer Trainees. The ideal candidate will have the education and experience that demonstrate personal motivation, interest in others, and the ability to deal effectively and fairly with residents and co-workers. The ideal candidate will be able to identify problems and resolve them quickly while under pressure, and want to work in a fast-paced, urban environment. After successful completion of the academy, Police Officers receive step increases on an annual basis and may reach the top step after five years. Immediate benefits include city-paid health and dental insurance for employees and dependents. Upon graduation from the academy, the benefits package includes a pension provided by the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS); vacation leave, sick leave, and holidays; education tuition reimbursement; life insurance; employee assistance program; and deferred compensation plan.

Minimum Requirements for Application

Minimum Qualifications Education: Diploma from an accredited U.S. high school or G.E.D. certificate. Age: Candidates must be 21 years of age upon graduation from the academy, which is six months in duration. Driver's License: Candidates must possess and maintain a valid Driver's License to operate an automobile at the time of application. Criminal Record: Candidates may not have any felony convictions or other misdemeanor convictions that would prevent carrying a firearm. Citizenship: Candidates must be U.S. citizens. Candidates may be screened out at any point in the process based on the position requirements. The Oakland Police Department reserves the right to waive selection components of individuals based on prior experience or certification.

Application and Selection Procedures Step 1: Submit Application – Online Application Only Our online application system is provided by NEOGOV. Click on the link below to apply. Police Officer Trainee Application You must apply online prior to the close of the job announcement. If you do not have access to a computer, computer stations are available at any City of Oakland Public Library. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NEOGOV's Live Candidate Support at View phone number on click.appcast.io between 6:00 am and 5:00 pm Pacific Time, Monday – Friday. Once a candidate has submitted an online application via NEOGOV, any changes to contact information (name, address, phone number, etc.) should be updated immediately. To update contact information, send a detailed email to View email address on click.appcast.io. List your full name and all new information that needs to be updated. Failure to maintain current contact information may result in loss of eligibility.

Step 2: Self-Schedule Virtual Written Exam Self-Scheduled Virtual or In-Person National Testing Network (NTN) Written Exam must be scheduled by August 7, 2026. The In-Person National Testing Network (NTN) Frontline Written Examination is scheduled to be administered on various days and locations. You can also complete National Testing Network (NTN) Frontline Written Examination virtually. Please review the Virtual Testing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page at: If your computer system will not support virtual testing, please notify our office via e-mail at View email address on click.appcast.io.

Step 3A: OPD Physical Ability Test. The written exam must be submitted or scheduled no later than August 7, 2026, to participate in the Physical Ability Test. When: Saturday, August 22, 2026 Where: TBD

Step 3B: Oral Exam Successful candidates will be invited to participate in an exam that is designed to evaluate job-related skills and abilities such as oral communication, interpersonal skills, and judgment. In addition to general questions, candidates will be presented with hypothetical scenarios and asked to explain how they would respond to each situation. The Oral Exam is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2026, the same day as the Physical Ability Test. If candidate populations exceed the capacity for given Oral Exam date, the Oakland Police Department reserves the right to schedule candidates across the next, available, test date. Candidates who pass the Oral Exam will be placed on a ranked eligibility list for further consideration. Placement on the eligibility list neither guarantees nor implies that a candidate will be offered employment. The order of placement on the eligibility list does not determine the order in which candidates will be considered. Police Officer Trainee is an unclassified position. Preference points are awarded to Oakland residents and/or veterans. (See below for how to claim preference points.)

Step 4: Background Investigation Process and Chief's Character Review & Interview Eligible candidates selected for a background investigation will be contacted by a background investigator who will assist them through the process. Candidates will also be required to submit to a polygraph examination. The Police Department reserves the right to disqualify individuals who have previously been rejected for hire based upon conditions that are not subject to change, e.g., non-correctable medical conditions or felony convictions. In addition, the Department may reject individuals who have previously been rejected for hire based on psychological testing or background factors. Upon successful completion and review of the background investigation, a Chief's Character Review Panel will make employment selections. Candidates selected will be scheduled for a Chief's Interview and if approved, will receive a conditional job offer of employment, contingent upon successfully passing a medical and psychological examination.

Supplemental Information

Candidates who have previously taken the NTN Front line written exam and wish to waive the written test portion must request that NTN provide their written test score to the OPD Recruiting and Background Unit by August 7, 2026, to be considered for this testing group. Minimum Passing NTN Written T-Score: Human Relations Video Score: 65%; Writing Score: 70%; Reading Score: 70%. Test dates older than August 7, 2026, will not be accepted. Candidates who have previously taken the PELLET-B written exam, and received a score of 45 or higher, are eligible to waive the written test portion of the examination process. To obtain a waiver, the candidate must submit a letter (on agency letterhead) that states that the candidate has taken the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery (PELLETB) written exam. The letter must be submitted by uploading it with the online application or bringing it to the OPD Recruiting and Background Unit by August 7, 2026, to be considered for this testing group. The test results must contain the total T-Score AND the date of the test; test dates older than August 7, 2025, will not be accepted. POST T-Scores and test dates will be verified with POST. Candidates who wish to take the PELLET-B written exam before August 7, 2026, may find a schedule of upcoming dates at As mentioned above, written test results must be uploaded with the online application or emailed to the OPD Recruiting and Background Unit at View email address on click.appcast.io no later than August 7, 2026, to be considered for this test group. All results will be verified. Candidates who have previously taken the Physical Agility Test / Work Sample Test Battery at the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium and wish to waive the physical test portion of the examination process, must submit the official Verification Letter, either by uploading with the online application or bringing it to the OPD Recruiting and Background Unit by August 7, 2026, to be considered for this testing group. The minimum passing score is 320. Test dates older than August 7, 2025, will not be accepted. All scores and test dates will be verified with South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium.

Additional Information Candidates should keep copies of all documents submitted, as these will not be returned. The Oakland Police Department reserves the right to modify the selection process as necessary to conform to administrative or business necessities. Oakland Residency and Veteran's Preference Points Candidates claiming residency preference points will be required to show proof of Oakland residency at the Oral Exam. Acceptable forms of residency verification include a California Driver's License, California Identification Card, or a utility bill. Candidates claiming veteran's preference points must submit a copy of Form DD-214 at the Oral Exam. Selective Certification Some positions may require specific bilingual skills in Spanish, Cantonese, or Mandarin. Candidates for those positions would have to demonstrate the required skill to be selectively certified to the positions. Fee Waiver NTN charges a nominal fee for its test. Candidates with demonstrated financial hardship may submit a request to have the fee waived by NTN prior to registering for the exam. Fee waiver requests must be submitted by August 7, 2026. Late requests will not be accepted. To complete the Fee Waiver Request Form visit Candidates will be required to mail the waiver to the address on the form. It will be forwarded to the OPD Recruiting and Background Unit for final decision. The process may take several weeks. It is the candidate's responsibility to allow sufficient time for waiver request review and