Am I Qualified to Join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police?

April 28, 2014

Thousands of people every year seek to become police officers, but not everyone has what it takes.  If you are interested in joining their ranks, then it is vital that you prepare for criteria such as passing a first aid test, gathering necessary documentation and passing a physical fitness exam. Before you reach this point, however, you’ll need to meet some other requirements set forth by the agency. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police sets basic criteria to help thin out the ranks of applicants before the more comprehensive tests begin, but that doesn’t mean that you should scoff at the requirements for becoming an RCMP officer. We will discuss some of these basic qualifications in the following article.

Age and Residency

Before you can join the RCMP, you must first be at least nineteen years of age. This is for obvious reasons: only an adult is mentally and physically suited to serve as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer. You can apply to join, however, once you reach eighteen years of age.

You must also be a naturalized citizen of Canada before you can join the police force, but you do not have to be a natural-born citizen. Even if you have already applied for citizenship but the process is not yet complete, you will not be eligible to join the RCMP.

Character Evaluation

One of the most important aspects of a good police officer is that they can be trusted and respected. These characteristics cannot be taught, so it’s important that all prospective applicants possess these skills from the start. Many tests will be given that help evaluate this throughout the process, including a background test, a lie detector test and interviews with current officers. This will help weed out the applicants who are not serious about being honest, trustworthy public servants. In many respects, these types of evaluations are the hardest to prepare for; either you possess the prerequisite skills or you do not. It is to be expected that previous personal relationships and work history will be scrutinized during this process.

Education

The educational requirements to be in the RCMP are not overly strict, but you will need to have finished high school before you can apply. Some applicants may be admitted without a high school diploma if they are able to pass a secondary exam and evaluation. In addition to this, all applicants will need to be familiar with English and/or French; both are not required, but do come in handy when on the job.

Exams

A written exam will ultimately be given to RCMP applicants to determine how familiar they are with the subject matter that has been covered during their training. There are also a variety of different tests that will be administered, such as a physical fitness exam and a medical exam that covers physical, dental, vision and psychological-related elements of an applicant’s health. In the case of physical fitness, the RCMP expects applicants to already be in shape when they apply; they do not get individuals into shape so that they can pass the examinations.