Physical Agility Testing Now Required for All BLETC Candidates Prior to Admission

GPSTC- Regional Academies

According to Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council rules, candidates wishing to attend Basic Law Enforcement Training after December 31, 2020 will be required to pass the Physical Agility Test (PAT) before they are admitted into the Academy.

To ensure that agencies and candidates are provided adequate notice; GPSTC will schedule testing dates 30-days, 15-days, and 7-days prior to the start date of each GPSTC Academy offering.

View current PAT schedule here.

Who Can Test:

• All candidates must be Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council approved and enrolled with a GPSTC Academy to be selected for testing.

Test Facilitation:

• Candidates may challenge the course twice for BLETC course offering (approximately every three months).
• Candidates are only allowed 1 run per testing date.
• First run failures may make a 2^nd attempt on a subsequent date. (i.e., a first run failure on the first date could retest on the second- or third-date. A first run failure on the second date could retest on the third date. There are no retests for first run failures on the final date).
• No make-up days will be scheduled.
• Late arrivals will not be allowed to run (not considered a failed attempt).
• Candidates will not be admitted or substituted after testing.
• No non-agency spectators are allowed.
• No one except Academy personnel and participants will be allowed on the course or in the immediate testing area.

Attire:

• Candidates may wear GPSTC cadet PT Gear or other suitable PT clothes for the test.
• Non-academy clothing shall be modest and professional.
• Running shoes are required.
• No jewelry-other than one ring, and a watch.

Physical Agility Test (PAT) Course Description:

• The course measures a total of 870 feet (290 yards/265.2 meters) (half-court basketball court).
• There is a time limit of two minutes six seconds (2:06)–time starts on candidates movement from the starting line and ends when they pass the finish line.
• The course consists of a series of nine interspersed individual tasks, arranged in a continuous format that may be viewed as being essential (physical) job tasks for law enforcement training:

1. 1. Running
   2. Jumping (low hurdle)
   3. Climbing stairs
   4. Low crawling
   5. Jumping (broad-type)
   6. Climbing a fence (chain-link/four feet)
   7. Climbing through a window
   8. Moving/dragging a weight (150 lbs.)
   9. Changing direction on the run

Running the Course:

• The candidate starts the course at a point, indicated on the course map,
• The candidate runs one and 3/4 laps around the perimeter of the course and enters the interior of the course at the point indicated on the course map,
• The first obstacle encountered in the interior consists of two low hurdles, one and a half feet high and four feet long, placed 13 feet apart,
• After clearing the hurdles, stairs (five steps up to a 32-inch wide landing, 45 inches above the floor and five steps down) must be negotiated twice (note that each step has a 7.5 inch rise and tread that is 11 inches wide), candidate may skip steps going up but must touch each stair coming down.
• Once the stair event is completed, another low hurdle must be cleared; the candidate must then successfully negotiate a low crawl under an obstacle set at two and a half feet above the floor,
• Make a turn and clear a ditch simulation that is six feet in width,
• After another turn, a chain-link fence (four feet in height) must be climbed,
• Two additional turns made, and a four feet high window must be successfully entered,
• The candidate must then drag a 150-pound dead weight a distance of 20 feet,
• Finishing with one more running lap around the perimeter of the course.

Penalties Assessed:

• +2 seconds for knocked down hurdles,
• +2 seconds for foot faults on “ditch simulation”,
• 3 physical attempts “through the window” and “over the fence” before evaluator can offer run around.
• If a candidate skips stairs going down, they will be returned to the stair landing and repeat.