Georgia POST Certification Test: Passing Scores, Eligibility, and Retakes

The Georgia POST entrance exam is a standardized academic skills test you must pass before enrolling in a basic law enforcement training academy in Georgia. It measures reading comprehension and writing, not police knowledge, and the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council accepts several approved tests, each with its own minimum passing scores.¹

What the Exam Actually Tests

The entrance exam measures academic readiness. You won’t see questions about criminal procedure, use of force, or Georgia statutes. The two sections that decide whether you pass or fail are reading comprehension and writing.¹

Reading tests whether you can interpret written material accurately, the same skill you’ll use reading warrants and statutes. Writing tests whether you can produce clear, grammatically correct text, which is the foundation of every incident report you’ll write on the job.

An arithmetic section also appears on the exam, but it carries an asterisk. The math score is used for evaluation purposes only and does not determine pass or fail. The exception is candidates attending a Basic Law Enforcement Certification Training program at one of Georgia’s technical colleges, who must meet the minimum math score as well.¹

Approved Tests and Minimum Passing Scores

POST accepts several standardized tests. The Accuplacer Next Generation is the most commonly administered, but Accuplacer Classic, ASSET, COMPASS, SAT, ACT, and CPE are all accepted with their own thresholds.¹

The minimum passing scores for the most common testing platforms are:

Accuplacer Next Generation: Reading 224, Writing 236, Arithmetic 229*
Accuplacer Classic: Reading 55, Writing 60, Numerical 34*
ASSET: Reading 38, Writing 35, Numerical 35*
COMPASS: Reading 70, Writing 32, Numerical 26*
SAT (after March 2016): Writing and Language 15, Math 18*
ACT: Reading 14, English 13, Math 14*

Scores marked with an asterisk are arithmetic minimums that apply only for evaluation purposes, or for candidates attending a technical college BLECT program. For everyone else, pass or fail rests on reading and writing alone.¹

The same minimums apply whether you’re seeking peace officer, jailer, or communications officer certification.

How to Register and What to Bring

Testing is administered at technical colleges across Georgia. Contact your preferred testing site directly to schedule an appointment and ask about their fee, which varies by location.² The testing fee is paid to the technical college, not to POST, and is separate from the $30 POST application fee you’ll pay later when submitting your certification application.

Before test day, complete the POST Entrance Exam Access Form. This is the single most important thing to remember. Show up without it and you won’t be allowed to test. The form is available through the POST website and must be filled out before you arrive.³

The exam is computerized, so you’ll get your score report immediately after finishing. Plan to set aside about two hours.² Keep your score report. Candidates who aren’t yet POST-certified are typically required to provide a copy of their results when applying for law enforcement positions.

If You Don’t Pass

Fall short on reading or writing and you must wait at least 30 days before retaking the exam.⁴ There’s no published cap on total attempts, so you can keep testing after each 30-day waiting period until you pass. Use the month productively. Free reading comprehension and sentence skills practice tests are available through the College Board’s Accuplacer website, and many technical colleges offer remedial coursework that targets the exact skills the exam measures.

Who Qualifies to Take It

Before scheduling the exam, make sure you meet the baseline eligibility for POST certification under O.C.G.A. § 35-8-8. You must be at least 18 years old, a United States citizen, and hold a high school diploma or GED.⁵

Criminal history is the most common disqualifier. The statute bars anyone convicted of a crime that could have resulted in imprisonment in a federal or state prison. A pattern of misdemeanor convictions can also disqualify you, though isolated traffic violations with a pardon don’t count against you.⁵ The statute uses a broad “pattern of disregard for the law” standard rather than naming specific misdemeanor categories, which gives POST discretion in evaluating your record.

Where the Exam Fits in the Full Certification Path

Passing the entrance exam clears one requirement out of roughly a dozen. The full certification application also requires proof of age, citizenship, and education, a physical exam affidavit from a licensed physician, a psychological evaluation (for peace officer certification, though not for jailer or communications officer certification), fingerprints processed through the Georgia Applicant Processing Service and submitted to both the GBI and FBI, a signed personal history release and Code of Ethics, and military records if applicable.⁶⁵

Everything is submitted through the POST Data Gateway with your employing agency or, for pre-service candidates, in coordination with a regional police academy. Both you and the agency or academy must sign off on the completed application. POST asks that applications be submitted at least ten calendar days before the start of a basic training course to allow time for review and corrections.⁶

After the application comes the academy itself. Georgia’s Basic Law Enforcement Certification Training program runs approximately 784 hours, typically delivered over about 17 weeks. Self-sponsored candidates attending the Georgia Public Safety Training Center pay roughly $6,152 in tuition for the full program.⁷ Candidates hired by an agency before attending usually have tuition covered and are paid during training. Pre-service candidates pay out of pocket and seek employment after graduation.

The exam is the gatekeeping step. Register at a technical college, bring the Access Form, pass reading and writing, and keep your score report for every application that follows.

1
Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council. POST Entrance Exam Results
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Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. How Do I Become a POST Certified Peace Officer
3
Department of Natural Resources. POST Entrance Exam
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Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council Entrance Exam Access Form
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Justia Law. Georgia Code 35-8-8 – Requirements for Appointment or Certification of Persons as Peace Officers
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Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council. Basic Certifications
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Georgia Public Safety Training Center. Student Eligibility and Tuition Fees