Policing in Ontario is an in-demand career right now as services start to fill the gaps of the baby boomer generation retiring. This means this is a great time for you to pursue this career. Related to policing are careers in the CBSA and Canada Forces. Opportunities are there for the taking if you are prepared.

On January 1, 2020, police services across Ontario under the direction of the OACP (Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police) stopped using the Police Analytical Thinking Inventory (PATI) test administered by ATS for over a decade as part of their recruitment process. The PATI been replaced with the PAF, a mental ability test that is undoubtedly much more refined and difficult on which to score high. In addition to the PAF (General Mental Ability Assessment), an additional test is used for the new OACP certificate which is called the ESQ2 (Personality Assessment).

What does this mean for you, the applicant?

First - resist the urge to be impulsive and immediately go to the OACP website and sign-up to take the test.

This test is designed to be complicated and hard - don't kid yourself - this test in some ways is significantly more difficult than previous testing disciplines. It is based on a compendium of test results from a large sample group that has been standardized. This means that when you do this test you are being compared to this group in the form of a percentile result. In fact, this test is not a pass/fail test; instead, it is a measure of your intelligence. Your scores on the test will not be shared with you, but any police service you apply to that wishes to bring you into their recruitment process will have access to those results.

Many people are rejoicing at the news that the PATI has been phased out. They clearly do not understand what just happened. As a result, from the time you start the recruitment process you will have no benchmark upon which to compare your place in the process or how you will be ranked compared to your competition. Under the PATI test structure you had a pass/fail test, and if you passed then you knew you were good for three years to apply to services you chose and you were on the same level playing field as your competition when it came to having your OACP certificate or not.

Stated simply, in the past your score didn't matter to the police service you applied to, they only saw you obtained your certification. Now under the new structure you may never get called for an interview and move on in the process as you will have no feedback. The new certificate is valid for one year, then you will be required to reapply and start the process over again.

Drilling down, you as the applicant are at a disadvantage from the beginning and will need to be prepared as best you can and score the best you can on these tests. As stated earlier, these are not easy tests and you will never know how you scored.

What can you do? Don't waste a year by going into the test only somewhat prepared. Be prepared properly, with the right training material. This can make or break yet another year fruitlessly pursuing this career in policing.

If you're serious about pursuing a career in policing don't leave fate to chance. Cognitive Results is the expert in police preparation since 2005. We have helped hundreds of clients, one-on-one, achieve their dream jobs. They were no different than you, other than they were prepared with the right training and knowledge base to do well and be successful. Although this may be a great time to finally pull the trigger and go after that dream job, it is harder than ever to achieve and you will need to be prepared for this exciting new journey in your life.

Visit our sign-up page and get the leg up on your competition. Our testimonials speak for themselves.

SIGMA SSPO testing preparation is INCLUDED in our Ontario Police program along with the OACP preparation. The SSPO is used by Peel Regional Police, York Regional Police, OPP, and more services.

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