Arlington Heights Police Department - Police Officer
FREE - test fee paid by agencyLast updated on August 20, 2026
PST Partner Agency since June 02, 2026
Vacancies: 6
Important Information
****The Arlington Heights is an Equal Opportunity Employer***
The Arlington Heights Police Department continuously accepts applications for entry level police officers and is actively hiring for vacant positions. Entry-level applications are accepted on a continual/rolling basis.
The next Entry-Level Eligibility list will be certified by the Arlington Heights Board of Fire and Police Commissioners the week of October 5th, 2026. ALL TEST RESULTS, PREFERENCE POINTS, AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 11:59pm on October 4th, 2026 for review and in order to earn your place on the Eligibility List. Any applicant not meeting the above deadline may be considered for future eligibility certification. The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners reviews applications multiple times throughout the year.Entry-Level Candidates: Your Path to Appointment
- Apply and test — Complete the written examination and submit your application with all required documentation as soon as possible. You must include a current, valid POWER card to qualify for placement on an eligibility list (all POWER testing costs are your responsibility).
- Complete all examination elements — Testing components, passing scores, and relative weights are established by the Board of Fire and Police Commission at the beginning of each testing process.
- Claim your preference points — If you pass all examinations by the required percentages, you may elect military preference points under 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-8 and any other preference points identified by the Commission. Follow the Board's instructions for electing points — they are not applied automatically.
- Earn your place on the Final Eligibility List — After preference points are awarded, you'll be ranked by combined examination score and preference points, regardless of when you tested. Your name remains on the list for one year.
- Certification and selection — Eligibility lists are certified through the Board of Fire and Police Commission on an as-needed basis. When a vacancy is filled from the list, appointment is made from the ten highest-ranked candidates.
*Certified Lateral Candidates - If you currently serve as a law enforcement officer and have completed the Minimum Standards Basic Law Enforcement Academy you may be eligible for entry under the Lateral Program - Please review the Arlington Heights PST Lateral Police Officer posting on the PST website for more information.
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Department Information
Commonly Asked Questions
Job Description
Area Information
Hiring Status
Salary Information
Benefit Information
Required Documents
| Document | Description | Example Files | Required | Preference Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School Diploma | Read Description | None | ||
| Drivers License | Read Description | None | ||
| Proof of Citizenship or legal eligibility to work in the US | Read Description | None | ||
| Illinois POWER card |
The POWER Test card must have been obtained within the past 12 months of application. Read More |
None | ||
| College / DD214 | Candidates must have 60 college credit hours -or- have been honorably discharged from the military. OPTION #1 College Credits - Upload copies of college transcripts that shows at least 60 credit hours towards a bachelor's degree from an institution of higher learning accredited by the U.S Department of Education. OPTION #2 DD214 - In lieu of college credits, applicants who have served 24 months on honorable active duty in the United States Armed Forces or served for 180 days of active duty in combat duty recognized by the Department of Defense should upload a copy of your DD214. | None | ||
| Preference Points | Candidates who achieve a passing score on the written examination are eligible to claim preference points. A maximum of (5) points may be claimed . Complete the attached Preference Point Form and submit required documents as indicated on the form. | View File |
Arlington Heights Police Department - Police Officer Requirements
| Category | Requirement | Required at time of... | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test | Hire | ||
| Written Examination |
Yes, required |
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| LEO/CO Physical Ability Test (PAT) |
Yes, required as described below POWER card required to be uploaded after your test. POWER test must have been completed within the last one year from the application deadline date. |
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| PST Personal History Statement | Yes, required within 14 days of passing required exam(s) | ||
| Minimum Age | 21 | ||
| Maximum Age |
Applicants must be under 35 years of age, unless exempt from the age - 35 hiring requirement as permitted by 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1- 6(d), 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6.3(c) and 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-14 |
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| Citizenship |
Must be :
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| High School Grad/ GED | Yes | ||
| Driver's License Required | Yes | ||
| Felony Conviction(s) as an Adult |
Has not been convicted of a felony, or any misdemeanor that, in the judgment of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, renders the applicant unsuitable for the applied-for position. |
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| Ability to Read, Speak & Write the English Language | Yes | ||
| Vision Requirements | Correctable to 20/20 | ||
| College Requirement |
Applicants for an entry-level police officer position must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent and an associate’s degree. In lieu of an associate’s degree, an applicant may: (a) possess credit for at least 60 hours toward a bachelor’s degree from an institution of higher learning accredited by the U.S. Department of Education; or (b) have served for 24 months of honorable active duty in the United States Armed Forces and not have been discharged dishonorably or under circumstances other than honorable; or (c) served for 180 days of active duty in the United States Armed Forces in combat duty recognized by the Department of Defense and has not been discharged dishonorably or under circumstances other thanhonorable. |
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| Other Preference Points |
Candidates who achieve a passing score on the written examination are eligible to claim preference points. A maximum of five (5) points may be claimed. Preference points offered shall not be cumulative. In cases of multiple preference point submissions by a single applicant, only the highest eligible preference points may be awarded. Preference points are offered in the following categories:
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| Other |
Applicants must submit proof of passing the POWER test prior to be added to the eligibility list. |
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| Multiple Scores from Same Applicant | We consider the highest score received within the past one year | ||
| Request/Access Scores | On an as-needed basis as vacancies occur | ||
Arlington Heights Police Department - Police Officer Disqualifiers
The following are automatic and potential disqualifiers. Applicants should not apply to our agency if they indicate any of the automatic disqualifiers. Potential disqualifiers will be considered on a case by case basis.
| Category | Disqualifier | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Activity |
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| Other |
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Contact Information
Arlington Heights Police Department - Police Officer
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Agency Test Requirements
Written Examination: Yes, required
PAT: Yes, required as described below
PST Personal History Statement: Yes, required within 14 days of passing required exam(s)
Other Village of Arlington Heights positions
COVID-19 UPDATES
5/6/2020 Update:
TESTING IN WASHINGTON STATE CANCELED THROUGH MAY 31, 2020
All pre-employment tests in Washington State have been canceled until May 31, 2020 unless government restrictions are eased. With recent updates, facility closures, and government guidelines, this step is necessary and could be modified at any time. The health and safety of our customers, our staff, and their families is of the highest priority.
We will continue to evaluate developments and make changes to this policy as necessary. When we do resume testing, there will be plenty of events for everyone to test. We are in regular communication with our public safety agency partners, assessing alternatives to the traditional testing model and our testing policies. Any future updates will be posted on the PST website and our Facebook page.
4/1/2020 Update:
If you have tested with PST in the past 12 months, there may be additional positions you are now eligible to add. Several departments have temporarily changed their testing policies due to the suspension in testing that COVID-19 has caused. Please login to your PST account and navigate to the ‘New Positions’ page to see what departments you can add! We will regularly update that page in your account as departments send updates.
FUTURE TEST REGISTRATION
We know that there will be testing in the future - we just don’t know when! We want you to be prepared for when testing begins again so we have created test events on our calendar that you can register for that will place you in a queue to be first notified. These tests are not “real” test events, they are essentially a holding area. You will be able to “reschedule” out of that event to any other event date/location at no cost. Registering now will also give you time to work on your Personal History Statement (PHS) so that your data will be ready and up-to-date to send to your departments once testing resumes.
To sign up for this placeholder event, select the June 15, 2020 test date in your category (police, fire, 911 dispatch, corrections, etc.).
You may also click on the test event of interest below to sign up:
Law Enforcement & Corrections Written and Physical Ability Test
Please check back here frequently and ‘Like’ our Facebook page to stay updated.
PST staff are working remotely and are available by email at contact@publicsafetytesting.com. We anticipate a high email volume and will respond as quickly as possible.
