Almost a fifth of Garda applicants fail the fitness test
STRICT fitness tests for aspiring gardaí are ‘blocking’ the force’s recruitment targets, Fianna Fáil has warned.
New figures show that, as of early December, 55 out of 315 applicants – 17.5% – had failed An Garda Síochána’s Physical Competency Test (PCT), a requirement for entry to Templemore training college.
The test consists of multiple components, including a shuttle run or ‘beep test’, push-ups, situps, an obstacle course and a push/pull machine assessment.
But failing of any single component means applicants must repeat the entire stage, and will be put to the back of the line before they can do that.
Fianna Fáil Justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan believes the fitness test is ‘too demanding, out of step with other jurisdictions and is becoming a growing factor blocking recruitment’.
He said students are at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts in the North, who get one minute extra to complete the mandatory obstacle course.
Mr O’Callaghan added that police trainees in Canada also have more time to complete parts of their fitness exam, compared to those in Ireland.
‘Canadian cadets undertake a Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation which, again, is similar to our assessment but doesn’t have the beep test component and allows five minutes and 30 seconds for obstacle course and push and pull,’ he said.
‘I believe the time limits we are placing on trainees to complete the PCT is contributing to the failure to meet recruitment targets and this should be reviewed as a matter of urgency,’ he said.
In October, Justice Minister Helen McEntee described the issue of candidates failing the fitness test as a rising problem.
She said the applicants who failed were contributing to the inability to meet last year’s target of recruiting 800 new gardaí
‘Many of us might remember having to do the beep test and other fitness tests in physical education in school,’ she said.
‘It is important that members of the Garda have a certain level of fitness. There are challenges arising and we need to ensure we are on top of them.
‘The service must conduct the interviews and put the numbers forward before the students go into the college,’ she said.
Previously described as ‘excessive’ by the Garda Representative Association (GRA), the test consists of two stages that are tailored and evaluated based on a candidate’s age and gender.
The first section of the exam is the ‘shuttle run’, which involves running continuously between two points, set 20 metres apart, at a set time between beeps that gradually decreases until the candidate can no longer keep up with the shorter intervals between beeps.
It has been reported that women are far more likely to fail the test than men.
In 2020, pass rates showed that, of the 90 women under the age of 25 who attempted the fitness test, only 36 were successful. By comparison, only 29 of the 95 men who attempted the test in that time failed.
In the age bracket of 18-25, males are required to attain a score of 8.8 and females at least 7.6.
Men aged between 26 and 35 must meet a 8.1 standard while women in this age range are required to pass at a level of 6.6.
Male students aged 18-25 are then given one minute do 35 sit-ups (30 for women) and they must also do 25 push-ups (20 for women). There is no time limit for the push-ups.
Older male applicants are required to perform 32 sit-ups (females have to do 27) and 22 push-ups (18 for women).
The Physical Competence Test mimics an area of requirement for garda recruitment. Candidates have to run through and around obstacles, maintaining balance,
‘The test is too demanding’
The PSNI test allows an extra minute
moving heavy objects, ducking under low objects, dragging a dummy between two points, clearing steps at speed and jumping over barriers such as gates. The circuit must be completed three times in under three minutes and 20 seconds.
The PSNI physical assessment is similar to the An Garda Síochána assessment, but allows four minutes and 30 seconds for the obstacle course.
The last assessment in Templemore is the push-pull machine, which mimics a struggle that may occur after a chase.
Each participant must achieve a level of 25kg on this course.
Interim Justice Minister Simon Harris said last week that, from next month, 200 recruits will enter the Garda College in Templemore every 11 weeks, ‘to meet our target, funded in Budget 2023, of recruiting 1,000 new gardaí in 2023’.
He also said that in the coming months a new recruitment campaign for An Garda Síochána will be launched to ensure there is a steady pipeline of recruits over the coming years.