Physical Readiness Practice (PREP)

A Physical Readiness Practice Exam for Police Constables

The Physical Readiness Practice (PREP) exam is designed to assess candidates for police constables' physical and mental prowess. It is one of four exams created by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police to assess whether a person is qualified for a position. The exam is broken up into three separate sections, including two performance tests meant to gauge applicants' physical prowess and a screening to establish a person's readiness for the exam. Pursuit or restraint circuit exams are the performance evaluations. To determine whether they are physically prepared for the test, the law mandates that all candidates complete a physical exercise readiness questionnaire. It is essential for police officers to be tested like this because their duties require one to be physically able to perform his or her duties as a police officer (Catano, 2009). Also, Gerber, Kellmann, Hartmann, and Pühse (2010) note that the primary duty is to maintain law and order. Therefore, police officers are bound to encounter risky and challenging situations that require them to be physically able to handle. Such duties include chasing down criminals and maintain order during riots. Therefore, the test ensures that only individuals who can handle such severe conditions are employed (Chappell, 2008).

Preparing for the PREP Exam

If I were to attend the test, I would observe the following; first, I would make sure that my health conditions are stable and that I am physically able to carry out the tests without any health repercussions. Also, I would ensure that I prepare adequately by doing exercises regularly before the date for the test. Some of the fitness that individuals should work on include physical strength and anaerobic fitness which entails sprinting and jogging ("P.R.E.P. Fitness Test for Police - Police Test Prep," n.d.).

Working on Muscular Endurance and Aerobic Fitness

Also, it is commendable to prepare one’s abdomen for muscular endurance and other extremities. According to Bullock, Jones, Gilchrist, & Marshall (2010), individuals can pass the tests if they work on such fitness before they take the tests. Some of the fitness exercises that candidates need to work on include; squats and lunges, weightlifting, triceps extension and chin-ups. Also, some of the aerobic exercises recommendable for preparation of the test include swimming, jogging, cycling and skiing. While doing these exercises, one needs to focus on cardiovascular activities that aim at burning body fats and increasing heart rate as well as physical strength.

Reference

Bullock, S. H., Jones, B. H., Gilchrist, J., & Marshall, S. W. (2010). Prevention of physical training–related injuries: recommendations for the military and other active populations based on expedited systematic reviews. American journal of preventive medicine, 38(1), S156-S181.

Catano, Victor Michael. Recruitment and selection in Canada. Cengage Learning, 2009.

Chappell, A. T. (2008). Police academy training: Comparing across curricula. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 31(1), 36-56.

Gerber, M., Kellmann, M., Hartmann, T., & Pühse, U. (2010). Do exercise and fitness buffer against stress among Swiss police and emergency response service officers?. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11(4), 286-294.

P.R.E.P. Fitness Test for Police - Police Test Prep. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.policetestprep.ca/resources/what-is-the-p-r-e-p-fitness-test-for-police-and-how-do-you-pass-it/