Admission to the police training programme

The Swedish Police Authority has not drawn up a comprehensive job analysis to use as a basis for the qualities and capabilities required for the police profession. Thus, there is no guarantee that the tests and thresholds used in the admission process are appropriate for measuring whether applicants have the capabilities needed to succeed in the police profession. The tests used to measure applicants’ strength and fitness have been validated and are based on scientific evidence. However, it is more difficult for women than for men to pass the strength test, and it cannot be ruled out that the test is unfair on women. This may also be because the thresholds are not clearly substantiated. Fewer people with a foreign background pass the aptitude test, which cannot essentially be attributed to differences in grades or scores in the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test. The selection method used requires applicants to pass one test component in order to advance to the next one. This is particularly problematic in combination with poorly substantiated thresholds, and poses a heightened risk of suitable candidates being eliminated from the admission process at an early stage on ambiguous grounds. All in all, these circumstances present potential obstacles to fulfilling the Government’s ambition to increase diversity in the police force.

The checks to reduce the risk of admitting unsuitable individuals are inadequate. Confidentiality surrounding the psychological interview, which does not permit psychologists and police interviewers to share information about applicants, leads to ambivalence in the assessment process. It also poses a risk of duplication of work and decision appeals. The audit also shows that the Swedish Police Authority does not have sufficient resources to conduct basic investigations of applicants whom interviewers deem require further investigation before a decision can be made. Furthermore, the audit shows that the Swedish Police Authority’s monitoring and control of dismissed applicants has shortcomings that poses a risk of enabling such individuals to reapply. The Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment Agency’s IT system is a bottleneck, limiting the possibility of streamlining the admission process and improving monitoring the selection system for the police training programme.

According its 2024 appropriation directions, the Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment Agency is to have capacity to conduct up to 8,800 tests for the needs of the Swedish Police Authority, with the aim of filling 1,100 study places per term. However, over time, testing capacity has been overdimensioned, and in 2023 and 2024 only about 65% of testing slots were utilised. This is partly because applicants can book an appointment for testing all year round, which requires the Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment Agency to have a constantly high staffing level. Besides, applicants can reschedule their test appointment without having to notify of their cancellation, creating gaps in the schedule of staff at the Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment Agency. The Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment Agency does not monitor its resource allocation specifically for police testing, which means that it is not possible to monitor how much of the funds are actually used for the intended purpose. Furthermore, efficiency gains could be made by partially adjusting the order in which the test components are carried out.

Our comparison with other Nordic countries shows that the Swedish admission process differs. Sweden is the only Nordic country in which the police authority has chosen to commission another government agency to conduct the admission process. Sweden also uses a different selection method and other types of tests in the admission process. Finally, the cost of the admission process in Sweden is significantly higher compared to the other Nordic countries.