Many Filipinos aspire to join the ranks of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and become police officers. Being a police officer can be a rewarding and satisfying career. If you dream of becoming a police officer and serving the country with honor and distinction, then you should take the NAPOLCOM exam (PNP entrance exam) which is conducted twice a year.
The first step to joining the PNP is to take and pass the PNP entrance exam. The exam, which is conducted by the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), is open to able-bodied and qualified Filipinos who wish to serve the country as police officers.
Those who pass the NAPOLCOM exam or PNP entrance exam will become eligible for appointment as patrolman or patrolwoman with the rank of Police Officer 1 (PO1) pursuant to Section 30 of Republic Act 6975 as amended by Republic Act 8551.
PNP Recruitment Qualifications
Before you think about taking the NAPOLCOM exam, you should first know if you’re qualified to become a PNP police officer. The following are the minimum required qualifications for appointment as an officer or member of the PNP, in accordance with Section 14 of Republic Act 8551:
- Filipino citizen
- With good moral character
- Must possess a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree from a recognized college or university
- Must be at least 1.62 meters (5’4″) in height for males and 1.57 meters (5’2″) in height for females
- Must be not less than 21 and not more than 30 years of age
- Must weigh not more or less than 5 kg from the standard weight corresponding to height, age and sex
- Must have no pending criminal case in any court, including the Ombudsman if applicant is a government employee
- Must not have been convicted by final judgment of any crime or offense involving moral turpitude
- Must not have been dishonorably discharged from employment in the military or gone AWOL or dropped from the rolls of the PNP or dismissed for cause from any civilian position in the Philippine government
- Must have passed the physical, medical, dental, psychological/psychiatric, and drug tests by the PNP Health Service and Crime Lab Group or by any government hospital accredited by the NAPOLCOM
- Must be eligible in accordance with standards set by NAPOLCOM
If you meet all the aforementioned qualifications, then great, you are eligible to take the NAPOLCOM exam.
By the way, you can still apply for and take the NAPOLCOM exam even if you don’t meet the height requirements. However, you’ll still need to meet the height requirements to be accepted to the PNP since it’s mandated by Republic Act 6975.
The height requirements for members of indigenous communities are 1.52 meters (5’0″) for males and 1.45 meters (4’9″) for females. Applicants who are members of indigenous communities are required to submit a certification of tribal membership issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) or the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos. A height waiver issued by the NAPOLCOM is also acceptable.
NAPOLCOM Exam Online Application Schedule
Interested applicants for the PNP entrance exam are required to apply online for the scheduling of the filing of applications. All applications should be submitted through the NAPOLCOM Online Examination Application Scheduling System (OLEASS) on the scheduled dates below. The first letter of the applicant’s family name will be used in the scheduling of applicants for the PNP entrance exam.
| Date | Open to these applicants |
|---|---|
| January 27, 2020 | Family names starting with A and B |
| January 28, 2020 | Family names starting with C, D, E and F |
| January 29, 2020 | Family names starting with G, H, I, J, K and L |
| January 30, 2020 | Family names starting with M, N, O, P and Q |
| January 31, 2020 | Family names starting with R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z |
The NAPOLCOM OLEASS website will become available at 12 noon on January 27, 2020.
Only applicants with confirmed scheduled appointments and reference numbers will be allowed to file their applications for the PNP entrance exam. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis, and NAPOLCOM may stop accepting new applications even before the deadline. That is why you should get your scheduled appointment through NAPOLCOM OLEASS as soon as possible.
How to Get Your Scheduled Appointment Through NAPOLCOM OLEASS
Here’s how to set your scheduled appointment for the filing of application for the PNP entrance exam:
- Open the NAPOLCOM OLEASS website on your computer, laptop or mobile device. Make sure that it’s your schedule based on the first name of your family name.
- Fill out all the required fields in the online application form including names, address, contact number, date of birth, highest educational attainment, etc. Click “Submit” when you’re done.
- A confirmation message will appear if your registration is successful.
- Click the “Print Confirmation Letter” button to print your confirmation letter. It contains the applicant’s examination center, schedule, reference number, place of processing, and more.
- You must bring this confirmation letter as well as the filled-out application form during your scheduled appointment and filing of application at the NAPOLCOM Regional Office.
Take note that you can choose the examination center where you want to take the PNP entrance exam, regardless of your place of residence.
How to File Your Application for the NAPOLCOM Exam
On the day of your scheduled appointment, go to the NAPOLCOM Regional Office and bring the following application requirements:
- Printed confirmation letter with the corresponding reference number confirming your scheduled appointment
- Printed and duly accomplished application form and index card
- Two (2) recent and identical 1″ x 1″ ID photo with white background and complete name tag
- One (1) legal-size window envelope with ₱20 worth of postage stamps
- ₱400 NAPOLCOM examination fee (no other fees will be collected)
- Birth certificate in security paper issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), or a certified true copy of birth certificate issued by the local civil registrar and duly authenticated by the PSA
- Transcript of Scholastic Record with Special Order from CHED and diploma from CHED-accredited schools, colleges and state universities
- Certified true copy of Attested Appointment, Plantilla Appointment or Special Order (for patrolman or patrolwoman with temporary appointment only)
The period of filing of application is from February 24, 2020 to March 23, 2020.
You can obtain the application forms and index cards from any NAPOLCOM Regional Office nationwide. You may also download the application form here and the index card here. Both files are in PDF format and can be printed.
If you’re qualified, you will receive a Notice of Admission (NOA) on the same day you filed your application for the NAPOLCOM exam. You may confirm the status of your application by verify it with the NAPOLCOM Regional Office where you filed the said application.
Applicants who have taken the PNP entrance exam in the past but failed to pass it, as well as those who were admitted to the exam but failed to take it for some reason, are no longer required to resubmit their requirements as long as they apply to take the same exam in the same examination center. In such cases, the applicant will only have to provide the following:
- Admission slip of the last examination applied for
- New application form and index card
- New 1″ x 1″ ID photo
- ₱400 examination fee
PNP Entrance Exam Schedule
NAPOLCOM conducts the PNP entrance exams twice a year. The next examination date is on April 26, 2020 and will be held in these testing centers:
| Region | Test Center |
|---|---|
| Region 1 | San Fernando City, La Union |
| Region 2 | Tuguegarao City |
| Region 3 | City of San Fernando, Pampanga |
| Region 4A | Cabuyao City |
| MIMAROPA | Calapan City |
| Region 5 | Guinobatan, Albay |
| Region 6 | Iloilo City |
| Region 7 | Cebu City |
| Region 8 | Tacloban City, Calbayog City |
| Region 9 | Pagadian City, Zamboanga City |
| Region 10 | Cagayan de Oro City |
| Region 11 | Davao City |
| Region 12 | Koronadal City |
| CAR | Baguio City |
| CARAGA | Butuan City |
| BARMM | Cotabato City |
| NCR | Makati City |
PNP Exam Coverage
The PNP entrance exam or NAPOLCOM exam lasts for three hours and consists of objective-type or multiple choice questions. The coverage of the exam is as follows:
- General information
- Philippine Constitution and history
- PNP law and history
- Criminal justice system
- Current events
- Social awareness and value judgment
- Verbal reasoning
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Comprehension
- Quantitative reasoning
- Basic concepts
- Problem-solving skills
- Logical reasoning
- Verbal
- Non-verbal
- Values/uprightness
What to Wear and Bring to the Exam
The NAPOLCOM has a strict dress code for the exam. Examinees must wear a white t-shirt or white polo shirt, dark pants and shoes. Examinees who are not wearing the prescribed attire will not be allowed to take the exam.
Bring the following on the day of the exam:
- Notice of Admission (NOA)
- Pencil No. 2
- Two (2) government-issued IDs with signature, such as passport, SSS, GSIS, postal ID, driver’s license, PRC ID, etc. Strictly no ID, no entry.
On the other hand, these are the things that are not allowed inside the exam venue:
- Mobile phones, two-way radio and any electronic gadget
- Calculators
- Review materials
- Firearms, explosives or any deadly weapon
Violators will be automatically disqualified and their test results will be nullified. Cheating is strictly prohibited and the examinees involved will be disqualified and permanently barred from taking the NAPOLCOM exam.
Announcement of NAPOLCOM Exam Results
The PNP entrance exam results and the list of successful examinees will be announced on the NAPOLCOM website and posted at NAPOLCOM Regional Office nationwide.
Examinees can check their ratings at the NAPOLCOM Online Verification of Ratings website.
The Report of Rating (for failed examinees) and the Certificate of Eligibility (for passers) will be mailed to the examinee’s mailing address. Passers who didn’t receive their Certificate of Eligibility may request for issuance of the certification from the NAPOLCOM Central Office upon payment of ₱150. Successful examinees can also request their certificates through mail or courier by sending a money order payable to the National Police Commission, DILG-NAPOLCOM Center, NAPOLCOM Building, EDSA corner Quezon Avenue, West Triangle, Quezon City 1104.
Good Luck!
Our men and women in uniform keep our streets and communities safe, and we are thankful to them for their service. Should you wish to join the police force and help protect our countrymen, you must first take the NAPOLCOM exam to become eligible for appointment as a police officer. Good luck and don’t forget to share this article with your friends who might be interested in joining the police force.
