Hey all, I'm graduating from college with a bachelors in criminal justice this Saturday. I decided I wanted to be a cop back when I started college so applied to the local Chattanooga Police Department.

I have a 3.4 gpa, deans list every semester, golden key scholar and all that jazz. I did a 140 hour internship etc.

Heres my issue, I took the physical test and got a 73/100. I'll admit I had trained for the wrong test, my dufus mistake. 70 is a passing grade so I did pass, but did not do amazing. I've since changed my training and am confident i'd make an 85-90 atleast if I retook it.

Is that physical test grade going to dick me over for this academy?

Also, for those with any experience on it..not to put all my eggs in one basket I also applied to the local university's police department. Is my current background decent to get employed or are they gonna over look me for someone that already has POST certification?

Thanks for any advice or knowledge you guys can share. I'm living with my fiance and parents right now and I'm eager to get a real job, move out and start my adult life. Becoming a cop seems like its been a lot harder then I thought but its what I really want to do.

Sincerely
-Ryan423

Good luck with your career search.

A test passed is a test passed. Having said that, if you have 3 openings and have 40 applicants, then you rank them and interview off of the merit list. If lateral transfers are not considered in the equation, the noob applicant with the best credentials, physical agility test and interviews should get the job. Assuming the background check and psyche and polygraph come back clean. All things being equal, you are competing for the position. The better scores and credentials should rise to the top of the merit list.

If it worries you, is there a way you could re-test now? Maybe look for a different jurisdiction holding testing or something?
(I have no idea how this works.)