Salary

Post probation salary $69,076.80 (after six months), plus a full benefit package. For full pay information and benefits, click here. 

What Documents Do You Need?

• Birth Certificate 
• Valid driver’s license 
• Valid Police Officer Physical Ability Test certification 
• High School Diploma or G.E.D. 
• Unofficial college transcript, high school transcript, or G.E.D composite score
• Completed Preference Points Request form, with qualifying documents (if applicable).
  • Completed Hardship Waiver, with qualifying documents (if applicable) 
    Note: There is a non-refundable base fee of $49 for testing and an additional cost for each department where you indicate you want to apply. Payments are made electronically using a credit card. If you are interested in testing for this opportunity but, are unable to pay the fee, please complete the hardship waiver form and return it with the required documentation, as soon as possible.

Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report (POWER Test)

The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, in recognizing the importance of physical fitness status for academy performance (and eventual job performance), has established the Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report (POWER) Test for entering any of the Illinois certified police academies.

The POWER Test will be provided to all candidates prior to entering the academy to see if each individual meets the standards. These fitness entrance requirements help to ensure that each recruit can undergo both the physical and academic demands of an academy without undue risk of injury and with a level of fatigue tolerance to meet all academy requirements. If the applicant does not meet all the standards, the recruit will not be allowed to enter the academy. 

In an effort to brief police administrators and police applicants, the pamphlet will provide information on the rationale, purpose, testing and procedures, standards of performance and fitness activities to prepare for the POWER test. It is intended to answer the basic questions pertaining to all aspects of the fitness testing process. Any questions you may have about these standards should be directed to the Board’s Office at (217) 782-4540.

POWER Test Pamphlet

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where will the test location(s) be? We use a video-based, job simulation multiple choice exam administered and proctored by National Testing Network. The applicant registers, pays the required fee, and selects which location, in their respective state where they would take the test.
2. How long after I test can I expect to be offered a job? There is no definitive answer to this question. We operate under a Civil Service Commission. The commission establishes an eligibility list from those candidates who successfully passed the testing process, and we hire from that eligibility list. Hiring is typically done quarterly, and the number of positions hired is dependent on the number of openings we have due to retirements, resignations, increases in authorized strength, etc. Your placement on the eligibility list relative to the number of openings available will determine when you will be offered a position.
3. Can any of the testing phases be missed? No, all phases are mandatory.
4. How can I prepare for the physical test/what does it consist of? The physical abilities test is the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board’s (ILETSB) Police Officer Wellness Evaluation Report (POWER) test. It measures strength, flexibility, and aerobic capacity/cardiovascular endurance — the general components of overall physical fitness. Anything you do to increase these three areas will help, but one of the best ways to prepare for the test is to do the test  Click this link for the ILETSB’s publication outlining the POWER test, what it consists of, the standards, and recommendations for preparing to take it.
5. Can I study for the written test? The written test is a general aptitude test designed to test your inherent skills and abilities. There are many test guides published that claim to be useful study guides for police written tests. The City of Aurora and the Aurora Police Department neither vouch for nor recommend any of these products.
6. What can I do to increase my chances of being hired? The City of Aurora offers preference points that are added to test results to determine final placement on the eligibility list. Those preference points are as follows:
   • Aurora Residency: 5 points
   • Bachelor Degree: 5 points
   • Associate Degree (or 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours): 2 points
   • Military service: 5 points for active duty service of more than 180 days
   • Total preference points are not cumulative, and can not exceed a total of 10 points.
7. Are there any exceptions to the 2.5 G.P.A./2480 G.E.D. minimum composite score? No. Understand though, that the high school and college G.P.A.s are independent of one another. If your high school G.P.A. was under 2.5 but you’ve had at least 16 hours of college credit and your college G.P.A. is 2.5 or higher, you’re eligible. By the same token, if your college G.P.A. is under 2.5 but your high school G.P.A. was 2.5 or higher, you’re eligible. A G.E.D. minimum composite score of at least 2480 is also independent of any G.P.A.s, and would also make you eligible.
8. What if I was home-schooled, am I still eligible? Home-schooling certainly won’t make you ineligible, but we still need to establish comparative minimum academic standards. If you were home-schooled, you will have to achieve either the 2480 G.E.D. minimum composite score, or the 2.5 college G.P.A. requirement (after at least 16 hours of college credit).
9. If I’m hired, can I start out in a specialized unit? No. All new officers begin in uniformed patrol.  
10. What can I expect when taking the video-based, job simulation multiple choice exam? There are three components to the National Testing Network: a video-based human relations test, a reading ability test and a report writing test. Testing takes approximately 2.5 hours.