FAQ
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must be 20 years 6 months old when you apply to take the civil service test, and you must be 21 years old when you graduate from police academy.
Must have a high school diploma or G.E.D.
Must have an associate’s degree or 60 college hours from a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE)-approved / accredited school with at least a 2.0 GPA unless:
You have 3+ years of active military service and a high school diploma or G.E.D.
You have been employed as a full-time certified peace officer for 3+ years within a 180-day period immediately preceding the submission of your application and have a high school diploma or G.E.D.
You have been employed by the City of Irving as a Detention Officer for 3+ years during the period immediately preceding the submission of your application and have a high school diploma or GED.
Must possess a valid driver’s license.
Must pass a written test.
Must pass a physical agility (row) test.
The written examination is a standardized civil service entrance test created by a third-party test vendor. The exam has 100 multiple-choice questions and is composed of questions testing the following topics:
Observation and Memory - As a police officer, having a good memory is an asset. The ability to recall and retain new information is a necessary job skill. Retained information includes facts or ideas presented, numbers, faces, vehicles, geographic locations, maps, and patterns.
Observation and Memory Overview and Sample Questions
Written Communication – Police Officers need to have good communication skills. Officers also need to have the ability to write clear and concise reports to document investigations.
Written Communication Overview and Sample Questions
Reading Comprehension – A police officer needs to have the ability to read a passage of information, deduce information accurately from the information and be able to apply the information learned to solve questions that come up during investigations.
Reading Comprehension Overview and Sample Questions
Analytical Ability – A police officer needs to have the ability to draw conclusions from given information (deductive reasoning) and find trends or patterns in series of facts (inductive reasoning)
Analytical Ability Overview and Sample Questions
Sample Question Answer Key
The Irving Police Department entry fitness exam consists of a 2000-meter rowing test using departmental rowing machines.
The test is conducted indoors on a Concept 2 rower with the damper set on five (5). The minimum standard for each applicant is based on age, weight, and gender. Applicants must meet a minimum percentage score of 54.7% to be considered for employment.
To calculate your minimum row test time, applicants can utilize the Irving Row Time Calculator, which is located on the Police Officer page. Input your gender, age range, and weight. Select "Calculate Row Time", and your required Target Row Time will be listed below. The time listed is the minimum time necessary for the applicant to complete the 2000-meter row.
IPD Row Test Protocol can be reviewed for information on how the test is administered.
The city manager has authorized an $8,000 hiring incentive for all officers hired before the expiration of the executive order, 12/31/2025. The incentive is paid out in the following increments:
$2,666 After completing 30 days of service
$2,667 After completing 1 year of service for laterals, 1.5 years of service for new hires
$2,667 After completing 2 years of service
The hiring process consists of a written exam, physical agility exam, a pre-polygraph interview, a polygraph examination, a background investigation, an oral review board, a psychological examination, a drug screen, and a medical examination.
Upon successful completion of these requirements, qualified applicants will be submitted to the Chief of Police for final disposition.
Usually three. The first trip will be for the written and physical fitness assessment. The second trip will be for the pre-polygraph interview and polygraph exam. The third and final trip will be for the final interview (Oral Board). This is usually a two-day trip. If you pass the Oral Board, you will also sit for a psychological evaluation, drug screen/medical evaluation, and FBI fingerprint check.
Criminal Convictions
Must not have any criminal conviction above a Class B misdemeanor or any Class B misdemeanor within the past 10 years.
Probation
Must not have been on any court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense above the grade of a Class B misdemeanor or any Class B misdemeanor within the past 10 years from the date of the court order.
Expungements
Under Texas law expungements are not accepted on convictions, even if the sentence was probation. Expungements from another state must meet the same standards as Texas law.
English
Must intelligently read and write the English language.
Deception
Must not have made any false statement in any material fact or practiced, or attempted to practice, any deception or fraud in application, examination or appointment.
Delinquency
Must not have been dismissed from public service for inefficiency, delinquency, or misconduct.
Driving History
Must not have received more than two moving traffic violations or had two preventable accidents, or any combination, in the past 18 months or four in the past 36 months.
Illegal Drug Use
Any illegal drugs including but not limited to marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, PCP, LSD, ecstasy, fentanyl, steroids, and prescriptions not prescribed to you will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Yes – See the policy by clicking here.
Yes—You can see the policy by clicking here. Any tattoo not in compliance must be removed prior to starting field training.
Yes, at the expense of the individual officer. – See the policy by clicking here.
The department supplies all required equipment except for boots.
This can vary based on many factors. Typically, it will take 30-45 days to process an applicant fully. Factors such as allowing time for out-of-town travel, availability of polygraph and psychological appointments, and our ability to contact references and prior employers can all affect the time it takes to complete one file.
As a civil service agency, we are required to process all applicants on the eligibility list prior to hosting the next test. The amount of time it takes to process the list depends on the number of eligible applicants. We typically test every 4-6 months.
The basic regional police academy lasts approximately 6 months. You will then attend a 2-month Irving in-service training, where you will learn how Irving PD operates (our report writing systems, policies, property handling, etc.). You will then undergo field training for approximately 4 months before you are cut loose and on your own.
Out-of-state laterals:
Our lateral police academy is approximately 4 months long and is conducted at our training academy. The first two months are focused on preparing you to challenge the TCOLE entrance exam and focus on material such as the Texas Penal Code, Traffic Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Family Code. The last two months are focused on teaching you the "Irving Way," which would include building searches, traffic stops, property booking, our report writing system, etc. From there, you move on to modified field training, which can vary based on your prior experience and how long it takes you to catch on.
In-State laterals:
You attend our 2-month Irving in-service training, where you will learn how Irving PD operates (our report writing systems, policies, property handling, etc.) From there, you move on to modified field training, which can vary in length based on your prior experience.