NAPOLCOM Exam Requirements and Guide: Who Can Take the PNP Entrance Exam

To take the NAPOLCOM PNP Entrance Exam, you must be a Filipino citizen with a bachelor's degree from a CHED-recognized school and, as a civilian, not more than 30 years old. Any four-year degree counts, so you don't need to be a Criminology graduate. The fee is ₱400.

As of our last check, NAPOLCOM had not announced 2027 dates. The exam is usually held twice a year, around April and October, and registration windows last only about a week. Follow napolcom.gov.ph and the official NAPOLCOM Facebook page so you don't miss one.

Who can apply

The main qualifications are:

• Filipino citizen.
• Holder of a bachelor's degree from a CHED-recognized school, shown by your Transcript of Records with CHED Special Order.
• Civilian applicants: not more than 30 years old. NAPOLCOM results releases describe civilian examinees as aged 21 to 30 on exam day.
• Patrolmen and Patrolwomen with a temporary appointment have no age limit, but still need a bachelor's degree.
• Height for PNP appointment under R.A. 11549: at least 1.57 m for men and 1.52 m for women. A waiver exists for members of indigenous cultural communities.

Documents to prepare

Gather these now, since the registration window is short:

• Printed confirmation letter with a reference number from the online scheduling system.
• Accomplished application form and index card.
• Two identical 1x1 colored ID photos with white background and name tag.
• One legal-size window envelope with ₱21.00 worth of postage stamps.
• Transcript of Records with CHED Special Order, and your diploma.
• PSA-issued birth certificate.

How the application works

1. Watch for the announcement, then register and book a filing schedule through NAPOLCOM's online system. Print your confirmation letter.

2. Appear in person at your chosen NAPOLCOM Regional Office on your date for validation. Applications sent by mail or courier are not processed.

3. Pay the ₱400 fee within 48 hours of validation, or your application is forfeited. You then get a Notice of Admission showing your testing center and room.

4. On exam day, bring your Notice of Admission, a No. 2 pencil, and two valid government-issued IDs with signature. Wear a plain white T-shirt or polo shirt, dark pants, and shoes.

What the exam covers

The exam is pen-and-paper and multiple choice, and recent exams ran about 3 hours. Calculators and gadgets are prohibited. It covers four areas:

• General Information: the Constitution and Philippine history, PNP law and history, the criminal justice system, current events, and value judgment.
• Verbal Reasoning: vocabulary, reading comprehension, and grammar.
• Quantitative Reasoning: basic math concepts and problem solving.
• Logical Reasoning: analogies, syllogisms, series, and figure patterns.

What passing gets you

Passing gives you the PNP Entrance Eligibility, not a police job. You still have to apply when the PNP opens recruitment and pass its physical agility, medical, neuro-psychiatric, and background checks.

The official pages we could access don't state the passing rating or the exact number of items. Treat any figure you see, including those in prep guides, as unofficial until you see it on your Report of Rating or from NAPOLCOM directly.