NPOST · who uses it, checked Oct 21, 2026
Who uses the NPOST, agency by agency
Iowa requires it by rule, Pennsylvania accepts it as a reading test, Utah departments still use it after the state dropped its mandate, and two federal police forces give it online. Each agency sets its own pass mark, retake wait and score life, so the table lists them one by one, with the page each rule came from.
- Iowa (by rule), Utah agencies, otherswho uses it
- 70% per sectionIowa, West Jordan, USCP
- Utah mandate ended 2020Utah
Agencies and states that use it
| Department | State | Written test | Passing score | Retake rule | Score valid for | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | IA |
| 70% per section | — | 12 months | Iowa Admin. Code r. 501—2.2 · Iowa Law Enforcement Academy: Hiring steps | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Iowa Department of Public Safety | IA |
| 70% each · 75% avg | No retest | — | Iowa DPS: Police Officer Selection Test study guide resources | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Illinois | IL |
| — | — | — | Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police: Police officer selection tests · National Testing Network: open law enforcement jobs and the exam each requires (read 2026-10-21) · Pearson VUE: Chicago Police Department Police Officer Exam | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Lexington Police Department (Kentucky) | KY |
| 65% | — | — | Lexington, KY: Police written exam | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Oregon | OR |
| — | — | — | National Testing Network: open law enforcement jobs and the exam each requires (read 2026-10-21) · Join PPB: Entry-level hiring process · City of Salem, OR police officer job on NTN · Oregon Association Chiefs of Police: Police Officer Testing Program (POST) | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | PA |
| NPOST 70% | — | — | MPOETC: Employing a municipal police officer · 37 Pa. Code § 203.11 · Join Philly PD: Exam information | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Supreme Court of the United States Police | US |
| 70% | — | — | SCUSPD: POST study guide | Oct 21, 2026 |
| United States Capitol Police | US |
| 70% per section | — | — | USCP: Police officer selection process | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Utah | UT |
| Agency sets it | 60 days (same version) | — | Utah POST: Entrance requirements · SLCPD: Utah NPOST · City of West Jordan: NPOST testing | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Salt Lake City Police Department | UT |
| — | 60 days (same version) | No expiry | SLCPD: Utah NPOST | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Utah Highway Patrol | UT |
| — | — | — | Join UHP: NPOST | Oct 21, 2026 |
| West Jordan Police Department | UT |
| 70% per section | No limit | — | City of West Jordan: NPOST testing | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Virginia | VA |
| — | — | — | Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police: National Police Officer Selection Test · National Testing Network: open law enforcement jobs and the exam each requires (read 2026-10-21) | Oct 21, 2026 |
States
- Iowa: required for every entry-level law enforcement applicant. To pass you need 70% on each of the four sections, and agencies and civil service commissions may require more. A score counts for 12 months.
- Utah: Utah POST stopped requiring the test in March 2020; Utah agencies still use it. Salt Lake City and West Jordan are two departments that require it (Utah page).
- Pennsylvania (municipal police): the NPOST at 70% or higher, or the Nelson-Denny reading test at the 9th-grade level, meets the reading-test rule (Pennsylvania page).
- Oregon, Virginia and Illinois: the state chiefs’ associations offer the test to member agencies. Whether a given department uses it is that department’s call.
Beyond these, Stanard calls it the official test of 29 state police chiefs' associations.
Federal police
- United States Capitol Police: 70% in each section. It gives the test online by video conference, from a location you choose. A conditional offer follows, then psychological, medical and polygraph exams in Washington, D.C.
- Supreme Court of the United States Police: 70% or higher, with the test given online.
Departments and highway patrol
- Salt Lake City PD: accepts only the Utah NPOST, taken in Utah, so out-of-state candidates have to come to Utah. The department does not give the test itself.
- West Jordan PD: 70% in each section, not overall. The test replaces the city’s own written test.
- Utah Highway Patrol: you test at listed Utah test sites, and results are mailed about 2 weeks after the test.
- Lexington PD, Kentucky: the test is taken by computer and passes at 65%; the written test counts for 35% of the overall score. A physical fitness exam comes next.
Your department isn’t here? Look it up in departments and states, or ask its recruiting office which written test it gives.
Out of date: “required in Iowa and Utah”
Utah POST stopped requiring the test in March 2020; Utah agencies still use it. Some prep pages still list both states. Iowa’s rule stands; in Utah the requirement now comes from each department.
Department and state pages
- Pennsylvania Pennsylvania: an approved reading test, NPOST at 70% or Nelson-Denny
- Utah Utah: no state NPOST rule since 2020, but SLCPD, West Jordan and UHP still use it
- NPOST What the four sections test, who uses it and who sets the pass mark
- NPOST practice test Questions from all four sections, every option explained
- NPOST exam facts Format, passing score, retakes, results and score validity, sourced
- NPOST cost No national price: site fees with sources, the study guide, retakes and transfers
- NPOST study guide What each section asks, a study order built on your weak spot, the test owner’s guide
Who uses the NPOST, quick answers
Which police departments use the NPOST?
Every entry-level hire in Iowa takes it, as do Utah departments such as Salt Lake City and West Jordan, the Utah Highway Patrol, Lexington PD in Kentucky, the U.S. Capitol Police and the Supreme Court Police. The table above lists each one’s rules.
Does Utah still require the test?
Not statewide. Utah POST stopped requiring the test in March 2020; Utah agencies still use it. Salt Lake City, for one, wants the Utah version taken in Utah.
Can I use a score from another state?
Only if the agency agrees. Salt Lake City accepts only the Utah NPOST, taken in Utah. The Iowa academy charges $20 to transfer a prior score; ask the hiring agency whether an out-of-state score qualifies.
Does the U.S. Capitol Police use the NPOST?
Yes. It asks for 70% in each section and gives the test online by video conference, from a location you choose.