PELLETB · where and when to test

Where to take the Pellet B test

You take the Pellet B at a California law enforcement agency or academy that POST has authorized to give it, on paper and in person. POST keeps no list of test sites or dates, so finding a session means asking agencies directly. Start with the department you want to work for: some test every applicant themselves, and others accept a score from somewhere else.

California only, through agencies and academieswhere you test
Paper and pencilformat
From the agency, within 30 daysresults
30 daysbetween attempts

Who gives the test

Only authorized California agencies may give the Pellet B, and only inside the state. That means police departments, sheriff's offices, state agencies such as CHP, and basic training academies, including those run by community colleges. There is no online version, no test center network and no national sign-up page.

POST says outright that it neither keeps a list of testing locations nor refers applicants to one. It does publish a list of participating agencies that may offer entry-level testing. Use that list to find agencies near you, then call or check each one's recruiting page for dates.

Start with the department you are applying to

Where to test depends on where you want to be hired, because departments treat outside scores differently:

Some test you themselves, every time. CHP gives the written exam itself and accepts no outside scores. It is scheduled with the Physical Abilities Test at the CHP Division you apply through.
Some accept a score from another agency's session. SFPD, Oakland PD, San Jose PD and Santa Ana PD take a PELLETB score as their written step, each with its own rules on the minimum score and how old it may be.
Some use it to waive their own test. LAPD and SDPD run their own written tests and let a qualifying PELLETB score replace them.

If the department accepts outside scores, any authorized session works, and you can pick the nearest or earliest one. Check the score rules first so you don't test somewhere that department won't count.

Departments we checked

How each agency uses a PELLETB score, with sources. All agencies and their tests: department directory.
Department	State	Written test	PELLETB score accepted	Source	Checked
California	CA	PELLETB requiredor another professionally developed and validated reading and writing test FrontLine National acceptedused by some agencies, such as SFPD and Oakland	—	CA POST: Peace officer candidate selection standards (Regulation 1951) · JoinSFPD: Written test · City of Oakland police officer trainee job on NTN · National Testing Network: open law enforcement jobs and the exam each requires (read 2026-10-21)	Oct 21, 2026
California Highway Patrol	CA	PELLETB requiredtaken with CHP each time you apply	—	CHP: Written Exam	Oct 21, 2026
Los Angeles Police Department	CA	LAPD Multiple Choice Test agency's own testJudgment & Decision Making and Written Communication PELLETB replaces the agency's own testoverall T-score of 42 or higher FrontLine National replaces the agency's own testpassing score under City of Los Angeles criteria; share the score with the City through NTN	T-score 42+	JoinLAPD: Multiple Choice Test and waivers	Oct 21, 2026
Oakland Police Department	CA	FrontLine National acceptedvideo 65%, writing 70%, reading 70% PELLETB acceptedscore of 45 or higher, on agency letterhead	45+	City of Oakland police officer trainee job on NTN	Oct 21, 2026
San Diego Police Department	CA	City of San Diego police written test agency's own testreading comprehension, executive function, written comprehension PELLETB replaces the agency's own testT-score 42 in all areas, within 6 months of applying FrontLine National replaces the agency's own testNTN video 55, reading 65, writing 65, within 6 months	T-score 42 in each area, within 6 months	City of San Diego: Police written test · San Diego Police Department recruit job on NTN	Oct 21, 2026
San Francisco Police Department	CA	FrontLine National acceptedpass each part: video 60, writing 70, reading 70 PELLETB acceptedT-score 42 or higher, taken within the last two years	T-score 42+, 2 years	JoinSFPD: Written test	Oct 21, 2026
San Jose Police Department	CA	FrontLine National acceptedNTN or PELLET-B, your choice PELLETB acceptedNTN or PELLET-B, your choice	—	San Jose Police Department recruit job on NTN	Oct 21, 2026
Santa Ana Police Department	CA	FrontLine National requiredqualifying; wait for the City's email before testing PELLETB acceptedscore of 46 or higher, taken within a year of applying	46+, 1 year	Santa Ana police recruit job on NTN	Oct 21, 2026

Trap: two sessions inside 30 days

The retest wait counts across every agency, not per department. If you test with one department and then sit another session within 30 days, the second result is invalidated. Count it carefully: the earliest retest is day 31 after the last test. Plan your sessions around the department you care about most.

Test dates and signing up

Each host sets its own dates, so there is no statewide calendar. Check each department's job posting, where the written test appears as one of the hiring steps. An academy may give it as part of its own admission steps.

When you call, ask four things: the date, whether there is a fee (what it can cost), whether walk-ins are allowed, and how you'll get the result. Results come from the agency or academy, not from POST, within 30 days.

Living outside California

You have to come to California to take it: POST lets no one give the Pellet B outside the state, and there is no remote option. Plan the trip around one department's process, and ask whether it lets you do the written test and the next step on the same visit; CHP, for example, schedules the written exam with its Physical Abilities Test. If you are applying in another state, check which test it uses, for example the NPOST or FrontLine National instead.

Where to take the Pellet B: quick answers

Where can I take the Pellet B test near me?

At a California police department, sheriff's office or academy that gives it. POST has no list of test dates, so check the recruiting pages of agencies near you, or the academies at nearby community colleges.

Can I take the Pellet B online?

No. It is a paper-and-pencil test, given in person inside California.

Can I use a Pellet B score from one department at another?

Often, yes: in California that is each department's choice. Most of the departments we checked accept another agency's score, with their own minimum and, at some, an age limit. CHP is the main exception: it tests every applicant itself.

Does POST post Pellet B test dates?

No. POST doesn't keep a list of sessions or refer applicants to one. Each agency or academy announces its own dates.