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Compare B.C. Police Agencies: Exam, Score Transfer, Retake Wait and POPAT Rules

Pick the B.C. police services you are considering and compare what each publishes about its written exam, pass mark, score transfer, retake wait and physical test, with the source and date for every cell. Independent, not an official comparison.

6 min readLast reviewed 2026-11-07
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The short answer: B.C. police services do not run one shared process. Several use the ETHOS exam, but each publishes its own pass mark (or none), its own rule for accepting a score earned elsewhere, and its own wait before you can write again. This page lets you pick the agencies you are considering and compare those differences side by side. Every cell says whether the agency’s own page states the fact, which page it came from and when we read it.

Agencies to compare
What to compare

Showing 4 of 9 agencies and 6 of 6 topics.

Written exam

What does the agency call its written exam, and how is it built?

Vancouver Police Department
A three-hour, handwritten entrance exam held on Saturdays; its page calls it the ETHOS exam. VPD's page states no current mark breakdown.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
Surrey Police Service
Its page calls it the Intake Exam; a linked overview document describes the ETHOS format.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
Delta Police Department
A three-hour written exam it names the ETHOS, in four modules marked 20, 25, 10 and 45 (100 marks).Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
West Vancouver Police Department
Publishes an ETHOS test overview with four modules and marks: 20, 25, 10 and 45 (100 marks).Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12

Published pass mark

Does the agency publish a pass mark?

Vancouver Police Department
60%.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
Surrey Police Service
The application page states no pass mark (competitive scores advance). A linked overview document states 60%.Agency page does not state this · read 2026-10-12
Delta Police Department
60% (60/100) to pass; its page describes about 70% as a more competitive result.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
West Vancouver Police Department
60%.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12

Score from another agency

Will it accept an ETHOS score you earned elsewhere, and for how long?

Vancouver Police Department
Will consider written exam scores from other Lower Mainland police departments on a written request with confirmation of your score and the date. No validity window stated.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
Surrey Police Service
Accepts ETHOS scores from other B.C. municipal agencies, valid for two years, with proof required alongside your application.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
Delta Police Department
Its FAQ says ETHOS exams written for a municipal police department qualify for transferability. It publishes no expiry window.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
West Vancouver Police Department
Accepts a score only if it was written within the preceding 12 months.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12

Wait before writing again

How long must you wait after an unsuccessful attempt?

Vancouver Police Department
The pages we read state no wait before writing again.Agency page does not state this · read 2026-10-12
Surrey Police Service
Six months before you can request a second opportunity.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
Delta Police Department
Six months to request a second opportunity; each request is considered individually.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
West Vancouver Police Department
A six-month wait, after which you can reapply and take the exam again.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12

Physical test (POPAT)

What does the agency publish about the physical test?

Vancouver Police Department
POPAT, completed in 4:15 or under.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
Surrey Police Service
POPAT, completed in less than 4:15; physical testing results are valid for six months.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
Delta Police Department
Names the POPAT and says applicants are generally sent for it within two weeks of the written exam, but states no time standard.Agency page does not state this · read 2026-10-12
West Vancouver Police Department
POPAT: a passing time of 4:15 must be achieved (its recruit selection process page).Stated on the agency page · read 2026-11-07

POPAT result from another agency

Will it accept a POPAT result from another agency?

Vancouver Police Department
Its FAQ says it does not accept POPAT scores from other police departments.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-10-12
Surrey Police Service
Not recorded by ETHOS Prep. Ask the agency.Not recorded by ETHOS Prep · read 2026-10-12
Delta Police Department
Not recorded by ETHOS Prep. Ask the agency.Not recorded by ETHOS Prep · read 2026-10-12
West Vancouver Police Department
Its FAQ says successful POPAT times are accepted if achieved within the preceding 6 months.Stated on the agency page · read 2026-11-07

Sources and guides for the agencies shown

How to read the comparison

There are three kinds of cell. Stated means the agency’s own page says it, and the cell summarises or quotes that. Agency page does not state this means we read the page and it is silent; that is not the same as having no rule, so ask the agency before you assume. Not recorded by ETHOS Prep means we have not captured that fact for that agency, and we show no value rather than guess one. The dates are when we last read each page, and recruiting requirements change, so confirm anything you rely on with the agency’s recruiting unit.

What the differences mean for your plan

  • Applying to more than one agency? A score only helps elsewhere if the second agency accepts it, and the windows differ from twelve months to three years. The score-transfer guide explains each agency’s wording in full.
  • Pass marks differ. Among the agencies compared here, most that publish a pass mark say 60%, two say 70%, and some state none. Aim for comfortable margin on the full exam rather than the minimum; the B.C. ETHOS exam guide covers format, marks and sample questions.
  • The wait to retake is real time. Where an agency states six months, a failed attempt can cost half a year. Build your timeline with the free ETHOS exam study planner and test yourself on the free timed ETHOS practice exam before you book.
  • The physical test is separate. Where agencies publish a POPAT time it is 4:15, but a result from another agency is accepted in some places and refused in others. See the POPAT physical readiness guide.

What this comparison does not cover

  • It is not a ranking and does not say which agency is easier or better. It reports what each publishes.
  • It does not cover every B.C. police service. Others, including Port Moody, are described in the score-transfer guide.
  • It does not list salaries, hiring numbers or how competitive any agency is, because none of that is a requirement an agency states.
  • The RCMP does not use the ETHOS exam. Its applicants complete an online entrance assessment and the RCMP Police Fitness Assessment (PFA), with a different interview model, so it is not a column in this comparison. See the RCMP application process guide, the RCMP Online Entrance Assessment guide and the RCMP fitness assessment guide.
  • ETHOS Prep is independent of every police service. Its practice material is original and is not official test content.

Next steps

Read the guide for the agency you are leaning towards from the links in the comparison, then choose your preparation: the free ETHOS practice drills need no account, and pricing explains what full access adds if you want the complete practice bank. The application roadmap sequences the stages once you have picked an agency.

Official Sources

Put this into practice:

Mock AssessmentApplication Roadmap

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