Level 3
18 weeksDo you have dreams to serve and protect our people, skies, oceans, land and everything in between? Our Certificate in Pre-Police and Uniformed Services training programme will help you get started on your journey into a wide range of uniformed services roles in New Zealand.
Whether you’re interested in joining the Police Force, Defence Force, Department of Corrections, Private or Aviation Security, or Fire and Emergency NZ, our programme is designed to support you in boosting both your mental and physical fitness, so you are ready to nail the recruitment and selection process with confidence.
As part of this programme, our supportive campus teams will help you get fit and ready for a variety of uniformed services recruitment tests, such as the PAT for the Police, A-day recruitment tests for the Defence Force, or the PPT for Fire and Emergency NZ. Our campus staff come from a wide range of uniformed services backgrounds and are here to guide and encourage you to reach your full potential.
This 18 week programme is broken down into 4 courses, with each course covering different elements of study and employment preparation for Police and Uniformed services.
Fitness Preparation:
Get ready to tackle the challenges of uniformed services with our fitness prep course. Set goals, join fitness sessions, and track your progress. Learn teamwork and communication skills while discovering the basics of anatomy and training principles. Develop personalised fitness plans focusing on Hauora principles, stress management, and sleep hygiene.
Industry Preparation:
Sharpen your literacy and numeracy skills through practical exercises. Explore real-life scenarios to boost numerical and verbal reasoning. Research career options and align your skills and attitudes with uniformed services requirements.
Technical Skills and Knowledge:
Get the essential technical skills you need for success. Dive into water-based emergency response, legal problem-solving, conflict resolution, and interview techniques. Master practical skills to thrive in uniformed services environments.
First Aid:
Gain your first aid certificate with our programme to boost your employment opportunities*
*First Aid unit standards 6401 and 6402 are delivered through subcontracting agreements with local First Aid providers in the Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch regions.
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Entry is open to domestic students only, based on the following criteria:
Hold a NZQF level 2 qualification (or equivalent) or meet requirements of the NZIS Level 3 placement test
Interview confirming health status and ability to participate in required exercise/swim components of the programme.
Domestic students with ESOL must be proficient in English language – This may require an LN entry evaluation to confirm language comprehension.
DOMESTIC STUDENTS
Campus Tuition Fees: $3,952
Student Services Levy: $200
YOUTH GUARANTEE
This course is part of the government led Youth Guarantee Programme. If you are aged 16-24 and meet the course entry requirements, you may qualify to study this course for free. Spaces are limited, contact our team for more information.
Under the Youth Guarantee you may also be eligible for financial support to cover the following:
Travel allowance
Course related field trips
Talk to us for more information.
STUDENT LOANS
If you meet certain conditions, you may be eligible for a student loan and allowances.
Find out if you meet the conditions by calling StudyLink on Freephone 0800 88 99 00 or visit www.studylink.govt.nz
New Zealand Certificate in Study and Employment Pathways (Level 3)
Graduates of this programme may have increased employment opportunities in various roles with:
New Zealand Police
New Zealand Defence Force
Aviation Security and Customs NZ
Department of Corrections
Fire and Emergency NZ
Ready to take the next step?
You can prepare by working on your physical fitness and your literacy and numeracy at the same time, since police recruitment tests both. Our Certificate in Pre-Police and Uniformed Services Training covers both over 18 weeks, with fitness sessions, goal setting, and practical exercises in numerical and verbal reasoning. Our campus staff come from uniformed services backgrounds, so they can help you understand and prepare for aspects of the selection process.
Yes. The course includes fitness training designed to help you prepare for the Police Physical Appraisal Test (PAT). You’ll join regular fitness sessions, set goals and track your progress against them. Your tutors teach you the basics of anatomy and training principles so you understand why those sessions work. You’ll then apply that knowledge to a personalised fitness plan grounded in Hauora principles, covering stress management and sleep hygiene as well.
Not necessarily. However, you should be prepared to participate in exercise sessions, including running and gym-based workouts from day one. We base entry on an interview confirming your health status and your ability to take part in the exercise and swim components of the programme.
You also need a New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) Level 2 qualification or an equivalent. Alternatively, you can take our Level 3 placement test for entry. Your tutors then set fitness goals with you early in the course and track your progress against them week by week.
The programme can help you prepare for recruitment pathways with organisations such as:
New Zealand Police
New Zealand Defence Force
Aviation Security and Customs NZ
Department of Corrections
Fire and Emergency NZ
You’ll also graduate with the New Zealand Certificate in Study and Employment Pathways (Level 3) and a first aid certificate.
Yes. Interview techniques are a part of the technical skills and knowledge course within the programme, which also covers legal problem-solving and conflict resolution. Earlier in the programme, you’ll research your career options and match your own skills and attitudes to what uniformed services roles ask for. That gives you specific material to draw on when you sit an interview.
Yes. Our campus team supports you through the A-day recruitment tests used by the Defence Force. You’ll cover teamwork and communication in the fitness preparation course, then move into technical skills, including water-based emergency response and conflict resolution. Completing the programme gives you the New Zealand Certificate in Study and Employment Pathways (Level 3), alongside skills designed to support your preparation for uniformed services recruitment processes.
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New Zealand Institute of Sport is one of the trading names for the registered Private Training Establishment New Zealand Management Academies Ltd (NZMA). Your enrolment is with NZMA and your qualification is issued by NZMA. © 2026