Queensland Police Accelerated Entry Opens for 2027

Queensland Police Accelerated Entry is a new, faster way into the force for Australian Defence Force members and people with justice, legal studies or law qualifications, announced on 10 November 2026 as part of a statewide Recruitment Week of Action. The next Police Academy intake is on 11 January 2027, and applications are made through the official Police Recruit website.

What has Queensland Police announced?

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is using this week to push policing as a career. In its own announcement, the service said it would reveal new initiatives each day of the week to strengthen frontline numbers.

The first of these is Accelerated Entry. Deputy Commissioner Mark Kelly said someone who signs up this week could secure an Academy place and be a serving officer by this time next year.

Who is the campaign aimed at?

What does Accelerated Entry offer?

QPS says the route is customised to the person, so not everyone receives the same concessions. Depending on background, a candidate could get one or more of these:

• no need to sit the QPS Entrance Assessment (known as QPSea)
• an adjusted fitness test, which applies to Defence Force members with enough service behind them
• credit for TAFE or university courses already completed in a relevant subject

Constable Brandon Stewart, a former Army infantry soldier, said the length of the application process and its possible hurdles are a big part of any decision to switch careers. He said his Defence training transferred directly to community policing and that the job gave him better career progression and work-life balance.

Are there other police roles opening up?

Yes. On 11 November the Queensland Government said it had widened the Special Constables program, which brings retired and former officers back on a demand basis. A ministerial statement says special constables can now work in more areas: forensic services, scenes of crime, prosecutions, watchhouses and investigations.

The same statement gives a sense of scale:

For former officers who do not want to return full time, this is a flexible way back into paid police work.

Who can apply?

The announcement does not restate the standard entry rules, and they are detailed. Age, citizenship or residency status, driving licence, health, fitness and background checks are all covered on the recruiting website, along with recruit pay during training. Read those pages before you apply. Serving officers from another jurisdiction, including overseas, should look at the separate pathway for people with previous police experience on the same site.

How do I apply?

1. Go to policerecruit.qld.gov.au and check the eligibility requirements.
2. Choose the pathway that fits you: general entry, Accelerated Entry or previous police experience.
3. Submit the online application with your documents.
4. If you want the 11 January 2027 intake, apply now. The announcement says people who sign up this week can still secure a place.

What it means for job seekers

• School leavers can apply as exams finish, without first completing a degree.
• Defence Force members and law or justice graduates may save time on testing, which shortens the wait between applying and starting.
• Postings are spread across the state, from Brisbane to regional and remote towns, so be ready to say where you are willing to serve.
• More Week of Action announcements are expected over the coming days, so check Queensland Police News again before you finalise an application.
• Policing involves shift work and strict background checks. Be honest on every form, because integrity checks are thorough.

Also hiring in the state: Queensland's 674 civil engineering vacancies. For something very different, see the Australian Antarctic Program's 200 jobs for the 2027-28 season.

More openings: all Australia jobs