NYPD Hiring 2026
New York City is taking applications right now for the next NYPD Police Officer exam — Exam 7315 — and the filing window shuts on Monday, November 16, 2026. The test itself runs December 1–5, 2026. The application fee is $0.
Starting pay is $55,942 a year, and it climbs in set steps to $109,352 a year after five and a half years — before the uniform allowance, holiday pay and the extra 2.25% neighborhood-policing differential the city adds on top.
This page gives you the whole thing in one place: who can apply, what you need, how to file, and what happens after the test. Every date and dollar figure below comes from the official exam notice itself, linked at the bottom.
NYPD Exam 7315 in 5 lines
Exam: Police Officer, Exam No. 7315 (NYC DCAS)
Apply: November 2–16, 2026 · Fee: $0 (select “No Fee”)
Test: December 1–5, 2026 · You need 70% to pass
Eligibility: Age 17+ to test · 24 college credits OR 2 years of US military service
Salary: $55,942 starting → $109,352 after 5½ years · Apply at nyc.gov/examsforjobs
NYPD Exam 7315 — Overview
|
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
|
Department |
New York City Police Department (NYPD) |
|
Exam conducting body |
NYC DCAS — Department of Citywide Administrative Services |
|
Exam number |
7315 (one of 12 monthly cycles, Exams 7311–7322) |
|
Application period |
November 2–16, 2026 |
|
Application fee |
$0.00 — select “No Fee” when you apply |
|
Testing period |
December 1–5, 2026 |
|
Test format |
Multiple-choice, on a computer terminal · 70% needed to pass |
|
Starting salary |
$55,942 per year |
|
Salary after 5½ years |
$109,352 per year |
|
Apply online |
OASys at nyc.gov/examsforjobs |
|
Official source |
DCAS Notice of Examination, Police Officer Exams 7311–7322 |
Who Can Apply for NYPD Exam 7315?
You do not need to have everything finished today. Read this part carefully, because the rule that trips people up is simple: you are tested first, and your qualifications are checked later. If DCAS finds you were never qualified, you get no score — so check yourself against this list before you file.
Age. You must be at least 17 years old on the day you take the test. You cannot actually be appointed as a Police Officer until you are 20 years and 6 months old. And you must be under 43 on the day you file. One exception worth knowing: if you served in the military, you can deduct up to six years of that service from your age for the maximum-age rule.
Education — or the military route. By the date you are appointed, you need a high school diploma (or its equivalent) plus one of these two:
- 24 college semester credits from an accredited college or university, with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, or
- Two years of honorable, full-time US military service.
No degree is required. The 24 credits are roughly one year of college. If you studied outside the United States, your education has to be evaluated for US equivalence during the screening process — start that early, it takes time.
Citizenship and residency. US citizenship is required at the time of appointment (not on test day). You must live in New York City or in Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland or Putnam county.
Driver license. On the date of appointment you must hold a valid, unrestricted New York State driver license, and keep it for your whole career.
Background. Good character is an absolute requirement, and the notice is blunt about it. A felony conviction or a domestic-violence misdemeanor conviction makes you ineligible. A dishonorable discharge from the Armed Forces, a conviction for petit larceny, or a record that shows a pattern of disrespect for the law can also disqualify you. You will also face medical and psychological examinations, a physical test, and drug screening before appointment — and the NYPD states a strict zero-tolerance policy on illegal drug use, which it expects candidates to follow well before they apply.
NYPD Police Officer Salary — The Full Ladder
|
Stage |
Annual salary |
|---|---|
|
Starting salary |
$55,942 |
|
After 5½ years of service |
$109,352 |
On top of the base salary, the notice lists an annual uniform allowance, holiday pay, city contributions to welfare and annuity funds, city-paid health insurance, and a 2.25% differential of base salary for neighborhood policing. The notice also says these rates are subject to change — check the official notice for the current figures before you make any decision based on pay alone.
Nearly doubling your starting pay in five and a half years, on a published schedule, is the real offer here. Few entry-level jobs in New York City print their raise ladder in the official notice. This one does.
How to Apply — Step by Step
- Go to the official application system, OASys, at nyc.gov/examsforjobs. This is the only place to file. Any other website charging you to “register for the NYPD exam” is not the city.
- Create or sign in to your OASys account. You need a valid email address, and a new account has to be verified through the confirmation email DCAS sends you. If that email does not arrive, check your spam or junk folder first — DCAS names this as the most common problem.
- Start the application for Police Officer, Exam No. 7315. Fill in the education and experience sections exactly as they stand on your documents. Anything you claim, you will later have to prove.
- Select “No Fee” as your payment method. The application fee for this exam is $0.00. Do not pay anyone anything to file it.
- Submit before the end of Monday, November 16, 2026, and look for the immediate receipt email. You can also confirm your status on your OASys dashboard under “Notifications.” No receipt usually means the application did not go through — fix it the same day, not after the deadline.
No computer at home? DCAS runs Computer-based Testing & Application Centers in all five boroughs — Manhattan (2 Lafayette Street), Brooklyn (210 Joralemon Street), Queens (118-35 Queens Boulevard), Staten Island (135 Canal Street) and the Bronx (1932 Arthur Avenue) — open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, where you can apply online for free. Note the centers are closed on Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (Veterans Day).
What Happens After You File?
You test between December 1 and 5, 2026. The exam is a multiple-choice test taken on a computer terminal, and your score decides your place on the eligible list. You need at least 70% to pass.
That list is what the NYPD hires from. As your name is reached, the screening begins: qualifications check, background investigation, medical and psychological exams, the physical test and drug screening. Pass everything, meet the age, license, residency and citizenship requirements on appointment day, and you go to the Police Academy.
Missed the November 16 Deadline? Read This Before You Give Up
Exam 7315 is not your last chance this year — it is one of twelve. DCAS is running this exam in monthly cycles, and the very next one opens three weeks later:
|
Exam No. |
Application period |
Testing period |
|---|---|---|
|
7315 (this one) |
Nov 2–16, 2026 |
Dec 1–5, 2026 |
|
7316 (next) |
Dec 1–14, 2026 |
Jan 4–9, 2027 |
|
7317 |
Jan 4–19, 2027 |
Feb 1–6, 2027 |
The cycles continue monthly through Exam 7322 in June 2027. But do not use that as an excuse to wait if you are ready now: every cycle you sit out is a cycle of candidates ranked ahead of you on the list. File for 7315 if you qualify. Use 7316 only if you genuinely cannot.
3 Mistakes That Cost Candidates This Exam
- Filing without checking the 24-credit rule. The test comes first, the check comes later — and a “Not Qualified” finding means no score at all. Count your credits (or your military time) before you file, not after.
- Losing the DCAS emails. The account confirmation and the application receipt both arrive by email, and both love the spam folder. Add [email protected] to your known senders the day you register.
- Waiting for the last day. The window closes Monday, November 16. A verification problem, a forgotten password or a closed testing center on deadline day leaves you no room to fix anything. File this week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the NYPD exam really free to apply for?
Yes. The official notice lists the application fee for Exams 7311–7322 as $0.00, and tells you to select “No Fee” as your payment method when you apply through OASys.
Can I take the NYPD test at 17?
Yes — you must be at least 17 on the day you take the multiple-choice test. But you cannot be appointed as a Police Officer until you are 20 years and 6 months old, so a young candidate’s name simply waits on the eligible list until they are old enough.
Do I need a college degree to become an NYPD officer?
No degree is required. By appointment you need a high school diploma plus either 24 accredited college credits with a 2.0 GPA or better, or two years of honorable full-time US military service.
What score do I need to pass the NYPD exam?
At least 70% on the multiple-choice test. Your score then fixes your place on the eligible list that the NYPD hires from.
I live outside New York City. Can I still join the NYPD?
Yes, if you live in Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland or Putnam county — state law allows residents of those counties, and of the five boroughs, to serve as NYPD officers. US citizenship is required at the time of appointment.
NYPD Hiring 2026 Next Step
If you meet the age rule and either the 24-credit or the military-service rule, there is no good reason to sit this window out. The application takes one sitting, it costs nothing, and the window closes on Monday, November 16, 2026.
Open the official application system today: nyc.gov/examsforjobs → Police Officer, Exam No. 7315.
Thinking about a different state instead? Start with our guides to police careers across the country in the USA Police Careers hub, and see how the training process works once you are selected.