Weapons

Except for the following limited circumstances, weapons of any kind are not allowed on test center premises. This includes but is not limited to guns, knives, realistic "toy" weapons, and so on.

For more information about ceremonial daggers and kirpans, see Religious, cultural, and medical apparel.

Weapons are allowed in the test center only under the following conditions:

Peace officers or security personnel with weapons who come on site to perform their duty, such as apprehending a dangerous individual.

Peace officers who are carrying their firearm(s) on test center premises while taking an exam related to peace officers. These candidates are only permitted to bring in their firearm(s). All other kinds of weapons (batons, tasers, and so on) are not permitted.

"Peace officer" is a term used to describe people whose primary duties involve the enforcement of laws and preserving the public peace. This includes but is not limited to police officers, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, marshals, correction officers, special agents, and so on.

Anyone else who attempts to bring a weapon into the test center should be instructed to store the weapon outside of the test center. For example, they can store the weapon in a vehicle or at home. Do not allow candidates to store the weapon in a test center locker.

Checking in candidates with firearms

During check-in, if you see a candidate carrying a firearm in the test center, ask the candidate if he or she is a peace officer. Depending on what occurs, follow one of the guidelines in this table:

Type of candidate

Guideline

Candidates who are not peace officers

Ask the candidate to store the firearm outside of the test center (for example, in a vehicle). Do not allow the candidate to store the firearm in a test center locker. If the candidate is not able to store the firearm outside of the test center (for example, the candidate did not drive to the test center), turn the candidate away, and do not allow the candidate to test. Make sure to create a case.

If the candidate insists on carrying the firearm, inform the candidate that only peace officers taking certain exams are pre-authorized to carry a firearm in the test center.

Candidates who are peace officers

Check Admissions Manager to confirm the candidate’s exam sponsor. Next, check the exam sponsor's client reference to find any information about how peace officers are pre-authorized to carry a weapon at test centers.

If there is no information in the client reference

The peace officer must store the weapon outside of the test center (for example, in a vehicle). See the previous row in this table for instructions.

If there is information in the client reference

The client reference should explain one of the following policies:

Peace officer candidates taking specific exams are permitted to carry firearms and badges on test center premises.
Peace officer candidates taking any of the exam sponsor’s exams are permitted to carry firearms and badges on test center premises.

If none of these policies apply to the candidate, the candidate must store the weapon outside of the test center (for example, in a vehicle). See the previous row in this table for instructions.

If one of these policies apply to the candidate, continue with the check-in process, and allow the candidate to test. Do not visually inspect the weapon, even from afar. For more information, see Badges and firearms in the testing room.

Badges and firearms in the testing room

Some exam sponsors permit peace officers to carry firearms and badges during their exam. Always refer to the exam sponsor's client reference for any specific policy. If permitted by an exam sponsor, follow these guidelines to allow peace officers to take these items into the testing room.

Ask all peace officer candidates to display their badges or place the badges on the workstation desktop while they are in the testing room if possible.
If a peace officer candidate is wearing plain clothes and is not in uniform, ask the candidate to conceal the firearm, if possible, so that it is not visible to other candidates. If the candidate is in uniform, you do not need to ask the candidate to conceal the firearm.
Peace officer candidates are not required to conceal their firearms or display their badges; these requests are optional. If a peace officer candidate does not want to display a badge or conceal a firearm, allow the candidate to test.

Candidate concerns about firearms

If another candidate has concerns about testing in the same room with a peace officer who is carrying a firearm, explain that the individual is a peace officer who is permitted to have the firearm. However, do not share any personal information about the peace officer candidate, including the candidate's specific profession or the exam sponsor.

Offer the candidate the option to reschedule, and call the test center support line to notify a program coordinator. Also create a case, selecting these options:

Exam delivery

Problem with testing environment

In the case, select the name of the candidate who made the comment, and describe what happened.

Peace officer candidate misconduct

If you suspect a peace officer of cheating and he or she is carrying a firearm, follow the first step of the candidate misconduct process (WIN process) by having another test administrator witness the candidate’s behavior. For more information, see Responding to candidate misconduct. However, do not engage or intervene with the candidate about the misconduct. Instead, let the candidate continue with the exam, and create a case, selecting these options:

Exam delivery

Candidate error or misconduct

The test administrator's safety and the need to maintain a distraction-free testing environment should be taken into account throughout the processes related to weapons and peace officers. If at any time you believe staff or candidate safety may be at risk, notify your local public security officials immediately, and follow the direction of local law enforcement personnel. Then call your manager or PPC Facilities Support for further instructions.