State · Utah
Utah POST stopped requiring the NPOST in March 2020, yet departments such as Salt Lake City, West Jordan and the Utah Highway Patrol still require it. Older guides that call it a statewide requirement are out of date.
| Item | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Written test |
| Utah POST: Entrance requirements · SLCPD: Utah NPOST · City of West Jordan: NPOST testingchecked Oct 21, 2026 |
| State rule on the written test | None since March 2020Utah POST dropped the NPOST entrance requirement; individual agencies still use it | Utah POST: Entrance requirementschecked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Passing score | Set by each agency; West Jordan asks for 70% in each section | City of West Jordan: NPOST testingchecked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Retake rule | 60 days on the same version, at most twice a year per versionversions A, B and C; another version can be taken any time | SLCPD: Utah NPOSTchecked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Scores from elsewhere | Agencies such as SLCPD accept only the Utah NPOST taken in Utah | SLCPD: Utah NPOSTchecked Oct 21, 2026 |
| Department | State | Written test | Passing score | Retake rule | Test fee | Results | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | UT |
| Agency sets it | 60 days (same version) | — | — | Utah POST: Entrance requirements · SLCPD: Utah NPOST · City of West Jordan: NPOST testing | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Salt Lake City Police Department | UT |
| — | 60 days (same version) | Varies by site | About 4 weeks | SLCPD: Utah NPOST | Oct 21, 2026 |
| Utah Highway Patrol | UT |
| — | — | Varies by site | About 2 weeks | Join UHP: NPOST | Oct 21, 2026 |
| West Jordan Police Department | UT |
| 70% per section | No limit | $40–$60 | About 4 weeks | City of West Jordan: NPOST testing | Oct 21, 2026 |
Utah test sites rotate versions A, B and C. You wait 60 days to retake the same version and can take it at most twice a year, but you can take another version at any time. Salt Lake City counts your best score, and its results do not expire. West Jordan puts no cap on attempts and takes your best passing score.
Results are not instant. Salt Lake City: about 4 weeks, because the report-writing section is scored by hand. UHP: mailed about 2 weeks after the test.
Testing from out of state does not work for SLCPD: out-of-state candidates must come to Utah; SLCPD does not give the test itself.
It is the same test Stanard sells nationally: 75 items (20 math, 25 reading, 20 grammar, 10 report writing) in 75 min, each section timed on its own. Calculator: Not allowed; scratch paper is provided. No penalty for guessing, so answer every item.
Start with the practice test to see which section needs the most work.
NPOST practice app
More NPOST practice questions with explanations, in a study app. Not affiliated with Stanard.
A written police entry test from Stanard & Associates, Inc.: mathematics, reading comprehension, grammar and incident report writing. Several Utah departments use it as their written test.
Not statewide: Utah POST dropped the NPOST entrance requirement; individual agencies still use it. Check the department you are applying to.
60 days on the same version, at most twice a year per version. A different version can be taken sooner.
Set by each agency; West Jordan asks for 70% in each section.
Not for SLCPD: out-of-state candidates must come to Utah; SLCPD does not give the test itself.