SWEDEN


© National Audit Office

National Audit Office: Lower the requirements so that more immigrants and women can become police officers
Published May 20, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Domestic. Despite the government's diversity goals, there are still a large number of women and immigrants who fail to pass the entrance exam for police training. This is evident from a report from the Swedish National Audit Office, which now wants to see a remedy and improvement.

One in five female applicants fails the strength test – a test that involves lifting a barbell to the chin.

It is precisely this type of physical requirement that is questioned in the report, despite the fact that the police themselves believe that the test reflects real needs in the profession.

The National Audit Office also points out that more than one in three applicants with a foreign background fail the so-called aptitude test – even though their school grades are not necessarily worse. One explanation could be the language of the test, they believe.

– It may be that it is an archaic language, so that people do not understand the words as they are not used today, says Linda Jönsson, project manager for the National Audit Office's review, to TT.

Another problem, according to the report, is that psychologists who interview candidates are not allowed to share their assessment with the Police Authority, due to confidentiality. This makes it difficult to get a complete picture of the applicants. At the same time, the National Audit Office questions why there is no formal language testing at all.

The police share some of the National Audit Office's conclusions, but also reject some of the criticism. The agency believes that today's admission already rests on "an extensive empirical basis" and that the report exaggerates the significance of certain analyses.