Pursuant to Massachusetts law, new recruits for the positions of municipal police officer and municipal fire fighter must take and pass the Physical Abilities Test (PAT), administered by the Human Resources Division (HRD). Disabled public safety retirees must also take and pass the PAT before being restored to service through PERAC’s Restoration to Service program.

Comprehensive information about the PAT, including HRD’s Massachusetts Fire Departments’ Physical Ability Test Preparation Guide and the Massachusetts Police Departments' Initial-Hire Physical Abilities Test Preparation Guide, can be found in the Civil Service section of HRD’s Web site.

Questions about the PAT should be directed to the Human Resource Division, (617) 727-3555. Questions about the PERAC Restoration to Service process should be directed to the PERAC Disability Unit, 617-591-8956.

To view a streaming video (with audio component) of the Physical Abilities Test (PAT), please click on the appropriate link below. Unfortunately, captions for these video are not currently available.

• FIREFIGHTER PAT
  A production of the Commonwealth’s
  Human Resources Division /
  Executive Office of Public Safety / Department of Fire Services
  
  

• POLICE PAT
  A production of the Commonwealth’s
  Human Resources Division /
  Executive Office of Public Safety / Criminal Justice Training Council