CADET, CHP, Examination Overview Instructions

Instructions

We appreciate your interest in applying to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). This online application process is for the Cadet, CHP, classification and these instructions will help you complete the Cadet Application online.

Note: If an item is preceded by an asterisk (*) that means it must be completed for the application to be processed.

• *E-Mail Address on the Cadet, CHP, E-Mail Verification Screen.
  Type your E-mail Address. E-mail address is a mandatory field so applicants may be notified of test-related information. You will not be able to apply online if you do not provide a real e-mail address which you can check right away.
  
  The e-mail address may not be longer than 40 characters and must contain the @ symbol, and ended by .com, .net, .org, .edu, .us, etc., as appropriate, to be considered a valid e mail address. For example, the following e mail address is exactly 40 characters long: constancenciamaria@thisisreallymyurl.com .
  
  If you do not have an e-mail address, you may sign up for any service that offers e-mail addresses for free, then complete the online application process.
  
  As an alternative, you may visit any CHP office and obtain a hardcopy scannable Cadet Application form, complete it, and mail it to the CHP address on the scannable form. You can call a recruiter at 1-888-4A-CHP-JOB and have a hardcopy scannable Cadet Application form mailed to you.
• *First Name
  Type your First Name. The first name may not be longer than 15 characters , including spaces (for example: ChristopherJohn or Elizabeth Marie).
• *Last Name
  Type your Last Name. If applicable, type Jr, or I, II, III, or IV at the end of your last name. The entire last name may not be longer than 21 characters, including spaces (for example, Johanssonvillanova IV).
• Middle Initial
  Type your Middle Initial. The middle initial may not be longer than 1 character.
• Street Number
  Type in the street number. Do not include any spaces after the numbers.
• *Street Name
  Type in the name of the street for the address where you wish to receive examination notification letters from the CHP. You may only enter numbers or letters. Periods, commas, or other symbols like the # sign will not be accepted. Apartment number may be abbreviated as Apt and the entire mailing address may not be longer than 23 characters, including spaces (for example, 1234 East Third St 103A).
  
  For a PO Box: If you receive your mail at a post office box, type PO Box in the Street Name field, press the space bar, then type the number (for example, PO Box 1234). The entire mailing address may not be longer than 23 characters, including spaces.
  
  For a military address: type the main address in the Mailing Address field (for example: 11 CAV HHTCMX400 BX 999). The entire mailing address may not be longer than 23 characters, including spaces.
• *City
  Type the name of the city in which you live. The city may not be longer than 21 characters including spaces(for example, Rancho Santa Margarit).
  
  For a military address: type APO (Army post office) or FPO (Fleet post office) in the 'city' field, as appropriate.
• *State
  In the drop-down box to the right of the State field, click on the upside down arrow at the right side of the drop-down box then use your mouse to scroll through the list to the state in which you live. Click on the appropriate state. The default state is California but if you live in another state, or are in the military, use the mouse to scroll through the states until you reach the correct state and click on that state.
  
  For a military address: at the bottom of the state field, select AA (Armed Forces America), AE (Armed Forces Europe) or AP (Armed Forces Pacific), as appropriate.
• *Zip Code
  Type the five-digit zip code; for example, 94298. The zip code may only be five numbers.
  
  For a military address: type the five-digit zip code in the 'zip code' field (for example, 09114).
  
  NOTE: If the address is not typed correctly, you will not receive examination notification letters from the CHP. If your address changes after you apply, contact any CHP recruiter to have your mailing address updated in our system by calling telephone number 1-888-4A-CHP-JOB.
• *Telephone Number
  Type your three-digit area code followed by the seven-digit telephone number for a telephone number where you may be reached during normal business hours. Only enter numbers. The computer system will automatically insert dashes after the third and sixth numbers (for example, 9161234567 will look like 916-123-4567).
• Gender
  To aid the State of California in its commitment to equal employment opportunity (EEO), applicants are asked to provide EEO information such as gender. In the drop-down box to the right of the Gender field, click on the upside down arrow at the right side of the drop-down box then use your mouse to scroll through the list to Male or Female.
• Race/Ethnicity
  To aid the State of California in its commitment to EEO, applicants are asked to provide EEO information such as race or ethnicity. In the drop-down box to the right of the Race/Ethnicity field, click on the upside down arrow at the right side of the drop-down box then use your mouse to scroll through the list to the one that best describes your race/ethnicity.
• *County Code
  The County Code determines which exam code applicants will be scheduled to. Applicants will be scheduled to the testing site that is closest to the county code they entered on the application form. For more information on exam codes, click here. For a map of counties and CHP Divisions, click here.
  
  For additional questions about which county to mark on the application for a specific examination, please contact a recruiter at 1-888-4A-CHP-JOB.
  
  In the drop-down box to the right of the County Code field, click on the upside down arrow at the right side of the drop-down box then use your mouse to scroll through the list to the County Code where you live or, alternatively, near to where you want to take the examination. You may also click on the County Map link to the right of the County Code drop-down box to see a map of the California counties, the Divisions they are associated, and in which counties testing normally occurs to help decide which County Code to choose. Clicking on a county on the state map will cause the map window to close and that county’s name to be placed in the Coundy Code drop-down field.
  
  Although the state of California is made up of about 60 different counties, the written test has generally only been given in the following counties. These counties are highlighted with a colored box on the county map:
  
  Northern Division: Humboldt and Shasta counties
  Valley Division: Butte, Sacramento, and San Joaquin counties
  Golden Gate Division: Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara North, Solano, Sonoma, and San Francisco
  Central Division: Fresno, Kern, Madera, Stanislaus, and Tulare counties
  Southern Division: Los Angeles county
  Border Division: Orange and San Diego counties
  Coastal Division: Santa Barbara and Ventura counties
  Inland Division: Riverside West and San Bernardino County
  
  
  NOTE: Applicants living in Santa Clara County should mark "Santa Clara North" if they live in Palo Alto, Santa Clara, San Jose, Milpitas, or Morgan Hill for the CHP Golden Gate Division. Applicants should select "Santa Clara South" if they live in the city of Gilroy for the CHP Coastal Division.
  
  NOTE: Applicants living in Riverside County should mark "Riverside East" if they live in Blythe, Indio, Palm Springs, Rancho California, Temecula for the CHP Border Division. Applicants should select "Riverside West" if they live in the cities of Beaumont, Corona, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, and Riverside for the CHP Inland Division.
• *Are you a High school(HS) graduate?
  Click on the Yes button if you are a high school graduate or the equivalent, as described in the Cadet Bulletin. click on the No button if you are not a high school graduate.
• If not a graduate, do you have a GED?
  Click on the Yes button if you have passed the General Education Development Test or the equivalent, as described in the Cadet Bulletin. click on the No button if you are not a high school graduate and have not passed the GED or equivalent.
  
  If you do not possess a high school diploma from a U.S. institution, you should say "Yes" for GED if you
       A) Passed the California High School Proficiency Examination
       B) Passed the General Education Development Test
       C) Possession of a degree (Associate of Arts or higher) from an accredited college or equivalent degree (units from an institution, certificate, diploma) approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education under the provisions of California Education Code Chapter 3, Part 59, Division 10.
  
• Have you ever been convicted of a felony?
  Click on the Yes button if you have been convicted of a felony. Click on the No button if you have no felony convictions.
• Are you a United States Citizen?
  Click on Yes button if you are a United States citizen. If you are not a citizen, click on the No button.
• If not, when did you apply for citizenship?
  If you are not a citizen, indicate the date that you filed for citizenship using the two-digit month and day and the four digit year. For example, if you filed for citizenship on June 1, 2007, you would type 06-01-2007. Remember that you must be a citizen before you can be hired into a Cadet Academy class.
• *Birthdate
  Type your birthdate using the two-digit month and day,and the four digit year; for example, if you were born on May 22, 1985, type 05-22-1985.
• *Social Security Number
  Type the first three numbers of your nine-digit Social Security Number (SSN) in the first box, then fourth and fifth digits in the second box, then the last four digits in the third box, as follows: . Only type numbers. We need the SSN to process your application. Please note that the CHP takes every precaution to ensure your personal information is kept secure, which is one reason that the numbers in your SSN do not appear on the screen when they are typed. We do not sell or distribute your confidential information to any third parties. If you would like to read the CHP's privacy policy, click here
  
  
• *Re-enter Social Security Number
  For verification purposes, please re-type your nine digit SSN using numbers only (no dashes or spaces).
• CHP Recruiter ID number
  If a CHP recruiter helped you to fill out the application or talked with you about the Cadet job, type his or her identification number in the box (for example 006701). If you have not been working with a recruiter or you do not know the recruiter ID number, leave the Recruiter ID box blank.
• *Do you have a disability/impairment?
  Click on the No button if you do not have a disability or impairment that will impact the written or oral test. However, if you do have a disability or impairment that will impact your ability to take the written or oral test, click on the Yes button.
  
  After you finish filling in the rest of the fields on the application form, click on the Continue button, review your entries, then then click on the Submit button at the bottom of the verification page, you will be provided with a Reasonable Accommodation form online that you can print out and mail to the CHP. After receiving the form, the CHP will contact you to determine what type of reasonable accommodation you require for the written or oral test.
• *Have you had military training or experience?
  Click on the Yes button if you have been in the military. Click on the No button if you do not have any military experience.
• *Highest level of education
  In the drop-down box to the right of the Highest level of education field, click on the upside down arrow at the right side of the drop-down box then use your mouse to scroll through the list and choose the one that represents the highest level of college you have achieved, as of today.
• *College Major
  Only complete this box if you attended college.
  In the drop-down box to the right of the College Major field, click on the upside down arrow at the right side of the drop-down box then use your mouse to scroll through the different types of majors and choose the one category that best represents your major topic of study in college, as of today.
• *Total number of college units
  Only complete this box if you attended college.
  In the drop-down box to the right of the Total number of college units field, click on the upside down arrow at the right side of the drop-down box then use your mouse to scroll through the different levels of units and choose the one category that represents the total number of college units you have achieved, as of today. Use semester units if you attended a community college or California State University. Use quarter units if you attended a University of California or other school that used quarter units. For example, if you took up to three college classes in a community college, click the first category (0 to 9 semester units or 0 to 14 quarter units). If you took between four and 10 classes, click the second category (10 to 29 semester units or 15 to 44 quarter units), etc..
  
  NOTE: it generally takes 60 to 119 semester units or 90 to 179 quarter units to achieve an Associate of Arts degree and it generally takes at least 120 semester units and 180 quarter units to attain a Bachelors degree. If you attained a Masters or Ph.D. degree, click on the last category (120 semester units or 180 quarter units).
• How did you hear about the CHP?
  In the first drop-down box to the right of the How did you hear about the CHP? field (has Select Type in the drop-down box), click on the upside down arrow at the right side of the drop-down box then use your mouse to scroll through the list and select the most appropriate response (for example, print ads).
  
  Then, click in the second drop-down box labeled “Select the specific recruitment source” (this box has Select an Item in the drop-down box). Click on the upside down arrow at the right side of the drop-down box then use your mouse to scroll through the list and select the specific item/event that applies (for example, CHP Bumper sticker).
• Certification of completeness
  Type a Y in the box to indicate that the information you have entered is complete and accurate.
  REMEMBER THAT IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS AS HONESTLY AND COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE SO YOUR APPLICATION MAY BE PROCESSED.
• Continue with the application process
  Click on the Continue button. The online application system will check your application to ensure that it is complete. If it finds an incomplete or inaccurately-filled in mandatory field, it will indicate the error at the top of the screen. Look at these Application Instructions if you are having difficulty resolving a specific error or call a recruiter during normal business hours at 1-888-4A-CHP-JOB to get help. Once you have fixed the problem(s), click on Continue again.
  
  When all mandatory fields are complete, the system will display a verification page that shows all of the fields you entered on the application. If you need to change any of your responses, click on the Edit button and you will return to the application page so you can correct your response(s) and retype your SSN in both SSN fields. When done, click the Continue button again and the verification page will again be displayed.
  
  IT IS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT YOU PRINT OUT THE SCREEN OF INFORMATION that you entered by clicking on the “Print” button.
  
  If the information is correct, click on the Submit button. The system will display a confirmation screen that displays your exam code along with several upcoming test dates for your exam code. An e-mail message will also be sent to the e-mail address that you entered in the application that contains upcoming test dates and links to web pages that will help you prepare for the written test and physical ability test.

If you have any further questions about the Cadet examination process, read through this website or call a CHP recruiter at 1-888-4A-CHP-JOB.

NOTE THAT YOU MAY ONLY HAVE ONE ACTIVE CADET APPLICATION IN PROGRESS AT A TIME. Click here for more information.

If you would rather submit a hardcopy application instead of using this online application procedure, please visit any CHP office and pick up a scannable application form.

Thank you for your interest in a rewarding career with the CHP.