Nahant’s police entrance exam, internal promotional test set for June 13

NAHANT – If you ever wanted to become a Nahant police officer start sharpening your pencils and sign up for the entrance exam.Nahant Town Administrator Mark Cullinan explained the police department opted out of Civil Service back in the 1970s so it maintains its own eligibility lists and administers its own exams.”We are required to maintain entrance and promotional eligibility lists,” he said.Cullinan said the entrance exam is given once every three years and is open to anyone who wants to become a police officer in town. The exam has been scheduled for June 13 and anyone wishing to take the exam should sign up at the police station by June 1. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and possess a valid driver’s license. Eligible candidates must have completed Basic Reserve Academy and be capable of passing a physical exam and criminal background check. Preference will be awarded to Nahant residents, veterans and candidates who are currently certified from a Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Academy. There is a $75 fee to take the entrance exam. He added that exam results expire after three years.”The results are only good for three years,” he said. “So a candidate would have to retake and pass it every three years to remain eligible for appointment. We get the exams from a certified company. Then we administer the exams.”Cullinan said the exam is only given once every three years unless there are not any candidates on the eligibility list.”We are required to keep an eligibility list,” he said. “The eligibility list shall consist of two or more people so if we don’t have two or more candidates on the eligibility list or if after a year we don’t have anyone on the list we would re-administer the exam.”Cullinan said the town would be administering an internal promotional exam on June 13 as well.In order to qualify to take the sergeant exam, an officer must be a full-time Nahant Police Officer with at least two years of full-time service and a graduate of the the Police Academy.”An officer has to take and pass the exam before even being considered for promotion,” he said. “But the exam is only one of the things we look at for promotion. We take other things into consideration including seniority, personnel record and we have someone conduct outside interviews.”Cullinan said the department currently has 11 officers, which includes one lieutenant and three sergeants.