NAPOLCOM PNP Entrance Exam 2026 - Schedule, Requirements, and Who Can Skip It

Before you spend months preparing for the NAPOLCOM PNP Entrance Examination, read the first section of this guide — because a large share of the people searching for it do not need to take it at all.

First: Do You Even Need This Exam?

The PNP Entrance Exam exists to grant eligibility for appointment as Patrolman/Patrolwoman. But eligibility has multiple doors:

• Registered Criminologists — you already hold eligibility. Under RA 6506 as amended by RA 11131, the criminologist license itself is your PNP entry eligibility. Skip NAPOLCOM entirely and go straight to the CORPS application
• Board/bar passers (RA 1080) and Civil Service Professional eligibles — accepted eligibilities as well
• Everyone else — a college graduate without any of the above needs the NAPOLCOM exam. That is who this guide serves

The Schedule

NAPOLCOM has historically administered the PNP Entrance Examination (alongside promotional exams) in periodic nationwide administrations, announced per cycle on official NAPOLCOM channels with online application windows.

Because NAPOLCOM sets each administration by its own announcement rather than a fixed annual calendar, the exact next PNP Entrance Exam date and application window are published per cycle — check napolcom.gov.ph and the official NAPOLCOM Facebook page for the current schedule before you plan around it.

The pattern that holds across cycles: applications are online, slots are limited per testing center, and windows close fast — follow NAPOLCOM's official channels the moment an administration is announced.

Requirements and Qualifications

• Filipino citizen
• Baccalaureate degree (any course — this exam exists precisely for non-criminology graduates)
• Age, and other qualifications aligned with PNP entry standards (21-30 for appointment, with waiver rules)
• Application requirements per announcement: accomplished form, photos, valid ID, fee

Coverage and Passing

The PNP Entrance Exam covers general aptitude territory: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, logic, and general information including police-related basics. Passing score per NAPOLCOM's announcements has historically been set at 75%. It is a competitive aptitude exam — pacing practice matters as much as knowledge.

The Honest Strategic Advice

If you are a criminology student or graduate who has not yet passed the CLE: the CLE is the better investment. The same review effort that earns NAPOLCOM eligibility earns you, via the board exam, the RCrim title, the eligibility, and a professional license with careers beyond the uniform — the full comparison here. NAPOLCOM is the right path specifically for non-criminology graduates set on the PNP.

Either way, the exam is only the eligibility. The PNP screening gauntlet — PAT, medical, neuro-psych, background investigation — is where applications are actually won and lost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do criminology graduates need the NAPOLCOM exam?

Registered Criminologists do not — the license is their eligibility under RA 11131. Criminology graduates who have not passed the CLE need one of the accepted eligibilities like anyone else.

What is the NAPOLCOM exam passing score?

Historically 75%, per NAPOLCOM's announcements.

Can any course graduate take the PNP Entrance Exam?

Yes — any baccalaureate degree qualifies you to take it, which is exactly its role in the system.

Is the NAPOLCOM exam eligibility permanent?

NAPOLCOM eligibility is used for PNP appointment per its rules — check the current announcement for validity terms.