Armenia’s national police force has introduced a comprehensive, multi-stage performance evaluation system designed to assess officers’ professional skills while also driving salary increases and career advancement.

The certification process combines written exams, physical fitness tests, firearms qualification, and a final review of professional knowledge, with results directly influencing pay and promotion opportunities.

Officials describe the system as both a performance evaluation and a reform initiative aimed at strengthening the force’s professionalism and improving officers’ social conditions. Participation spans all age groups, and the process includes strict scoring thresholds, retake rules, and full video recording to ensure transparency.

With thousands of officers already assessed, the program is intended to become a continuous mechanism for professional development, helping build a highly-skilled police force while also encouraging new recruits to join the service.

Tatevik Tevosyan, a member of the certification commission of the police under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, told Armenpress that the system is taking shape as an important educational and social reform. It aims both to improve the professional competence of officers and to enhance their social conditions, as salary increases are also tied to attestation results.

Moreover, attestation results will be taken into account in future promotions and other personnel changes. So far, around 5,000 police officers have undergone the attestation process, recording fairly high results.

“The attestation consists of several stages. In the first stage, officers take a test assessing fitness for duty and general knowledge. The minimum passing score is 20 points, while the maximum is 55. The test also includes a psychological component: if the honesty score reaches 10, it is considered a failure; likewise, if the suitability score is 50 or higher, the officer is also considered to have failed,” Tevosyan explained.

The next stage is a physical fitness assessment, during which officers complete standards including a 100-meter run, a 1,000-meter run, as well as pull-ups for men and a set of physical exercises for women. Following amendments to a government decision, all age groups now participate in this stage. The minimum passing score is 8 points.

After successfully completing the physical fitness stage, officers undergo a firearms assessment, during which they perform shooting tasks. The minimum passing score is 15 points for three shots.

The firearms stage is followed by an assessment of professional knowledge, which is the final stage of attestation. It includes a wide range of questions related to police service, covering criminal law, criminal procedure, administrative law, and other areas.

“The grading scale is as follows: 26 points is considered ‘satisfactory,’ from 35 points ‘good,’ and from 45 points ‘excellent.’ Officers holding senior positions also undergo an interview at the final stage,” Tevosyan noted.

The attestation process also provides an opportunity for retakes. If an officer fails the first stage (general knowledge) but successfully passes the other three stages, they may retake the first exam. However, if an officer fails, for example, the physical fitness or firearms stages, they are excluded from the process. In general, failing two exams results in disqualification from continuing the attestation.

To ensure transparency, all stages of the process are video recorded. Following amendments to the government decision, recordings are preserved until the entire process is completed, allowing for objective review in case of appeals.

Attestation also serves as an important motivational factor for police officers. It encourages them to improve their skills and knowledge in pursuit of higher scores, which directly affect salary increases, the official noted.

This process also serves as an incentive for citizens to join the police force.

“As a result, attestation is becoming a continuous process that combines professional development with social improvement, contributing to the formation of a more effective, well-trained, and well-supported police force that serves the state and ensures the safety of its citizens,” Tevosyan concluded.