Sit-ups, jumps dropped from physical test for Hong Kong prison officers to ‘better meet daily work needs’
Hong Kong Free Press
Sit-ups and vertical jumps will be removed from the physical tests required of aspiring prison officers from September 16, the Correctional Services Department (CSD) has said, adding that new physical test standards had been created to “better meet the daily work needs of officers.”
Under the new test, which the CSD said on Tuesday had been formulated by a sports medicine expert, applicants would be tested on four elements rather than five. Sit-ups and jumps would be replaced by an isometric strength test, which would test candidates’ arm, shoulder, leg and lower back strength, the department said in a press release.
Meanwhile, the shuttle run test would be modified from 10 lengths of nine metres, to four lengths of 10 metres. The bailey bridge and 800-metre run would be retained.
A CSD spokesperson said the department would “regularly” review its recruitment policy including entry requirements, and adopt a “proactive” recruitment strategy to attract more applicants.
“Given that the test items and standards of the current physical fitness test have been in use for nearly 20 years, the CSD has invited a sports medicine expert to review and formulate new physical fitness test standards that better meet the daily work needs of correctional officers nowadays,” the spokesperson said.
The department added that it had recently started arranging the physical fitness test, the Basic Law and national security law tests, and the group and selection interviews to be completed within a day instead of two days to speed up the recruitment selection process.
It follows news that disciplined services including the Hong Kong Police Force and Fire Services Department had relaxed some entry requirements to attract more recruits.
Recruitment difficulties
In recent years, the CSD has been facing difficulties when it comes to recruitment.
A government document submitted to the legislature on May 3 last year said that:” Coupled with the enormous recruitment challenges CSD encountered in recent years, the vacancy situation of disciplined staff stands at over 600 as at December 31, 2021, representing a vacancy rate of about 9.7 per cent.”
On Tuesday, the CSD said it would continue its recruitment drive across the Greater Bay Area to try and attract more people to join.
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