Do Final Fitness Scores Correlate to Final Academic Scores Among Police Cadets?

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to determine if a relationship between specific physical fitness tests and academic test scores exists with police cadets. Design: Retrospective, non-identifiable data from three training cohorts was selected for this investigation. Methods: 86 (70 males, 16 females) cadets in three different cohorts volunteered for this investigation during a single 16-week (640 hours) police training academy at the same law enforcement agency (LEA). Cadets were screened for five fitness components, consisting of vertical jump, 1-minute push-up test, 300m sprint, 1-minute sit-up test, and the 2.4km run after 16 weeks of fitness training along with a comprehensive reading, mathematics, and general law enforcement exam, following the completion of all 16 law enforcement modules. Results: There was no significant relationship between final fitness scores and final academic exam scores. Conclusion: Specific physical fitness scores did not significantly correlate with final academic exam scores in police cadets. It was noted cadet physical training should focus on psychomotor activities not only to improve academic scores but overall successful fitness outcomes to successfully graduate from a police academy.