Why the Final Appearance Check for Police Academy Cadets Is Only Conducted at the National Level
The National Police’s Human Resources (SSDM) staff, acting as the central committee for the 2026 Police Academy (Akpol) cadet selection, is conducting the appearance check (rikpil) as the final stage of the recruitment process. Unlike administrative, health, psychological, academic, physical fitness (kesamaptaan), and mental and personality depth (PMK) examinations, which are held at both the regional police (polda) and national headquarters (Mabes Polri) levels, the rikpil stage is exclusively conducted at the national level. Why?
“This is to ensure that the selection process is correct. It serves as a control mechanism for Police leaders to guarantee the selection is truly clean, transparent, and accountable. We must not have a situation where a participant fails the test at the regional level, but then appears as a participant here at the national level,” explained the Assistant to the National Police Chief for Human Resources, Inspector General Anwar, to detikcom at the Police Academy in Semarang, Central Java, on Saturday (25/7/2026).
Inspector General Anwar described the rikpil as a complement to the lengthy Police Academy cadet selection process. In addition to checking whether the quality of the prospective cadets matches the data on file with what is observed in a face-to-face meeting, the rikpil is a moment for participants to demonstrate abilities and talents not accommodated in previous tests. “This rikpil activity is to complete the series of tests. It explores the abilities and achievements of prospective male and female cadets that were not uncovered in the previous tests,” said Inspector General Anwar. “The academic test is done, the psychological test is done, the exploration of interests, talents, and abilities is done, the physical fitness test is done. But their achievements and talents have not yet been fully explored,” added the former Bengkulu Regional Police Chief.
Inspector General Anwar explained that the rikpil could be a lifeline for a cadet’s score. Conversely, it could also become a barrier. “If here we find something inconsistent with the selection result data, it can become a barrier for the cadet to pass. If the participant’s quality is good, they meet the requirements to become a member of the National Police, and there are other potentials we can explore,” said Inspector General Anwar.
Weighting of the Three Assessment Aspects
Inspector General Anwar explained there are three assessment aspects in the Police Academy cadet recruitment. The first is the academic depth test and English language ability, the second is the physical fitness test, and the third is this rikpil. “At the national level test, there are three aspects: academics, which include academic potential test and English, then physical fitness, and finally this rikpil,” said the former Head of the SSDM Personnel Care Bureau.
Out of the total score weighting of 100 percent, the academic and English language ability aspect carries the highest weight. This is followed by the physical fitness aspect, which is weighted at half of the academic and English language ability aspect. Finally, Inspector General Anwar stated, is the rikpil, which has the smallest weight due to the element of subjective assessment during its implementation. Inspector General Anwar termed the rikpil aspect as a bonus score. “Ideally, the academic weight is the highest out of 100 percent, because these participants are future Police leaders. The medium weight is physical fitness because their physique must be strong, they must not be weak. Because the rikpil still involves subjective assessment, we give it a lower weight, as a bonus score,” he concluded.
It is known that by the final stage of the Police Academy central committee selection, the number of remaining prospective male and female cadets is 404. They consist of 365 prospective male cadets and 35 prospective female cadets. This year, the six rikpil assessors are Deputy National Police Chief Commissioner General Dedi Prasetyo, Head of the Police Education and Training Institute Commissioner General R.Z. Panca Putra, Assistant to the National Police Chief for Human Resources Inspector General Anwar, Head of the Police Internal Affairs Division Inspector General Abdul Karim, Deputy Chief of the Police General Supervision Inspectorate Inspector General Tomex Korniawan, and Governor of the Police Academy Inspector General Daniel Tahi Monang Silitonga.