I work for a city PD in south Snohomish County, with about 70 commissioned officers. I like my department, and like the people I work for/with. Of course, the fact that we're pretty much the highest paid in the county doesn't hurt either.
Academically, my department requires a minimum of a two-year degree or equivalent. That seems to be becoming popular with the PD's in the area.
Physically, I believe all the departments in the state have the same requirements, which is the Cooper standard as mandated by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Check out this site for the details:
[url]www.wa.gov/cjt/forms/FATtest.pdf[/url]
Or look here for the academy details:
[url]www.wa.gov/cjt/blea/[/url]
Of course, you have to get hired by a PD/SO before you go to the academy, but it has some good info.
I can't really give you much insight into the written testing. I've taken several different tests for different departments. Most involve reading comprehension, vocabulary, etc. Some use a video portion of the test where you watch situations and choose what your next move would be. Hope this helps. If you need any more info, let me know.
SeMPer Fi