The RCMP Regular Member Applicant Questionnaire, commonly called the RMAQ, is an important part of the RCMP recruiting process and forms part of the broader suitability assessment used to evaluate applicants.
The RMAQ focuses heavily on an applicant’s honesty, integrity, ethics and past behaviour. The RCMP advises applicants to complete the questionnaire as thoroughly and accurately as possible, particularly where a “yes” answer requires additional explanation. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
For applicants preparing for the RCMP suitability interview, it is helpful to understand how the RMAQ fits alongside the Attributes component and how information disclosed in the questionnaire may later be discussed during an interview.
This guide explains what the RCMP RMAQ is, what applicants should expect, how the RMAQ interview works and how to prepare without memorizing or scripting answers.
What Is the RCMP RMAQ?
RMAQ stands for Regular Member Applicant Questionnaire.
It is one of the forms used during the RCMP recruiting process and contains questions relating to an applicant’s honesty, integrity and ethics. The RCMP specifically asks applicants to complete the RMAQ thoroughly and accurately. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The purpose of the RMAQ is not simply to determine whether an applicant has made mistakes in the past.
It also helps the RCMP understand an applicant’s history, decision-making, accountability and willingness to disclose information honestly.
Applicants should therefore approach the RMAQ as an important suitability document rather than simply another application form.
Where the RMAQ Fits Into the RCMP Suitability Interview
The broader RCMP suitability assessment examines whether an applicant possesses the qualities, behaviours and values required of an RCMP police officer.
The RMAQ component focuses primarily on an applicant’s past actions, behaviours and disclosures.
The Attributes component focuses more broadly on the qualities and behaviours required for policing.
Together, these areas help the RCMP assess an applicant’s overall suitability.
Applicants who want a broader understanding of the interview process can also review our:
RCMP Interview Questions and Answers
What Does the RCMP RMAQ Assess?
The RMAQ places significant emphasis on areas such as:
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Ethics
- Accountability
- Past behaviour
- Decision-making
- Consistency
- Disclosure
The RCMP’s own guidance states that the questions contained in the RMAQ relate to honesty, integrity and ethics. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Applicants should expect that information provided in the RMAQ may be examined in greater detail later in the recruiting process.
The important issue is not necessarily whether an applicant has a completely perfect history.
The RCMP may consider the circumstances surrounding past behaviour, including how serious it was, how recently it occurred and whether similar behaviour happened repeatedly. Current RCMP recruiting information describing the RMAQ interview specifically refers to the severity, recency and repetitive nature of past actions. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
What Types of RMAQ Questions Should Applicants Expect?
Applicants should not attempt to obtain or memorize protected interview questions.
Instead, preparation should focus on understanding the types of personal-history areas that may require accurate disclosure.
Depending on the applicant’s circumstances, areas may include:
- Employment history
- Driving history
- Alcohol or drug use
- Financial responsibility
- Honesty and integrity
- Interactions with police
- Past misconduct
- Decisions or behaviour the applicant regrets
- Relationships and associations
- Other events relevant to suitability
Where the RMAQ asks an applicant to provide further information, the RCMP advises that detailed explanations should be provided. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The safest approach is to answer accurately and completely rather than trying to decide whether a particular incident is “important enough” to disclose.
How Does the RMAQ Interview Work?
After the RMAQ is reviewed, applicants may be asked to discuss information from their questionnaire during an interview.
The RCMP describes the RMAQ interview as an opportunity to determine whether past actions or behaviours could affect an applicant’s suitability to become a police officer.
The interview may consider factors such as:
- Severity
- Recency
- Repetition
- Context
- Accountability
- Honesty
- What the applicant learned
- Whether behaviour changed afterward
The RCMP places a strong emphasis on honesty during this stage. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Applicants should therefore be prepared to explain past events clearly and consistently rather than attempting to create a “perfect” explanation.
Preparing for Your RCMP Suitability Interview
If you are preparing for the RMAQ, Attributes evaluation or the broader RCMP suitability interview, understanding how your own experiences relate to the assessment process can make preparation much more effective.
anEDGE provides individual RCMP interview coaching focused on helping applicants understand the process, organize genuine examples from their own experience and communicate clearly and professionally.
RCMP Interview Coaching & Preparation
RMAQ Form vs RMAQ Interview
The RMAQ form and the RMAQ interview serve related but different purposes.
The form records information provided by the applicant about their background and past behaviour.
The interview allows the RCMP to explore relevant information in more detail.
Applicants may therefore encounter searches and terminology such as:
- RMAQ form
- RCMP RMAQ
- RMAQ interview
- RCMP RMAQ interview
- RMAQ questions
- RMAQ booklet
These generally relate to the same broader part of the RCMP suitability process.
The key difference is that the questionnaire involves written disclosure, while the interview allows those disclosures to be discussed and clarified.
How to Prepare for the RCMP RMAQ
Preparation for the RMAQ should not involve memorizing answers or trying to determine what the RCMP “wants to hear.”
A better approach is to carefully review your history so that you can provide complete and consistent information.
Applicants should consider:
- Reviewing dates and timelines
- Thinking carefully about past incidents or behaviour
- Providing accurate context
- Avoiding minimizing important information
- Avoiding exaggerating events
- Being consistent with information supplied elsewhere in the application
- Taking responsibility where appropriate
- Being prepared to explain what you learned
- Understanding what changed after the event
The objective should be accuracy and clarity.
Trying to present an unrealistically perfect history can create more problems than acknowledging past mistakes honestly.
Common RCMP RMAQ Mistakes
Applicants can create unnecessary difficulties when they approach the RMAQ as something they need to “beat” rather than a suitability assessment that requires honest disclosure.
Common mistakes include:
- Leaving information out because it seems insignificant
- Trying to guess the “right” answer
- Giving inconsistent dates or timelines
- Minimizing past behaviour
- Providing vague explanations
- Memorizing scripted explanations
- Failing to accept responsibility
- Blaming others without acknowledging your own role
- Providing information that conflicts with another part of the application
- Focusing only on the incident and not explaining what changed afterward
The RCMP specifically emphasizes that applicants should complete the RMAQ thoroughly and accurately. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
RMAQ vs RCMP Attributes Evaluation
The RMAQ and Attributes portions assess different aspects of suitability.
The RMAQ focuses heavily on personal history, past behaviour, disclosure, honesty, integrity and ethics.
The Attributes component focuses more broadly on the qualities and behaviours required of an RCMP applicant.
This distinction is important because preparation for each component is different.
For the RMAQ, applicants should concentrate on accurate disclosure, consistency, accountability and being able to discuss their past honestly.
For the Attributes component, preparation generally involves understanding the qualities being evaluated and being able to provide relevant examples from your own experience.
Applicants looking for broader examples and interview preparation can review:
RCMP Interview Questions and Answers
Why Honesty Matters in the RMAQ
The RCMP places substantial emphasis on honesty during the applicant process.
The organization’s RMAQ guidance states that the questionnaire covers honesty, integrity, and ethics, while its recruiting information on the RMAQ interview says it places a heavy focus on honesty.
Applicants sometimes worry that disclosing past mistakes will automatically end their application.
Suitability decisions are more complex than simply asking whether an applicant has ever made a mistake.
Factors such as seriousness, recency, repetition, context and subsequent behaviour may all matter.
What applicants should avoid is deliberately hiding or misrepresenting information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does RMAQ stand for?
RMAQ stands for Regular Member Applicant Questionnaire.
It is used during the RCMP recruiting process and contains questions relating to honesty, integrity and ethics. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
What is the RCMP RMAQ?
The RCMP RMAQ is a questionnaire completed by applicants as part of the recruiting process.
It provides information about an applicant’s background, behaviour and suitability and may later form the basis for further discussion during the RMAQ interview.
Is the RMAQ part of the RCMP suitability interview?
The RMAQ forms an important part of the RCMP suitability assessment and may be followed by an RMAQ interview in which relevant disclosures and past behaviour are explored in greater detail.
What questions are asked in the RMAQ?
The RCMP states that RMAQ questions relate to honesty, integrity and ethics. Applicants should complete the questionnaire thoroughly and accurately and provide detailed explanations where required.
What is an RMAQ interview?
The RMAQ interview allows the RCMP to explore information from an applicant’s questionnaire.
The RCMP may examine factors such as the severity, recency and repetitive nature of past actions, with significant emphasis placed on honesty. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Can something disclosed on the RMAQ disqualify an applicant?
Certain behaviour or circumstances can affect suitability.
However, applicants should not assume that hiding information will improve their chances. The RCMP emphasizes complete and honest disclosure, and suitability may involve factors including severity, recency and repetition.
Should I memorize answers for an RMAQ interview?
No.
Applicants should understand their own history and be prepared to explain it accurately and consistently. Scripted responses can sound unnatural and may make it more difficult to respond when an interviewer asks follow-up questions.
How should I prepare for the RMAQ?
Review your background carefully, make sure your dates and information are accurate, consider incidents that may require explanation and be prepared to discuss them honestly.
The goal is not to create the “perfect” answer. It is to provide clear, complete and credible information.
Prepare for the Full RCMP Interview Process
Applicants preparing for the RMAQ should also understand how it fits into the broader RCMP suitability and interview process.
anEDGE provides 1:1 preparation for applicants who want help understanding the RCMP interview process, developing genuine examples from their own experience and preparing for realistic interview questions.
RCMP Interview Coaching & Preparation
You can also review:
RCMP Interview Questions and Answers
For applicants who are earlier in the recruiting process, additional RCMP preparation resources are available through anEDGE’s RCMP exam and recruitment preparation materials.