West Australian Police officers have been put on notice that they will be required to pass an annual fitness test.

Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said all frontline officers would be physically assessed on their ability to do their job from January.

Dubbed Operational Ready Test, the exam will cover nine separate functions needed to perform frontline policing.

"The test includes a short run, it includes jumping over some objects, it includes pulling a weight to the ground and lifting a weight from the ground," Mr O'Callaghan said.

"These are the sorts of things which officers encounter on a regular basis when they are dealing with offenders in the field, so it's really mapped around that."

It is the first time officers will be physically assessed on their ability to do their job.

Mr O'Callaghan said officers need not fear the tests.

"I did the test yesterday [and] I'm approaching 60," he said.

"I got around it quite easily."

Fate of those who fail test unclear

But the police union said it was concerned about the fate of those who failed the test.

"The WA Police Union understands the need for officers on the front line to be physically capable to respond to dynamic situations and supports the idea of deployment readiness testing," union president George Tilbury said.

"We also believe it is important that officers are capable to assist their partners in physical situations and to ensure the public has confidence in its police service.

"However, we don't want to see officers who have been injured on the frontline being thrown onto the scrap heap if they do not pass the testing requirements.

"The agency has an obligation to ensure their employees are looked after should they suffer an injury which immobilises them and renders them non-operational.

"Officers need to be treated fairly, reasonably and given any assistance they require to get fit."

Mr Tilbury said the demands of policing had affected the health of officers.

"The policing environment over the last 30 years has not been conducive to healthy living," he said.

"Working shifts and not having time for proper meal breaks has taken its toll, so this issue will not be resolved overnight."

Mr O'Callaghan said it had yet to be decided what would happen to those who failed the fitness test.

"The initial failure rate in other states was less than 2 per cent, and of that most who failed were able to get through with a little bit of coaching," he said.