The panel of examiners routinely consists of three prominent members of the law enforcement community. With larger departments, these members are usually from within the higher ranks of the agency. Smaller departments often call upon neighboring agencies to lend experienced hands to the process. In some cases, even prominent citizens from the community are asked to sit on the board to render a civilian perspective to the mix.

Experience in the field is what matters in these cases, not the rank that is displayed on the sleeve or the collar. When it comes to issues involving patrol, a master patrolman with two decades of street experience under her belt can easily outweigh a lieutenant or a captain who has spent little time on patrol and most of their careers behind a desk. Administrative issues and a candidate's concept of proper documentation may be better evaluated by those who deal with such things regularly. The idea behind the panel is to assemble a range of experience and an array of capabilities in order to look at applicants from many different angles. Although the board usually renders a collective decision on each person they interview, it is possible that the chief or director will individually poll panel members for their specific recommendations on given candidates.

Although it is hardly a steadfast rule, the chief or director of the examining agency often will not take part in an oral board. It's not that they are not interested in each applicant's responses to the many questions that will be put to them, it has more to do with a desire to allow the panel to find its own voice and direct things as it sees fit without direct influence by the head person. If the chief wants to know something firsthand, all he has to do is ask. Getting a different perspective is the aim, and removing himself from the process helps to keep the panel uninhibited. In some cases, the chief has already handled the initial interview of the applicant, but in any case the top person in the agency will still have another opportunity to interview the successful candidates after the oral boards are completed.