Dozens of candidates completed testing Saturday morning to become California Highway Patrol officers on the Central Coast in Arroyo Grande.

This is the first time the CHP physical fitness test and written exam have been held at Arroyo Grande High School.

Organizers say they anticipated about 70 people would participate in the test.

KSBY spoke with an official who said the CHP has seen an increase in applications this year.

“What’s exciting for the California Highway Patrol this year is we’ve seen a 100 percent increase in applications, especially in October and November,” said Jordan Richards, CHP public information officer. “These are applicants from all over the state of California. We actually have them pretty much all over the United States.”

In about a week, officials say they will send 12 cadets from the local CHP division to train in a 26-week program in Sacramento.