The commissioner shall devise and administer examinations designed to test the qualifications of applicants for positions as state police and only those applicants shall be appointed or promoted who meet the prescribed standards and qualifications. All state police shall be on probation for one year from the date of first appointment. Such examinations shall be with the advice of the department of human resources. (Amended 1979, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 1999, No. 142 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2003, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 15.)