Applause followed the promotion of Rochester police officer Robert Small to sergeant in the town’s police department.

Police Chief Paul Magee said Small passed a rigorous series of tests to earn the position. Small will begin sergeant duties effective July 1. The announcement came at the Board of Selectmen’s Monday night meeting. Board members unanimously approved the decision.

Four candidates applied for the opening. Of the four, Small scored the highest on a written exam, Magee said.

Next, Magee said Small answered a “grueling” series of questions on law enforcement practice. The questions were offered by a panel composed of officials from the state police and from departments in neighboring towns. Small’s total adjusted score for all tests was 83.1 percent, Magee said.

Sergeant candidates must be full-time officers with at least three years of experience. Small has been with the department since 1998. He graduated from Whitman-Hanson High School in 1986 and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Western New England College.

In 2009, Small earned his law degree from the Southern New England College School of Law. He passed the bar examination that same year.