About the Auror Programme

A minimum of five N.E.W.T.s (nothing below "Exceeds Expectations")
A N.E.W.T. in Defense Against the Dark Arts is required; Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration are recommended.
Only 8 people are accepted into the Auror Programme per year. Applications are due by December 31, including letters of recommendation from two non-related adults. Character and aptitude tests, as well as interviews, are done in the first two weeks of July. Acceptances are sent out in the last week of July.
Training begins the first week of September.

One year of classes on Concealment & Disguise (fall) and Stealth & Tracking (spring). Failure to pass either class results in a repeat of the year. Failure to pass a second time results in removal from the programme. Concealment & Disguise evaluation takes place at the end of February; Stealth & Tracking evaluation is at the end of August.
After completion of both classes, field work begins. Each trainee is assigned to one of the four squads at the beginning of September. The squads are comprised both of fully-qualified Aurors as well as other trainees.
Field work lasts for two years. Once completed, the squad leader has the final say as to whether the trainee becomes a full Auror, repeats part of the field work, or is removed entirely from the programme.
The first year (the one with the classes) also contains Basic Training. This includes learning dueling as well as hand-to-hand fighting and dodging maneuvers, in case of being disarmed.

About the Hitwizard Programme

A minimum of five O.W.L.s, including Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Must be at least 17 years of age and "not of a nervous disposition."
Applications for September acceptance are due by May 31, including letters of recommendation from two non-related adults. Character and aptitude tests, as well as interviews, are done in the first two weeks of July. Acceptances are sent out in the last week of July, and training begins the first week of September.
Applications for March acceptance are due by November 30, including letters of recommendation from two non-related adults. Character and aptitude tests, as well as interviews, are done in the first two weeks of January. Acceptances are sent out in the last week of January, and training begins the first week of March.

Six months of classes (defensive charms & counter-curses; how to restrain magical law-breakers without attracting muggle attention). Failure to pass the classes results in a repeat of the six months (automatically accepted into the next round of classes). Failure to pass a second time results in removal from the programme.
September acceptance runs from the first week of September until the last week of February.
March acceptance runs from the first week of March until the last week of August.
After completion of classes, field work begins. Each trainee is assigned a full hitwizard to shadow, usually two or three trainees to the hitwizard, depending on the number of trainees.
Field work lasts eighteen months. Once completed, the hitwizard that the trainee has been shadowing has the final say as to whether the trainee becomes a full hitwizard, repeats part of the field work, or is removed entirely from the programme.

Trainee salary: starts at 600 galleons / month
Full Hitwizard salary: starts at 1200 galleons / month
Each trainee is assigned a desk on his or her first day, as well as a Ministry of Magic broomstick and a regular bed at St. Mungo's