A method includes simulating transmission of multiple symbols representing multiple bits over at least one communication channel, where the multiple symbols are associated with a polar code. The method also includes identifying error rates of equivalent bit channels associated with the simulated transmission of the symbols. The method further includes selecting a specified number of the bits as frozen bits in the polar code using the identified error rates. Simulating the transmission of the symbols could include computing log likelihood ratio (LLR) values associated with the equivalent bit channels and simulating polar decoding of received symbols using the LLR values. Identifying the error rates could include calculating means and variances of the LLR values associated with the equivalent bit channels and identifying probability density functions of the LLR values using the means and variances. The selected bits could represent the specified number of bits identified as having worst error rates.