This online guide outlines the new College of Policing Online Assessment Process, which is set to be used nationally by all England and Wales police forces. This online assessment process has been put in place for all police constable applicants and replaces the police SEARCH assessment centre.
Within this guide, we will look at what the new assessment will involve, the timeline for completion, how candidates will be assessed, how candidates can prepare, and some frequently asked questions on this brand new police officer assessment centre.
Contents:
- Who is the College of Policing Online Assessment Process For?
- How is the Police Online Assessment Structured?
- What Competencies are Assessed?
- Overview of the Police Selection Process
- The Online Assessment Process Breakdown
- Stage 1 – Situational Judgement Test
- Stage 2 – Video Interview (Competency-Based)
- Stage 3 – Written Exercise
- Stage 3 – Briefing/Presentation Exercise
Download the new police Online Assessment Process guide for FREE! Simply enter your name and email below:
What is the Police Online Assessment Centre?
The new online assessment process has been put together by the College of Policing as an assessment tool for police forces to use in the recruitment process of police constables/police officers.
It effectively replaces the SEARCH assessment centre and day one assessment centre.
How is the Police Online Assessment Centre Structured?
The new police online assessment process can be broken down into four core exercises:
- Situational Judgement Test (SJT)
- Video Interview (competency-based)
- Written Exercise
- Briefing/Presentation Exercise
These exercises test the same competencies and values that are used in policing. As a candidate, you will be expected to demonstrate these competencies and values throughout these exercises.
What Competencies are Assessed?
The competencies and values used in the new online police assessment centre are the same beliefs and behaviours expected of all those policing.
These include the six core competencies:
- Emotionally aware
- Innovative & open-minded
- Analyse critically
- Deliver, support, & inspire
- Collaborative
- Take ownership
And the four core values:
- Transparency
- Integrity
- Public service
- Impartiality
You can find out more about the core competencies in our police core competencies blog.
The Police Constable selection process will only assess Level 1 of the Competencies Value Framework.
Overview of the Police Selection Process
Register Interest with a Police Force
↓
Submit Application Form and Undertake Eligibility Checks
Note: Some Forces will implement sifting exercises at this stage, such as a behavioural styles questionnaire and situational judgement test.
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Police Online Assessment Process Stage 1:
Situational Judgement Test
Note: Police forces may use their own sifting tests, in that instance, candidates will be referred straight to stage 2.
You MUST pass Stage 1 to move on to Stage 2.
↓
Police Online Assessment Process Stage 2:
Video Interview (competency-based)
You MUST pass Stage 2 to move on to Stage 3.
↓
Police Online Assessment Process Stage 3:
Written Exercise
Briefing/Presentation Exercise
Note: Although both exercises make up Stage 3, you will receive invitations to these exercises separately, so they do not need to be taken together.
↓
Force Interview (Final Interview)
A structured interview to establish your values and motivation for joining the police.
Note: It is up to the discretion of individual police forces if a final interview will be used. These can take place as a live video interview or may even take place in person.
Some forces will require the in-force interview to be passed before the Police Online Assessment Process stages and therefore will be conducted after the sifting tests.
↓
Job Fitness Test, Biometric Vetting, & Drugs Testing
Upon successfully completing the three online assessment process Stages, candidates are required to undergo a Job fitness test, medical assessment, biometric vetting, pre-employment checks, non-biometric vetting, and references.
The Online Assessment Process Breakdown
The below is a breakdown of the new police officer online assessment process:
Stage 1 – Police Situational Judgement Test
Test Length:
- 12 questions, approximate completion time 30 minutes to take within a maximum of 120 minutes.
- The test must be completed in one session.
The test length will vary for most candidates and will be much quicker than 120 minutes to complete.
Test Overview:
- The police situational judgement test consists of 12 scenarios and questions, each containing 4 potential answers.
- Once a question has been displayed on-screen, you will be required to select one answer from 4 potential answers. The answer you select should reflect what you would do in the situation described.
- All of the situational judgement test questions are based on police constable scenarios.
- You will not need any prior technical knowledge to complete the test, the questions are to access how you would best respond to a situation and the system will analyse if that matches with the police core competencies and values.
How to Take the Test:
- To take the test, you will need a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone with a good internet connection.
- You cannot take breaks during the test; it must be completed in one sitting.
- You must answer every question honestly to complete the test – you cannot skip a question.
How the Test is Assessed:
- This test measures your ability to make decisions that are effective and match the behaviours expected of those in the police: the competencies and values.
- This test has been developed to give candidates a look into what it’s like to conduct the role of a police constable, and therefore, the answers you pick will need to reflect the same values and competencies the police use.
- You will know if you have passed immediately after successfully completing the test via the system.
Stage 2 – Police Competency-Based Video Interview
If you are successful in Stage 1 of the police assessment day, you will be sent an email inviting you to take part in Stage 2 – the competency-based video interview.
Test Length:
- The test will last up to 30-minutes and consist of 5 questions.
- You will have 1 minute to view the question and then 5 minutes to provide your answer.
Test Overview:
- You will be required to answer 5 police competency-based interview questions using your webcam and microphone. Your answers are recorded live by the system.
- You are presented with one question at a time, along with additional information in bullet points. You have 1 minute to read this information. The information will also be presented to you in the form of a pre-recorded video message by an assessor.
- Candidates then get 5 minutes to answer the question.
- You will not be able to rerecord your answers.
How to Take the Test:
- You will need a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone with a microphone and webcam (selfie camera on a smartphone) with a good internet connection.
- Adobe Flash Player will need to be installed and enabled on your device. If using a smartphone, instead of Adobe Flash Player, you will be required to download the College of Policing’s “LaunchPad video interview” app.
- You can refer to the information and material provided, but you are not allowed to take any notes or copies.
- You cannot take breaks during the test; it must be completed in one sitting.
How the Test is Assessed:
Candidates’ answers to the police online assessment questions will be assessed against the following competencies and values:
- Values:
-
- Public Service
- Transparency
- Integrity
- Competencies:
-
- Innovative and Open-mindedness
- Taking Ownership
An assessor will review and score your recorded answers after you have completed the test. You will be sent a report on how well you matched the competencies and values being assessed against you. If you pass, you will be invited to undertake Stage 3.
Stage 3 – Police Written Exercise
If you are successful in Stage 2, you will be sent two separate invitations via email inviting you to take part in Stage 3 – the first of which is the written exercise.
Test Length:
- The total test time will last approximately 40 minutes.
- Within this time, you will need to read all of the provided supporting information and complete the exercise.
Test Overview:
- You will undertake the role of a PC (police constable) for this task, where you are required to complete an urgent written task for your direct manager.
- This task is likely to focus on an issue in the community.
- You will be provided four sets of information (such as, potentially, a letter or email from a member of the public) that you can use to help form your written report.
- You are required to type the written exercise on your device in your web browser.
How to Take the Test:
- You will need a desktop computer, laptop, tablet with a good internet connection.
- At the end of the exercise, you are required to use your webcam and microphone to record your name to verify your identity.
- You cannot take breaks during the test; it must be completed in one sitting.
How the Test is Assessed:
Candidates’ will be assessed against the following competencies and values during the written exercise:
- Values:
-
- Impartiality
- Competencies:
-
- Analyse critically
- Deliver, support, & inspire
- Collaborative
- Taking ownership
- It is essential that you only use the information provided and that you do not make any new information up in your report.
- You are not allowed to use any external resources to aid your preparation – such as the core competencies and values printed out next to you.
- An assessor will review and score your written exercise after you have completed this assessment and the briefing/presentation exercise.
Stage 3b – Police Briefing/Presentation Exercise
The second part of Stage 3 is the Briefing Exercise. This is the final part of the new police online assessment process.
Test Length:
- The briefing exercise will last for a maximum of 46 minutes.
- The test will be broken down into 10 minutes to prepare using the information provided and a further 36 minutes to answer the questions relating to this information.
Test Overview:
- You will undertake the role of a PC (police constable) for this task, where you are presented a scenario in which you are required to handle a series of issues.
- During this exercise, you will be provided a set of questions relating to the issues from this scenario, which you must provide answers to.
- You will be provided additional information and materials to aid your preparation within the first 10 minutes of the exercise.
After the preparation phase, you will have 36 minutes to present your answers broken down into the following stages:
Part 1 – Candidates are required to answer questions relating to the first part of the scenario for 12 minutes.
Part 2 – Candidates will be given further information and 4 new questions based on the second part of the scenario and given a total of 12 minutes to complete this stage.
Part 3 – Candidates will be given further information and 4 new questions based on the third part of the scenario and given a total of 12 minutes to complete this stage.
How to Take the Test:
- You will need a desktop computer, laptop, tablet with a good internet connection.
- Candidates are recorded during the 10-minute preparation stage at the beginning of this exercise to ensure exam integrity, but you will not be assessed in these 10 minutes. Therefore, do not begin to proceed with providing your findings/answers until the next stage of this exercise.
- You cannot take breaks during the test; it must be completed in one sitting.
How the Test is Assessed:
Candidates’ will be assessed against the following competencies and values during the written exercise:
- Values:
-
- Public service
- Competencies:
-
- Emotionally aware
- Innovative & open-minded
- Taking ownership
- It is essential that you only use the information provided and that you do not make any new information up in your report.
- An assessor will review and score your written exercise after you have completed this assessment and the briefing/presentation exercise.
- Remember, you are undertaking the role of a PC, so you will be expected to answer the questions as if you are a PC with general knowledge on how the police are expected to build positive relationships and community relationships (see the competencies assessed). No technical knowledge of policing will be required.
- You are not allowed to use any external resources to aid your preparation – such as the core competencies and values printed out next to you.
Hi Joshua, thanks for this really informative guide. I have received an email from my constabulary to take part in the new online assessment procedure. I am prepared for the situational judgement test but I am struggling to prepare for the 2 competencies ‘We take ownership’ and ‘We are innovative and open-minded’ expected for the second part of the process. I wondered if there are any example questions for these competencies, as I am struggling to find them. Thanks in advance!
Hi Molly, thank you for your comment. I am glad you have found the guide helpful! That is a good question, on our YouTube channel we have a Police Core Competencies video which may provide some useful insight. However, a great resource we have that details both the “taking ownership” and “Innovation/open-mindedness” competencies in detail, with example uses is our Metropolitan Police Service career guide. Although it is MET specific, all England and Wales forces now use the same competencies the MET have been using for the last 2 years and the interview and written exercises in this new Online Assessment Process might be very similar… I hope this helps & best of luck! 🙂
Hi Joshua, thanks for your quick response it is much appreciated. I will look at purchasing that guide. I also saw you recommended a download on your website called ‘Police Officer Interview Questions and Answers’. Is it worth getting this for the new online policing assessment stages that I am about to take part in? (particularly stage 2, the competency interviews). Once again, really appreciate your help 🙂
Hi Joshua, thanks for your quick response it is much appreciated. I will look at purchasing that guide. I also saw you recommended a download on your website called ‘Police Officer Interview Questions and Answers’. Is it worth getting this for the new online policing assessment stages that I am about to take part in? (particularly stage 2, the competency interviews). Once again, really appreciate your help 🙂
Hi Molly, no problem at all! The Police Officer Interview Questions guide will certainly help, but in full transparency, we will be releasing a new updated version of this guide next week specifically for this process. It is up to you if you want to wait for that version, however, if you do get the current version (which has a focus on the SEARCH assessment centre interview) we will also send you the new guide next week also. Tomorrow we are running a live police training course, specifically on this new process (final content for it has just been wrapped up today by a former MET Police Service trainer) so if you are around for that, I would recommend that highly. Keep an eye on this blog also as I will be updating it with further content over the coming days 🙂
Hi there isn’t anymore space on the online courses. My tests are due next week. I’ve done lots of research but still not feeling confident about what questions may be asked on stage two of the new online form of testing. Thanks
Hi Elizabeth, we actually have a more in-depth Police Assessment Centre specific course available this weekend with spaces left. This training course is designed entirely for this new process and focusses purely on what to expect and how to fully prepare. Stage 2 will be covered in great detail 🙂
Hi Joshua, Thank you for this helpful and insightful information. Like Molly, I am also keen for the interview questions and answers guide. Has the new one now been released? If so, could you attach a link please. I believe the link above takes me to the old one? Many thanks for you help
Hi Charlotte, you are more than welcome 🙂 For the interview, the link above (the Police Interview Questions and Answers guide) is the correct one – it will be getting repeatedly updated this week and next with more information and sample questions as it already has been for this new process. All the police resources on our site will keep the original (or as much of it as possible) SEARCH assessment content too as the College of Policing has stated this new process is for 2020 and may well revert back once this is over. I do recommend taking booking onto our Police Constable Assessment Centre Live Training as this is ideal if you have an assessment or interview coming up – you’ll get all the latest insider info and your questions answered 🙂
Hi Joshua,
I was wondering which course would be suitable for the verbal reasoning and numerical reasoning tests. Many Thanks. Geoff
Hi Geoff, we have a few police resources to help with the SEARCH numerical and verbal reasoning assessment preparation. The first is an online police course which is currently on offer for the first 14 days access. And the other is our core police officer training product which comes with a free trial to an online police test masterclass portal – this was only released recently and contains training videos for each question type and 100s of online numerical and verbal reasoning practices tests specifically for the police recruitment process. Any questions, let me know – I hope these resources help! 🙂
Do these still have to be taken under the new online system then ?
Hi Elizabeth, if you have been invited to take part in the new online assessment process, you will not be taking numerical or verbal reasoning tests as far as we are aware (of all the forces we know using this new process, none are using numerical or verbal tests). Only those going through the old SEARCH process will take these tests, but considering the current pandemic, in-person assessment centres are on hold. Forces are implementing this new online assessment process to replace the traditional SEARCH assessment centre (where verbal and numerical tests are taken). Short answer: If you have been invited to take this new online assessment process, it is extremely unlikely you will take numerical or verbal tests unless your force specifies otherwise. I hope this helps 🙂
Hi Joshua,
This was an interesting read. Do you know if there is any updates to Police Scotland?
On the site what would you recommend would be the most helpful for Scottish applications?
Many thanks
Hi Debbie, I am glad you enjoyed the guide. Yes, the Police Scotland Recruitment Process has changed. At the moment, it is not clear if they are making further changes to accommodate social distancing and make a more online recruitment process like England and Wales, however, the new Police Scotland selection process is structured like this:
Online Application and sifting
DAY 1 – SETs (Standard Entrance Exams) & Fitness Tests (Bleep test)
DAY 2 – Assessment Centre: Group Icebreaker, Group Exercises, & Values-Based Interview, Drugs testing
Medical and Vetting
Some applicants who applied a while back are on the previous selection process.
The resources I’d recommend for Police Scotland are: Police Scotland Tests & Police Scotland Interview.
I hope this helps and if you have any questions or insight, please feel free to share here or contact me directly at: [email protected]
hi there do you have any further info on the new 1 hour scottish police entry test just launched june 2020 thank you
Hi Debbie, I believe this is currently being trialed with a condensed format to try and accommodate social distancing rules and make the recruitment processes more practical in light of COVID-19. As you say, the SETs are now just 1-hour long and you can no longer use a calculator during the numbers assessment. From what we have seen, if you practice for the same SET question types as before you will be more than prepared. It’s looking like the Bleep Test (otherwise known as the Multi-Stage Fitness Test or MSFT) is being replaced with a long-distance run of 1.5 miles. If you’d like to reach out to us via our email, we would be happy to provide further help where we can 🙂 [email protected]
Hi
I recently received my results for the online assessment. Passing both the SJT & CBI but getting 50% on the Written exercise which they’ve classed as a fail. Would you know the percentage pass rates as I’m intrigued to know how close I was to passing.
The overall results was FAIL due to the written exercise.
Also, would you know if there is any chance of contesting the result?
Regards
Jake
Hi Jake, congratulations on passing the SJT and CBI – that’s an excellent achievement.
The official pass mark for the online assessment centre is yet to be published though the the SEARCH Day 1 and SEARCH Recruit pass mark was typically between 55-60%.
Hi Joshua,
Could you please confirm if this online process is being followed by all UK forces? I am awaiting news of the next stage to replace the SEARCH assessment centre due to Covid 19 restrictions. It would be helpful to know if this is what will likely be used? I was unsure as the beginning of my process varied from your guide.
Thank you
Hi Charley, great to hear you passed the application stage. At present, not all UK forces are using this new online process, but it is likely that they all will sooner rather than later. What that likely means is that the SEARCH assessment centre is on hold for you and the force you have applied for will adopt this new process which you’ll then likely take. However, this is just me theorizing here and it will be advisable to wait until you here official confirmation from the force you have applied to. May I ask how your process has varied so far? It’s not uncommon for different forces to add their own elements to the selection process.
Hi, thanks for your response. I have been advised my next steps (instead of the assessment centre) will be something online however no news yet as to what this could be. So I did an application followed by some competency based questions and am awaiting the next step. I have been advised that a face to face force interview will happen but obviously this will be postponed to a later date than usual due to covid 19. It is a tricky time right now as I am attempting to follow how2become guides however am in the dark regarding what assessments I may end up facing in replacement of the usual assessment centre activities.
Thanks
Hi Charley, have you been given any new information on this? In case not, the College of Policing has stated this process will be used by all forces – however, it is already clear the MET, for example, is looking to introduce the face-to-face assessment centre as soon as possible (as soon as July even), but this obviously depends on the current climate and on the R rating staying down. Let me know if I can help with anything 🙂
Hi Joshua,
Will this process apply to ‘Crime Scene Investigator’ applications? I have already completed the how2become ‘Crime Scene Investigator’ course but wonder if that course now needs updating ?
Kind Regards
Lee
Hi Lee, thank you for your comment. The Crime Scene Investigator recruitment process can be quite different from the PC recruitment process. There is no word that this new Online Assessment Process is being used for SOCOs from what we’ve seen. May I ask if you already have an application underway and if so what they have said to you regarding the application process? A lot of UK forces use online testing as part of their SOCO recruitment process anyway (such as online verbal reasoning and online abstract reasoning tests), with the interview normally being face-to-face. That part could well be conducted via a video interview now. However, there are many routes to entry, if you are able to provide a little more detail of your own planned route I might be able to shed some more light 🙂
HI, are you offering any support for the DEHP detective programme
Hi Rebecca, we’d be happy to potentially offer one-to-one support here as this is something we’ve done for multiple detective candidates – please drop us an email at [email protected] and we can see if we can tailor something specifically for you 🙂
Hi Joshua,
Are you able to give any more details as to how the stage 3 Report and Briefing exercises should be structured. For example, the kind of format or style that would be expected.
Many thanks, Tom
Hi Tom, I am happy to give you some more info here. Both the Written Report and the Briefing are very clearly presented for you. You’ll get things such as letters & memos, etc. which may be in the form of concerns or complaints from the community for example, which you will then need to essentially write a report on for your line manager. I do not want to reveal the scenario, but if you study the competencies assessed here and the common community issues a police constable may face or be required to deal with, that’ll get you on the right track. The Briefing/presentation part is less of giving a presentation, and more about answering questions that are presented on the screen (and also readout for you). You will not be overwhelmed with lots of information on the Briefing exercise it is more about being given a scenario, being asked questions, then a new bit of information and then more questions based on what would you do upon learning that new information, how would this impact your process, or previous decisions etc. I hope this helps!
Hi there, I hope you don’t mind me jumping in on this. Regarding the stage 3a written exercise where a response is directed to your line manager, would you structure the response in full sentences/paragraphs or in a bullet point format? I keep seeing different examples given online which is causing me some confusion
thanks!
Hi Ruth, that is a great question! I would personally structure in paragraphs, but try to keep each paragraph focussed on it’s own point. Remember also that although spelling and grammar is not technically assessed (presumably because some people will have spellcheck enabled on their devices), if it comes down to you and one other candidate who both score the same, but one candidate has a better written report that is typo-free and grammatically better, then it makes it an easier decision for the recruiters to know which candidate to choose. That is why it is worth practicing the report writing prior and brushing up on spelling and grammar. I hope this helps and best of luck with your assessment!
Hi there. I am wondering whether or not I can make notes during the preparation part of stage 3? Thanks, Katie
Hi Katie, thank you for your comment. At present, it is our understanding that you cannot make notes during the preparation stage of the Written or Briefing exercises. It’s unlikely this will change to ensure the integrity of the test (e.g. if notes were allowed, there would be no effective way for the assessors to monitor if you had brought in pre-written notes). The way the test is set up is nice and simple with not a lot of information on screen so you won’t need to take lots of notes. The questions will remain on screen until you click next. Best of luck!
Hi Joshua. Thanks for your answer to this question?
I don’t understand how I will respond to the online written assesment…
Will we be required to use word or is there a box included in the assesment to type in?
Will we be required to answer questions to the information provided.
Will we be given 4 pieces of information? Will the information remain on screen or do we need to remember what we’ve read?
Hi Jon, no problem. The Written Exercise is completely computer-based using a platform called “LaunchPad”. You will get a link to access the Written Exercise via email. Once you click this link and start the test, you have to complete it in one sitting (you get up to 2 hours). You are required to type your answer into a box on the screen. You can enter up to 10,000 characters. You can view the supplied pieces of information throughout. I hope this helps and do let me know how you get on! 🙂
Hi
I have got the subscription on your website. I am wondering if there any example of written exercise (stage 3) and with a specimen response. I can find it.
Thanks
Hi Shelly, please contact us at info@how2become with your order ID number or the email address used to place your order so we can send you some information on the Written Exercise for the new online assessment centre.
Hello, this is great, thank you. Can you tell me what guides you may be producing or sample questions that may be available for the new online process detailed above? And when they may be available? My assessment is scheduled for the end of June so I am keen to start preparing as soon as possible. Lastly, will the new online assessment cover the new MET competencies or the old competencies that I have been preparing for? Thank again.
Hi Jessie, really great to hear you have your assessment coming up at the end of June! We have already updated our core How to Become a Police Officer Online Guide with additional material and practice questions and also our MET specific Police Guide. As these guides are delivered in an online portal, we will continue to update them and already have more content planned. For our Police Interview guide and Police Tests workbook, we aim to have these updated by the end of this week 🙂 Of course, my best advice is to attend one of our live training webinars, as not only do these give you the very latest information (David, the trainer is THE person with complete knowledge on this process), but you’ll also get to ask any questions you have to ensure you are fully prepared. We have two available, one provides an overview of the whole process or one that is for people like you with an assessment centre coming up that solely focusses on the new police Online Assessment Process. Your anonymity is completely hidden during these training sessions and your questions are private just between you and the trainer.
Hi Josh – thank you for the above – I have passed my Force Interview and now just have the online assessment to go. Have example questions been produced yet for the interview or are you anticipating these will remain the similar to the ones used in previous years? Thanks again, Jessie.
Hi Jessie, great to hear you passed your in-force interview! We have not long released a newly updated version of our Police Interview Questions and Answers guide that contains practice questions and top tips specifically for Stage 2 of the new online assessment process. We have also released an updated Police Tests practice workbook for Stages 3a and 3b of the online assessment process. I hope this helps! Any questions let us know and please do let us know how you get on! 🙂 Many thanks, Joshua
Just to let you know I heard yesterday that I have passed the online assessment and am awaiting my start date! Your guides around the new processes and new (to me) competencies were invaluable. Thank you.
That’s amazing news Jessie! I am really happy to hear this – congratulations! 😊🎉 It’s no easy feat getting through the police recruitment process, so I hope you’re celebrating this weekend! There’s no obligation, but it would really help us out if you could leave a quick review for our business/training here: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/how2become.com A lot of effort goes into making the blogs, videos, resources, and courses so I’d really appreciate it! From all of us here, we wish you the best in your new career 😊
Hello, is the briefing exercise a talking or written exercise please?
Hi Bethany,
The Briefing Exercise is an oral-based assessment. You will be required to talk into your microphone and camera/webcam when answering the questions. You answer each question, one at a time. Before you start, you will be given a practice question that is not assessed that will allow you to test everything is set up correctly and working. You can watch and rerecord this practice question until you are comfortable. A good tip is to ensure you are in a well-lit room with no windows or direct light behind you to ensure you are clearly visible. Remember, this is a formal assessment so dress smart and ensure your spae looks professional – a blank wall behind you works best! If you have any more questions, please let me know 🙂
Hi,
I am to take part in the online assessment this week. I feel fairly confident about stage 1….however stage 2 onwards I am a little nervous about.
Any idea what questions will be asked, as a rough guide? Also…..what to wear for the video stages? Is a suit necessary? Thanks in advance, and this page is most helpful! Charlie
Hi Charlie,
Great to hear you have your assessment – have you had it yet? Wearing a suit/dressing smart is strongly recommended as this is a formal assessment. Any questions, feel free to drop me a message at: [email protected] or leave them here 🙂
Hi Joshua
I’ve been looking at this website in order to prepare for the online assessment centre that I will be required to partake in next month. The force I applied for did the force interview and then informed candidates if they had passed this and then said they’d be in contact regarding the online assessment for those who did pass it. I’m assuming that all forces are doing things differently, but I just wondered if you may be able to comment on whether forces will approach the online centre differently, because I understand that there are three stages, but I’m not sure if there will be requirement to do all of the stages given that we’ve already had to do the force interview which was competency based. Not sure if you are able to comment on this but would appreciate if you could let me know either way.
Thank you,
Emily
Hi Emily,
No problem at all, it’s a good question. The in-force interview used to be more commonly known as the final interview as it was conducted after the assessment centre. However, this is up to each individual police force, and many are opting to conduct the in-force interview at the start of the police recruitment process, such as in your case. Regarding the online assessment centre, you will be required to take all stages unless you have previously completed a situational judgement test with the police force you’ve applied with. In that case, you will be invited to take Stage 2 & Stage 3 only. Again, up to the discretion of each police force, but some use a police SJT in the application/online sifting stage, therefore the Stage 1 SJT becomes redundant. I hope this helps answer your question, if you have any more, please let me know! I wish you all the best in your online assessment centre!
Many thanks,
Joshua
Are you recorded throughout the whole written exercise?
Hi Jonathon, At present, you are not recorded throughout the whole exercise, but you are required to verify via camera your identity. For more details on the all of the tests including plenty of practice questions and answers (Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3a and Stage 3b) take a look at our updated Police Tests Guide.
Hi joshua, I have applied for the detective Constable and completed the online workshop etc. I have now been emailed to take the online assessment process for all police Constable applicants. The process is expertise 2 -competency based interview, stage 3 – written exercise, stage 3- briefing exercise. However, I am confused as to whether this is correct as it seems to be focusing more on a police Constable application. Is the online assessment for the DC application the same as PC? Is it a pre requisite ?
Thanks
Gemma
Hi Gemma, thanks for your comment! Yes, you are right, as part of the DC assessment, you are required to also pass the PC assessment centre, which as you mention is all online based. It is the same assessment centre as the PC one – plus you have a DC specific one to pass also. I hope that helps and if you need me to point you in the direction for any resources we have on the DC assessment, please let me know. I do recommend our one-to-one training for this process, as there is a lot to get right. We have helped a lot of applicants successfully navigate it. More info on our DC one-to-one training can be found here.
Hello, I’ve been told my presentation and interview will happen over the phone at the end of June, for BTP special constable. What would be the best pack to help me prepare for this?
Many thanks
Hi Simone, really great to hear that you have your presentation and interview coming up! We are actually about to release a brand new and updated resource for the British Transport Police that covers the whole assessment centre and provides practice material. If you’d like to drop us an email at [email protected] we can make sure you are one of the first to get this 🙂
Thanks for the video!
Here is my attempt at the letter
Dear Mrs Smith,
We are very sorry to hear you are unhappy with the extra protocols which are currently being employed by our local police force. The reason we have introduced extra police officers and the powers of stop and search onto the high street is because we have seen an increase of violent crime in the area including the use of Knives. Our number one priority is keeping, The general public and shop owners safe. We believe in order to achieve our goal an increased police presence and stop and search powers are warranted in this area. We are very sorry to hear that you feel you’ve not had the opportunity to give any feedback regarding our increased foot patrols we are very interested in working with local people and business owners in the area to help us achieve a safer environment for all who live, work and shop in the area.
We are very sorry to hear that your son was upset about the stop and search which he had to undergo by PC Bradley. I can ensure you that this procedure was not random or unwarranted. PC Bradly has reported in his incident report that Mr Ben Smith was fighting with another boy in the street. It was important at this stage for PC Bradley to intervene in order to achieve our goals of reducing crime in the area. We continue to monitor the situation in North Ficshire and regularly reevaluate our approach in order to offer the community the best possible service.
Kind Regards,
Name
Hi Joe – great response! Very well written and structured. A top tip I didn’t include in this post is that on the written report, you will be given a few questions to specifically answer in your report – which you must address individually and state which questions you are answering in your report. For example, one question might be “What are the core issues the community are facing?”. We have actually just finished updating our Police Written Tests guide to cover this new process and include 6 practice mock tests for this new written exercise!
Hi,
I am due for a Forensics service Manager Interview for the Met Police. Is there any tips, best practices or advice you can provide? All online references are for Police Officer jobs as apose to police staff leadership roles. I know there will be a a role specific case study that I will need to prepare for and present back on the day and then competency based questions. Any help would be mich appriciated.
Hi ! I have bought your Police Officer Tests 2020 book and have been going through the written exercises. There’s a few where it clearly says who you need to address your response too, but others there isn’t. If you are having to respond with recommendations and highlight the issues to the community (like exercise 2 in the book) would you address your response to your sergeant?
Hi Anna, I hope you are enjoying the book and finding the practice useful. For all answers, you should write the recommendations directly to your sergeant. This will aid your preparation best for your actual assessment 🙂 Please do let me know how you get on! Many thanks, Joshua
Hi Joshua,
Thank you for your help, do you know if Stage 3 is related to the Westshire Pack in the new online assessment process?
Many thanks
Hi Mary, no problem at all! The Westshire pack is not connected with the new online assessment centre. Best of luck and if you have any more questions, please let us know! Many thanks, Joshua
Hi Joshua,
I have been invited to review candidate for the role of Assessor CBI Training at the Met Police. Can you please explain in detail the scoring and the criteria process.
Thank you
Hi Benny, unfortunately we don’t have any resources at present for this role. If you email us at [email protected] with any information you have about the process we will advise any suitable resources we may have.
Hi Joshua, I purchased a copy of Police Test earlier this year, I have my online interview this week – has the booked changed since my version ? (states updated 2017 on the inside front cover) Many thanks in advance Ryan
Hi Ryan, the Police Tests book was updated this year to reflect the online assessment centre that is being used due to COVID-19. If your copy contains information on the OAC then you have the most up-to-date version
Hi Joshua
Do you know if there are any restrictions in place if you fail any of the application stages, from 1-4, as to when you can reapply? I have heard that if you fail at stage 1 you can reapply immediately, but at stage 2 you have to wait six months, and beyond that it could be a year? A definitive answer would be much appreciated.
Hi Caitlin,
Thank you for your question. I really wish I could provide a definitive answer on this, but the reality is, this keeps changing at present – annoying to hear, I know! Six months has been the standard for many years before you can reapply, however, this can often change depending on a force’s current recruitment success. We have heard of candidates being able to reapply after failing Stage 1/Exercise 1 which is not surprising, seeing as some forces opt to use this as a sifting test prior to the assessment stages. So although as far as we are aware, it is still six months before you can reapply if you fail at the assessment stage, there may be sooner opportunities depending on the current circumstances of a particular force.
hello
I have taken the on line assessment and am waiting for the result do you know how long it takes for them to come back to you. Is it quicker if you have failed and they are not offering you a job.
Hi Rita, unfortunately we are unable to advise on timescales for results. Best of luck with your application though 🙂
Hi Joshua! I appreciate this is a new/confusing time for the employment process. I am confused as to what is next for me. I applied for Northamptonshire and was asked a few situational questions in the application. This was then sent off to sifting and assessed by an independent provider. I then had a video interview with the force, where they asked 5 competency based questions which were scored, and then a couple of questions about my motivations. I passed this also. I believe the online assessment is next? Or will I have to conduct a further interview? My thoughts are that the situational test was assessed via my application, and then the principles via the video interview? I see on your page you mention a further interview, Will this be the case? My initial interview was conducted by the force.
Many thanks
Hi, it says both on the written and briefing exercise “You are not allowed to use any external resources to aid your preparation – such as the core competencies and values printed out next to you” Surely you are allowed to refer to your notes at times to develop your answer?
Hi Shannon, you may use the notes you have made during your preparation time, but you must not use any other materials or information to support your answer.
Hello, what is the pass mark % for Situational Judgment Test please, for Police Officer.
Also I purchased the book with SJT questions, but is there more questions to help me practice please?
The only subscription i found is to download the book I already have. Thank you
Hi Marketa, unfortunately the pass mark is not information that is available to the public.
Please see the following resources we have for further SJT questions.
Police Situational Judgement Test Questions & Answers Download
Police Tests Download
Police Officer Situational Judgement Tests Download
Hello can you help?
I have recently completed and PASSED the assessment centre for my local force but i have now been informed that due to the ‘competativness’ and the amount of applicants i will not progressed through to interview stage. Do you know how they choose who to interview? Is this purely a ‘random selection/number generator’ and if so how can that be fair? Surely this is not a adequate way of recruiting the best person for the role?
Makes me wonder who i even bothered. If i passed surely im a candidate!
I’m very confused.
Hi Cara, that is very frustrating! Unfortunately we cannot speculate on the decisions made in this case, but it would be expected that the highest-scoring candidates would progress rather than a random selection.
Hi,
As I have an online assessment this week I have no time to wait for the webinar online course training programme. I will however purchase the guide. Will this be sufficient enough to score high at online assessment?
Hi Nafeeza, for online assessment centre practice I would recommend our Police Online Assessment Tests Platinum Pack Download
Best of luck with your assessment, let us know how your get on!