How to Become a Police Communications Officer in 2025
The complete guide to unlocking and passing the UK Police Communications Officer process.
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Get instant access to the on-demand Police Communications Officer recruitment training guides, interactive online tests, and video modules – suitable for all England and Wales Police Forces
WHAT IS A Communications OFFICER IN THE POLICE
The role of a Police Communications Officer requires an ability to remain calm during stressful and difficult situations. There are approximately 80,000 emergency calls every day in the United Kingdom, and the police force utilise highly trained Communication Officers to professionally answer these calls and provide a sufficient response to those in need.
Our immediate download 100-page insider career book will teach you how to pass the entire police communications officer selection process; from tips on passing the application form, through to sample call handler tests and interview questions. Explore the following information to discover what the role involves, and how to better your chances of success by preparing for the entire selection process.
The Police Communications Officer Selection Process
The selection process will normally consist of the following elements:
Competency-Based Application Form
Assessment Tests
The Interview
Medical and Vetting
Stage 1 – Completion of the competency-based application form
The application form is the first stage of selection. You will normally be required to complete the form online and it should be your priority to ensure that you match the assessable competencies that are relevant to the role.
Some police forces will also require you to complete an Online Situational Judgement Test as a means to sift out applicants who do not match the values and qualities required to join the police.
Stage 2 – Police Communications Officer Assessment Centre
During the assessment centre, you will undergo a series of tests that will gauge your ability to carry out the role effectively. In particular, you will need to undergo a Call Handling Test. This test involves listening to an audio extract of an incident, whilst typing and taking down relevant facts and information. The test does not require you to write down all of the information about the incident, but it will be your job to extract all of the ‘relevant’ information. Therefore, it is up to you to determine what constitutes as being ‘relevant’. You will also be assessed on your typing skills. Whilst it can vary, a general rule of 26-words per minute is usually the minimum requirement for Communication Officers.
Stage 3 – interview
During the interview you will be asked a series of competency-based questions such as:
Q. Can you give an example of when you have effectively dealt with a difficult and stressful situation?
Q. Can you give an example of when you have communicated with someone who was either upset or stressed?
In addition to these situational interview questions, you may also be required to answer more generic and motivational questions. These include examples such as:
Q. Why do you want to become a Police Communications Officer?
Q. How do you think working shifts will affect your personal and social life?
Stage 4 – Vetting and medical
The final stages of selection involve a medical, background checks, and vetting. A number of background checks will be undertaken and any employers in the previous three years will be contacted for references.
WHAT DOES A COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER DO IN THE POLICE?
As a Police Communications Officer, you will be required to perform the following duties:
- Answer 999 emergency calls in a specified time frame;
- Obtain relevant and specific information in relation to the call as soon as possible in order to determine the correct response required;
- Keep the caller calm so that they can provide you with all of the important facts about the incident;
- Deploy relevant resources to the location of the incident and deploy back-up resources if required;
- Liaise with police officers who are ‘on the ground’ and provide support and additional information when necessary.
Of course, the above duties is not an exhaustive list. These are only some of the key duties of the role of a Communications Officer. However, the duties mentioned do offer an excellent overview of what candidates can expect from this role. Furthermore, because the 999 call handling service operates 24-hours a day; 365 days per year, operatives are required to work irregular shift patterns to maintain the operation of this important public service.
PASS THE POLICE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER RECRUITMENT PROCESS
We guarantee that these online resources will teach you how to navigate the different elements of the selection process. The package contains the latest recruitment information, sample tests, and interview questions which will guide you through each of the different elements of selection, including the application form, the assessment centre, the interviews.
Start Preparing Now 👉Police Communications Officer Interview Questions
Q. “Please provide an example of where you have worked as part of a team to achieve a difficult task.”
Tips for Structuring Your Response:
TIP 1: Try to think of a situation where you volunteered to work with a team in order to achieve a difficult task. It is better to say that you volunteered as opposed to being asked to get involved by another person.
TIP 2: Candidates who can provide an example when they achieved the task, despite the constraints of time will generally score higher.’
Sample Response Structure:
STEP
6
STEP
5
STEP
4
STEP
3
STEP
2
STEP
1
Explain what the result/outcome was. Try to make the result positive as a result of your actions.
Now explain what had to be done and how you overcame any obstacles or hurdles.
Explain how it was decided who would carry out what task.
Explain why the task was difficult and whether there were any time constraints.
Now explain who else was involved and what the task was.
Explain what the situation was and how you became involved.
Pass the Police Call Handler Selection Process. First Time.
Crafted for everyone, no matter your skill level or background, this guide was made to help you achieve one goal: become a Police Call Handler.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
Scoring Criteria
Essential information about how you will be assessed during every stage of the selection process.
APPLICATION FORM SAMPLE ANSWERS
Lots of up-to-date sample application form questions, responses and tips on how to pass this initial stage.
ASSESSMENT TESTS EXPLAINED
Step-by-step information on how to pass the assessment process.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Sample answers to each of the competency-based interview questions.
INSIDER SECRETS
Insider tips on how to answer the interview questions and advice on how you will be scored.
SCORE-BOOSTING STRATEGIES
Get ahead of the competition with unique and proven strategies 16 years in the making.
Customer Success Stories
Having helped 1,000s of aspiring communication officers for over 16 years, it is no wonder our customers love us…
“Good book easy to read with some excellent pointers.” Lisa M – How2Become customer
“Great source of information especially on how to complete the application form. Highly recommended.” – How2Become customer
“Hasn’t got job – Yet!” – How2Become Customer
“The books and videos were fantastic…final interview last week and passed…” – Hilary. F. – TrustPilot
“This book is a great read. it covers every aspect of the selection process and testing. I have a test next week so look forward to the challenge.” – J M. – How2Become customer
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR CAREER PACK?
Complete guidance to ensure you pass the ENTIRE Police Communications Officer recruitment process
Insider advice on how to complete the application form, including sample questions and answers
Previously successful application form responses that you can use to develop your own winning application!
Revealed – avoid the common pitfalls that most applicants make (75% of people fail the application stage – don’t be one of them!)
Discover exactly how you are assessed throughout the entire selection process (hint: understanding this will allow you to know exactly how the assessors want you to act at every stage)
Police Communications Officer interview questions and guidance on how to answer each one of them
What are competency-based questions, how to structure your responses, what keywords you MUST use, and how to impress when answering each of the 4 questions
A full breakdown of the competencies and cutting out the filler so you can memorise only what you NEED to know, making preparation a lot easier!
Practice questions and sample answers for the various tests you will have to pass
Practice questions and answers for the interview – suitable for all England & Wales police forces
The importance of ensuring you meet the minimum eligibility requirements (and understanding the role of a police call handler – hint: you will need to demonstrate this!)
Why joining the police service as a call handler right now is a fantastic career choice
The training and probationary period that you will undergo when you join
Time-saving strategies and score-boosting methods verified by our panel of recruitment experts
Suitable for ALL England and Wales police forces
FREE BONUS!
FREE BONUS
150-Page Interview Skills Insider’s Guide
FOR A LIMITED PERIOD ONLY we are able to give you our powerful 150+ page ‘Interview Skills’ online guide free of charge. It is the perfect guide to help you prepare for the tough call handler interview!
- All of the most common (and not so common) interview questions you are likely to face broken down.
- Full and detailed answers to every question – ensure you always have the perfect answer!
- How to use the STAR method to come up with your own winning answers that match the experience, values, and skills the interview assessor is looking for.
- Created by interview panel experts and packed full of insider advice.
Important: This insider’s guide cannot be purchased individually anywhere else and is exclusively available as a limited-time bonus!
Worth £9.99, Yours FREE
QUALITIES REQUIRED TO BECOME A POLICE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
In order to become a competent Communications Officer, candidates will need to demonstrate the following key skills and qualities:
AN ABILITY TO REMAIN CALM IN OFTEN DIFFICULT AND STRESSFUL SITUATIONS
Some of the calls received can be distressing, especially when the caller is clearly distressed or shocked at what they have witnessed. It will be your job to keep them calm and obtain as much information about the incident as possible.
AN ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE IN A CLEAR AND CONCISE MANNER
Whilst Communication Officers are required to listen carefully, they must also be able to verbally communicate concise and accurate information. This is because once they have obtained information relating to the call, they will have to pass on this information to uniformed patrols. If they convey inaccurate information, this can have severe consequences; for example if the wrong uniformed patrol are dispatched to the wrong address.
AN ABILITY TO EXTRACT RELEVANT INFORMATION
Whilst taking 999 calls, Communication Officers will have to extract information from the caller that is relevant to the incident. This requires a large degree of skill and appropriate training. You will be required to use probing questions and tactics during the calls in order to obtain the correct information.
Features
You don’t just get advice on what to do. We will show you exactly HOW to pass the Police Communications Officer recruitment process.
Proven Guidance
Over 16 years’ of experience packed into on-demand insider recruitment guides that have helped 1,000s.
Unique Training
Includes unique recruitment training content built from the ground up and not found anywhere else.
Actionable Content
We don’t just share what you need to do, but also HOW you should do it with tips and strategies you can implement today!
Swipeable Templates
These templates are worth the value of the resource themselves – we give you the exact foundations you can use to build your application and master assessment stages!
Your Guide To Success.
Our best-selling guide in a compact, accessible, online format to hold your hand throughout the entire police officer selection process.
Career Guide
Police Communications Officer
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✓ Access to the UK’s No.1 How to Become a Police Call Handler Career Guide and Bonuses
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✓ 110-page Police Communications Officer Online Guide (Lifetime access)
✓ Plus exclusive Bonuses – including the latest insider recruitment information added regularly! (Lifetime access)
✓ 150-page Interview Skills Online Guide (Lifetime access)
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How will the guide help me become a police communications officer?
Simply put, this training works and is proven to help people like you to successfully join the police as call handlers. As a lifetime access guide member, you will not only benefit from our 110-page downloadable guide (which has sold 1,000s of copies) but you’ll also get access to a dynamic portal of content that we update frequently with all the very latest information, practice material, and strategies that are helping people across England and Wales become police communications officers. With 1,000s of customers frequently thanking us for the career success we have helped them gain, and 16 years’ experience in providing recruitment and assessment centre training, you can rest assured knowing you are getting the best training material on the market.
Who is a good fit for the this guide?
This resource is designed to help anyone looking to become a communications officer with the police and conquer the gruelling selection process.
It is ideal for those just starting out at the application stage, who want an “over-the-shoulder” guide to passing each stage of the process.
If you have already begun the selection process, then you’ll be able to pick up this guide from the exact stage you are at and follow the step-by-step guidance to passing the assessment process, in-force interview, final interview, fitness tests, SJTs and more with winning confidence.
Whatever stage of the process you are at, you can be confident you’ll have all the strategies and tools you need to succeed. In summary, if you are asking yourself the question ‘How do I become a police operator in the UK’, this guide is your answer.
What training is included in the guide? Will it really help me?
Yes! With the ‘How to Become a Police Communications Officer’ guide you will be able to access training that has been helping students successfully for over a decade.
At How2Become.com we like to do things a little differently. Instead of just giving you access to guides which explain how the selection process works, and what you need to do to pass, we teach you HOW to do it also. For example, we don’t just provide you with sample interview questions, we provide winning sample responses and step by step guidance on how to create your own successful answers. Whether you are thinking about applying, or you are half way through the selection process, this guide ‘hold your hand’ step-by-step. Here is a full list of everything you will get within this resource.
Is there a time limit on accessing the material?
You will get unlimited access to all of the content contained within this resource with no time restrictions! We understand that applying can be a long and stressful experience, that is why we want to take away one less worry – you will get access whenever you need, whether its just for a week, or for a year, you will have full access to the ‘How to Become a Police Communications Officer’ guide whenever you need it. You will also access to all future updates we make to this guide, ensuring you are getting the latest guidance.
Are your resources specific for geographical regions?
When we launched How2Become.com we wanted to ensure our content would help as many people as possible no matter where they are, and we are achieving just that! We sell our resources to every country in the world, with 1,000s of customers in the USA, UK, India, Australia, Africa and more! All of our content is either written or spoken in English, with the content designed to be as universal as possible unless otherwise stated. This guide is designed specifically for all England and Wales police forces. If you can’t see a guide you need in our huge catalogue, then just let us know and we will help if we can!
How will I access the guide/training materials?
As soon as your order is complete you will be able to access all of the guides, training resources, and view the on-demand video via your How2Become account! You will also get an email providing your access instructions. You can use any smart phone, PC, Mac, or tablet to access your materials.
Is your training really driving success?
Yes, absolutely! We get 1,000s of testimonials and comments each month from those that have used our training thanking us for the help it has given them.
How often is this guide updated? Is it relevant for my police force?
Having been creating recruitment guides for the last 16 years, we know how often selection processes change. In addition, with over 40 police forces across England and Wales, they all make adjustments to their recruitment criteria. That is why we keep close ties to those in the know and we regularly update our content. You will get the latest and best strategies to enable you to become a Police Communications Officer.
WHY BUY WITH HOW2BECOME?
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EXCLUSIVE FREE BONUSES
Firstly, these guides are created by us and our team of experts – we have all the answers to your questions and will help you succeed (like we’ve been doing for the last 16 years), we update our material frequently and you can contact us at any time with any questions you have.
Secondly, we provide exclusive bonuses with all our products that you won’t find anywhere else. These bonuses include free guides, powerful online testing suites and more!
Finally, our guides and training just work. Take a look at our TrustPilot page where you will see our rating of 4.9/5. There, our customers share their positive buying experiences and more importantly the time-saving success our resources have given them.
Learn how to join the UK POLICE SERVICE AS A COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
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