THE Police Recruitment Cheatsheet

THE
POLICE RECRUITMENT
CHEATSHEET
BY POLICE-RECRUITMENT.CO.UK
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1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
By Police-Recruitment.co.UK ................................................................................................................... 1
THE 1-PAGE POLICE RECRUITMENT CHEATSHEET! ........................................................................... 3
OVERVIEW OF THE POLICE SELECTION PROCESS ............................................................................. 4
THE NEW POLICE ONLINE ASSESSMENT PROCESS 2020 ................................................................... 5
WHO IS THE COLLEGE OF POLICING ONLINE ASSESSMENT PROCESS FOR? ...................................... 5
HOW IS THE POLICE ONLINE ASSESSMENT STRUCTURED? .............................................................. 5
WHAT COMPETENCIES ARE ASSESSED? ........................................................................................... 6
THE ONLINE ASSESSMENT PROCESS BREAKDOWN ......................................................................... 7
STAGE 1 - SITUATIONAL JUDGEMENT TEST ...................................................................................... 7
STAGE 2 – VIDEO INTERVIEW (COMPETENCY-BASED) ....................................................................... 9
STAGE 3 – WRITTEN EXERCISE ....................................................................................................... 12
STAGE 3 – BRIEFING/PRESENTATION EXERCISE ............................................................................. 17
WHAT’S NEXT? .............................................................................................................................. 19
Want to take your personal development to the next level?................................................................ 20

2
THE 1-PAGE POLICE RECRUITMENT CHEATSHEET!
To enable you to increase your chances of successfully becoming a police officer, this guide provides you
with the MUST-HAVE insight ALL aspiring police officers should know.
THROUGHOUT the police application, assessment centre, and interviews you will be assessed against a set
of COMPETENCIES & VALUES.
Six core competencies: Four core values:

• Emotionally aware • Transparency
• Innovative & open-minded • Integrity
• Analyse critically • Public service
• Deliver, support, & inspire • Impartiality
• Collaborative
• Take ownership
To PASS each stage of the police recruitment process, you must DEMONSTRATE you not only understand
the importance of these competencies and values, but that you also have them.
How?
Many of the application form questions, assessment questions, or interview questions will either be similar
to “Talk about a time when you demonstrated you were [insert competency/value]” or hypothetical, “What
would you do if…”.
All of these questions are testing your compatibility to be a police officer.
IMPORTANT: Please read the entirety of this document and visit Police-Recruitment.co.uk to find out
which competencies and values are assessed for each specific element of the recruitment process.
Here is a simple, but powerful strategy to demonstrate each competency & value to give you the edge!
When structuring your answers, we recommend using the STAR technique. Here is a brief explanation of
the STAR technique for interview answers:
SITUATION: Start your answer by outlining the situation you were faced with.
TASK: Detail the task that needed your attention.
ACTION: Give specific details about the action you took, and the actions others took to complete the task.
RESULT: Finish off your answer with the results of your actions (aim to have positive results from your
actions.)
NOW YOU HAVE READ THE CHEATSHEET, READ ON TO LEARN MORE…

3
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.
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.
Video Interview (competency-based)
You MUST pass Stage 2 to move on to 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)

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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 at the start of this process.
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 reference check.
THE NEW POLICE ONLINE ASSESSMENT PROCESS 2020
This online guide outlines the new College of Policing Online Assessment Process, which came into force
nationally by all England and Wales police forces throughout 2020. This online assessment process has been
put in place for all police constable applicants.
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 selection process.
WHO IS THE COLLEGE OF POLICING ONLINE ASSESSMENT PROCESS FOR?
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.
HOW IS THE POLICE ONLINE ASSESSMENT STRUCTURED?
The new police online assessment process can be broken down into four core exercises:
1. Situational Judgement Test (SJT)

2. Video Interview (competency-based)
3. Written Exercise
4. Briefing/Presentation Exercise

5
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 here.
The Police Constable selection process will only assess Level 1 of the Competencies Value Framework.

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THE ONLINE ASSESSMENT PROCESS BREAKDOWN
The below is a breakdown of the new police officer online assessment process:
STAGE 1 - 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.

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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.
SAMPLE QUESTION:
This question is for demonstration purposes and is not representative of the real test, instead it is intended
to give you an idea of what to expect with SJT questions.
You are sitting in the staff canteen, when three other members from your constabulary sit down at
your table. As you engage in friendly discussion with them, two of the members begin to mock the
other person for his religion. Although they are only joking, you can see that the individual in question
has been upset by these comments.
Select the answer option that reflects how you would react in this scenario.
1. Join in, it’s just a bit of banter.
2. Speak up, and inform your colleagues that they should have more respect for other religions.
3. Ask the offended colleague to speak to you in private afterwards, where you will discuss the comments.
4. Try to change the subject.
ANSWER:
‘Speak up, and inform your colleagues that they should have more respect for other religions.’
This is the most efficient response, as you are clearly demonstrating to the affected individual that
discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated, as well as admonishing your colleagues for their behaviour.

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STAGE 2 – VIDEO INTERVIEW (COMPETENCY-BASED)
If you are successful in Stage 1, 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 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.
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.
Candidates’ answers to the interview questions will be assessed against the following competencies and
values:
Values:
Public Service

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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.
SAMPLE QUESTION:
Tell me about a time when you have demonstrated your ability to be innovative.
HOW TO ANSWER:
In this question, the interviewer is clearly testing the core competency of being innovative and open
minded. So, you need to think about what these competency entails, before you can respond. Remember
that being innovative and open minded requires a very specific mindset. You must be someone who is
creative, can problem solve, and is open to new methods of police work. So, try and demonstrate all of this
in your response!
SAMPLE RESPONSE:
‘Whilst working for my previous company, a business consultancy firm, I was one of the team leaders. Our
team was specifically tasked with producing presentations for visiting cliental and customers, with the aim
of endorsing our products and encouraging them to utilise our services.
On one occasion, my team was asked to make a presentation to a partnership agency who were considering
investing a large amount of money in our company. This was a huge responsibility. Although I felt very
nervous, I was confident in my ability to manage the team and produce a truly excellent presentation. I
believed that, since I had given many similar presentations before, this one would be similar. I quickly got
10
to work, assigning people individual roles and parts to present, based on their strengths. However, halfway
through the planning, one of my colleagues pointed out to me that because of this company’s particular
viewpoint, it would be better off for us not to present in our normal way.
Initially, this threw me a little bit. I was naturally quite happy at the idea of doing something that I was
comfortable with, but I quickly realised that my colleague was correct, and changed my approach. I decided
to take a completely different outlook on the project, and produce something with a bit more creative flair.
I knew that this was a big risk to take, but I believed that it was the right one given the circumstances, and
that our normal style of presentation would not have worked. I was happy to change my way of working,
with the goal of the team in mind. When I explained my new idea to the team, they all thought it was great,
and praised me for my quick innovation and on-the-spot thinking.
We got to work, and ultimately produced a brilliant presentation. The partnership agency were extremely
impressed, and ultimately invested even more money than we had hoped for. As a result, my managers
were full of praise for both myself and my team.’

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STAGE 3 – 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.
You will need a desktop computer, laptop, or 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.
Candidates’ will be assessed against the following competencies and values during the written exercise:
Values:
Impartiality
Competencies:
Analyse critically
Deliver, support, & inspire

12
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.
SAMPLE INFORMATION/QUESTION:
Whilst we cannot guarantee, or provide, exactly what scenario and information you will be presented with,
the following documents will provide an insight into the type material you can practice with to prepare for
the similar skills you’ll be assessed on (don’t forget those values and competencies!):

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Message from Sergeant

14
Letter of Complaint

15
Incident Report
Using only the information given, your task is to create a response to Shirley. Make sure you read her letter
carefully, to address every single point raised. Make sure you pay particular attention to spelling, grammar
and punctuation – because you will be marked on this.
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STAGE 3 – BRIEFING/PRESENTATION EXERCISE
The second part of Stage 3 id 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.
You will need a desktop computer, laptop, tablet with a good internet connection.

17
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.
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.
TOP TIPS FOR YOUR BRIEFING EXERCISE:
THINK ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF YOUR DECISIONS

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When you go into the briefing exercise, you will need to give clear rationale for every single decision that
you’ve made.
CONSIDER THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR RESPONSE
It’s imperative that you can properly structure your response, as this will help to make your ideas clear to
the assessor. The clearer your response, the better you will score, and the more logical your ideas will come
across.
COMPETENCIES & VALUES
As always, the competencies and values will play a vital role in how you are scored for this exercise. Factor
the competencies into your responses – call them by name e.g. it’s important that our officers are open-
minded when dealing with members of the public. The better you can do this, the higher marks you will get.
PLAN FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND QUESTIONS
You can’t predict exactly what the assessor is going to ask you, but it’s always good to have a think about
what types of questions you’ll be asked. This will ensure that you aren’t caught off guard by anything, and
can give clear and direct responses.
POSTURE MATTERS!
If you’ve ever performed a presentation before, then you’ll be aware that how you physically present
yourself can make a big difference. You need to project an air of confidence, without coming across as brash
and arrogant. Remember that this exercise is just as much about convincing the police that you can make
big decisions and that they should have faith in you, as it is actually producing a good report.
ANSWERING QUESTIONS
When it comes to answering questions, you’ll need to do this in the correct way. It’s okay to take a moment
to think before speaking, as you consider what has been asked. Don’t just rush into an answer without
considering the question first, because if you don’t answer properly then this will show that you aren’t a
good listener, and that you don’t pay enough attention to detail – both of which are core qualities for police
constables to have!
WHAT’S NEXT?
We hope you have found this information to be beneficial to your preparation!
This new process is currently being used by many police forces in England and Wales, with the remaining
likely to follow soon.

19
As more candidates go through this process, some details are likely to change so ensure you stay up-to-
date by subscribing to our YouTube channel where we will be releasing new videos frequently on this
process.
WANT TO TAKE YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
We are running a brand new live “insider” police recruitment and police assessment centre specific online
training webinars built from the ground up for this new recruitment process.
Boost your scores and chances of success by being taught by a former MET police trainer with the latest
information and score-boosting strategies…
This is our highest-level training, used by 100s of UK aspiring police officers:
WHAT NEXT?

20
RJUST SOME OF THE FEEDBACK FROM SUCCESSFUL ATTENDEES:

21
To your success!
The Police-Recruitment Team

www.Police-Recruitment.co.uk
The UK’s Leading Police Recruitment Training Specialists
P.S. Don’t forget to claim your welcome gift.

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Copyright © Police-Recruitment.co.uk. All Rights Reserved. For personal use only.

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Copyright © Police-Recruitment.co.uk (Powered by How2Become.com)

Six core competencies: Four core values:

All of these questions are testing your compatibility to be a police officer.

TASK: Detail the task that needed your attention.

NOW YOU HAVE READ THE CHEATSHEET, READ ON TO LEARN MORE…

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REGISTER INTEREST WITH A POLICE FORCE

SUBMIT APPLICATION FORM AND UNDERTAKE ELIGIBILITY CHECKS

POLICE ONLINE ASSESSMENT PROCESS STAGE 1:

Situational Judgement Test

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:

FORCE INTERVIEW (FINAL INTERVIEW)

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JOB FITNESS TEST, BIOMETRIC VETTING, & DRUGS TESTING

THE NEW POLICE ONLINE ASSESSMENT PROCESS 2020

WHO IS THE COLLEGE OF POLICING ONLINE ASSESSMENT PROCESS FOR?

HOW IS THE POLICE ONLINE ASSESSMENT STRUCTURED?

1. Situational Judgement Test (SJT)

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WHAT COMPETENCIES ARE ASSESSED?

These include the six core competencies:

And the four core values:

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STAGE 1 - SITUATIONAL JUDGEMENT TEST

The test must be completed in one session.

HOW TO TAKE THE TEST:

HOW THE TEST IS ASSESSED:

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1. Join in, it’s just a bit of banter.

4. Try to change the subject.

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The test will last up to 30-minutes and consist of 5 questions.

Candidates then get 5 minutes to answer the question.

You will not be able to rerecord your answers.

HOW TO TAKE THE TEST:

HOW THE TEST IS ASSESSED:

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Innovative and Open-mindedness

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The total test time will last approximately 40 minutes.

This task is likely to focus on an issue in the community.

HOW TO TAKE THE TEST:

HOW THE TEST IS ASSESSED:

Deliver, support, & inspire

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Copyright © Police-Recruitment.co.uk (Powered by How2Become.com)

Copyright © Police-Recruitment.co.uk (Powered by How2Become.com)

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The briefing exercise will last for a maximum of 46 minutes.

HOW TO TAKE THE TEST:

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HOW THE TEST IS ASSESSED: