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Police · Last updated November 2026

Police Constable (England and Wales): free practice test

Police constables patrol, respond to calls, investigate crime and safeguard vulnerable people, joining through a degree apprenticeship (PCDA), degree-holder programme (DHEP), the non-degree PC entry programme (PCEP) or after a pre-join policing degree. Since March 2026 every force in England and Wales must use the same four stages: national application, online sift (situational judgement test and behavioural styles questionnaire), an online assessment (video interview, written and briefing exercises) and a face-to-face force interview. Fitness test, medical, references and vetting follow before you start training.

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About the Police Constable exam

Police constables patrol, respond to calls, investigate crime and safeguard vulnerable people, joining through a degree apprenticeship (PCDA), degree-holder programme (DHEP), the non-degree PC entry programme (PCEP) or after a pre-join policing degree. Since March 2026 every force in England and Wales must use the same four stages: national application, online sift (situational judgement test and behavioural styles questionnaire), an online assessment (video interview, written and briefing exercises) and a face-to-face force interview. Fitness test, medical, references and vetting follow before you start training.

What's on the exam

Police Constable
The PC Role, Entry Routes and Eligibility
7 key facts
National Sift: Situational Judgement Test
6 key facts
National Sift: Behavioural Styles Questionnaire
6 key facts
Online Assessment: Written and Briefing Exercises
6 key facts
Fitness Test, Medical and Vetting
6 key facts
Competency-Based Interview and Force Interview
6 key facts
Application Strategy and Timeline
6 key facts
Training, Probation and the First Year
6 key facts

Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →

How to pass the Police Constable exam

  • Learn the 2024 CVF by heart: three values (courage, respect and empathy, public service) and six competencies (we are emotionally aware, we take ownership, we collaborate, we support and inspire, we analyse critically, we are innovative and open-minded). Every stage is scored against them.
  • In the SJT rate each of the four actions on its own, using only the facts in the scenario. Actions that ignore a risk to someone vulnerable, cover up a mistake or act outside your role are usually counterproductive.
  • Prepare five STAR examples from work or home life before the online assessment. You get one minute to think and five minutes to answer each of the five video questions, so practise speaking for three to four minutes with a clear result at the end.
  • Train for the 15 m shuttle run early: the standard is level 5.4 and forces allow a limited number of attempts. Run it in a sports hall at least once so the turns do not surprise you.

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Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the UK Public-Service Hiring Process Cheat Sheet.

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What's in the premium Police Constable prep

Premium Police Constable prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.

3,000practice questions, every answer explained
6full-length mock exams, 50 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 8 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    The PC Role, Entry Routes and Eligibility8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    National Sift: Situational Judgement Test8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  3. 3
    National Sift: Behavioural Styles Questionnaire8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    Online Assessment: Written and Briefing Exercises8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Fitness Test, Medical and Vetting7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Competency-Based Interview and Force Interview7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  7. 7
    Application Strategy and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    Training, Probation and the First Year7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  9. Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
    Premium
Free with an account

Read the complete Police Constable study notes for “The PC Role, Entry Routes and Eligibility”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 12 minutes of reading: What a police constable does · The four entry routes · Eligibility rules to check · The national selection process · Pay and conditions, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.

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Study tools included

3,000 practice questions

3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.

6 full mock exams

6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.

Exam Readiness Score

One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.

800 flashcards + spaced repetition

800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.

60 comprehensive key notes

60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.

Mind maps

See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.

Sample questions with answers

These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.

1. You are a probationer on patrol. A shopkeeper tells you a teenager has just stolen a drink and is standing outside, upset. The teenager says he has not eaten for two days and his mother has thrown him out. Which response is most effective?
Answer: Speak to the teenager calmly, establish the facts and check whether he is a vulnerable child needing safeguarding. Respect and empathy and public service point to listening and finding out the facts, and a teenager with nowhere to live may be a child (under 18) who needs safeguarding. Ignoring the theft lets the victim down, paying for it yourself is outside your role, and an automatic arrest skips the judgement the scenario tests.
2. During your shift a colleague jokes about a detainee's religion in front of other officers. Nobody reacts. What is the most effective action?
Answer: Challenge the comment at the time, calmly, and report it if it continues or is serious. The Code of Ethics expects you to challenge and report improper conduct; courage in the CVF includes standing up to unacceptable behaviour. Waiting months or going to social media are ineffective or counterproductive.
3. You promised a burglary victim you would update her by Friday, but your enquiries are delayed. It is Friday afternoon. What should you do?
Answer: Contact her, explain the delay honestly and give a realistic new date. We take ownership means keeping promises or explaining honestly when you cannot. Silence damages trust, a false 'progressing well' is misleading, and closing a case you are still investigating is dishonest.
4. In a written exercise your inspector asks for a recommendation on reducing anti-social behaviour in a park. Item 1 shows 40 complaints, 30 of them between 8 pm and 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Item 2 says park lighting has been broken for two months. Which recommendation is best supported by the information?
Answer: Target patrols at 8-11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and ask the council to repair the lighting. 75% of complaints (30 of 40) fall in the weekend evening window, and broken lighting is a likely contributing factor. Good written-exercise answers use the evidence in the items, propose proportionate actions and involve partners.
5. Four items in a written exercise give these figures for reported thefts from cars: January 24, February 30, March 36. If the trend continues at the same rate, how many would you expect in April?
Answer: 42. Each month rises by 6 (24, 30, 36), so the next figure is 42. The written exercise rewards accurate use of the data provided; check the pattern before you write a conclusion.
6. In a briefing exercise you are told a vulnerable 82-year-old has been targeted by doorstep fraudsters, and a local councillor wants a press statement today. Which issue should you deal with first?
Answer: The immediate safety and safeguarding of the victim. Threat, harm and risk to a vulnerable person come first. In the briefing exercise assessors look for prioritising the victim, then investigation, then wider community and media issues.
7. A briefing item states: 'Of 200 calls about the shopping centre last month, 25% related to shoplifting and half of those involved the same three stores.' How many calls involved those three stores?
Answer: 25. 25% of 200 is 50 shoplifting calls; half of 50 is 25. Briefing and written items often hide a simple calculation, so work it through rather than estimate.
8. A member of the public is filming you on her phone while you speak to a suspect, and is not interfering. What is the most effective response?
Answer: Continue professionally and, if needed, politely ask her to keep a safe distance. Filming police in public is generally lawful, and acting professionally while being recorded supports public trust. Seizing the phone or telling her it is illegal would be wrong; abandoning the suspect ignores your duty.
9. The behavioural styles questionnaire asks how much you agree with 'I prefer to finish tasks before starting new ones'. What approach does the College advise?
Answer: Answer honestly about how you genuinely behave at work. The College says the key to the BSQ is honesty: think about how you actually behave rather than how you think you should respond. It is not timed and usually takes about 20 minutes.
10. In the competency-based interview you are asked about a time you dealt with someone who was upset. Which structure will score best?
Answer: Situation, Task, Action and Result, focusing on what you personally did and said. The CBI asks about specific past situations, from work or personal life. STAR with 'I' statements shows your own behaviour against the competency (here, we are emotionally aware). Hypothetical or team-only answers give assessors little evidence.
11. Which three values make up the College of Policing's 2024 Competency and Values Framework?
Answer: Courage, respect and empathy, public service. The 2024 CVF values are courage, respect and empathy, and public service, taken from the ethical policing principles in the 2024 Code of Ethics. Integrity, impartiality and transparency were values in the older framework.
12. Which entry route lets you join as a police constable without a degree and without studying for one, using a two-year in-force programme?
Answer: Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP). PCEP has been available to forces since April 2024 as a two-year programme delivered in force with no degree. The PCDA is a three-year apprenticeship leading to a degree, the DHEP is for people who already hold a degree, and the pre-join degree is self-funded study before you apply.
13. Under the national process made compulsory for all forces in England and Wales in March 2026, which stage comes straight after the online sifting tests?
Answer: An online assessment with an interview, written exercise and briefing exercise. The four stages are national application form, online sift, online assessment (interview, written exercise, briefing exercise) and a face-to-face interview with the force. Fitness, medical and vetting checks sit alongside or after these stages.
14. What standard do most forces in England and Wales set for the job-related fitness test for new constables?
Answer: Level 5.4 on the 15 m multi-stage shuttle run. Forces use the 15 m multi-stage fitness test with a standard of level 5.4 for recruits, and you are tested again during probation. Forces usually allow a limited number of attempts with time to train between them.
15. From 1 September 2025 a new constable who joined after April 2013 starts on pay point 1 of the national scale. What is it?
Answer: £31,164. Circular 011/2026 Annex F sets constable pay point 1 at £31,164 from 1 September 2025, rising to £50,256 at point 7. A further 3.5% award applies from 1 September 2026; the new figures had not been published when we checked. The Met and City of London add London weighting.

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Certification guide

UK police entry tests and promotion exams explained: Since 17 March 2026, every police force in England and Wales must recruit constables through the same [four-stage process](https://www.college.police.uk/article/police-constable-recruitment-regulations-change), scored against the College of Policing's Competency and Values Framework. Once you're in, the College's online law exams decide promotion to sergeant and inspector and entry to detective work. Here is how each stage and exam works, with the published formats and pass marks.

Police Constable exam FAQ

How many questions are on the Police Constable exam?

National sift: a situational judgement test (realistic scenarios, each with four actions you rate from 'counterproductive' to 'very effective') plus a behavioural styles questionnaire. The College does not publish the number of scenarios, with a time limit of not timed: the sjt typically takes about 45 minutes and the questionnaire about 20 minutes. the later online assessment has a 5-question video interview (5 minutes per answer), a written exercise (up to 2 hours, about 40 minutes expected) and a briefing exercise (about 60 minutes). Format: unsupervised at home, no policing knowledge needed. each exercise can be started only once, so use the practice area first. answers must be your own: the cvf behaviours, not policing law, are what is assessed.

What is the passing score for Police Constable?

No fixed pass mark is published. Answers are scored against the College's Competency and Values Framework (CVF) at practitioner level; you receive a result and feedback report after each stage.

How much does the Police Constable exam cost?

No application or test fee. The pre-join degree route is self-funded; PCDA, DHEP and PCEP training is paid by the force. Most UK public-service applications are free. The police promotion and investigators' exams are arranged through your force, and degree routes may have tuition costs, so check the job advert or your force before you start.

Which languages is the Police Constable exam offered in?

English (Welsh versions of the sift and online assessment guidance are available for forces in Wales).

Where do I take the Police Constable exam?

All online: national application form, the national sift (SJT and behavioural styles questionnaire) at home, the online assessment process on the Tazio video platform, then a face-to-face interview with the force, fitness test, medical and vetting.

Is this Police Constable practice test free?

Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full Police Constable prep is Premium at £45 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium Police Constable prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (The PC Role, Entry Routes and Eligibility: 375; National Sift: Situational Judgement Test: 375; National Sift: Behavioural Styles Questionnaire: 375; Online Assessment: Written and Briefing Exercises: 375; Fitness Test, Medical and Vetting: 375; Competency-Based Interview and Force Interview: 375; Application Strategy and Timeline: 375; Training, Probation and the First Year: 375), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 50 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 8 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.

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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. The recruiting organisation changes formats and fees, so confirm with Your chosen police force, using the College of Policing's national assessment process before you book. UKCivilServicePrep is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.

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