Police Constable Exam Study Guide (2026)
Everything the Police Constable (England and Wales) tests, topic by topic: what each section covers, the facts that come up most, and how to study it. Pair it with the free 15-question practice test.
The exam at a glance
| Questions | 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 |
|---|---|
| Time | 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) |
| Passing score | 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 |
| 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 |
| Certifying body | Your chosen police force, using the College of Policing's national assessment process |
| Test provider | 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 |
Mind map: the whole exam on one screen
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.
1. The PC Role, Entry Routes and Eligibility
What a police constable does, the four ways to join in England and Wales, and the national and force-level rules on age, nationality, residence and qualifications.
Key facts
- Constables respond to emergencies, patrol, investigate crime, gather evidence, safeguard vulnerable people and give evidence in court. Every officer swears the attestation as a constable on appointment.
- Entry routes: Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA, three years, leads to a degree in professional policing practice); Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP, two years, for any degree holder); Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP, two years, in force, no degree, available since April 2024); or a self-funded pre-join degree in professional policing before applying.
- PCDA and PCEP entrants are likely to need two A levels or an equivalent level 3 qualification. The PCDA also requires level 2 English and maths before or during the programme.
- Age: most forces accept applications from 17, but you must be 18 to be appointed. Forces do not set a fixed upper age limit for applicants.
- Nationality: British citizens, Commonwealth citizens and foreign nationals with no restriction on their stay in the UK (for example indefinite leave to remain or EU settled status) can apply.
- Most forces require three years' continuous UK residence immediately before applying, so that vetting checks can be completed. Some specialist roles, such as counter-terrorism, need longer.
- Pay (from 1 September 2025): £31,164 at point 1 rising to £50,256 at point 7 for officers who joined after April 2013. A 3.5% rise applies from 1 September 2026; check the new Annex F when published. London forces add London weighting.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Pick your force before you pick your route: not every force offers every route at every intake. Read the force's eligibility page line by line (tattoos, residence, driving licence, finances) before you apply.
2. National Sift: Situational Judgement Test
The first assessment after your application. You rate four possible actions in each realistic scenario, judged against the CVF. It is untimed and usually takes about 45 minutes. No policing knowledge is needed.
Key facts
- Each scenario gives four actions. You rate each action on its own, from 'counterproductive' to 'very effective'. You can give the same rating to more than one action.
- Base ratings only on the information given. If you would have done something else, ignore that and judge the four actions shown.
- The College says to focus on what is most professional, respectful and appropriate. The values (courage, respect and empathy, public service) and competencies such as we are emotionally aware and we take ownership are what is being measured.
- Effective actions usually: deal with risk to vulnerable people first, gather facts before deciding, stay within your role, communicate honestly, involve the right person and follow up.
- Counterproductive actions usually: ignore a safeguarding risk, hide a mistake, act on assumptions or stereotypes, escalate conflict, or make promises you cannot keep.
- There is a practice area that looks exactly like the real test. Do it, then complete the SJT in one quiet sitting.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Before rating, ask three quick questions: Is anyone at risk? What does the person need from me? Is this action honest and within my role? Most ratings fall into place after that.
3. National Sift: Behavioural Styles Questionnaire
The second sift exercise. You rate statements about how you behave at work and may rank statements by which is most like you. It is untimed and takes about 20 minutes.
Key facts
- The BSQ measures your typical behaviour and preferences at work against the CVF competencies and values.
- Some items ask how much you agree or disagree; others ask you to rank statements from most to least like you, which stops you agreeing with everything.
- The College's advice is honesty: answer how you genuinely behave, not how you think you should.
- Consistency matters. Similar ideas appear in different wording, so faking a profile tends to produce contradictions.
- Reflect beforehand on real habits: how you react to criticism, deadlines, conflict, change and people who are different from you.
- After the sift you receive an email with your result and a feedback report; your force then tells you the next steps.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Read the CVF behaviour examples before the BSQ, not to copy them, but so you recognise which of your real habits are relevant and can answer quickly and consistently.
Test yourself on these topics
Take the free 15-question Police Constable test, then save your results to unlock your Readiness Score and the mistakes bank.
4. Online Assessment: Written and Briefing Exercises
Two of the three exercises in the online assessment process on the Tazio platform. Both put you in the role of a PC and test analysis, prioritisation and communication against the CVF.
Key facts
- Written exercise: you complete an urgent written task for your line manager using four items of information. You have up to 2 hours; the College expects it to take about 40 minutes. A laptop, desktop or tablet is recommended.
- Briefing exercise: you read preparation material on a developing scenario (as long as you need to read the guidance), then answer 12 questions on video. You get 1 minute of thinking time and up to 3 minutes per answer; the exercise takes about 60 minutes once started.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Practise with a 3-minute timer: say what you would do, why (link to the facts), who you would involve and how you would follow up. Assessors cannot credit what you do not say.
5. Fitness Test, Medical and Vetting
The checks that run alongside or after the assessments: job-related fitness test, medical (including eyesight and hearing), drug testing in most forces, references and recruitment vetting.
Key facts
- Job-related fitness test: the 15 m multi-stage shuttle run to level 5.4. Sussex Police describes the test as about 3 minutes 35 seconds and 525 m. Forces allow a limited number of attempts (Northamptonshire, for example, allows three).
- You keep being tested during probation, so fitness is a continuing requirement, not a one-off.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Start shuttle-run training the day you apply. Level 5.4 is modest, but nerves and sharp turns catch people out. Practise on a 15 m course with an official audio track.
6. Competency-Based Interview and Force Interview
The online competency-based interview (5 video questions) and the face-to-face interview that every force must now hold. Both look for real past examples of the CVF values and competencies.
Key facts
- Online CBI: 5 competency and value-based questions, each with 1 minute of thinking time and up to 5 minutes to answer, recorded on video.
- Answer with STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Spend most of the time on your actions and the reasons for them, and finish with the result and what you learned.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Write one STAR example per competency and value (nine in total), each in under 200 words. Rehearse them aloud against a 5-minute timer, then practise adapting each to different question wordings.
7. Application Strategy and Timeline
How to plan your application: choosing a force and route, completing the national application form, and what to expect at each step until your start date.
Key facts
- The four compulsory stages are: national application form, online sift (SJT and BSQ), online assessment (interview, written and briefing exercises) and a face-to-face force interview.
- Fitness test, medical, references, drug test (in most forces) and vetting follow. A conditional offer becomes final only when all checks are cleared.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Keep a simple log of every date, email and reference number. Delays in vetting are often caused by missing addresses or unclear employment gaps that you can fix in advance.
8. Training, Probation and the First Year
What happens after you are appointed: initial training, tutored patrol, independent patrol and probation under the national policing curriculum.
Key facts
- All routes follow the national policing curriculum, mixing classroom learning on law, powers and procedure with tutored operational experience.
- Probation is three years on the PCDA and two years on the DHEP and PCEP. You must reach independent patrol status and complete your learning and assessment portfolio.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Start a reflective notebook on day one. Writing up incidents and what you learned is the evidence you will need for your portfolio, your PDR and later promotion applications.
How to pass
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I study for the Police Constable exam?
Most working candidates need 4 to 8 weeks at 45 to 60 minutes a day. Book your exam once your Readiness Score has stayed at 80 or higher for about a week.
Can I take the Police Constable exam online?
Partly. Since 17 March 2026 every police force in England and Wales must use the same four stages for new constables: a national application form, online sifting tests, an online assessment (interview, written exercise and briefing exercise), then a face-to-face interview with the force. Fitness, medical and vetting checks happen in person. Staff roles such as call handlers follow each force's own process.
What score do I need to pass the Police Constable exam?
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. The exam has 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 and 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).
What are the most tested topics?
The outline covers the pc role, entry routes and eligibility, national sift: situational judgement test, national sift: behavioural styles questionnaire, online assessment: written and briefing exercises, fitness test, medical and vetting, competency-based interview and force interview, application strategy and timeline, training, probation and the first year. Use the free practice test to see which ones you need most.
The premium Police Constable study path
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.
Your step-by-step study path
- 1The PC Role, Entry Routes and Eligibility8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Notes free with an account
- 2National Sift: Situational Judgement Test8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 3National Sift: Behavioural Styles Questionnaire8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 4Online Assessment: Written and Briefing Exercises8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 5Fitness Test, Medical and Vetting7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 6Competency-Based Interview and Force Interview7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 7Application Strategy and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 8Training, Probation and the First Year7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.Premium
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- 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- Content updates during your access
- 5 bonuses: hiring process cheat sheet, STAR interview answer builder, vetting and checks guide and more
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Summarized from recruiting organisations' official candidate information and the rules cited, checked November 2026. Confirm current requirements with Your chosen police force, using the College of Policing's national assessment process.