Selection Process for Police Officers
Being a police officer is both a challenging and rewarding role. Our selection processes are designed to identify the very best applicants who demonstrate that they have the potential to become fully effective in the role – simply, to be the best officers they are capable of being.
You must be confident that you meet the Scottish Police Service National Fitness Standard before you submit your application. Your fitness standard will be assessed at an early stage of the selection process. If you fail to meet the standard you will automatically be rejected and will not be able to reapply for a further period of 12 months.
The selection process is a combination of elements that enable us to assess your overall suitability and can be broken down into the following stages:
Application Form
The process starts with the completion of an application form which you can download from the How To Apply section. We do not accept CV's. You must complete all sections of the form and disclose all material information. Failure to do so will result in your application being rejected.
Before you start you need to check that you meet the minimum essential criteria as detailed in the What We're Looking For section.
Criminal Record
Convictions, warnings or cautions will not necessarily preclude you from appointment. It will depend on their nature and the circumstances of the offence(s). Failure to disclose convictions or cautions will, however, result in your application being terminated.
You must declare if you have ever been investigated, arrested, summonsed, charged, cautioned or convicted for an offence by any UK or non-UK Police Force, Law Enforcement Agency or any other statutory prosecuting authority or agency.
This includes but is not limited to all convictions for any past offences, formal cautions by the police (including cautions as a juvenile, ie under 18 years) and receipt of an absolute or conditional discharge or bindover imposed by any court. You should include traffic convictions such as speeding, drink-drive offences, fixed penalties for motoring or disorder offences and any appearances before a court martial.
You must also declare if you have ever been involved in any criminal investigation whether or not this led to prosecution (either of yourself or others).
If you believe you have been involved in a police investigation or incident, you must let us know. Some applicants do not declare information which they believe is no longer held on record. However, our enquiries will reveal all historical incidents and failure to disclose these will lead to your application being rejected. If you have any doubts, include the details and let us decide if they are relevant.
We will also want to know whether any of your close family or associates are involved in criminal activity and we will therefore search for any criminal convictions or cautions recorded against your family. You must advise them that these enquiries will be made. The police service cannot disclose the result of these enquiries to you.
Financial status
Will you be able to manage your financial affairs on a probationer officer's basic salary?
Police officers are in a privileged position with regard to access to information and could be considered potentially vulnerable to corruption. Applicants to the police service should not therefore be under pressure from un-discharged debts or liabilities and should be able to manage loans and debts sensibly.
Police regulations also state that a member of a police force shall not willfully refuse or neglect to discharge a lawful debt. Applications will therefore be checked to determine and verify their financial position.
Tattoos
Tattoos are not a bar to appointment. However, some tattoos could potentially offend members of the public or colleagues, or could bring discredit to the police service. It depends on their size, nature and location and sometimes on the extent.
If applicants have tattoos on their face, neck, forearms or hands they should describe their nature, words used, extent, size and location. Tattoos are not acceptable if they:
- Undermine the dignity and authority of the office of constable
- Could cause offence to members of the public or colleagues and/or invite provocation
- Are garish or extensive or particularly prominent
- Indicate unacceptable attitudes towards women, minority groups or any other section of the community
- Indicate alignment with a particular group that could give offence to members of the public or colleagues
- Are considered to be rude, lewd, crude, racist, sexist, sectarian, homophobic, violent or intimidating
Business Interests
Unless the Chief Constable decides otherwise, applicants will not normally be eligible for appointment as a police officer if they have other business interests. Therefore to comply with regulations applicants must complete the business interest section of the vetting form.
However the Chief Constable may decide to allow the business interest, if he thinks it is compatible with being a member of the force.
Experience and skills
We are looking for evidence of the qualities you already have to enable you to carry out the role of a police officer. It is important therefore that you think carefully about your answers. Each question asks you to provide detailed examples of real situations from your recent past experience – work, social, voluntary, educational, leisure or family life.
You must give specific examples of what you did or said in the example you use. It is important that you provide as much detail as possible about what you did and how you responded.
Generalisations about what you usually do will normally not be sufficient.
It is very important that the form is all your own work.
Standard Entrance Test & Initial Fitness Assessment
Applicants who pass the application paper-sift stage will be invited to sit the Standard Entrance Test and the initial fitness assessment. Both stages will be undertaken on the same day.
Standard Entrance Test (SET)
The test is made up of three papers and there are three different versions of the test. On this basis all applicants are eligible to sit the SET a maximum of three times. The test covers:
Language, Numbers and Information Handling
You must pass all three test papers to proceed to the next stage.
Should you fail the test a new date will be arranged for those who are eligible to re-sit the SET. However the timescales for re-sit dates will only be allocated after all applicants have been afforded the same initial opportunity to pass the test. Therefore it is anticipated that all SET re-sit dates will be planned at a later date.
To help you get ready for the test we've created sample test papers for you to practice with. To find them scroll down to the bottom of this page where there is a list of pdf documents you can download. If you prefer they can be obtained by calling the Recruiting Department on 01355 566350 and we will be happy to send them to you.
Initial Fitness Assessment
If you have any concerns about your ability to undertake the initial fitness assessment you should seek advice from your GP in the first instance. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) must be between 18 – 30 (inclusive). Please note that your BMI will not be assessed until the medical stage at the very end of the selection process and if not satisfied may result in your application being rejected.
The initial fitness assessment will be based on the Scottish Police Service National Fitness Standard.
Initial Interview and Vetting
If you pass the SET and the initial fitness assessment you will be invited to attend for an initial interview. This is a formal interview conducted by two members of the recruiting team. This is your opportunity to make the right impression. Preparation is vital to be successful at this stage and you should use your own initiative in terms of how you go about this. As a guide some common approaches include web based research, visiting local police offices and talking to probationers and other serving officers.
This is the first opportunity that we have to talk to you face to face and the interview panel members will be assessing a wide range of factors that may include, but is not limited to, any or all of the following:
- Your integrity and honesty
- Your communication and team working skills
- Your understanding and appreciation of equality and diversity
- Your understanding and appreciation of the role of an officer
If successful at this interview you will then be subject to our comprehensive vetting
procedures. This is undertaken by the Force Vetting Unit, which is independent of the recruiting department.
All the relevant references will also be taken up at this point and the candidate file will be fully reviewed before a decision is made on suitability to progress to the final interview stage.
Final Interview
The final interview is conducted by a panel of two, at least one of whom will be an operational senior ranked officer. Every final interview will be unique and the route will depend largely on the information that has already been gathered for each applicant. The topics covered will vary accordingly and you are encouraged to ensure that you have fully prepared.
Final Fitness & Substance Misuse Testing
Those who pass the final interview will be invited back to undergo final fitness assessment, which is based on the Scottish Police Service National Fitness Standard and substance misuse testing. Failure on either count will result in an automatic rejection, without exception.
At this stage for those who pass the final fitness assessment a Conditional Offer of Appointment will be issued.
Medical and final stages
The conditional offers of appointment are subject to the following final formal stages of the selection process being fully satisifed.
- Being passed fit at the force medical which includes the eyesight standards
- Satisfactory final employer reference being received
- All final vetting checks being approved
- Substance misuse results being clear
- No new matter subsequently arising that throws doubt on the suitability of the candidate to undertake the role of a police officer
Should any of the above stages not be fully satisfied then the conditional offer of appointment may be deferred or even withdrawn depending on the individual circumstances.
The entire selection process is designed to be challenging. The length of time to complete the process will vary according to the prevailing conditions in terms of recruiting and the applicant's personal circumstances. You will, however, be notified regarding your progress at the various stages of the process.
You are responsible for notifying us of any change that may affect your application immediately. This could include a change to any of your personal details e.g. change of address, getting married or changing jobs.
Should you become involved with the police for any matter whatsoever, failure to disclose this information to the recruiting department at the time could have a detrimental effect on your application.