Link: https://youtu.be/eV-s5Q6zbTY

5 Alarming Truths About Police Recruitment That Nobody Tells You

The Hidden Realities of the Process That Could Make or Break Your Application

After 37 years in policing and 27 years of coaching thousands of candidates through the recruitment process, I've witnessed a sea change in how forces assess potential officers.

The current process includes several stages: the application form, national sift, online assessment centre, written exercises, and final interview. What alarms me is how much misinformation exists about what these stages actually involve and what assessors are truly looking for.

Here are five alarming truths about police recruitment that could mean the difference between success and failure for your application.

1. The National Sift: "Be Yourself" Is the Worst Possible Advice

The national sift comprises a Behavioural Styles Questionnaire (assessing personality traits) and a Situational Judgement Test (presenting policing scenarios with multiple-choice responses).

The alarming truth: You'll hear countless people advise you to "just be yourself" and "answer honestly as you would in the workplace." This is alarmingly poor advice that leads directly to failure.

Why? Because the assessment isn't measuring who you are now—it's measuring whether you align with the behaviours expected of a qualified constable.

What you should do instead: Answer as the future constable you aspire to be—the best version of yourself who embodies the values and behaviours of policing. This isn't about being dishonest; it's about showing your potential rather than your current limitations.

The differences can be subtle but crucial. For example, if asked how strongly you agree with statements about confronting others' inappropriate behaviour, answering based on your current civilian role might show hesitancy. Answering as the confident, values-driven constable you'll become shows your understanding of policing expectations.

2. The Online Assessment Centre "Interview" Isn't Actually an Interview

After passing the national sift, candidates face the online assessment centre, which includes what's referred to as an "interview."

The alarming truth: This isn't an interview at all. An interview involves two people engaged in conversation. Instead, you'll be speaking to your camera, answering five competency-based questions with no human interaction whatsoever.

Even more concerning, your assessors have likely never been police officers. They don't know which force you're applying to and are simply ticking boxes against a marking guide, probably assessing dozens of candidates daily.

What you should do instead: Recognise this for what it really is—a box-ticking exercise. Your goal isn't to share your motivation or impress someone with your passion for policing. It's to methodically demonstrate specific behaviours that align with the marking criteria.

This means constructing structured, five-minute answers that explicitly showcase the competencies being assessed. With the right approach, there's no reason you can't score in the 90s or even achieve 100%—many of my clients have done exactly that.

3. The Written Exercise Absolutely Requires Policing Knowledge (Despite Claims to the Contrary)

The College of Policing guidance explicitly states you don't need knowledge of policing powers, procedures, policies, or practices for the written exercise.

The alarming truth: This is simply untrue. The scenarios typically involve community cohesion issues, vulnerable victims, hate crimes, and partnership working—all requiring substantial policing knowledge to address effectively.

As a former neighbourhood inspector, it took me years to master these aspects of policing. Yet candidates with no policing experience are expected to write comprehensive responses without this knowledge.

What you should do instead: Develop a working knowledge of key policing concepts including:

• Community engagement approaches

• Problem-solving models (like SARA)

• Partnership working frameworks

• Vulnerability assessment

• Hate crime response protocols

Without this knowledge, you'll struggle to provide the depth and practicality required to score highly. It's not about memorising legislation, but understanding how modern policing actually addresses these challenges.

4. The Briefing Exercise Scenarios Often Involve Situations Police Don't Actually Handle

The briefing exercise presents a scenario in three stages, requiring you to answer 12 questions in 36 minutes (three minutes per answer).

The alarming truth: These scenarios frequently involve situations that real police don't typically handle—like noisy parties. Check most force websites, and you'll find noise complaints are directed to Environmental Services at the local council, not police.

You're being asked to spend 36 minutes explaining how you'd use police powers and resources to address something that, in reality, would result in signposting to another agency.

What you should do instead: Enter "College of Policing la-la land" where these scenarios make sense. Develop answers that incorporate:

• Safeguarding models

• Communication theories

• Problem-solving methods

• Relevant police powers (even though you're supposedly not expected to know them)

This requires suspending reality somewhat, but understanding what the assessment is actually looking for will help you construct appropriate responses.

5. Final Interview Panels Don't Understand the Competency Framework Any Better Than You Do

Forces typically send candidates the Competency and Values Framework (CVF) ahead of final interviews, suggesting you should structure your preparation around these competencies.

The alarming truth: Most interview panel members—operational sergeants and inspectors—don't understand the CVF any better than you do. They find that "wheel of confusion" just as perplexing.

What they're really asking themselves is: "Can I see this person working on my team?" The feedback given to candidates often bears little resemblance to the competency supposedly being assessed.

What you should do instead: Instead of obsessing over having a perfect example for each competency, focus on answering the actual questions asked, which typically go far beyond "Tell me about a time when..." formats.

Prepare for questions about:

• Your motivation

• Your understanding of the role

• Values important to policing

• Current challenges facing the service

• Diversity, equality and inclusion

• Building community trust

• Forward-facing "how would you" scenarios

• The impact of being a police officer on your personal life

As former Chief Constable Andy Cooke (now His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary) told me: "It's not about delivering the best version of the CVF; it's about answering the question."

How to Navigate These Alarming Realities

These five truths paint a concerning picture of a recruitment process that doesn't always align with actual policing realities or communicate its expectations clearly to candidates.

However, understanding these hidden truths gives you a significant advantage. While other candidates prepare based on official guidance alone, you can develop strategies that address what the process is actually assessing.

This is why our approach has led to a 98%+ success rate for candidates who follow our guidance. We focus on what really matters at each stage, not what the official literature suggests matters.

Don't Leave Your Police Career to Chance

The recruitment process is challenging enough without having to decipher these hidden truths on your own. Our courses and weekly practice webinars are designed to cut through the confusion and prepare you for the reality of assessment, not just the theory.

With our pass guarantee (we'll refund your course fee if you don't pass), there's no risk in accessing the insights that have helped thousands of officers secure their place in policing.

Click here to join our Academy and ensure you don't become one of the many candidates who fail simply because they didn't understand what was really being asked of them.

Or at the very least, join our Facebook community of 22,000+ members who share experiences and insights about the recruitment process as it happens across all UK forces.

The most alarming thing of all would be failing a process you're perfectly capable of passing, simply because you weren't prepared for its hidden realities.