More Than One
Police Force?
Applying to several forces is allowed and often sensible when windows open and close at different times. What the College of Policing rules limit, what each force still does itself and how to plan the order.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Yes. The College of Policing says you can apply to more than one force, with no published limit on how many. But you may sit the National Sift and the online assessment process with only one force at a time, no more than twice in 12 months and you must tell the College if you have already completed the assessments with another force. Each force still runs its own in-person interview and vetting.
This page covers police constable applications to the 43 Home Office forces in England and Wales. The College of Policing sets the rules for the National Sift and the online assessment process; each force sets the rest. Where a force has said something different from the national default, we name it and link its page.
The rules in one table
| Rule | What it means for you | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Applications to several forces are allowed | A separate application for each force; no published limit on the number | College pre-employment guidance |
| One force at a time for the assessments | Sit the National Sift and the online assessment with only one force at a time | Pre-employment guidance; online assessments candidate guide |
| Twice in 12 months | No more than two attempts at the sift, or at the online assessment, in a 12-month period | Online assessments guide; national sift guidance |
| Resit timing | Sift: from three months after you completed it. Online assessment: from three months after the start of your previous window | National sift guidance; online assessments guide |
| Tell the College | Email recruit@college.police.uk immediately if you have already completed the assessment process with another force | Online assessments guide |
| Transferring a pass | Another force may accept your online assessment pass, at its discretion | Online assessments guide |
| Force interview | Every force runs its own in-person interview; it does not transfer | Police Regulations 2003 reg 10(1)(eb)(iv) |
| Vetting | Clearance within the six months before appointment, applied for after the four stages | SI 2026/653 (Vetting Regulations regs 4B, 4C) |
Yes, you can apply to several forces
The College of Policing's pre-employment guidance says candidates can apply to more than one force and our reading of the College and national recruitment material found no limit on how many. Each force has its own application, so you fill in the national application form for each one you apply to and each force can add its own local questions and criteria.
Applying to more than one force can make sense when:
- the force you most want is not recruiting on your route right now and another nearby force is;
- you would be happy to work in more than one area (for example a city force and a neighbouring county force);
- forces differ in an entry requirement that affects you, such as a driving licence or how they treat your qualifications;
- timing matters to you, because intakes and processing times differ between forces.
It makes less sense if you would only ever accept one force: applying elsewhere then just adds forms. And it never lets you take the online assessments twice at the same time.
Since 17 March 2026 the four recruitment stages (the national application form, the National Sift, the online assessment process and an in-person force interview) are the law for every Home Office force. So the shape of the process is the same wherever you apply; the forces differ in local criteria, timing, the interview itself and vetting.
One force at a time for the sift and the online assessment
The College says you may sit the national sift and the online assessment process with only one force at a time. The Met's careers site puts it plainly: you can only start the online assessment with one force. In practice that means:
- You can have applications open with two or three forces, but only one of them can put you through the sift and the online assessment at any moment.
- If two forces invite you to the sift in the same period, choose one and tell the other that you are already sitting it elsewhere. Ask whether it would accept the result later.
- Starting the assessments with a second force while the first is still in progress breaks the rule. The College asks to be told immediately if you have already completed the process with another force.
The rule exists because the online stages are national: the same assessments, run by the College for every force. Sitting them twice in parallel would give you two attempts at the same test.
Twice in 12 months and the three-month gap
Two limits sit on top of the one-at-a-time rule:
- No more than twice in 12 months. The College says you may attempt the national sift and separately the online assessment process, no more than twice in a 12-month period, across all forces.
- Three months before a resit. A sift resit can start from three months after the date you completed the sift. An online assessment resit can start from three months after the start date of your previous assessment window. Changing force does not reset the clock.
The College does not spell out how it counts the 12 months. Our reading and the safest assumption, is a rolling 12 months: if you have sat it twice in the last 12 months, the earliest third attempt is 12 months after the first of them. Ask your force if the timing is tight.
The College's pre-employment guidance says anyone who shows severe inappropriate language or behaviour during the assessments cannot resit that stage for at least two years, whichever force they apply to next.
Telling the College and the forces
Honesty about other applications protects you later in vetting. Three things to do:
- The College. The online assessments candidate guide says you must email recruit@college.police.uk immediately if you have already completed the assessment process with another force.
- Each force's form. Answer questions about previous applications and assessment attempts accurately. Inconsistent answers across forces raise questions of their own.
- Forces that ask. South Wales Police's application process page says you must tell it if you apply to another force while your application is being processed. Other forces may say the same in their own guidance; read it.
Transferring an online assessment pass to another force
The College says that once you have your results, you may be able to transfer your pass to another force, at the receiving force's discretion. You ask the force you want to move to and it obtains your pass from your original force; the transfer happens between forces.
The College candidate guide does not publish how long a pass stays valid and we found no period in the other College documents we read. Some forces publish their own:
| Force | What its page said (read 1 October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Sussex Police | A recent online assessment pass, within 12 months and at the required mark, can take you straight to the force interview |
| Northamptonshire Police | A previous online assessment pass with any force can be used for 24 months to be invited to interview |
| Other forces | Most force pages we read did not say; ask the recruitment team |
Two points to keep in mind. First, a transferred pass only carries over the online stage: the new force's in-person interview and pre-employment checks are its own. Second, some forces may want a higher mark than the national pass for a transfer, or may want you to sit the stage again; Sussex's reference to "the required mark" suggests it checks the score, not just the pass. Keep your results email and feedback report so you can show both.
The national sift result is less clear: the College guides we read describe transferring an online assessment pass, not a sift result. Ask the new force how it treats a recent sift.
What each force does itself
Even with a transferred pass, these stages belong to the force that appoints you:
| Stage | Carries over? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Application form | No | Each force has its own application and local questions |
| National Sift | Ask the force | One force at a time; the College guides do not describe transferring a sift result |
| Online assessment | Possibly | At the receiving force's discretion |
| In-person interview | No | The regulation requires an interview with the force you are applying to |
| Fitness test and medical | Ask the force | Pre-employment checks are run by the appointing force |
| Vetting | Do not assume so | Clearance must fall within the six months before appointment |
Forces also describe their interviews differently: some say CVF-based questions with probing follow-ups, one calls its interview strengths-based, others put values or research into the force first. If you apply to two forces, prepare for each one's format; our force interview list shows what every force's page says.
Work out your earliest resit date
If you have already sat the sift or the online assessment once or twice, the free calculator below applies the three-month gap and the twice-in-12-months limit to your own dates and gives you a calendar file for your own reminder. It keeps nothing.
Free tool: nothing saved
When can I reapply to the police?
Pick the stage you were unsuccessful at and enter one date. The rules are the College of Policing’s; your force can set its own.
A worked timeline (illustrative)
A fictional candidate, Sam, applies to Force A and Force B in January. Dates are illustrative only; your forces' timings will differ.
| When | What happens | Rule in play |
|---|---|---|
| January | Applies to Force A and Force B | Applying to several forces is allowed |
| February | Both invite Sam to the National Sift. Sam sits it with Force A and tells Force B | One force at a time |
| 10 March | Force A's online assessment window starts; Sam does not pass | First online assessment attempt in 12 months |
| From 10 June | Earliest date Sam can start another online assessment, with either force | Three months from the start of the previous window |
| July | Sam sits the online assessment with Force B and passes | Second attempt in 12 months: the last until the following March |
| August | Force B's in-person interview; then a conditional offer and pre-employment checks | Force B's own interview and vetting |
| If Force A reopens | Sam could ask Force A to accept the Force B pass | Transfer at the receiving force's discretion |
Had Sam not passed in July, the next attempt would have to wait until 12 months after the first (March of the following year), because two attempts would already have been used in that 12-month period.
What the law says and what is College guidance
It helps to know which rules are in regulations and which are College of Policing guidance, because forces can depart from guidance but not from the law.
| Rule | Where it comes from | Can a force vary it? |
|---|---|---|
| The four stages (form, sift, online assessment, in-person force interview) | Police Regulations 2003 reg 10(1)(eb), from 17 March 2026 | No: every constable candidate except transferees |
| One force at a time; twice in 12 months | College of Policing guidance and candidate guides | The College runs the assessments, so the rule applies across forces |
| Three months before reapplying after a rejection | College pre-employment guidance | Yes: "unless the force tells you otherwise" |
| Accepting another force's online assessment pass | College candidate guide | Yes: the receiving force decides |
| Vetting clearance within six months before appointment | Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025, as amended by SI 2026/653 | No |
Serving officers moving between forces are transferees: the four-stage requirement does not apply to them and they follow a different process, covered in our transfers section.
How long it takes when you apply to more than one force
Running more than one application does not make any single process faster, because each force moves at its own pace and the assessments go one at a time. Published examples show how much timings vary:
- The national recruitment site says joining takes around four to six months, often longer.
- Sussex Police's FAQ said application to appointment averages 12 to 18 months (read 1 October 2026).
- The Met's careers site says its constable process typically takes up to 12 months.
So applying to a second force can be a sensible back-up, especially if your first-choice force runs long. Plan it around the assessment limits: if your first force's sift is months away, a second force might get you through the sift sooner, but you then sit it with that force, not the first.
Questions to ask each force
- Are you recruiting on my route now and when will you run the National Sift and the online assessment?
- Do you accept an online assessment pass from another force? How recent must it be and is there a minimum mark?
- Would you accept a recent National Sift result from another force, or would I sit it again with you?
- Do you want me to tell you if I apply to another force while my application is open?
- What is your own interview like (length, panel, format) and what guidance do you send?
- What local criteria do you add, such as a driving licence, qualifications or residence?
- How long do your pre-employment checks and vetting usually take and when are your intakes?
Choosing which force to sit the assessments with first
Because you can only sit the assessments with one force at a time, the order matters. Questions that help:
- Which force do you most want? If it is recruiting on your route, sit the assessments with it first.
- Who is recruiting now? Our police jobs tracker shows which forces had routes open when we last checked.
- Which force accepts transfers? If you might move later, a pass with one force may help with another that publishes a transfer policy.
- Pay and cost of living. London and South East forces pay allowances on top of the national scale and the Met starts recruits on pay point 2; compare with the force finder.
- Entry requirements. Driving licence rules, qualifications and the typical upper age differ; check the Met's requirements as one example.
- Travel and life. Shift work at the far end of a long commute is hard. Think about where you would be posted.
If two forces want you
It happens, especially when processes overlap. Handle it cleanly:
- Compare the offers on what matters to you: route, start date, posting, pay including allowances and travel.
- Accept one in writing. Tell the other force promptly and politely that you are withdrawing, so it can offer the place to someone else.
- Do not leave both running to a start date. Vetting clearance has to fall within the six months before appointment with the force that appoints you and training intakes are planned months ahead.
- Keep the door open. A courteous withdrawal costs nothing and you may want to transfer between forces later in your career.
British Transport Police, Police Scotland and the PSNI
The one-at-a-time rule above is the College's rule for its national assessments. Forces that do not use them have their own processes:
- British Transport Police uses its own situational judgement test early in the process. See how to join BTP.
- Police Scotland does not use the National Sift; it has its own entrance test, the Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET). See joining Police Scotland.
- The PSNI runs its own recruitment and assessments. See how to join the PSNI.
- The Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the MOD Police have their own recruitment; see other forces.
Whether one of these forces would accept your Home Office force results, or how an application with one affects another, is for each force to say. Ask them and be open on every form about other applications.
Special constables and PCSOs
Specials and PCSOs are recruited by each force under its own process and the College's national standard for them (from 5 October 2026, guidance rather than law) is the National Sift plus an interview. If you are applying to be a special or a PCSO with one force and a constable with another, ask both forces how they treat a sift taken for the other role before you book. Our officer vs PCSO vs special guide compares the three roles.
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Common situations, answered
"I passed the online assessment with Force A but failed its interview."
Your online assessment pass may still be useful: ask Force B whether it will accept it, which is at its discretion. Force B's own interview is a fresh stage. Use Force A's feedback, if it gave any, to prepare; forces decide whether to give interview feedback. Our guide to failing the police interview covers what to do next.
"Force A has invited me to the sift, but Force B is the one I really want."
You can only sit the sift with one force at a time. If Force B is recruiting on your route, ask it how soon it could invite you and decide whether the delay is worth it. If Force B accepts transfers, a pass with Force A may still help later.
"I failed the sift twice this year."
You have used both attempts in the 12-month period. The earliest third attempt, on our reading of the College rule, is 12 months after the first of the two. Applying to another force does not reset it. Use the time to practise; the free SJT practice is the place to start.
"I am moving house halfway through."
Tell the force processing your application. You may be able to ask a force nearer your new home to accept your online assessment pass. Keep your address history up to date on every form, because vetting checks it.
"I was refused vetting by one force."
Since 13 July 2026 you are entitled to written reasons and an appeal. Read the reasons before applying elsewhere: a reason that applies to you anywhere (an undeclared matter, a conviction or caution) will apply at the next force too. See what happens if you fail vetting.
"A force closed its window before I applied."
Windows open and close without much notice. Apply to another force that is open on your route, or wait and be ready for the next window. Our recruitment alerts tell you when forces open applications.
A planning checklist for applying to more than one force
- List the forces you would genuinely accept, in order of preference and check each one's local criteria.
- Check which of them are recruiting on your route now and when each expects to run the sift.
- Decide which force you will sit the sift and the online assessment with first.
- Write down every assessment date: the day you completed the sift and the start date of each online assessment window.
- Before any second attempt, work out the earliest date and how many attempts you have left in the 12 months.
- Keep one master record of your addresses, employers, gaps and previous applications and copy from it to every form.
- Ask each force whether it accepts a transferred online assessment pass and how recent it must be.
- Prepare separately for each force's interview format.
- If you accept an offer, withdraw from the others in writing straight away.
Mistakes to avoid
- Starting the online assessment with a second force while one is in progress.
- Using up both attempts in a rush. Two attempts in 12 months go quickly if you resit as soon as the three months are up without preparing.
- Copying one force's answers into another's form without reading its questions; forces add their own.
- Giving different histories to different forces. Dates, addresses and previous applications should match everywhere.
- Assuming a pass transfers. It is the receiving force's decision; ask before you rely on it.
- Preparing for one interview format only. Each force describes its interview differently.
Myths
- "You can only apply to one force." You can apply to several; it is the assessments that are one at a time.
- "You only get two attempts ever." The limit is twice in a 12-month period. We found no lifetime limit.
- "A new force means a fresh start on the attempt count." The count and the three-month gap follow you, not the force.
- "An OAC pass lasts forever." The College publishes no validity period; forces decide and some say 12 or 24 months.
- "Pass the OAC and you are in." Every force still has its own in-person interview and checks.
Who to ask
The force's recruitment team decides on transfers, timing and local criteria. The College handles questions about the national assessments themselves at recruit@college.police.uk. Keep copies of every results email, feedback report and invitation and write down the dates you sat each stage; you will need them for forms and to work out resit dates.
What we could not verify
- How the College counts "twice in a 12-month period" (rolling or calendar); we assume rolling.
- Whether a National Sift result can be transferred between forces; the College guides we read only describe transferring an online assessment pass.
- A national validity period for an online assessment pass; none is published.
- Whether any force can rely on another force's vetting for a candidate (as opposed to a serving officer transferring).
- The College's own pages block automated reading; their rules are cited as verified for our other candidate guides on 1 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply to more than one police force at the same time?
Yes. The College of Policing says you can apply to more than one force and we found no published limit on how many. The limits are on the assessments: you may sit the national sift and the online assessment process with only one force at a time and no more than twice in a 12-month period.
Can I sit the online assessment with two forces at once?
No. The College says you may sit the online assessments with only one force at a time and that you must tell it at recruit@college.police.uk immediately if you have already completed the assessment process with another force. The Met's careers site says the same: you can only start the online assessment with one force.
How many times can you sit the police online assessment in a year?
No more than twice in a 12-month period, according to the College of Policing. A resit can start from three months after the start date of your previous assessment window. The same twice-in-12-months limit applies to the national sift, with resits from three months after you completed it.
Can I transfer my OAC pass to another police force?
Possibly. The College says that once you have your results you may be able to transfer your pass to another force, but it is at the receiving force's discretion. Ask the force you want to move to; it obtains the pass from your original force. Some forces say how recent a pass must be.
How long is a police OAC pass valid for?
The College candidate guide does not publish a validity period. Some forces set their own: Sussex Police says a pass within 12 months at the required mark can take you straight to its interview and Northamptonshire Police says a pass with any force can be used for 24 months. Ask the force you are applying to.
Do I have to do the interview again with a new force?
Yes. Since 17 March 2026 every constable candidate except transferees must pass an in-person interview with the force they are applying to. Even if another force accepts your online assessment pass, its own interview is a separate stage.
Does vetting carry over from one force to another?
Do not assume so. Vetting clearance must be granted within the six months before appointment and applied for only after the four recruitment stages, so the force that appoints you runs or confirms its own vetting. Ask the new force whether it can use anything from earlier checks.
Should I tell a force I have applied elsewhere?
Answer every question on each application honestly, including any about other applications and previous attempts. Some forces ask directly: South Wales Police says you must tell it if you apply to another force while your application is being processed.
What happens if two forces offer me a job?
You choose. Accept one offer in writing and tell the other force promptly that you are withdrawing, so its place can go to someone else. Do not let both run on to a start date; the six-month vetting window and training intakes are force-specific.
If I fail with one force, can I apply to another straight away?
You can apply, but you cannot resit the online assessment within three months of your last attempt unless your force says otherwise and the twice-in-12-months limit still applies. The College also says you can normally reapply three months after a rejection letter unless the force tells you otherwise.
Does applying to more than one force look bad?
We found no national rule that penalises it. Forces expect candidates to apply where they are recruiting. What matters is answering each force's questions honestly, being able to say why you want that force and not sitting the assessments with two forces at once.
Do these rules apply to BTP, Police Scotland and the PSNI?
Not in the same way. They run their own processes: Police Scotland does not use the National Sift, the PSNI has its own assessment and British Transport Police uses its own situational judgement test. Check each one's rules directly.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 21 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- College of Policing: Police constable pre-employment guidance (April 2024) : applying to more than one force, one force at a time, twice in 12 months, reapplying three months after a rejection letter, the two-year bar (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Online assessments candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) : one force at a time, telling recruit@college.police.uk, transferring a pass at the receiving force's discretion, resits from three months after the window start (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: National sift candidate guidance (updated 1 June 2026) : sift resits from three months after completion, twice in 12 months (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/527), regulation 10 : the four recruitment stages for every constable candidate except transferees (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police (Amendment) (Recruitment Standards) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/154) : the in-person force interview became a legal stage on 17 March 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/653) : vetting clearance within six months before appointment, applied for after the four stages (Vetting Regulations regs 4B and 4C) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police careers: Police constables : you can only start the online assessment with one force; the process typically takes up to 12 months (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Joining the Police (national recruitment site): Common questions : joining takes around four to six months, often longer (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Sussex Police recruitment page (read 1 October 2026) : a recent online assessment pass within 12 months can take you straight to the force interview (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Northamptonshire Police recruitment page (read 1 October 2026) : a previous online assessment pass with any force can be used for 24 months (accessed 21 October 2026)
- South Wales Police application process page (read 1 October 2026) : tell the force if you apply to another force while your application is processed (accessed 21 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the College of Policing, the Home Office or any police force and it does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Recruitment standards, assessment formats and vetting decisions are set by the College of Policing and each force and change from time to time: check the force you are applying to before relying on anything here. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 21 October 2026.