Respect and Empathy: Police CVF
Interview Questions and Example Answer Structure
Respect and empathy is one of the three values in the College of Policing's competency and values framework. It is assessed in two OAC exercises, the interview and the written exercise, and in the national sift. This page explains what the College says the value means, why fair does not mean identical, how to choose and structure your own example, and the mistakes that weaken an answer. Facts checked against College of Policing sources on 1 October 2026.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 1 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Respect and empathy means listening to people, understanding their point of view and the challenges they face, treating them with dignity, and adapting your response so the outcome is fair to them. The OAC interview and written exercise both assess it. Use a real example where you noticed what someone needed and changed what you did, and spend most of your answer on those actions.
What the College of Policing says respect and empathy means
Respect and empathy is one of the three values in the 2024 competency and values framework (CVF), alongside courage and public service. Like the other values, it comes from the ethical policing principles in the College's Code of Ethics (24 January 2024). The College defines it as encouraging, listening to and understanding the views of others, and seeking to recognise and respond to the physical, mental and emotional challenges that we and other people may face.
The College's fuller description makes four points that matter for interview answers:
- People should feel valued and listened to. That means giving them opportunities to share their views and taking those views into account.
- Patience and courtesy where possible. The College recognises that safety and security sometimes have to come first.
- Fair is not the same as identical. Everyone should be treated equally and fairly, which the College says means tailoring the response to individual needs and circumstances.
- People react differently, and we all have biases. The College says to recognise that people may respond differently to the same situation, and to recognise and manage our own biases.
The Code of Ethics groups the value under five headings: acting with respect, listening to and understanding different perspectives, understanding the impact of emotions and welfare, responding to individual needs, and being fair and impartial. It also says that, by keeping an open mind, we challenge our preconceptions and consider other ways of responding.
Only the six CVF competencies have levels. The College says the values apply equally to everyone in policing whatever their role, so there is no separate "level 1" description of respect and empathy for recruitment.
Respect and empathy sits close to the competency we are emotionally aware, which is about understanding and managing emotions, your own and other people's. The value is the broader commitment to dignity, listening and fairness.
Try one out loud. Answer a practice question free and get a scored result in about a minute. No account. Answer a question free
The respect and empathy behaviours, in plain English
The College lists six example behaviours for respect and empathy. They are examples, not a checklist, and the College says assessors should be open to other ways of showing the value that fit its description. The middle and right-hand columns are our own illustrations, not College text.
| CVF example behaviour (paraphrased) | What it can look like in a real example | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| Treat everyone with dignity and respect, even in challenging circumstances | You stayed courteous with someone who was angry or rude, and kept their dignity intact in front of others. | Being polite to people who were already polite to you. |
| Give people an equal opportunity to share their views, and take them into account | You stopped explaining, asked for their side, and it changed what you did. | Listening, then doing what you had already decided. |
| Recognise and manage your biases so decisions are fair and objective | You noticed an assumption you had made about someone, checked it, and corrected course. | Claiming you have no biases. |
| Take action to understand other people's experiences, values and beliefs | You asked questions or found out about someone's circumstances rather than guessing. | Assuming you know how someone feels because you would feel that way. |
| Promote equality and celebrate difference | You made a change so someone who was being left out could take part on equal terms. | A general statement that you value diversity. |
| Respond fairly, impartially and with sensitivity to people's needs | You adapted how you communicated or what you offered so the outcome was fair for that person. | Applying the standard process to everyone regardless of need. |
Notice how many of these behaviours involve a change. The person shared a view and you took it into account; you noticed an assumption and corrected it; you adapted your approach. An answer where nothing you did changed because of what you learned about the other person tends to show politeness rather than respect and empathy.
Where respect and empathy is assessed in police recruitment
Regulation 10 of the Police Regulations 2003, as amended from 17 March 2026, requires constable candidates (other than transferees) to pass the national sift, the online assessment process and an in-person force interview to the College's standard. As read on 1 October 2026, the College's guides list respect and empathy as follows:
| Stage or exercise | Assessed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| National sift: situational judgement test | No | The SJT assesses six competencies and no values. |
| National sift: behavioural styles questionnaire | Yes | Covers all six competencies and all three values. The College's advice is to answer honestly about how you really behave. |
| OAC: competency-based interview | Yes | One of five areas: courage, public service, respect and empathy, we take ownership, we are innovative and open-minded. |
| OAC: written exercise | Yes | One of four areas: respect and empathy, we analyse critically, we support and inspire, we collaborate. |
| OAC: briefing exercise | No | Assesses public service, we are emotionally aware, we take ownership, we are innovative and open-minded. |
| In-force interview (stage four) | Force decides | Each force sets its own questions to the national standard. The force guides we read do not list the areas. |
Respect and empathy is assessed in two OAC exercises (public service is the other value assessed twice, in the interview and the briefing exercise). In the interview you show it through your own past examples. In the written exercise you show it through how you handle a written task as a police constable, using only the information given. The College does not say how it is marked in either.
The interview has five questions and the College lists five areas, but it does not say each question targets exactly one area. Its instruction is to answer all five questions considering the relevant competencies and values.
Respect and empathy in the written exercise: what the College says
The written exercise is different from the interview: you are not asked for a personal example. According to the College's candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026):
- You take the role of a police constable completing an urgent written task for your line manager, using four items of information.
- You must use only the information provided and must not add or invent anything.
- Reading the instructions takes about 10 minutes; the exercise should take about 40 minutes, with a hard limit of 120 minutes.
- Spelling and grammar are not assessed. Copying and pasting a response from another application is not accepted and may mean an automatic fail.
- The areas assessed are respect and empathy, we analyse critically, we support and inspire, and we collaborate.
The College does not say how respect and empathy is credited in a written response. A reasonable reading of the value's description is that it concerns how the people in the scenario are considered: their views, their needs and fair treatment. That is our interpretation, not College guidance. The exercise itself is covered in the OAC written exercise explained.
What assessors are likely to look for
The College does not publish the interview mark scheme. It does say assessors can only assess you on what you tell them, and it publishes the description of the value. Reading those together, a respect and empathy answer gives an assessor something to credit when it shows:
- Noticing. What you picked up about the other person's situation, feelings or needs, and how.
- Listening that changed something. You gave them space to explain and it affected what you did.
- Adapting. How you changed your language, setting, pace, format or offer so the outcome was fair to them.
- Dignity under pressure. Staying respectful when the situation was tense, while still being clear about limits.
- Awareness of your own assumptions. If you had one, how you noticed it and what you did about it.
- A result for the person and learning for you. What happened for them, and what you would carry forward.
This list is our reading of the College's published material, not an official mark scheme. For how results are reported, see how the police OAC is marked.
How to choose your own respect and empathy example
The College says examples can come from work and personal life. Use these prompts to search your own experience. They are prompts, not stories: your answer must be something that really happened to you.
- When did someone's explanation change your mind about what to do?
- When did you deal with someone who was angry, and find out why?
- When did you help someone who struggled to say what they needed?
- When did you change how you explained something so a particular person could follow it?
- When did you make an arrangement so someone could take part on equal terms?
- When did a standard rule or process not work for someone, and what did you do?
- When did you realise you had judged someone too quickly?
- When did you work with someone whose background or beliefs differed from yours, and what did you learn?
- When did you take a view you disagreed with seriously?
- Customer-facing, care, health or education work
- Coaching, mentoring or youth groups
- Caring for a relative or supporting a friend
- Community, faith or volunteering roles
Then check each possible example:
- Did your understanding of the person change what you did? If not, it may show politeness rather than the value.
- Is it about your actions? Not about a policy, a team or a manager.
- Can you protect the person's privacy? No names, and no unnecessary health or personal details.
- Can you explain your reasons? Why you chose to adapt, and why that was fair.
- Could you answer follow-up questions about it? Force interviews may probe further.
Never invent, exaggerate or borrow an example. The illustration below shows structure only and must not be copied. The College's automatic fail policy covers acting to gain an unfair advantage, and prepared scripts are banned in the OAC.
An illustrative STAR structure for a respect and empathy answer
The College suggests STAR (situation, task, action, result) as a common approach to the OAC interview. This invented, ordinary example shows how the parts can fit together for this value.
Written by PolicePay to show structure. It is not a real answer, not from any assessment, and not a model to memorise. Use your own real example in your own words.
Situation
A candidate works in a mobile phone shop. An older woman comes in to cancel her late husband's contract. She is upset, English is not her first language, and the queue behind her is growing.
What it does: sets the scene quickly and shows the challenges the person faces.
Task
He needs to help her close the account correctly. The difficulty: the standard process asks for documents she does not have with her, and a rushed counter conversation is not working.
What it does: explains why the normal approach would not have been fair to her.
Action
- He notices he has started speaking faster to get through the queue, and that she is nodding without following. He asks a colleague to cover the counter.
- He moves her to a quiet seat, offers her a drink, and asks her to tell him what she needs in her own words, without interrupting.
- He checks whether she would like the shop's phone interpreter service, and uses it when she says yes.
- He explains the steps one at a time, checks her understanding after each, and writes them down for her.
- He realises he had assumed her daughter would sort it out for her; when she says she lives alone, he arranges for the documents to be sent by post rather than asking her to come back.
What it does: the longest part. Shows noticing, listening, adapting the setting and language, checking understanding, and correcting an assumption.
Result and learning
The account is closed within the week without her having to return. He reflects that slowing down took ten minutes but saved her a second difficult visit, and that he now asks rather than assumes who will help a customer.
What it does: a concrete outcome for the person and a specific lesson for him.
The illustration has no policing content and no dramatic event. The evidence is in the small, specific choices. Your own example will be different, and should be told in your own words.
Weaker and stronger respect and empathy answers compared
Descriptions of patterns, not scripts:
| Weaker pattern | Stronger pattern | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 'I treat everyone the same.' | Shows how you adapted for one person so the outcome was fair to them. | The College says fairness means tailoring the response to individual needs. |
| 'I am a good listener.' | Describes what you did to listen: stopped talking, asked an open question, checked you had understood, and what you learned from it. | Listening is only evidence when the assessor can see it happen. |
| Sympathy: 'I felt really sorry for her.' | Empathy in action: what you recognised about her situation and what you changed because of it. | The CVF value is about recognising and responding, not just feeling. |
| The other person is a problem to manage. | The other person is someone with a view and needs, and your answer shows you took them into account. | The College's wording is about people feeling valued and listened to. |
| No mention of your own first reaction. | Honest about an assumption you made and how you corrected it, if that happened. | Recognising and managing bias is one of the listed behaviours. |
| Patience at any cost, including ignoring a risk. | Courteous and respectful while still setting a limit or keeping people safe. | The College says patience and courtesy where possible; safety sometimes comes first. |
Devon and Cornwall Police's interview guide warns against "CVF bingo": words such as "empathetic", "inclusive" or "respectful" do not score on their own. The behaviour behind them does.
Timing a five-minute respect and empathy answer
The OAC interview gives 60 seconds of thinking time (not recorded) and up to five minutes (300 seconds) to record each answer. The College does not suggest how to split the time. This is our suggestion, not a College rule. Force interviews set their own timings.
| Part | What to cover | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thinking time (60 seconds, not recorded) | Choose the example; note a hook for the moment you realised what the person needed. | Notes made after you receive the question are allowed; pre-prepared notes are not. |
| Situation (about 30 to 40 seconds) | Where you were, your role, who the person was (no names) and what was happening. | Enough to show why they were struggling. |
| Task (about 20 to 30 seconds) | What you needed to achieve, and what made it hard (emotion, a language barrier, a disability, conflict). | Sets up why a standard response would not have been fair. |
| Action (about 2.5 to 3 minutes) | What you noticed, how you listened, what you asked, what you changed and why. | The College calls this the main part of the answer. |
| Result and learning (about 45 to 60 seconds) | What happened for the person, and what you learned about listening, assumptions or adapting. | End on a specific piece of learning, not a general statement. |
| Spare (about 15 to 30 seconds) | A buffer so you are not cut off. | The recording stops at 300 seconds unless you have an agreed adjustment. |
Respect and empathy answers often run short because candidates summarise the feeling instead of describing the steps. If yours ends early, add what you noticed, what you asked, and what you changed. If it runs long, trim the background. Agreed reasonable adjustments can change timings; see OAC technical requirements and reasonable adjustments.
Question styles that can invite respect and empathy evidence
The College does not publish the live questions and you must not record or share assessment material. The joiningthepolice site says each OAC interview question appears on screen with supplementary points to consider; read and use them, because they tell you what the question wants covered.
The practice prompts below are written by PolicePay. They are not real questions; real wording will differ.
- Tell us about a time you helped someone who was finding a situation difficult. How did you know what they needed?
- Describe a time you changed your approach because of someone's individual circumstances.
- Tell us about a time you had to deal with someone whose views were very different from yours.
- Describe a time you realised you had made an assumption about someone.
- Future-focused (force interviews may use these): how would you make sure someone who struggles to communicate is treated fairly?
The College's CVF guidance says most interview questions should focus on past behaviour, with hypothetical questions sometimes used. Derbyshire Constabulary's guide also suggests researching the diversity of the local community before its force interview, which can help with future-focused and motivation questions.
Common mistakes with respect and empathy answers
Mistake: "I treat everyone the same"
The College's description says fair treatment means tailoring the response to individual needs. Show the adaptation.
Mistake: describing feelings, not actions
"I could see she was upset and I felt for her" is a start, not evidence. What did you do because of it?
Mistake: over-sharing someone else's private details
You can describe a vulnerability in general terms. Naming people or sharing health details is unnecessary and can itself undercut the value.
Mistake: a story about yourself being treated badly
Your own experience may have taught you empathy, but the answer needs to show what you did for someone else.
Mistake: ignoring the prompts
The College tells candidates to use the on-screen prompts, which may need scrolling. Cover each one.
Mistake: a memorised script
Prepared notes and scripts are banned in the OAC. A script also tends to sound flat on exactly the value where warmth matters.
How to practise your respect and empathy example
- Read the College's full description of respect and empathy and the Code of Ethics headings.
- Collect three real situations using the prompts, then choose the one where your understanding of the person most clearly changed what you did.
- Write four memory hooks, one per STAR part, not a script.
- Say it aloud against a five-minute timer and record yourself if you can.
- Listen back for "we" and for feelings without actions, and fix both.
- Try a different question wording so you can adapt the example on the day.
The free STAR answer checker shows whether your draft has all four STAR parts in proportion and uses "I". It checks structure only, not whether the example shows respect and empathy. The free mock interview lets you pick respect and empathy as the CVF value and practise against example questions; its timer runs for three minutes, so use your own timer for a full five-minute run. A scored result on your own answer (a score out of 10, a pass or refer verdict and your main gap) is free, up to 5 a day; the full critique and a model answer are a paid option described on the mock interview page.
For the wider OAC, see the police OAC preparation plan and the free OAC readiness check. Preparation cannot guarantee a result.
What to ask your force
- Does your in-person interview assess respect and empathy, and against the 2024 CVF or a force framework?
- How long is each answer, and do I get preparation time with the questions?
- Will the panel ask follow-up questions?
- How do I request a reasonable adjustment or accommodation for the interview?
- Will I get feedback if unsuccessful?
The free police force finder links to each force, and the recruitment timeline planner shows how the stages fit together.
What we could not verify
- Whether one OAC interview question is aimed specifically at respect and empathy. The College lists five areas and five questions but does not say they map one to one.
- How respect and empathy is marked in the interview or the written exercise, how it is weighted, or what score passes. None of this is published.
- Which areas each force's in-person interview covers. The two force guides we read do not list them.
- The timing split on this page is our suggestion; the College gives only the total per answer.
PolicePay is independent of the College of Policing, the Home Office and every police force. This page paraphrases the CVF, the Code of Ethics principles and College candidate guides as read on 1 October 2026. The illustration is invented. The College's pages and your force's instructions take priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does respect and empathy mean in the police CVF?
The College of Policing defines it as encouraging, listening to and understanding the views of others, and seeking to recognise and respond to the physical, mental and emotional challenges that we and other people may face. Its example behaviours include treating everyone with dignity, giving people an equal chance to share their views, managing your own biases and responding fairly and sensitively to people's needs.
Is respect and empathy assessed in the police OAC?
Yes, in two OAC exercises. The College's candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) lists respect and empathy for both the competency-based interview and the written exercise. It is also measured in the national sift's behavioural styles questionnaire.
What is a good respect and empathy example for a police interview?
A real situation where you noticed what someone else was going through, listened properly, and changed what you did as a result so the outcome was fair to them. Customer service, caring, coaching, volunteering and study examples all work if your own actions are clear. Use your own example; the College does not publish model answers.
Does treating everyone fairly mean treating everyone the same?
No. The College says everyone should be treated equally and fairly, and that this means tailoring the response to individual needs. An example where you adapted your approach for someone, so they got a fair outcome, fits the CVF better than one where you applied the same process to everyone.
What is the difference between respect and empathy and being emotionally aware?
Respect and empathy is a value: listening, dignity, fairness and recognising other people's challenges. We are emotionally aware is a competency: understanding and managing your own emotions and reading other people's, including seeking support. They overlap. In the OAC, respect and empathy is assessed in the interview and written exercise; emotional awareness in the briefing exercise.
Should I talk about my own bias in a respect and empathy answer?
If it is true and relevant, it can help. Recognising and managing your own biases is one of the College's example behaviours, and the Code of Ethics talks about challenging our preconceptions. Describe what you assumed, how you noticed, and what you did differently. Do not invent a bias to fit the question.
Does respect and empathy mean always being patient?
Not always. The College's description says patience and courtesy where possible, recognising that safety and security sometimes have to come first. An example where you stayed respectful while still setting a limit or keeping someone safe can show the value well.
What CVF level is respect and empathy assessed at?
Values have no levels. The College says everyone in policing is expected to show the same values regardless of role. The six competencies are the parts assessed at level 1 for initial recruitment.
How long should a respect and empathy answer be in the OAC?
Up to five minutes (300 seconds), after 60 seconds of thinking time. There is no official required length. Our suggestion, not a College rule, is to spend at least half of it on what you noticed, how you listened and what you changed as a result.
How does respect and empathy show in the written exercise?
The written exercise is a task, not a personal example: you play a police constable writing an urgent response for a line manager using four items of information, and must use only the information provided. The College lists respect and empathy among the areas assessed but does not publish how it is marked. See our written exercise guide for what the College does say.
Can I use a family or caring example for respect and empathy?
Yes. The College says you can use examples from work and personal life. Caring for a relative, supporting a friend or helping in a community group can all work if the answer shows your own listening, judgement and actions. Avoid sharing private health details about named people.
Is respect and empathy the same as the equality and diversity standard?
They are related but different. Respect and empathy is a CVF value used in recruitment and development. Equality and diversity, and authority, respect and courtesy, are Standards of Professional Behaviour that apply to serving officers under Schedule 2 of the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 1 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: CVF values (courage, respect and empathy, public service), first published 8 May 2024 — the definition and example behaviours for respect and empathy paraphrased on this page (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and values framework for policing 2024 (PDF) — values derived from the ethical policing principles; behaviours are examples, not a checklist (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Ethical policing principles, Code of Ethics (first published 24 January 2024) — the five ways the Code says respect and empathy is shown, including challenging preconceptions and responding to individual needs (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Online assessment process candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) — respect and empathy assessed in the interview and the written exercise; five questions; 60 and 300 seconds; STAR; no prepared notes (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: National sift candidate guidance (updated 1 June 2026) — the BSQ assesses the three values as well as the six competencies (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and values framework guidance 2024 (PDF) — past-behaviour and hypothetical interview questions; not a checklist; no need to show every indicator (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/527), regulation 10, latest text — the four recruitment stages required since 17 March 2026 (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/4), Schedule 2, latest text — the authority, respect and courtesy, and equality and diversity standards for serving officers (accessed 1 October 2026)
- joiningthepolice.co.uk: What does the competency-based interview (CBI) involve? — on-screen supplementary points with each question; recording yourself as practice (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Derbyshire Constabulary: In-force interview preparation guide (2022, PDF) — suggests researching the diversity of the local community before the force interview; follow-up questions (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Devon and Cornwall Police: Force interviews, CVF preparation guide (2024, PDF) — buzzwords do not score; answer the question asked (accessed 1 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 1 October 2026.