Police Fitness

Police Fitness Test
3.7 or 5.4?

Serving officers keep hearing that the bleep test has dropped from 5.4 to 3.7. For some officers in some forces, it has. For recruits it has not. This page sets out exactly which forces say 3.7, what the College of Policing still publishes and what that means for you.

Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated

Short answer: is the police fitness test now 3.7?

For some serving officers. Kent Police's SOP says the College of Policing sets 3.7 for officers and special constables, West Yorkshire Police moved officers to 3.7 from April 2024 and Surrey and Sussex accept 3.7 for existing officers as an interim position. The College's own page still gives 5.4 and says it is under review. Recruits and student officers still need 5.4 (35 shuttles) everywhere we checked.

Free calculator

How far am I from my role standard?

Standards from the College of Policing's fitness testing guidance. Enter your last 15m bleep test mark.

Your level

Shuttle

Weeks until your test

Role standard

7.4 is at or past 5.4. Keep it there for the annual test.

Standard	Personal safety training (all officers who do PST) and recruits: 5.4
Test to the standard	35 shuttles, 525 m, 3:35 of running, 34 turns
Your mark	53 shuttles, 5:09
College estimate of aerobic capacity	35 ml/kg/min
Treadmill alternative	Chester walk test (6 km/h): 10:00

Shuttle counts and speeds above level 5 come from the standard 15m multi-stage table; the College publishes per-shuttle times only to 5.4. Officers should not run beyond the standard in the test (College health warning). General training information, not medical advice.

Specialist Fitness Plan

Your 8-week plan from 7.4 to 5.4

Every week laid out: shuttle intervals at your target speed (5.50 s per 15 m at level 5), an easy run, tempo shuttles or a checkpoint run and, if you choose, a strength session
All 7 weekly checkpoints, then a taper week
A pace beeper at your target level for the intervals
The Chester walk test alternative for your role, and a test-week checklist
Rebuild it for a new date or role at any time for 12 months

One payment, no subscription. Secure Stripe checkout.

Training a recruit for 5.4? The Fitness Pass Suite (£19.99) is built for that. No plan can guarantee a pass.

Fitness test updates

Fitness test changes and new training guides, by email

Leave your email and we will tell you when the police fitness test standards change and when we publish new free training guides. Occasional emails, written by hand. Unsubscribe any time.

Prefer LinkedIn? Subscribe to the Police Pay newsletter there (opens LinkedIn in a new tab; LinkedIn may ask you to sign in)

Sent by a person when there is news, not on a schedule. Unsubscribe any time. See our privacy policy.

What 3.7 means in practice

3.7 against 5.4 on the 15m test (site table; College timings to 5:4)
Mark	Shuttles	Distance	Running time	Last level speed	Aerobic standard
3.7	22	330 m	2:22	8.9 km/h	30 ml/kg/min (Kent SOP)
5.4	35	525 m	3:35	9.8 km/h	About 35 ml/kg/min (College)

3.7 is 13 shuttles shorter than 5.4 and never reaches level 4 or 5, where the speed rises. That is a real difference for an officer returning from injury or an older officer and very little difference for someone training for a specialist role.

Level by level: where 3.7 stops and 5.4 goes on

The test gets faster at the start of each level. This table shows each level up to the 5.4 standard, the time allowed for each 15 metre shuttle, the running speed that needs and the running totals. Levels 1 to 5 use the College's own timings once the shared table carries them; the figures are worked out from the table the site's simulator uses.

The 15m test to 5.4, level by level
Level	Shuttles run	Time per shuttle	Speed	Total shuttles (distance)	Total time	3.7 or 5.4
Level 1	7	6.90 s	7.8 km/h	7 (105 m)	0:48	Run in full for 3.7
Level 2	8	6.40 s	8.4 km/h	15 (225 m)	1:40	Run in full for 3.7
Level 3	8	6.10 s	8.9 km/h	23 (345 m)	2:28	3.7 ends at shuttle 7 of 8
Level 4	8	5.60 s	9.6 km/h	31 (465 m)	3:13	Only needed for 5.4
Level 5	4	5.50 s	9.8 km/h	35 (525 m)	3:35	Only needed for 5.4

So an officer tested at 3.7 stops partway through level 3, before the two faster levels that make up the last part of 5.4. If your force uses 3.7 but you want headroom, aim to hold level 4 comfortably: it covers a bad day and keeps the door open to roles that need 5.4 or more.

Which forces say 3.7

Published force statements on the 3.7 standard
Force	What it says	Recruits and students
Kent Police (SOP O43l, reviewed April 2026)	"The College of Policing (COP) sets the level of fitness for police officers and special constables at 3.7 on the shuttle run bleep test; the aerobic fitness standard of 30mlsO2/kg/min."	Student officers must pass 5.4 before public and personal safety training
West Yorkshire Police (FOI, April 2024)	"As of the week commencing 1 April 2024 the level needed was reduced to 3.7; however, please be advised this was 5.4."	"For new students in their first year of service the standard will remain at 5.4"
Surrey Police and Sussex Police (policy 1140/2025)	As an interim position, existing officers are accepted at 3:7 while the national standard is under review	Applicants, transferees and rejoiners need 5:4

These are the force documents we could read. Other forces may have made the same change without publishing it, or may still test at 5.4. Your force's PST or training team will know.

What the College of Policing still publishes

We read the College's job-related fitness standards page on 21 October 2026. It still says "The standard needed for an officer who requires PST as part of their role is 5.4", that the test takes 3 minutes 35 seconds and covers 525 metres and it still shows the specialist table. It also says the page "is currently under review, due to the new national curriculum for public and personal safety training (PPST)" and that its information relates to the test "before forces move to the new curriculum".

How to read the gap

Kent's SOP attributes 3.7 to the College, but we did not find a College publication that sets 3.7. Until the College publishes its review, treat 3.7 as the rule in the forces that say so and 5.4 as the published national standard.

Which standard applies to me?

Find the line closest to you. Every row comes from a published force document or the College's guidance. Where your force has published nothing, the safe assumption is the College's published standard.

Fitness standards by situation, from published sources
You are	Standard in the source	Source
Student officer in Kent	5.4 before public and personal safety training	Kent SOP O43l, 3.5.1
Student officer in their first year in West Yorkshire	5.4	West Yorkshire FOI 1994451-24
Serving constable in Kent who does PPST	3.7 (Kent SOP says the College sets 3.7)	Kent SOP O43l, 2.2
Serving officer in West Yorkshire	3.7 from the week commencing 1 April 2024	West Yorkshire FOI 1994451-24
Existing officer in Surrey or Sussex	3:7 accepted as an interim position	Surrey and Sussex policy 1140/2025
Transferee or rejoiner to Surrey or Sussex	5:4	Surrey and Sussex policy 1140/2025
Special constable in Kent	3.7 (named with officers in the SOP)	Kent SOP O43l, 2.2
Firearms officer (AFO) anywhere	7.6 College standard; some forces publish 9.4 for firearms	College guidance; West Yorkshire FOI
Public order (PSU) officer	6.3	College guidance; Kent SOP; West Yorkshire FOI
Officer in a force that has published nothing on 3.7	Assume the College's published 5.4 until told otherwise	College job-related fitness standards page

Moving force or role? Check twice

A serving officer in a 3.7 force who transfers to Surrey or Sussex is treated as a transferee and needs 5:4 under the joint policy. The same applies to rejoiners there. If you are planning a move, train to the higher standard before you apply.

Who has to take the annual test at all

The College's page says the annual test "is only applicable for those officers who require PST as part of their role". The standard for recruits was extended to serving officers in 2014 after the Winsor Review. Officers who do not do personal safety training are not tested under the College guidance; whether special constables who do PST are tested is, under the College's implementation guidance, a local decision.

Who is tested and at what level
Group	College position	Example of local practice
Officers who do PST	Tested every year at the College standard (5.4 published)	Kent, West Yorkshire and Surrey and Sussex accept 3.7 for serving officers
Student officers	Recruit standard 5.4 before PST	Kent: 5.4 before PPST; West Yorkshire: 5.4 in the first year
Special constables	Testing those who do PST is a local decision	Kent's SOP names special constables alongside officers at 3.7
PCSOs and police staff	No College fitness standard for staff roles	Kent's SOP says its JRFT applies to PCSOs as part of recruitment
Specialist roles	Role standard, from 5.4 to 10.5	Unchanged in every source we read

Returning from injury, pregnancy or a long absence

Whether your force tests at 3.7 or 5.4, the College's guidance expects an occupational health referral and a documented action plan where someone fails because of fitness, a musculoskeletal problem or ill health and it offers the Chester treadmill walking test as a validated alternative. Kent's SOP asks officers to declare pre-existing conditions on an occupational health questionnaire before the test and says anyone with a medical reason on the day will not attempt it but will be referred to occupational health. See the bleep test after injury, the fitness test over 40 and the Chester treadmill test.

Recruits: still 5.4

Every source that mentions 3.7 keeps 5.4 for people joining. The College's page says completion of the JRFT is a requirement for recruitment, at 5.4. If you are applying now, train for 5.4. Our force fitness rules finder shows each force's recruit arrangements and the Fitness Pass Suite (£19.99) builds a plan to 5.4.

Specialist roles have not dropped

Nothing we read lowers the specialist standards. Kent's SOP, reviewed in April 2026, still lists 5:4 for marine, CBRN, method of entry and Taser (STO), 5:7 dog and mounted, 5:8 cyclist, 6:3 PSU, 6:4 air support, 6:8 divers, 7:2 marine tactical, 7:6 AFO, 9:4 ARV and 10:5 DIAFO. If you are moving into one of those roles, the calculator above shows your gap and the specialist training plan guide explains how to close it.

If you fail the annual test

The College's guidance says that if an officer who needs PST does not pass at the first attempt, forces must provide supportive action and allow at least two retakes, with at least six weeks advisable between them, before considering unsatisfactory performance procedures under the Police (Performance) Regulations. Those procedures do not apply to student officers. Kent's SOP says "No sanctions will be applied to officers who fail the test or who are unable to take the test due to medical reasons." The Met reported no dismissals relating to a failed fitness test in 2020 to 2023.

What the published data shows

Two forces have published annual test results for serving officers. Both are from before or around the move to 3.7, so they show results against 5.4.

Serving officer fitness results published under FOI (Met: officers attended and failed; West Yorkshire: competent and not competent)
Force and year	Tests or officers	Not passed	Share not passed
Met, 2020	20,921	341	1.6%
Met, 2021	26,282	534	2.0%
Met, 2022	25,448	428	1.7%
Met, 2023 (to date)	24,925	337	1.4%
West Yorkshire, 2021	4,996	111	2.2%
West Yorkshire, 2022	4,975	72	1.4%
West Yorkshire, 2023	4,964	130	2.6%

West Yorkshire recorded 313 not competent across 14,935 results in 2021 to 2023. 2 officers are recorded as having been subject to formal action under the Unsatisfactory Performance Procedures in the last 3 years because they failed the fitness test, both of which were in 2023. There have been no officers dismissed in the last 3 years because they failed the fitness test.
The Met: "Since 2021, 25 Stage 1 UPPs have been issued, 6 of which were moved to Stage 2. There have been no dismissals."
273 officers took part in an alternative fitness test during 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The figures are recorded outcomes, not first-attempt rates and come from two forces only. Our pass rate guide sets out both disclosures in full.

Myths and facts

Common claims about the police fitness test, checked
You may hear	What the sources say
"The police fitness test has been scrapped."	No. The College still publishes the test and every force document we read still tests officers who do safety training.
"3.7 is now the national standard."	Not published by the College. Three force documents use it for serving officers; the College's page still says 5.4 and is under review.
"Recruits only need 3.7 now."	No. Every source that mentions 3.7 keeps 5.4 for recruits, students, transferees or rejoiners.
"Fail the annual test and you are sacked."	The College requires support and at least two retakes first. The Met reported no dismissals for a failed fitness test in 2020 to 2023; West Yorkshire reported none in 2021 to 2023.
"Older officers get a lower level."	The College says concessions to the standard by age or sex are inappropriate and illegal. The 3.7 rules we found apply to serving officers of any age.
"Specialist standards dropped too."	Not in any source we read. Kent's April 2026 SOP still lists 5:4 to 10:5 by role.
"You should run as far as you can."	The College's health and safety warning says officers should not run beyond the endurance pass standard.
"The test is moving to every two years."	We have not found an official publication saying so.

Preparing for your annual test, step by step

Confirm your level. Ask your safety training team whether you will be tested at 3.7, 5.4 or a role standard.
Complete the health questionnaire honestly. Kent's SOP asks officers to declare any pre-existing condition or injury on an occupational health questionnaire when they are given a training date. Occupational health may refer you to the force medical officer.
Run a check four weeks out. Use a correctly timed 15m recording or our simulator and stop at your target. The College advises using the test only periodically to assess progress, not as training.
Train the gap. Shuttle intervals at level 4 and level 5 speed, an easy run and some leg strength work each week.
On the day. Wear the shoes you trained in, warm up as instructed and tell the assessor about any medical reason before you start. Kent's SOP says anyone with a medical reason on the day will not attempt the test and will be referred to occupational health.
If it goes wrong. Ask for the support plan and the retake date in writing. The College expects at least six weeks between retakes.

Going for a specialist role rather than holding your current one? The gap calculator at the top of this page shows your distance to every College standard and the Specialist Fitness Plan (£24.99) builds the weeks for you.

Support your force should offer

The College's implementation guidance says forces should make "significant efforts to ensure a positive and, at times, sympathetic implementation" of the test, while it is "ultimately the responsibility of the individual to pass". It lists support forces can offer. If you are worried about your annual test, these are reasonable things to ask for:

a familiarisation session or an informal practice test before the real one;
a full explanation of the test, its rationale and how to prepare, in advance;
women-only testing sessions and, where possible, female test administrators;
mentoring or help with training and preparing;
a personal test rather than a group test with onlookers;
a physical trainer running with you as a pacemaker;
results kept within the necessary chain of command.

The guidance also says forces should give the medical questionnaire at least six weeks before the test where practicable and that on the day you complete a further health declaration confirming you are fit to take part.

The treadmill route, in detail

The College's alternative to the shuttle run for the 5.4 standard is the Chester treadmill police walking test (CTPWT). The guidance notes that earlier guidance recommended it only after an occupational health referral and Kent's SOP says the alternative must be agreed by occupational health before you take part. This is how the College describes it:

Chester treadmill police walking test (College implementation guidance, August 2021)
Stage	Time	Gradient (at 6 km/h)	Check before the next stage
Familiarisation	2 minutes	0% at about 4 to 5 km/h	Then speed up to 6 km/h and start
Level 1	0 to 2 minutes	0%	Effort rating below 18
Level 2	2 to 4 minutes	3%	Effort rating below 18
Level 3	4 to 6 minutes	6%	Below 18, no signs of distress
Level 4	6 to 8 minutes	9%	Below 18, no signs of distress
Level 5	8 to 10 minutes	12%	Completing 10 minutes meets the 5.4 standard (35 ml/kg/min)
Level 6	10 to 12 minutes	15%	Only for specialist posts needing more

Before the test the guidance says you should not have eaten, smoked, exercised or had tea or coffee for at least two hours, should not be recovering from illness and should not have done heavy exercise in the previous 24 hours. The test is stopped if you show signs of overtiredness, discomfort or dizziness or report an effort rating of 18 or more.

Surrey and Sussex's policy, as read for our Chester treadmill guide, accepts 8 minutes on the walking test alongside 3.7 for existing officers. We could not find an 8-minute figure in Kent's current SOP, which links 3.7 to 30 ml/kg/min. Ask your force which treadmill time it accepts.

Before any formal action

Three layers protect a serving officer who struggles with the test. First, the College requires support and at least two retakes, with six weeks between them advisable. Second, an occupational health referral with a documented action plan is required where a fail is down to fitness, a musculoskeletal problem or ill health. Third, the guidance records that the National Police Chiefs' Council fitness testing working group recommends that, where unsatisfactory performance procedures have started and the fitness test is a relevant factor, the officer should be given gas exchange analysis testing (a direct measurement of oxygen uptake, to the standard of the test) before any formal sanction. It adds that this is a recommendation, not a requirement and that Hampshire and the Met had the equipment at the time.

Student officers are different: unsatisfactory performance procedures do not apply to them and the guidance says they are governed by locally determined procedures under regulation 13 of the Police Regulations 2003.

Why there is an annual test at all

The annual test comes from recommendation 33 of the Winsor Review (Part 2), which proposed a test for all officers and staff who do personal safety training, at 5:4 on the 15m shuttle run, with disciplinary procedures after three fails. The Police Advisory Board recommended supportive action through performance procedures instead of discipline and the Home Secretary accepted the recommendation with that caveat (College implementation guidance, Appendix A). The College's web page says the recruit standard was extended to serving officers in 2014.

The same guidance records two reasons the standard was under review even in 2021: research commissioned from the University of Chester could not validate the oxygen uptake values used in earlier studies of the 15m test and work on a new personal safety training curriculum might change the benchmark. That review is the context for both the College's "under review" note and the local moves to 3.7.

Rumours and reviews

You may have read that personal safety training, or the fitness test, is moving to every two years. We have not found an official College of Policing or Home Office publication saying so, so we do not state it as fact. The College's page says its guidance is under review because of the new PPST curriculum. When a confirmed change is published, we will update this page.

Check your own force

Ask your PST or training team which standard applies to you at your next test.
Check your force's fitness policy on its FOI or policy pages.
If you are within a year of joining, assume 5.4.
If you are going for a specialist role, check that role's standard: it has not changed.

Your next step

Check yourself against your level

Practise your role's level on the free simulator → Free Choose 5.4, PSU 6.3, AFO 7.6, ARV 9.4 or 10.5 and run the 15m beeps to that mark in your browser. No account needed. Check your readiness for free → Free A few questions on your running, 5k time and confidence give a rough estimated level against 5.4 and your likely weak spot. About 2 minutes, no account.

Want the full set? The Fitness Pass Suite is £19.99, one payment, no subscription: the 6-week plan, the pass predictor and the weakness analysis. See exactly what is included.

General training information, not medical advice. Stop if you feel pain, dizziness or chest discomfort, and see a GP before you start if you have a health condition, an injury or are pregnant. No tool can guarantee a pass. Independent practice tools, not the official test. Paid options carry a 14-day refund policy.

Quick answers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 3.7 police fitness test?

Level 3.7 means reaching the seventh shuttle of level 3 on the 15m bleep test: 22 shuttles, 330 metres, about 2:22 of running, against 35 shuttles and about 3:35 for 5.4. Some forces use it for serving officers' annual test.

Has the police fitness test changed from 5.4 to 3.7?

For some serving officers, in some forces. Kent Police's fitness SOP says the College of Policing sets 3.7 for police officers and special constables, West Yorkshire Police says its officers moved to 3.7 from April 2024 and Surrey and Sussex accept 3.7 for existing officers as an interim position. The College's own fitness page still gives 5.4 and says it is under review.

Do police recruits still need 5.4?

Yes. Every source that mentions 3.7 keeps 5.4 for recruits or student officers: Kent says students must pass 5.4 before personal safety training, West Yorkshire says first-year students stay at 5.4 and Surrey and Sussex require 5.4 for applicants, transferees and rejoiners.

Is the police fitness test going to every two years?

We have not found an official College of Policing or Home Office publication saying so. Treat reports of a two-year cycle as unconfirmed until your force or the College publishes it.

What VO2 is 3.7 on the bleep test?

Kent Police's SOP links 3.7 to an aerobic fitness standard of 30 ml O2 per kg per minute. The College's guidance links 5.4 to about 35.

Do specialist officers also drop to 3.7?

No source we read lowers the specialist standards. Kent's SOP still lists the College specialist levels, from 5.4 for roles such as Taser and CBRN to 9.4 for ARV and 10.5 for DIAFO.

What happens if a serving officer fails the fitness test?

The College's guidance says forces must provide support and allow at least two retakes, with at least six weeks advisable between them, before considering unsatisfactory performance procedures. Kent's SOP says no sanctions will be applied to officers who fail or cannot take the test for medical reasons.

How many shuttles is 3.7 on the bleep test?

22 shuttles of 15 metres (330 m): all of levels 1 and 2, then 7 shuttles at level 3. It takes about 2:22 on the shared 15m table and never reaches the faster speeds of levels 4 and 5.

Do special constables take the fitness test at 3.7?

In Kent, its SOP names special constables alongside officers at 3.7. Nationally, the College leaves testing of special constables who do personal safety training to each force, so check your own force's policy.

Do PCSOs have to pass a fitness test?

The College sets no fitness standard for police staff roles, so a PCSO test is a force choice. Kent's SOP says its job-related fitness test applies to PCSOs as part of recruitment.

Is the treadmill test easier than 3.7?

It is a different test, not an easier one. The College's walking test (CTPWT) target for the 5.4 standard is 10 minutes at 6 km/h with the gradient rising 3% every 2 minutes. Kent's SOP says the alternative must be agreed by occupational health before you take part.

If my force uses 3.7, should I still train for 5.4?

If you may apply for a specialist role, transfer or rejoin, yes: those routes use 5.4 or higher in the sources we read. A margin above your test level also protects you on a bad day.

Who decides which level my force uses?

Your force sets its policy within the College's guidance. Ask your personal safety training team or read your force's fitness policy, often published on its freedom of information pages.

Was the West Yorkshire change to 3.7 for everyone?

No. Its FOI response says the level for officers was reduced to 3.7 from the week commencing 1 April 2024, that new students in their first year stay at 5.4 and that public order, firearms and specialist firearms officers have higher standards (6.3, 9.4 and 10.5).

Evidence

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: Job-related fitness standards (web page) : still gives 5.4 (3 minutes 35 seconds, 525 m) and the specialist table; says the page is "currently under review, due to the new national curriculum for public and personal safety training (PPST)"; the annual test applies only to officers who require PST (accessed 21 October 2026)
College of Policing: Implementation guidance for fitness testing (August 2021, PDF) : in-service retakes (at least two, at least six weeks advisable), then unsatisfactory performance procedures; 5:4 estimated at 35 ml/kg/min (accessed 21 October 2026)
Kent Police: Job related fitness test SOP (O43l) : reviewed April 2026 with no content changes: "The College of Policing (COP) sets the level of fitness for police officers and special constables at 3.7", 30 ml/kg/min; student officers 5.4 before PPST; specialist table; no sanctions for failure or medical inability (accessed 21 October 2026)
West Yorkshire Police FOI 1994451-24: officer fitness test (April 2024) : "As of the week commencing 1 April 2024 the level needed was reduced to 3.7"; first-year students stay at 5.4; public order 6.3, firearms 9.4, specialist firearms 10.5 (accessed 21 October 2026)
Surrey Police and Sussex Police: Job related fitness test policy 1140/2025 (PDF) : interim position: existing officers accepted at 3:7; applicants, transferees and rejoiners 5:4 (as read for our by-force guide, 6 October 2026) (accessed 21 October 2026)
The Police (Performance) Regulations 2020 : unsatisfactory performance procedures for serving officers (accessed 21 October 2026)
Metropolitan Police FOI 01.FOI.23.033431: police officer fitness tests 2020 to 2023 (December 2023) : no officer dismissed relating to a failed fitness test, 2020 to 2023 (accessed 21 October 2026)

Related Guides

On this topic elsewhere

Annual Fitness Test for Serving Officers → How the in-service test works. Specialist Fitness Gap Calculator → Your mark against every standard. Fitness Test Pass Rates → Met and West Yorkshire FOI figures. Chester Treadmill Test → The alternative test. Fitness Test by Force → Recruit rules force by force.

Joining the police

More in this guide series

Start here Candidates hub Everything for police applicants: eligibility, the application, the assessment centre, interviews, fitness and vetting. Start here Entry requirements Every legal and national requirement to become a constable, including the two 2026 rule changes. Eligibility Police age limit Apply at 17, appointed at 18, no upper limit in the regulations; what 57 and 60 really mean. Eligibility Qualifications needed Level 3 or accepted experience for PCDA and PCEP, a degree for DHEP and the GCSE rules. Eligibility Nationality and residency UK, EEA or indefinite leave; settled status; the three-year residency rule and its exceptions. Eligibility Tattoos and appearance The national tattoo test, force policies and what to do if unsure. Eligibility Medical conditions Asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, hearing and BMI: the Home Office standards and how the medical works. Eligibility Mental health and neurodiversity What the standards say, the Equality Act and reasonable adjustments in the assessments. Application Application form guide The national application form, history and declarations and applying to several forces. Application Rejected and reapplying Stage by stage: appeals, resit limits and when you can apply again. Decision Officer vs PCSO vs special Powers, pay, hours, entry and progression compared, to help you choose. Online assessment After the OAC How results arrive, what the feedback report shows and the force interview and checks that follow a pass. Online assessment Tech and adjustments Devices, browsers, the no-second-device rule, what to do if tech fails and the OAC extra time table. Framework CVF explained The three values, six competencies, levels 1 to 3, what changed from 2016 and which exercise assesses what. Online assessment OAC prep plan How long to prepare for the online assessment centre, with day-by-day plans built on the current College format. Routes Entry routes compared PCDA, PCEP, DHEP, degree holder, detective, rejoiner, specials, PCSOs and cadets side by side. Routes PCDA explained Entry requirements, pay from day one, the three years, English and maths and who is recruiting. Routes DHEP explained Who qualifies, the two-year graduate diploma, detective DHEP, Police Now and pay. Routes Rejoining the police Regulation 10B, no five-year limit, 6 or 12 months' probation, exams and pension questions. Vetting Vetting levels What each police vetting level is for, what it checks and how long it lasts. Vetting Vetting appeals Your right to written reasons, the three grounds and how to write an appeal. Vetting Criminal records The 2026 automatic disqualification rules and how other offences are judged. Vetting Other roles Where staff, special and volunteer vetting differs from officer vetting. Vetting Mental health and vetting Why vetting is not a medical and what goes to occupational health. Guide Failed vetting: family Why relatives or associates lead to refusal, what you are told, appeals and reapplying. Guide Driving licence When forces need a licence, provisional, automatic and foreign licences and how points are vetted. Guide Police medical What the medical checks, when it happens, BMI and height, GP records, drug tests and failing. Guide Briefing exercise practice Three original 12-question briefing scenarios with worked answer outlines. Guide Written exercise practice Four original written tasks with four items each and planning outlines. Guide CVF: courage What the courage value means, how to choose your own example and an illustrative STAR structure. Guide CVF: respect and empathy Why fair is not identical, where it is assessed, with an illustrative STAR structure. Guide CVF: public service The 2024 meaning of public service, where it is assessed and an illustrative STAR structure. Guide CVF: we take ownership Level 1 behaviours, level 1 versus 2 and how to own a mistake in a STAR answer. Guide CVF: innovative and open-minded Level 1 means learning, suggesting, reflecting and adapting, with an illustrative STAR structure. Guide CVF: other four competencies Where emotionally aware, collaborate, support and inspire and analyse critically are assessed. Guide Final interview by force The law now requires a force interview after the OAC; what all 43 forces' own pages say about it, with links. Interview Tell me about a time questions 36 past-behaviour questions by 2024 CVF value, each one linked into the free mock interview. Interview Scenario questions Where hypothetical questions come up, a simple order for answering and 18 practice scenarios. Interview Follow-up questions The seven kinds of probing question in a live force interview and how to answer them. Interview Interview prep plans Day-by-day plans for the OAC interview and the in-person force interview. Interview Examples with no experience Where real examples hide in school, sport, caring and volunteering, with three example answers. Free download Interview questions PDF 30 practice questions by value, a STAR planner and timings to print or save as a PDF. Entry routes Assessment by route PCDA, DHEP, PCEP, detective, transferee, rejoiner, specials and PCSO: what the law makes identical and what can differ. Decision How hard is it to join? No national pass rate is published: what each stage tests and how to prepare free. Application More than one force One force at a time for the assessments, twice in 12 months and transferring a pass. Eligibility Joining on a visa Each visa type checked against the legal nationality rule, plus pre-settled status. Eligibility From the armed forces Eligibility, applying while serving, resettlement timing, references, pay and pension. Decision Career change The pay drop, the recruitment wait, the right route and the pension for later joiners. Pay Starting salary 2026 Point 1 and point 2 from 1 September 2026, take-home and London and South East pay. Force Met requirements Who can apply to the Met: age, residence, qualifications by route, tattoos and pay. Offer stage Pre-employment checks References, medical, fitness, biometrics, drug test and vetting after an offer. Offer stage Police references Five years of history, your current employer, gaps and referees for time abroad. Offer stage Biometrics and drug test Fingerprints and DNA for recruits, what they are checked against and drug testing. Routes DCEP explained The detective entry route force by force, the NIE, PIP2 and pay.

Also on PolicePay

Free tools for applicants

Tool OAC readiness check Check how ready you are for the online assessment centre. Tool Mock interview Practise police interview questions with feedback. Tool Force finder Compare forces on pay, allowances and region. Tool Timeline planner Plan the stages from application to start date. Tool Vetting checker See where you are in the vetting process.

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.