National Sift
Results Explained
How the police national sift is scored, when results arrive, what the percentile and the personalised feedback report tell you and what to do next whether you met the standard or not. Includes a free interpreter for your own result.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
The sift is marked automatically. Your SJT and BSQ scores are combined and compared with other applicants to policing roles, shown as a percentile. You are told by email whether you met the national standard and get a feedback report with your score. Timing depends on your force: some release results straight away. No pass percentile is published.
For police constable candidates in England and Wales waiting for, or holding, a national sift result. The rules come from the College of Policing's national sift candidate guidance. Results timing examples are from two forces' own pages and will differ elsewhere.
Free result interpreter
Choose your outcome and, if your report shows one, enter your percentile. The interpreter explains what it means, what the College's rules say about your next step and where to practise. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
Free feedback report interpreter
What your national sift result is telling you
Nothing you enter leaves this page. We never predict a result: the College publishes no pass mark.
How the national sift is scored
The College's guidance describes four steps:
- Automatic scoring. The assessment platform scores both exercises. No assessor reads your answers.
- Combination. Your SJT and BSQ scores are combined into an overall score.
- Comparison. The overall score is scored against a comparison group of applicants to policing roles.
- Percentile. Your performance is displayed as a percentile.
The SJT assesses the six CVF competencies and the BSQ assesses the six competencies and the three values, at level 1. The College does not publish how the two exercises are weighted within the overall score or what score meets the standard. Our scoring guide goes into more detail.
How long national sift results take
The College says the results timeframe will vary depending on your recruiting force and its processing requirements and to contact your force for specific dates. Because scoring is automatic, delays come from how a force processes results rather than from marking. Two forces' own descriptions show the range:
| Force | What its recruitment page says |
|---|---|
| Devon and Cornwall Police | Results are received instantly, with a feedback report. |
| Metropolitan Police | Expect this stage of the process to take about two weeks. |
Read on 21 October 2026. Do not assume your force works like either. If your force gave you a date, use that; if not, ask.
The results email
The College says you will be informed by email whether you have met the national standard. Practical points:
- Check your junk or spam folder and any "other" or "promotions" tab your email service uses.
- The email confirms the outcome. The feedback report with your score comes with it or is linked from it, depending on how your force sends it.
- Save the report straight away as a PDF or screenshot; you will want it if you resit.
- If you passed, your force's next contact will be about the online assessment process. Add support@tazio.co.uk and police.assessments@notifications.service.gov.uk to your safe senders now, as the College recommends for that stage.
What a percentile does and does not mean
A percentile compares you with a group. In general use, a percentile of 70 means you scored higher than about 70 in every 100 people in the comparison group. It is not 70% of questions right. The College's comparison group is applicants to policing roles; it does not publish more detail about who is in it.
| It does tell you | It does not tell you |
|---|---|
| Roughly how your combined score compares with other applicants | What percentage of SJT ratings you got "right" |
| Whether you are near the top or bottom of the group | The percentile needed to pass (not published) |
| A baseline to compare a resit against | Whether the SJT or the BSQ pulled your score down |
A few percentile points either way between attempts can reflect who else was in the comparison group as much as anything you did. Look at the feedback descriptions for what to work on.
The personalised feedback report
The College says the report comes "with your score" and "will contain more information about the kinds of performances that distinguish better-performing candidates from those who did not score as highly". It does not describe the report showing your answers to individual scenarios or a model answer key and we have seen no evidence that it does.
To get the most from it:
- Read the descriptions of better performance and rewrite each in your own words.
- For each, think of an SJT scenario you remember where you might have rated against it.
- Turn the description into a rule you can practise, for example "rate listening and finding facts as at least reasonable".
- Keep the report with your completion date: the resit clock runs from that date.
If you met the standard
Your force will invite you to the online assessment process, the third of the four stages the Police Regulations have required since 17 March 2026. It has three exercises on the Tazio platform:
- a competency-based interview: five questions, 60 seconds to think and up to five minutes to answer each;
- a written exercise: an urgent task for your line manager from four items of information, about 40 minutes with a two-hour limit;
- a briefing exercise: 12 questions in three parts, 60 seconds to think and up to three minutes each.
Start practising while you wait. The interview from our full timed OAC mock is free and runs the real timings; the full mock is part of the 90-day pass.
If you did not meet the standard
- Resit: from three months after the date you completed the sift.
- Attempts: no more than twice in 12 months.
- What you resit: both the SJT and the BSQ.
- Appeals: not on the result alone; only extenuating circumstances or procedural concerns, in writing to your force, with evidence.
Our failed the national sift guide has a three-month plan and a free trainer for the most common SJT habit. If you want structured practice for the whole gap:
Sift and recruitment alerts
Know when the sift or the application windows change
Forces open and close recruitment windows without much notice, and the national sift can change. Leave your email and we will tell you when forces open applications and when the sift or the entry rules change. Occasional emails, written by hand. Unsubscribe any time.
Sent by a person when there is news, not on a schedule. Unsubscribe any time. See our privacy policy.
Using your result whichever way it went
The sift is the first scored test in the process and the same framework runs through every stage after it. Even if you passed comfortably, the habits behind good SJT ratings carry forward:
- Protect people first becomes the first step in a briefing answer.
- Check facts, do not guess becomes spotting conflicts in the written exercise.
- Keep it proportionate matters in every scenario answer.
- Speak up early and directly is the core of courage questions in the interview.
See OAC competencies by exercise for how the same CVF areas appear in the next stage.
Chasing a result that has not arrived
- Check both exercises were completed. If you skipped part of one, the result may be held.
- Check your junk folder and any email filters.
- Check the date your force gave for results.
- Email your force's recruitment team with your full name and the date you completed the sift.
- If a technical issue affected your assessment, contact supportservicesintl@talogy.com and recruit@college.police.uk.
Worked examples: three candidates, three results
Invented examples to show how to read a result. The percentiles are illustrative, not pass marks.
| Candidate | Result | What it tells them | Sensible next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amira | Met the standard; 82nd percentile | Her combined score was higher than most of the comparison group. | Start preparing for the online assessment process now; the sift result does not carry into its marking. |
| Ben | Met the standard; 41st percentile | He passed. The percentile does not change that and the College does not publish one needed to pass. | Same as Amira. Ask the force only if he wants to know whether it uses percentiles for anything else. |
| Chloe | Did not meet the standard | Her combined score was below the standard on this attempt; the report describes what better-performing candidates did. | Note her completion date; earliest resit is three months later. Practise the SJT; answer the BSQ honestly next time too. |
The point of the examples: a pass is a pass, whatever the percentile and a fail tells you to practise rather than how close you were.
Turning the report's descriptions into SJT practice
The report describes the kinds of performance that distinguish better-performing candidates. Without quoting the College's wording, here is how typical themes translate into habits you can practise:
| If the theme is about... | Practise this habit |
|---|---|
| Judging actions on their own merits | Rate each action against the scenario, not the other three; use the same rating twice where it fits. |
| Using the information given | Underline what the scenario actually says before rating; do not add motives or history. |
| Proportionate responses | Rate heavy, public or punitive first responses low unless the scenario shows serious risk. |
| Taking responsibility | Rate "pass it on" or "wait and see" actions low when you could reasonably act. |
| Considering others | Rate actions that listen, check welfare and involve the right people as at least reasonable. |
Try the habits on our courage, respect and empathy and public service scenarios.
If you passed: what to prepare first for the online assessment
| Priority | Why | Free tool |
|---|---|---|
| Build 6 to 8 real examples | The interview asks for evidence of five CVF areas. | Example bank builder |
| Practise 5-minute answers aloud | Interview answers get 60 seconds to think and up to 5 minutes. | Pacing timer |
| Read items for conflicts | The written exercise uses four items of information. | Spot the gaps drill |
| Run a community scenario | The briefing exercise has 12 spoken answers. | Briefing simulator |
Myths about sift results
"The percentile is your percentage score." It compares you with other applicants.
"You need the 50th percentile." No pass percentile is published.
"An assessor reviews borderline results." The College says scoring is automatic.
"Results always take weeks." Some forces release them immediately; others take longer.
"You can appeal a low score." Not on the result alone.
Who to ask
- Your force recruitment team: results timing, next steps and resit rules.
- Talogy technical support: supportservicesintl@talogy.com for technical problems with the sift.
- The College: recruit@college.police.uk for questions your force cannot answer.
What we could not verify
- The score or percentile that meets the standard.
- How the SJT and BSQ are weighted in the combined score.
- Who is in the comparison group beyond "applicants to policing roles" and how often it is updated.
- Whether forces use percentiles for anything beyond the pass decision.
- Results timing for forces other than the two quoted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do national sift results take?
It depends on your force. The College says the results timeframe varies with your recruiting force and its processing requirements and to contact the force for dates. One force, Devon and Cornwall, says results are received instantly; the Metropolitan Police says to expect this stage to take about two weeks.
How are national sift results given?
By email. The College says you will be informed by email whether you have met the national standard or not and you receive a personalised feedback report with your score.
What is the national sift percentile?
The College says your SJT and BSQ scores are combined into an overall score and scored against a comparison group of applicants to policing roles, displayed as a percentile. A percentile generally tells you how your score compares with that group, not a percentage of questions right.
What percentile do you need to pass the national sift?
The College does not publish one. It says only whether you have met the national standard. Any figure quoted online as the sift pass mark is a guess.
Is the national sift marked by a person?
No. The College says the national sift is automatically scored by the assessment platform. That is why some forces can release results quickly.
What does the national sift feedback report include?
Your score and more information about the kinds of performances that distinguish better-performing candidates from those who did not score as highly. We have not seen evidence that it shows answers to individual scenarios.
I passed the national sift. What happens next?
Your force invites you to the College's online assessment process: a competency-based interview, a written exercise and a briefing exercise on the Tazio platform. Since 17 March 2026 all four stages, including an in-person force interview, are required for constable candidates other than transferees.
I did not pass the national sift. When can I resit?
From three months after the date you completed the sift, no more than twice in a 12-month period and you complete both exercises again. You cannot appeal on the result alone.
Does a higher percentile help me later in the process?
The College does not say that forces use your sift percentile beyond the pass decision. Ask your force if it matters for how applications are prioritised. Your next stage, the online assessment process, is marked separately.
Who do I contact if my sift result has not arrived?
Your force's recruitment team, which sets the results timeline. Check your junk folder first. If technical problems affected your assessment, the College says to contact recruit@college.police.uk as well.
Does a low percentile mean I only just passed the sift?
You cannot tell. The College does not publish the score or percentile that meets the standard. If your email says you met the standard, you passed; the percentile only shows how your combined score compared with other applicants.
Should I resit the sift to get a higher percentile?
There is no reason to if you met the standard. The College describes resits for candidates who were unsuccessful. Spend the time preparing for the online assessment process instead.
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: National sift candidate guidance (May 2026 PDF; page updated 1 June 2026) : automatic scoring, SJT and BSQ combined, comparison group, percentile, results by email, personalised feedback report with your score, results timeframe varies by force, resit, appeals (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Sift and online assessment process (updated 21 July 2026) : the sift comes before the online assessment process (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Devon and Cornwall Police: Police officer selection process : one force's example: results received instantly with a feedback report (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police: Police constable recruitment process : one force's example: about two weeks for this stage (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police (Amendment) (Recruitment Standards) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/154) : the four recruitment stages for constable candidates other than transferees (accessed 21 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
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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.