Police SJT
Practice Test
32 original scenarios in the National Sift format. Rate four actions per scenario on the official five-point scale, then see the reasoning, your score and the pattern behind your misses.
The police SJT in short: what's official
The SJT is the first of two exercises in the National Sift. You read a workplace scenario, then rate the effectiveness of four possible actions. Below is what the official sources say, checked on 29 September 2026.
Format
A series of scenarios; four possible actions for each; you rate each action's effectiveness. Rate each action independently, the same rating can be used more than once, and you needn't use the whole scale.
Timing
Untimed, but expected to take about 45 minutes according to the College of Policing (page updated 1 June 2026). The BSQ takes about 20 minutes. You get a seven-day window once invited.
Scoring
Scored automatically. SJT and BSQ are combined into one score, compared with a group of applicants and shown as a percentile. You're told whether you met the national standard. The pass mark isn't published.
Retakes
Resit from three months after you completed it, twice at most in 12 months, and you repeat both exercises.
Sources: College of Policing national sift candidate guidance; national recruitment site joiningthepolice.co.uk, which describes 15 scenarios and about 30 minutes for the SJT (the College's page doesn't state a scenario count and gives about 45 minutes; we'd plan for the longer time). Not every force uses the national sift, so check with the force you're applying to.
Practise the National Sift SJT
Same format as the official test: read a scenario, then rate each of four actions from Counterproductive to Very effective. Rate every action on its own merits, as your first response to the situation. You can give more than one action the same rating.
PolicePay practice material, not official questions. The model ratings are our reasoned judgement against the CVF, not the College of Policing's answer key, which isn't published.
The official five-point rating scale
These are the College of Policing's own definitions. You can view them at any point during the real exercise, and it's worth learning them before you sit it.
| Rating | Official meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Counterproductive | An inappropriate action that will have a negative impact or make the situation worse. |
| 2. Ineffective | A poor action that will not help to resolve the situation. |
| 3. Slightly effective | An action that would have a small positive impact on the situation. |
| 4. Effective | A reasonable action that would help to resolve the situation. |
| 5. Very effective | One of the best actions that could be taken to resolve the situation. |
Source: College of Policing national sift candidate guidance. Numbers 1 to 5 are added here for the practice tool.
How SJTs are scored, and the reasoning that scores well
What's official: the National Sift is scored automatically, and your SJT and BSQ results are combined into one overall score that's compared with other applicants to policing roles. The College also says candidates receive a personalised feedback report describing what distinguished better-performing candidates. What isn't published: the answer key, how it was built, and the pass mark.
In general, situational judgement tests are scored by comparing your ratings with a key that reflects expert judgement about how effective each action is. That's how SJTs usually work, not something the College has confirmed about its own key. It means the useful skill isn't spotting tricks; it's making the same kind of judgement an experienced, values-led officer would. Because you rate every action, being close matters as well as being exactly right: rating a poor action 'slightly effective' is a smaller miss than rating it 'very effective'. Our practice score works the same way: an exact match scores 100%, one point out 67%, two points out 33%, three or more 0%.
Eight reasoning patterns behind the model ratings
These are PolicePay's teaching labels for the reasoning that runs through the scenarios, not College of Policing categories. Each one links back to the CVF values (courage, respect and empathy, public service) and the Code of Ethics principles they come from. Your results screen breaks your score down by these.
Protect people first
Where someone may be at risk, the safest and most protective action comes before process, paperwork or convenience.
6 practice scenarios
Check facts, don't guess
Good responses rest on what you actually know, and verify what you don't, without freezing into inaction.
2 practice scenarios
Keep it proportionate
The response should match the size of the problem: neither ignoring it nor jumping to the heaviest tool.
2 practice scenarios
Own it, don't drift it
Take responsibility for your part promptly and openly rather than delaying, hiding or handing it on.
3 practice scenarios
Speak up early and directly
Challenge poor conduct or wrong information at the earliest sensible point, calmly and to the right person.
3 practice scenarios
Fair and respectful to everyone
Treat people with dignity and without assumptions, and explain what you're doing and why.
7 practice scenarios
Work with colleagues constructively
Support colleagues, use the right people and channels, and keep the team's work on track.
3 practice scenarios
Integrity over convenience
Accurate records, no favours, no misuse of information: the honest route even when a shortcut is easier.
6 practice scenarios
Five questions to ask of any action
- Does it deal with the actual risk or problem, or just look tidy?
- Is it proportionate: neither ignoring the issue nor jumping to the heaviest step?
- Is it honest and transparent, with accurate records, no favours, no shortcuts?
- Does it treat the people involved fairly and explain what's happening?
- Is it a sensible first response, given only what the scenario tells you?
Common SJT mistakes
1. Ranking the actions against each other
The real test asks you to rate each action independently, and the College says you can give the same rating to more than one action. Don't hunt for one 'best' and one 'worst' per scenario. Ask of each action: on its own, how effective would this be?
2. Rating what you would do instead
You may feel you'd do something different from all four options. The College tells candidates to concentrate on the four actions actually provided, and to base answers solely on the information in the scenario, not on assumptions about what might also be going on.
3. Treating 'do nothing' or 'wait' as the safe option
Doing nothing feels risk-free, but where someone may be at risk, or a colleague has done something wrong, inaction is usually rated poorly. Delay needs a reason.
4. Rewarding the polite action that skips the problem
Reassuring, sympathetic or friendly responses feel right, but if they leave the actual issue untouched they're 'slightly effective' at best. The strongest actions are kind and deal with the substance.
5. Escalating everything
Reporting a colleague or arresting someone is sometimes exactly right, but jumping straight to the heaviest step for a first, minor issue is usually rated below a direct, proportionate conversation. Keep the response the size of the problem.
6. Using the middle of the scale to avoid deciding
The scale doesn't require you to use its full range, but most scenarios contain at least one clearly poor action and one clearly good one. If you rate most things 'slightly effective' you're not discriminating.
7. Overthinking the 'first response'
The official guidance frames each action as your first response to the situation. You're judging a sensible next step, not designing a full investigation.
8. Splitting the test over several days
The College recommends completing each exercise in one sitting where possible. Get somewhere quiet, allow the time, and don't rush at the end of a long day.
SJT study plans: 1, 2 or 4 weeks
These are PolicePay suggestions, not an official programme. The SJT doesn't test knowledge, so more hours isn't automatically better; a few focused sets with careful reading of the reasoning beats grinding through the bank.
1 week
You've been invited and the window is short
- Day 1: Read the College of Policing candidate guidance (linked above) and the CVF values. Do the quick 5-scenario round here to see your starting point.
- Day 2-3: Do a 10-scenario set each day. Read every rationale, even where you were right. Note which reasoning pattern is weakest.
- Day 4: Read the 'common mistakes' above against your own results. Redo only the scenarios where you missed by two or more points.
- Day 5-6: One full 15-scenario set under test-like conditions (quiet, one sitting, no rationale checking until the end of each scenario).
- Day 7: Rest. On the day itself, complete the real exercises somewhere quiet and read the scale definitions before you begin.
2 weeks
The sensible middle route
- Week 1: Read the CVF and the Code of Ethics principles. Complete a 10-scenario set every other day, reading all reasoning. Keep a running list of the patterns you keep missing.
- Week 2: Do a 15-scenario set on day 1 and day 4, then the full bank on day 6. Compare your pattern scores across attempts.
- Also spend one session on the BSQ: read what it measures and, above all, plan to answer it honestly (see the BSQ guide).
4 weeks
You're planning ahead of applying
- Week 1: Learn the framework: the CVF's three values and six competencies, and the Code of Ethics principles. Read the official candidate guidance's two example scenarios.
- Week 2: Two 10-scenario sets. Focus on understanding why each rating is what it is, not memorising it. Write one sentence per scenario on the reasoning.
- Week 3: Full bank. Then apply the same reasoning to news stories and real workplace situations: what would a proportionate, honest, fair first step look like?
- Week 4: Two 15-scenario sets to check consistency. Move on to interview preparation: the SJT is the first stage, not the last.
How this practice differs from the real thing
- The scenarios are ours. The College of Policing doesn't release its live questions, and any site claiming to sell you "real" ones is not being straight with you.
- The model ratings are PolicePay's reasoned judgement, written against the CVF. They're not the College's answer key and reasonable people can disagree with a rating by a point.
- Our score is distance from our model ratings. The real result is a percentile against other applicants and a national-standard decision. Treat ours as a study aid, not a prediction.
- You get instant feedback after each scenario here. In the real test you don't.
Police SJT questions answered
What is the police Situational Judgement Test (SJT)?
The SJT is one of two exercises in the National Sift, the first online assessment stage in police officer recruitment in England and Wales. You are presented with scenarios reflecting challenging situations you might face in the role. For each, there are four possible actions and you rate how effective each one would be, from Counterproductive to Very effective. It assesses judgement and decision-making, not policing knowledge.
How many questions is the SJT and how long does it take?
The College of Policing's candidate guidance (last updated 1 June 2026) says the SJT is untimed but expected to take about 45 minutes. The national recruitment site, joiningthepolice.co.uk, describes 15 scenarios and about 30 minutes, and the College's earlier guidance also said about 30 minutes. The College's reasonable adjustments guide (updated 25 August 2026) gives yet another figure, about 20 minutes. The College guidance doesn't state the number of scenarios. Since the sources differ, plan for around 45 minutes and don't rush.
Is this the real College of Policing SJT?
No. The College doesn't publish its live questions or answer key, so no site can legitimately offer them. This is original PolicePay practice material built to the same format, and the model ratings are our reasoned judgement against the CVF, not an official key. The College's candidate guidance includes two official example scenarios, and once you're invited, the official assessment includes practice questions you can attempt during your seven-day window.
How is the National Sift scored, and what's the pass mark?
The College says the sift is scored automatically by the assessment platform, with SJT and BSQ scores combined into one overall score. That score is compared with a group of applicants to policing roles and shown as a percentile, and you're told by email whether you met the national standard. The threshold itself, and any pass rate, aren't published. Our guide to how the National Sift is scored covers this in more detail.
Can I retake the National Sift if I don't meet the standard?
According to the College of Policing, you can resit from three months after the date you completed the assessment, but you're limited to two attempts in any 12-month period, and you must complete both exercises again. Check your force's own guidance too, as recruitment windows and rules can differ by force.
Can I give two actions the same rating? Do I need to use every rating?
Yes to the first, no to the second. The College's guidance says you can allocate the same rating to more than one action in a scenario and that you shouldn't assume you have to use the full range of the scale. Rate each action independently of the others.
Do I need police knowledge to answer SJT questions?
No. The College says no prior knowledge of the role or any specialist knowledge is required, and that your responses should be based solely on the information in each scenario. The judgement being tested reflects the CVF values: courage, respect and empathy, and public service. It's worth reading the CVF before you start.
What's the best way to prepare for the police SJT?
Understand the reasoning rather than memorising answers. Read the CVF, practise on original scenarios like the ones here, and study why each rating is what it is, especially the ones you got wrong. Look for patterns in your misses, such as being too generous to actions that avoid the problem or too harsh on measured ones, and fix the pattern. Complete the real test in one quiet sitting.
What to do next
How the National Sift is scored
Percentiles, the national standard, and what the College says about retakes.
The other half: the BSQ
What it measures and why honesty beats strategy.
CVF questions and answers
The same framework the SJT is built on, for the interview stage.
STAR answers for the interview
How to structure the examples you'll need after the sift.
If you pass the sift: the interview stage
Passing the sift moves you on to the online assessment, which includes a competency-based interview, a written exercise and a briefing exercise (College of Policing guide). The SJT above is free and stays free. Our AI mock interview (free scored practice with a free account, full critique paid) is for that later interview stage only. It doesn't prepare you for the SJT.
Sift and recruitment alerts
Know when the sift or the application windows change
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Related
Facts about the National Sift checked against College of Policing and joiningthepolice.co.uk pages on 29 September 2026; the College's candidate guidance was last updated 1 June 2026. Official processes change, so always confirm with your recruiting force. This page and practice tool are independent PolicePay.co.uk material and are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the College of Policing. All scenarios are original and do not reproduce any real assessment content.