Police SJT
Practice Test Free National Sift practice questions and answers
15 free original scenarios in the National Sift format and one free timed mock. Rate four actions per scenario on the official five-point scale, then see the reasoning, your score and the pattern behind your misses.
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.
Timed mock: 15 scenarios in 30 minutes
Like the real test: no feedback until the end. The clock runs at 2 minutes a scenario, the pace of the "about 30 minutes for 15 scenarios" on joiningthepolice.co.uk. The College of Policing's own guidance says the SJT is untimed and expected to take about 45 minutes, so the real thing should feel roomier. Scenarios not rated when time runs out score zero.
One free timed mock per browser, using the 15 free scenarios, with the full paper report at the end: competencies, contexts, your error patterns and a revision list. The Sift Prep Pass has 14 fixed mock papers and unlimited mocks from all 280 scenarios.
We'll tell you how long you have, and whether paid access would still be running on the day. The date is saved in this browser only.
Worked example, not scored
What every scenario's feedback looks like
One of the free scenarios with every rating explained, the way the feedback appears after each scenario in a practice set. It can come up in your free timed mock. The ratings are PolicePay's model ratings, not the College of Policing's answer key.
Courage · We take ownership
A joke in the canteen
In the canteen, a colleague you get on well with makes a joke about the mental health condition of a victim from a case earlier in the week. Two others laugh; one looks uncomfortable. Nobody else says anything.
A. Say nothing for now. It was only canteen banter, nobody has complained and challenging it in front of the others would make the room awkward.
Model: 2 Ineffective
Silence signals the remark is acceptable and the uncomfortable colleague sees nobody backing standards. It doesn't make things worse in the moment, but it does nothing to put them right.
B. Speak to the colleague privately soon afterwards, say why the joke wasn't acceptable and check they understand.
Model: 5 Very effective
Challenges the behaviour directly and early, protects the working relationship and gives the colleague a fair chance to put it right. This is proportionate courage.
C. Report the colleague to Professional Standards straight away without speaking to them first.
Model: 3 Slightly effective
The conduct matters and reporting isn't wrong, but going straight there for a single remark skips a proportionate first step. It becomes the right route if it's repeated or they don't accept the feedback.
D. Tell the colleague loudly, in front of everyone, that they should be ashamed.
Model: 2 Ineffective
It does challenge the remark, but humiliating someone in public tends to make them defensive rather than reflective. Courage means challenging the behaviour, not staging a confrontation.
Reasoning pattern: Speak up early and directly. Challenge poor conduct or wrong information at the earliest sensible point, calmly and to the right person. Your results group your scores by value and by pattern, so you can see which kind of judgement to work on.
What is the police situational judgement test?
The police situational judgement test (SJT) is the first of two exercises in the National Sift, the online test constable applicants in England and Wales take after the application form. You read a workplace scenario of the kind a new constable might face, then rate how effective each of four possible actions would be, from Counterproductive to Very effective. It tests judgement against the College of Policing's Competency and Values Framework, not policing knowledge and it is scored together with the second exercise, the behavioural styles questionnaire (BSQ).
Below is what the official sources say, checked on 22 October 2026. For the other half of the sift, see the BSQ explained and the BSQ practice tool. To read worked answers first, see our police SJT example questions with answers; for tips and a plan, see how to pass the National Sift.
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). Since 17 March 2026 the Police Regulations 2003, reg 10(1)(eb) require every constable candidate in England and Wales, other than transferees, to pass the national sift. Some non-Home Office forces run their own tests, so check with the force you're applying to.
How the police situational judgement test works
Each scenario gives you four actions. You rate every action on its own, using the College of Policing's five-point scale; the same rating can go on more than one action and you don't have to use the whole scale. There is no single "right answer" to pick, so judge each action as your first response to the situation, using only what the scenario tells you.
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 which will not help to resolve the situation. |
| 3. Slightly effective | An action that will have a small positive impact on the situation. |
| 4. Effective | A reasonable action that will 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.
Timings
The SJT is untimed. The College of Policing expects it to take about 45 minutes; joiningthepolice.co.uk describes 15 scenarios in about 30 minutes. The BSQ follows, at about 20 minutes. You get a seven-day window once invited, unscored practice questions before you start and the College recommends doing each exercise in one sitting where possible.
How answers are scored
Scoring is automatic. Your SJT and BSQ scores are combined, compared with a group of applicants and shown as a percentile and you're told whether you met the national standard. The College does not publish the answer key, the weighting or the pass mark. More in how the National Sift is scored and how SJTs are generally scored below.
Common mistakes, in brief
- Ranking the four actions against each other instead of rating each one on its own.
- Rating what you would do instead of the actions you are given.
- Treating "do nothing" or "wait" as the safe choice where someone may be at risk.
- Escalating a first, minor issue straight to the heaviest step.
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.
43 practice scenarios, 2 free
Check facts, don't guess
Good responses rest on what you actually know. Verify what you don't, without freezing into inaction.
27 practice scenarios, 1 free
Keep it proportionate
The response should match the size of the problem: neither ignoring it nor jumping to the heaviest tool.
26 practice scenarios, 2 free
Own it, don't drift it
Take responsibility for your part promptly and openly rather than delaying, hiding or handing it on.
32 practice scenarios, 2 free
Speak up early and directly
Challenge poor conduct or wrong information at the earliest sensible point, calmly and to the right person.
31 practice scenarios, 2 free
Fair and respectful to everyone
Treat people with dignity and without assumptions. Explain what you're doing and why.
45 practice scenarios, 3 free
Work with colleagues constructively
Support colleagues, use the right people and channels and keep the team's work on track.
45 practice scenarios, 1 free
Integrity over convenience
Accurate records, no favours, no misuse of information: the honest route even when a shortcut is easier.
31 practice scenarios, 2 free
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 police 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: Take the free timed mock: 15 scenarios in one quiet sitting, with feedback held to the end as in the real test.
- 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 practice set on day 1 and day 4, then a timed mock 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: Work on your weakest value and reasoning pattern. Then apply the same reasoning to news stories and real workplace situations: what would a proportionate, honest, fair first step look like?
- Week 4: A timed mock 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.
- Practice sets give you feedback after each scenario. In the real test you don't, which is why the timed mock holds all feedback to the end.
- Our timed mock runs at 2 minutes a scenario, the pace of joiningthepolice.co.uk's "about 30 minutes" for 15. The College's own guidance says the SJT is untimed and expected to take about 45 minutes.
What's free and what the Sift Prep Pass adds
Free, no sign-up
- 15 original scenarios with the reasoning for every rating
- Practice sets of up to five, with your score and the pattern behind your misses
- One timed mock of 15 scenarios per browser, with the full report: competencies, contexts, your error patterns and a revision list
Sift Prep Pass, £19.99 for 90 days
- All 280 scenarios (265 more than the free ones)
- 14 fixed mock papers of 15 with a full report each, unlimited random timed mocks and practice sets of any size
- Drills by competency, policing context, error pattern and your own weak areas, plus spaced review of the scenarios you miss
- A "what the assessor looks for" note on every scenario
- Progress by competency and context, a practice readiness check, a result PDF and a printable revision summary
- The longer BSQ practice set of 108 statements, with a profile PDF
One payment, nothing renews. 14-day refund, no reason needed (refund policy). The pass is the same kind of material as the free scenarios: original PolicePay practice, not College of Policing questions or an official answer key and no product can promise you'll meet the national standard.
Police SJT questions answered
Is this SJT practice free?
Yes, in part. 15 original scenarios are free with no sign-up: practice sets of up to five with the reasoning after each and one free timed mock of 15 scenarios per browser. The optional Sift Prep Pass (£19.99, 90 days, one payment, nothing renews) adds the rest of the bank, 280 scenarios in all, with unlimited timed mocks, drills by CVF value and reasoning pattern, spaced review, a progress chart and a result PDF. All of it is PolicePay's own practice material, not College of Policing questions.
Is there a free National Sift practice test?
Yes. This page has a free National Sift practice test: 15 original SJT scenarios with model answers and the reasoning for every rating, practice sets of up to five and one free timed mock of 15 scenarios. No sign-up is needed. There is also a free BSQ practice tool for the other half of the sift. The College of Policing itself gives unscored practice questions on the platform once you are invited.
Where can I see police SJT example questions with the answers explained?
Our SJT example questions page works through eight original scenarios in full: each action rated on the official scale, the reasoning, the common trap and the rule to take away. The College's own candidate guidance includes two example scenarios without ratings.
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. You're told by email whether you met the national standard. The threshold itself is not published and there is no national pass rate, though 2025 figures from West Yorkshire and West Midlands Police show most candidates with an outcome passing. Our guide to the National Sift pass mark and pass rate has the 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 College says the SJT assesses the six CVF competencies and good answers also reflect the three values: courage, respect and empathy, public service. It's worth reading the CVF before you start.
Can I practise the BSQ as well as the SJT?
You can get used to the BSQ's format: statements rated on a seven-point agreement scale, with some ranking items. PolicePay has a separate BSQ practice tool for that. Unlike the SJT, the BSQ asks how you typically behave at work, so the College's advice applies: answer honestly rather than trying to guess an ideal profile. Any profile a practice tool shows you is PolicePay's own, not the College's.
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, then fix the pattern. Complete the real test in one quiet sitting. Our guide on how to pass the National Sift has twelve tips and a five-session plan.
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.
BSQ practice tool
Get used to the BSQ's rating format before the real questionnaire.
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 free scenarios and the free timed mock above stay free; the Sift Prep Pass is optional. 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
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.
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Related
Facts about the National Sift checked against College of Policing and joiningthepolice.co.uk pages on 22 October 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.