Respect and Empathy
SJT Scenarios
Two original situational judgement test scenarios built around respect and empathy: an angry man at the front counter and a burglary victim who needs an interpreter. Rate each action, check our ratings and see the patterns that decide them.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Rate highest the actions that listen first, acknowledge how the person feels and adapt to their needs so the outcome is fair: letting an angry person finish before explaining, or waiting for a professional interpreter while keeping someone informed. Rate low the actions that dismiss, rush or pass people on.
Original PolicePay practice scenarios in the format of the College of Policing national sift, not College questions. Our ratings are not the College's answer key, which is not published.
Scenario 1: The man at the front counter
Rate each action as your first response. The same rating can be used more than once.
Free sample scenario
The man at the front counter
A man at the station front counter is shouting that nobody has called him back about his stolen van. He keeps interrupting you. Other people in the queue are watching.
Rate each action on its own, from 1 (Counterproductive) to 5 (Very effective). You can give the same rating to more than one action.
Rate all four actions to check your answers.
What respect and empathy means in the 2024 framework
Our paraphrase of the College's 2024 framework:
- encouraging, listening to and understanding other people's views;
- recognising the physical, mental and emotional challenges you and others may face;
- patience and courtesy where possible, accepting that safety sometimes comes first;
- treating people fairly by tailoring your response to their needs;
- recognising that people react differently to the same situation;
- recognising and managing your own biases.
Before 2024 the framework had an "impartiality" value. Much of that content, such as giving everyone an equal chance to put their view, now sits under respect and empathy.
Where respect and empathy fits in the sift
The College's sift guidance says the SJT assesses the six competencies and the BSQ assesses the competencies plus the three values. Respect and empathy is formally a BSQ area. But SJT scenarios regularly involve upset, vulnerable or misunderstood people and the competency "we are emotionally aware" overlaps heavily with this value. Practising these scenarios sharpens the judgement the SJT rewards.
Scenario 1 explained: The man at the front counter
A man at the station front counter is shouting that nobody has called him back about his stolen van. He keeps interrupting you. Other people in the queue are watching.
| Action | Our rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Stay calm, let him finish, then acknowledge how frustrated he is. | 5 Very effective | Listening and acknowledging the feeling usually lowers the temperature and lets you find out what has gone wrong. |
| Tell him you will not speak to him until he lowers his voice. | 2 Ineffective | Setting a condition first is likely to escalate things and does not deal with why he is upset. |
| Check the system for his report and tell him honestly what you find. | 4 Effective | Finding out the facts and being honest is reasonable. It works better after he feels heard. |
| Ask a colleague to deal with him so you can serve the rest of the queue. | 2 Ineffective | Passing him on without trying to help leaves the problem with someone else and may make him angrier. |
Two actions share Ineffective here: setting a condition before listening and handing him to a colleague. Neither is harmful in itself, but neither helps resolve why he is upset. Checking his report honestly is Effective: it is the right thing to do and it works best once he feels heard.
Scenario 2: The interpreter delay
This one is about fair treatment when someone has different needs. Rate each action on its own.
Free sample scenario
The interpreter delay
You are taking details from a woman who reported a burglary. Her English is limited and her teenage son offers to translate. The interpreter service says it will call back within the hour.
Rate each action on its own, from 1 (Counterproductive) to 5 (Very effective). You can give the same rating to more than one action.
Rate all four actions to check your answers.
The balance between speed and fairness is the point. Using the son for the whole account is quick but risks an inaccurate statement and a victim who cannot speak freely. Using him only for basic welfare questions, then waiting for the interpreter, is a sensible middle way and rated Effective.
Respect and empathy patterns
| Situation | Usually rated high | Usually rated low |
|---|---|---|
| Someone angry or distressed | Listening, acknowledging the feeling, then explaining | Conditions, lectures, walking away |
| Different language or needs | Arranging proper support; keeping the person informed | Rushing with a shortcut that risks accuracy or dignity |
| A person in difficulty who has done something wrong | Welfare and dignity first, then the process | Judging, or ignoring the process out of sympathy |
| Two sides in a dispute | Hearing both fairly | Siding with whoever called first |
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.
Rating traps
- Sympathy over fairness. Letting someone off without the right process is not empathy; it can be unfair to others.
- Speed over dignity. The fastest option is rarely the most respectful.
- Treating identical as fair. The framework expects you to adapt to people's needs.
- Assuming. Rate on what the scenario tells you, not on what you imagine about the person.
Respect and empathy later in the process
The College lists respect and empathy in two of the three online assessment exercises: the competency-based interview and the written exercise. In the written exercise it shows in how you describe and plan for the people in the four items, including anyone the items might label unfairly. See OAC competencies by exercise and respect and empathy interview answers.
More practice
Scenario 2 explained: The interpreter delay
You are taking details from a woman who reported a burglary. Her English is limited and her teenage son offers to translate. The interpreter service says it will call back within the hour.
| Action | Our rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Use the son to translate so you can finish quickly. | 2 Ineffective | Speed is not the priority. A family member may not translate accurately and the woman may not speak freely in front of her son. |
| Explain the delay as simply as you can and wait for the interpreter. | 5 Very effective | Keeping her informed while arranging proper support respects her needs and gets an accurate account. |
| Use the son for basic welfare questions only, then wait for the interpreter for her account. | 4 Effective | A sensible balance: checking she is safe now, while keeping the detailed account for a professional interpreter. |
| Leave and arrange to come back another day when an interpreter can attend. | 3 Slightly effective | It gets an interpreter, but leaving without explaining or checking her welfare could leave her anxious and unsupported. |
Leaving to come back another day is rated Slightly effective, not Ineffective: it does secure an interpreter, but it leaves a victim of a burglary without reassurance or a welfare check in the meantime.
Scenario 3: The neighbour who uses a wheelchair
Fair treatment and practical help when someone's needs are easy to overlook. Rate each action.
Free sample scenario
The neighbour who uses a wheelchair
You attend a report of a parked van blocking a dropped kerb. The resident who called uses a wheelchair and has missed a hospital appointment. The van driver says he will only be ten more minutes.
Rate each action on its own, from 1 (Counterproductive) to 5 (Very effective). You can give the same rating to more than one action.
Rate all four actions to check your answers.
| Action | Our rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ask the driver to move the van now and explain the impact on the resident. | 5 Very effective | Deals with the immediate barrier and helps the driver understand why it matters. |
| Check whether the resident needs help rearranging the appointment. | 4 Effective | A caring, practical step that addresses the harm already done. |
| Tell the resident ten minutes is not long to wait. | 1 Counterproductive | Dismisses the impact on someone who has already missed an appointment. |
| Take the driver's details and leave. | 2 Ineffective | It records the incident but leaves the kerb blocked. |
Ten minutes may sound short to the driver, but the resident has already missed an appointment. Respect and empathy means seeing the situation from the person most affected, then explaining that to the other party calmly.
The five-point scale, applied to respect and empathy
| Rating | College definition | Typical action (our illustration) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Counterproductive | An inappropriate action that will have a negative impact or make the situation worse. | Dismissing someone's distress; judging a person in difficulty. |
| 2 Ineffective | A poor action which will not help to resolve the situation. | Setting conditions before listening; passing someone to a colleague without trying. |
| 3 Slightly effective | An action that will have a small positive impact on the situation. | Arranging support but leaving the person uninformed in the meantime. |
| 4 Effective | A reasonable action that will help to resolve the situation. | Checking the facts honestly; practical help with the consequences. |
| 5 Very effective | One of the best actions that could be taken to resolve the situation. | Listening first and acknowledging the feeling; removing the barrier the person faces. |
A respect and empathy checklist for any SJT scenario
- Who is most affected and does the action consider them?
- Does the action listen before it explains?
- Does it adapt to the person's needs (language, disability, distress), or treat everyone identically?
- Does it keep the person's dignity, especially in front of others?
- Does it rely on an assumption the scenario does not support?
- Have I rated each action on its own?
What we could not verify
- The College's answer key. Our ratings are reasoned judgement against the published scale and framework.
- How the BSQ measures respect and empathy. The College describes the format, not the scoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does respect and empathy mean in policing?
It is one of the three values in the College of Policing's 2024 framework: listening to and understanding other people's views, treating people fairly by adapting to their needs, recognising that people react differently to the same situation and managing your own biases.
Does the SJT assess respect and empathy?
The College's sift guidance says the SJT assesses the six competencies and the behavioural styles questionnaire assesses the competencies plus the three values, including respect and empathy. SJT scenarios often involve upset or vulnerable people, so empathetic judgement still matters there.
How should I rate an action that calms someone down?
Listening and acknowledging someone's frustration before explaining is usually one of the most effective first responses with an upset member of the public. Setting conditions first, such as refusing to talk until they calm down, tends to escalate things.
Is fair treatment the same as treating everyone identically?
No. The 2024 framework expects responses tailored to people's needs, such as arranging an interpreter rather than relying on a family member. Fair means the outcome is fair, not that every step is the same.
Should I use a family member to translate in an SJT scenario?
As a first response for a detailed account, usually not: a relative may not translate accurately and the person may not speak freely. Using them for basic welfare questions while waiting for a professional interpreter can be reasonable.
Are these real national sift questions?
No. They are original PolicePay practice scenarios in the sift's format. The ratings are our reasoned judgement, not the College's answer key.
Where else is respect and empathy assessed?
In the online assessment process, the College lists respect and empathy in both the competency-based interview and the written exercise. In the written exercise it shows in how you describe and plan for the people affected.
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) : SJT and BSQ areas; scale and definitions; rate each action independently as a first response (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and values framework : respect and empathy as a 2024 value (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Ethical policing principles : respect and empathy as a Code of Ethics principle (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Online assessment process candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) : respect and empathy assessed in the interview and the written exercise (accessed 21 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Free tools for applicants
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.