Sift Access Code
and Tech Problems
The police national sift asking for an access code, a link that will not open, a dropped connection or a time-out: what the College of Policing says to do, how to reach the sift's technical support and a free checklist to run before you start.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Clear your browser's cache, cookies and temporary files, then click the sift link in your invitation email again: the College says you will no longer need an access code. For other technical problems, re-open the link from your invitation email, then email supportservicesintl@talogy.com (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm).
For police candidates in England and Wales taking the College of Policing national sift. PolicePay is independent and cannot fix your assessment; this page sets out what the College's guidance says and who can help.
Asked for an access code: the fix
The College's sift guidance has a specific section on this. If you are asked for an access code when you click the link to sit the national sift:
- Clear the cache, cookies and temporary files from your internet browser.
- Close the browser, then open the national sift link from your invitation email again.
- You should no longer be asked for an access code.
How to clear them varies by device and browser. The usual routes:
| Browser | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Chrome | Settings, Privacy and security, Delete browsing data: cookies and cached images and files |
| Edge | Settings, Privacy, search and services, Clear browsing data |
| Safari on Mac | Safari menu, Clear History; or Settings, Privacy, Manage Website Data |
| Safari on iPhone | Settings app, Apps, Safari, Clear History and Website Data |
| Firefox | Settings, Privacy and Security, Cookies and Site Data, Clear Data |
Menu names change between browser versions, so these are a guide. Clearing cookies signs you out of other websites; that is expected. If you still see an access code prompt, email Talogy support with a screenshot.
Free set-up checklist for the sift
Run this on the device you plan to use. It shows your browser and gives you the College's practical points to tick off before you start. Nothing is recorded or saved.
Free set-up check
Is this device ready for the national sift?
Runs in your browser only. Nothing is recorded, uploaded or saved.
Your browser: checking...
0 of 8 done
Common problems and what to do
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Asked for an access code | Clear cache, cookies and temporary files; click the link again. |
| Connection dropped mid-exercise | Click the assessment link in your invitation email to get back in. |
| Timed out after a break | The home screen times out after 20 minutes of inactivity. Re-open the link from your invitation. |
| No invitation email | Check junk and filters, then contact your force: it controls when you are invited. |
| Page will not load or freezes | Update the browser, try another one or another device, then email Talogy support. |
| Window about to close | Contact your force before it expires. Serious extenuating circumstances can justify an extension. |
Keep a note of what happened, when and any error message (a screenshot helps). You may need it for support or for your force.
Talogy technical support
The College's sift guidance gives one contact for technical difficulties during the national sift:
Email: supportservicesintl@talogy.com
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, excluding bank holidays
Response: within four support hours
Four support hours means an email sent on Friday afternoon may not be answered until Monday. Do not leave the sift to the last day of your window. Questions about the sift itself, such as eligibility, dates or results, go to your recruiting force, not Talogy.
The seven-day window
The College describes a seven-day assessment window for the sift. Both exercises are untimed: its guidance suggests about 45 minutes for the SJT and about 20 minutes for the BSQ, while its adjustments guide gives about 50 minutes overall. It recommends completing each in one sitting if possible.
- Start early in the window, ideally on a weekday when support is available.
- Allow about an hour and a half of quiet time so you are not rushed.
- If something serious happens before you start, ask your force for an extension rather than sitting it unwell.
Time-outs, pauses and breaks
The College's reasonable adjustments guide says the home screen will time out after 20 minutes of inactivity and that you may pause and come back up to ten times during the seven-day window. You can also take self-facilitated breaks between the questions and the exercises without asking permission.
Finish the scenario or statement you are on, take your break and if you are away more than 20 minutes, expect to re-open the link from your invitation email when you return. Count your pauses: ten across the window is the limit the College gives.
The practice questions
Before the scored exercises, the platform offers practice questions. The College says they are not scored and you get no feedback on them. You must complete them before the exercises unlock, but there is a skip button; if you skip them, you cannot go back to them later.
Do them. They are the only chance to see the real interface before the scored part. To get used to the format before your window opens, try the free SJT practice and BSQ practice on this site, which use original content in the same format.
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.
Devices, browsers and accessibility
- Devices: laptop, desktop computer, tablet or mobile device all work for both exercises.
- Browsers: the sift guidance does not list them. Keep yours up to date.
- Screen reader: the College recommends NVDA, which is free and works best on Firefox.
- Zoom: up to 300%.
- Keyboard: most of the site can be navigated using just a keyboard.
- Visual stress: you can change colours, contrast and fonts, or use your own coloured overlay or lenses.
Because both exercises are untimed, the College does not offer extra time for the sift. More on support options in national sift reasonable adjustments.
If a technical problem affected your result
- Raise it with your recruiting force immediately, as the College's guidance asks.
- Email recruit@college.police.uk, stating your recruiting force and full name.
- Keep evidence: screenshots, times and your emails with Talogy support.
- If it is not resolved, a written appeal with evidence goes to your force. Appeals are considered only if you did not meet the standard; procedural issues are still investigated.
You cannot appeal on an unsuccessful result alone.
Once the tech works: preparing the content
Most sift preparation time is better spent on the SJT than on set-up. Rate each action on its own, as your first response, using only the information in the scenario; the same rating can be used more than once.
Myths
"The access code is in a separate email." The College's fix is to clear your browser data and use the link again.
"If you lose connection you lose your attempt." The College says you can get back in through the invitation link.
"The sift is timed." Both exercises are untimed, although the home screen times out after 20 minutes of inactivity.
"Support is 24/7." Talogy support runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.
A worked example: a problem on day five of the window
An invented example showing the order of steps the College's guidance points to:
| When | What happens | What the candidate does |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1, Monday | Invitation arrives; seven-day window starts. | Saves the email, notes the closing date, plans a quiet slot on Wednesday. |
| Day 3, Wednesday | Clicking the link asks for an access code. | Clears cache, cookies and temporary files, closes the browser, clicks the link again. It works. |
| Day 3, mid-SJT | Home broadband drops. | Reconnects and re-opens the invitation link, as the College's guidance says. |
| Day 3, later | A page freezes and will not move on. | Screenshots the screen and emails supportservicesintl@talogy.com within support hours; tells the force recruitment team. |
| Day 4 | Support replies and the issue is fixed. | Completes the exercises with three days to spare. |
The lesson: start early in the window, on a weekday. A problem on the last evening, a Friday or a bank holiday leaves little time for a support reply, which the College says comes within four support hours.
What to put in a support email
Support can help faster when your first email has the details. A simple structure:
- Subject: "National sift technical problem: [your recruiting force]".
- Your full name and the email address the invitation went to.
- Your recruiting force and when your window closes.
- Which exercise you were on (practice questions, SJT or BSQ) and roughly how far through.
- What happened, the time it happened and any error message, word for word.
- Your device and browser and what you have already tried.
- A screenshot, if you have one.
Do not include medical or other sensitive personal details in a technical support email. Reasonable adjustments go through your force.
Before you click the link: a checklist
- Device charged or plugged in; updates installed.
- Browser up to date; other tabs closed.
- A stable connection, ideally not mobile data on the move.
- About an hour and a half of quiet time; the exercises are untimed but best done in one sitting.
- The invitation email to hand, so you can re-open the link.
- Support details noted: supportservicesintl@talogy.com, Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm.
- Your force's recruitment contact noted, for questions about the sift itself.
- Practice questions done first; you cannot return to them if you skip them.
Mistakes that turn a small problem into a big one
- Leaving it to the last evening. Support may not reply before the window closes.
- Using a work device or network. Workplace security settings can block sites or clear data.
- Sharing or forwarding the link. It is your personal access.
- Starting on a phone on the move. Signal drops mid-scenario; any device is allowed, but choose a stable spot.
- Saying nothing. If a problem affected you, raise it with your force immediately; the College does not allow appeals on the result alone.
What we could not verify
- Which browsers the sift supports. The College's guidance does not list them.
- What happens to answers you had given when a connection drops. The College says you can re-enter; it does not say whether progress is saved.
- Whether a pause and a time-out both count towards the ten pauses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the national sift asking for an access code?
The College of Policing's sift guidance says that if you are asked for an access code when you click the sift link, you should clear the cache, cookies and temporary files from your browser, then click the sift link again. You will then no longer need an access code.
How do I contact national sift technical support?
Email supportservicesintl@talogy.com. The College says support hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, excluding bank holidays and you can expect a response within four support hours. Questions about the sift itself go to your recruiting force.
What if my internet drops during the national sift?
The College says that if your connectivity drops or you have technical issues, you can access the exercises again by clicking the assessment link in your invitation email.
Can I do the national sift on my phone?
Yes. The College says both exercises can be completed on a laptop, desktop computer, tablet or mobile device.
Does the national sift time out?
The exercises are untimed, but the College's reasonable adjustments guide says the home screen times out after 20 minutes of inactivity. It also says you can pause and come back up to ten times during your seven-day window.
How long do I have to complete the national sift?
A seven-day window from your invitation. The College suggests about 45 minutes for the SJT and about 20 for the BSQ (its adjustments guide gives about 50 minutes overall) and recommends doing each in one sitting if you can.
I skipped the practice questions. Can I go back to them?
No. The College says you must complete the unscored practice questions before the exercises unlock, or skip them and that if you skip them you cannot access them later.
Can I appeal if technical problems affected my sift?
Raise it straight away. The College says to contact recruit@college.police.uk if your assessment was affected by technical issues and to raise concerns with your force immediately; a written appeal with evidence goes to your force if it is not resolved. You cannot appeal on the result alone.
Which browser should I use for the national sift?
The College's sift guidance does not list supported browsers. Use an up-to-date browser. If you use the NVDA screen reader, the College's adjustments guide says it works best on Firefox.
Is the national sift on Tazio?
The College's sift guidance does not say so. It names Talogy as the sift's technical support. Tazio is the platform the College names for the later online assessment process.
What should I include when I email national sift support?
Your full name, the email address the invitation went to, your recruiting force, when your window closes, which exercise you were on, what happened and when, any error message, your device and browser and what you have already tried. A screenshot helps.
My sift window closes before support can reply. What do I do?
Contact your recruiting force straight away and explain. The College's guidance says that if your window is about to expire because of circumstances affecting you, you should notify your force and ask for an extension. Keep copies of your emails to support.
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) : devices; re-entering via the invitation link; Talogy support email, hours and response time; access code fix; practice questions cannot be revisited if skipped; one sitting; seven-day window; recruit@college.police.uk; appeals (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Reasonable adjustments and accommodations guide for online assessments candidates (updated 25 August 2026) : 20-minute inactivity time-out; pause up to ten times; zoom to 300%; keyboard navigation; NVDA works best on Firefox; about 50 minutes overall (accessed 21 October 2026)
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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.